Tesho Akindele

[shamrock]

Haha he plays for one of the worse teams in the EPL...So he plays in the PREMIER LEAGUE! How many Canadian players, let alone strikers, play in a top league? De Jong and he is a reserve left back. You have no idea what you're talking about. A single MLS team like Seattle has more US players than there even are Canadians in the league. Jeez.

I honestly believe we should be capping guys right after the MLS draft regardless of playing time.  We can't wait for other programs to pick up players on their radar.  We need to lock in as much as we can to build depth.  We had Welshmen, Bekker and Larin in camp before they played a pro game.  Why aren't we doing this universally?  Anybody in this first round of the MLS draft with Canadian connections should be capped ASAP.

This, unfortunately, is a realistic advice the CSA should be implementing. In fact, they are.

[Obinna]

Agreed on Finlay. I still think AJ deservers more credit. Yeah he only has like 1 goal in 8 matches with your NT but weren't those basically all substitute appearances? Once he gets a few GC's in him and beats up on some minnows, that scoring record will even itself out. 

 

Back to Tesho though for a minute though. I guess your point is that the USMNT doesn't have strong striker prospects so his chances are greater than Finaly's? Yes I can agree to that, sure. However, I really think that his chances would be better with CMNT regardless of all the young striking talent we have coming up. You guys down south are just on another level when it comes to depth all over the park and that includes the strikers as well.

 

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out!

[ag futbol]

The funny thing is ... the US doesn't have a great forward pool. Altidore is the only near certainty for 2018. Jury is still out on Johansson. Zardes has had a breakout year. But mostly it's a lot of question marks up top for the US. With Canada, OTOH, if everything went right, he could be competing in 2 years with Larin, Cavallini, Hamliton, Jackson-Hamel, Clark, Aleman, etc. That could be a tough numbers game.

Could, could, could... with the exception of Cavallini who MIGHT be ready to contribute right now - and we can't even be sure of that, or his commitment given that number of times he's passed -  there are no sure things on that list.  Now Akindele isn't a sure thing either, but he's sustained a higher level of performance thus far than anyone else on that list (again, except for Cavallini *arguably*).

 

I'll bet Hamilton becomes a decent pro, but overall I refuse to read the tea leaves.  The number of times we've looked at prospects with big expectations only to realize development isn't linear, most won't make it, and the few that do sometimes only barely get by, makes me anxious.  So I'd caution against saying "we won't need it because we have this great group of up and comers" because it feels like we've seen that before, and Wyn Belotte didn't exactly turn into Dwight Yorke. 

Edited August 22, 2014 by ag futbol

[canucklefan]

Could, could, could... with the exception of Cavallini who MIGHT be ready to contribute right now - and we can't even be sure of that, or his commitment given that number of times he's passed -  there are no sure things on that list.  Now Akindele isn't a sure thing either, but he's sustained a higher level of performance thus far than anyone else on that list (again, except for Cavallini *arguably*).

 

Cavallini will be there for the WCQ games.

[rob.notenboom]

Encouraging

https://twitter.com/johnmolinaro/status/503306606017531904

[Trillium]

The CSA will not call him. It would go against all their past decision making, he will be snubbed then choose Nigeria or the USA. The USA capping him to make sure he cannot sign for Canada.

[Addona]

Cavallini will be there for the WCQ games.

Not that I'm doubting you, but what makes you so sure? I just hope that he hasn't decided to focus on a club and forego international footy. I hope not, of course, and nothing indicates this per se, but it has been a while since he has been in a camp. It would devastating to us if this were the case.

[Addona]

Encouraging

https://twitter.com/johnmolinaro/status/503306606017531904

It is indeed encouraging, but I will worry about it until the day he is cap tied to us.

[Blackdude]

It is indeed encouraging, but I will worry about it until the day he is cap tied to us.

So Gold Cup next year?

[rob.notenboom]

It is indeed encouraging, but I will worry about it until the day he is cap tied to us.

That makes (at least) two of us.

[canucklefan]

Not that I'm doubting you, but what makes you so sure? I just hope that he hasn't decided to focus on a club and forego international footy. I hope not, of course, and nothing indicates this per se, but it has been a while since he has been in a camp. It would devastating to us if this were the case.

There aren't allegiances at stake and he won't miss a single club game during WCQ dates.

EDIT: I should add WCQ are games worth fighting for, not like some meaningless game with Miller as interim coach.

Edited August 24, 2014 by canucklefan

[BearcatSA]

Maybe will see him in Panama come November

[fuzzx]

To quote the squizz:

" Not super surprised Akindele not in for Jamaica game, given commitments w/ FCD. If he’s not in for Panama game, then I’m worried."

You guys are amazingly pessimistic and cynical. All indications are that he's being communicates with properly and is receptive.

I get it; once bitten, twice shy, but you guys need a dose of happy.

Edited August 24, 2014 by fuzzx

[Addona]

I get it; once bitten, twice shy, but you guys need a dose of happy.

 

Does this saying extrapolate to "20 times bitten, really, really, really shy"? 

[Addona]

This was just posted on MLS.com:

 

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/08/24/rookie-year-candidate-tesho-akindele-undecided-international-future-could-pl

 

It answers the question I raised about his U.S. citizenship:  "I am about to get my US citizenship, hopefully within a month or so. I’ve been going through that process," he said. “I just kind of want to focus on my development and make sure I am good enough to play for any of those teams."

 

So, this means that if he had played for us before getting his U.S. citizenship, the U.S. option would go away, correct?

 

Can you see why the Vs are always so nervous ...

[rob.notenboom]

Does this saying extrapolate to "20 times bitten, really, really, really shy"?

20 times bitten, poisoned and dead.

[Obinna]

Read through that link and see all the posts. Every American wants Tesho to play for Canada because they want a stronger Canada, as it will translate into a stronger CONCACAF. So even the American fans are on our side here. If he winds up like Bunbury he only has himself to blame. I will have ZERO sympathy if he throws his international career down the toilet.  

[Footscray]

Did Teal ever get cap tied?  I thought he only played friendlies for the US.  His career has really tailed off quickly since 2011 anyway... seems to be still getting games but 2 goals in his last 36 games, he will probably be a reserve striker or in the NASL soon.

[Obinna]

Yes he's tied via the "one-time switch" rule. Same thing for Tesho if he ever pullled on an American or Nigerian jersey. My cynical side tells me his US citizenship process is a factor for turning down this camp. If he played for us against Jamaica he would lose US eligibility since you can only switch national teams if you are eligible for that team at the time of your first senior appearance. That is how I understand it.

 

Regardless, the whole thing is becoming so convoluted. FIFA should keep it simple and say: If you were born in a country you must play for that country. Then, they should set up a panel of experts to handle appeals (ie. a player born in Jamaica and moves to Canada at the age of two). In the appeal the player must convince the panel he wants to play for desired country for nationalistic reasons. That will hopefully deter most opportunists, who might not be willing to go through a lengthy process simply for career gain. International soccer is becoming a side-show. 

Edited August 24, 2014 by Obinna

[One American]

Did his youth callups provisionally cap-tie him to Canada? Would he have to execute a one-time switch? Was he called into camp or did he play?

 

If he is provisionally cap-tied to Canada, then it would be a huge risk to switch to the US. I I think the rules as are give the first country a pretty heavy bias. 

[Blackdude]

Tesho wouldn't be captied for anyone if he played in a friendly since he didn't play a CONCACAF tournament for us. He wouldn't even need to switch. Bunbury had played a U17 CONCACAF tournament for us hence he needed to use his one-time switch to play for the US and aside from playing for the U23 team and a couple of senior friendlies.

[Obinna]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/08/25/ecuador-call-real-salt-lake-sparkplug-joao-plata-friendlies-bolivia-brazil

 

So RSL is willing to let Plata miss their showdown against Dallas so he can go play for Ecuador, but Dallas are not willing to release Tesho. Very curious that.

[Keegan]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/08/25/ecuador-call-real-salt-lake-sparkplug-joao-plata-friendlies-bolivia-brazil

 

So RSL is willing to let Plata miss their showdown against Dallas so he can go play for Ecuador, but Dallas are not willing to release Tesho. Very curious that.

 

Just the way it goes... when there is more competition for spots the teams feel more obligated to release their guy to earn his spot.  If Tesho was waiting for a Canada call for years and it finally came he would most definitely be allowed.  But how can we advance to the point where we are a nation that gets that respect if we never get our full squad to win matches in the first place!?

 

It will be very interesting to see Je Vaughn Watson from FC Dallas and whether he is there...

 

MLS does NOTHING for us as a nation.  They fuck us on international dates, count us as internationals.... obviously MLS and the USMNT talk about dates and what works best for friendlies and releasing players.  What about us? No chance we even get a call.  Well unless we're playing the USA obviously.  Straight up we should make an agreement with the USSF where we get ONE friendly per year against the USA, at least then we will get equal treatment for that date. 

 

We're like the fat friend to the hot chick.  Sure we're there but we only get acknowledged because we're the ones buying the drinks and we're going home empty handed... except for some street meat maybe. 

[jpg75]

^ More like, Ecuador insisted he be released and we have no balls so we don't insist our players show up.

Edit: and pretty much what keegan said...we need to hit the gym and earn our self-respect back.

Edited August 25, 2014 by jpg75

[Keegan]

^ More like, Ecuador insisted he be released and we have no balls so we don't insist our players show up.

Edit: and pretty much what keegan said...we need to hit the gym and earn our self-respect back.

 

I really doubt Ecuador had to insist anything.  RSL definitely got a call from Ecuador for Plata and they couldn't say no.. how could they?  Plata is their best player and he has been waiting for an Ecuador call for over 3 years now , not like they can go "hey thanks for all the goals but you're not going to that call you've been waiting for".  With Akindele Dallas can either say "they'll call you next month" or "you can probably get called to USMNT or Nigeria, stay with us and score some more".

 

What leverage do we have?  It's not like there is consistent competition at the moment it's only a matter of time before he gets called whether he scores another goal all year or not.