One American Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 This is a good time to give Ethan Finlay his own thread. An article appeared today on the MLS website today re-confirming that his father is Canadian and that he could play for Canada. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/09/29/columbus-crews-ethan-finlay-receiving-national-team-interest-tight-lipped-ov “If I had a choice, I was born in the United States, so to play for the United States is my No. 1 priority,” he said. “But I think when you have an opportunity to play at an international level, if one avenue isn’t open and another one came knocking, it’s something that I would possibly look into.” After two anonymous seasons with the Columbus Crew, Finlay has had a breakout 2014 in MLS. He has 8 goals and 5 assists playing primarily a wing midfield position that he has made his own. His biggest asset is elite speed. His season has attracted a credible degree of interest among USMNT fans as a possible US player, but will likely face stiff competition there in the coming years. Finlay's father played collegiate hockey in North Dakota. He was born in Minnesota, and grew up in North Carolina and Wisconsin. He played collegiate soccer at Creighton and was a first-round draft pick in 2012. Credit should go to JPG75 for keeping Finlay in mind after reading about his Canadian link in an MLS draft article several years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the Humberlands Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I don't too much about him, but I've seen him play against TFC. He's a decent player to have in our camp. Not sure how much impact he'd have, but deepen the pool if it's possible. That said, IF he wants to play for Canada, he'd better put in 100% effort day in, day out, as anyone would expect him to for his club team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpg75 Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Thanks, but credit should go to the person who identified him as being eligible for us in the first place. Don't remember who that was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One American Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 Probably the best news out of the US game last night for Canada fans is that Yedlin played right mid and Joe Gyau looked dangerous for about 15 minutes on the wing. Finlay is going to have his work cut out. Unless he moves up top, where we basically have a handful of nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toontownman Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Fingers crossed. Would be a huge boost to have him and Akindele turning out in a Canada jersey in 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baulderdash77 Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 For some reason I think that Finlay is going to play for Canada before some guys who were actually born in Canada. At the end of the day we shouldn't care. He would be a consistent player for our player pool which seems to be getting deeper and deeper in the theoretical sense but hasn't translated to actual games. Next year's cycle is going to be interesting because of the number of meaningful games we're going to get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One American Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 Finlay gets goal #10 tonight as the Crew score 3 goals in 4 minutes late to pull out a win over Philly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertuzzi44 Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 No way this guy plays for us #canadianreality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 His connection to Canada is very weak. He appears to be as Canadian as Landon Donavan. So, although he's a decent player that would help us, I am not going to cry if we never see him switch to our side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One American Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 His father is Canadian. I don't understand how that's weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 The thing about these kind of guys is that you have to get them as up-and-comers, especially if we are competing with a country like the US, not as guys having their breakout season. A guy the caliber of Will Johnson never would have played for Canada if we started asking him to come out for official matches with us when he was becoming a key member of RSL. The same thing goes for Finlay. It's not my business if you like poaching this kind of Canadian with an asterix next to their name or not, but if Canada wants to get get them, you go early. Think of all the terrible Colin Miller camps that he could have been a part of in place of some who don't even play soccer anymore. Like Klinsmann has done for the States, you have to go in early, make big overtures, even at the risk of blowing a little too much hot air into a kid who might turn out to be a dud. At this point, why wouldn't Finlay expect to be called into a January camp for the States; presumably that was what he was alluding to when he mentioned offhandedly that he was receiving interest to play internationally. And really, despite what longtime V's would like to hope, what are the chances of a kid like him (or Akindele for that matter) looking at a Teal Bunbury and really running the prognostics on the chances of being a regular NT member for the USA vs Canada? Slim to none, I'd figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_Gagne Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 ^ The thing we're competing with is that in MLS, career-wise a few caps for the USA, without ever being anywheres close to a WCQ or WC roster, probably makes you a more marketable asset to 17 of 20 teams, than being a regular for Canada. So even if they do "run the prognostics" as you say, a player like Findley or Akindele might come to the conclusion that holding out for the possibility of a few caps at a January camp might actually be worth more to their club career than any number of caps for Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 His father is Canadian. I don't understand how that's weak. Well, by all accounts he has never lived in Canada and it appears that he only visits Canada for road games in MLS. He never mentions having any affinity towards Canada, in any way shape or form. So like Landon Donovan (who's father is from Nova Scotia), he really doesn't have strong ties to this country - hence he has "weak" ties to this country. Nobody ever cries that Landon Donovan is the one that got away - and for me I see Finlay in the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruud Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Sounds like one of our soccer journalists out there just needs to ask him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king1010 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Well, by all accounts he has never lived in Canada and it appears that he only visits Canada for road games in MLS. He never mentions having any affinity towards Canada, in any way shape or form. So like Landon Donovan (who's father is from Nova Scotia), he really doesn't have strong ties to this country - hence he has "weak" ties to this country. Nobody ever cries that Landon Donovan is the one that got away - and for me I see Finlay in the same way. I wouldn't cry if he got away. I'd be pretty happy if he committed to us though. Build that player pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barthez-Battalion Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Judging by his great play recently, He'll probably get called up by Klinsmann in January. I'd say it is set he won't play for Canada. If he had, there probably would have been news about it already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightUpMitch Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Judging by his great play recently, He'll probably get called up by Klinsmann in January. I'd say it is set he won't play for Canada. If he had, there probably would have been news about it already. I have a feeling Klinsmann's disregard of MLS may see at least one of these players slip through the cracks to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I have a feeling Klinsmann's disregard of MLS may see at least one of these players slip through the cracks to us. Klinsmann doesn't disregard MLS. He simply said that the US top players should play in top leagues and he's right. I'd imagine that if Messi, Aguero and Di Maria all left their clubs in Europe to come back to Argentina the national team manager wouldn't be overly impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccerpro Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Ethan is playing himself into USMT contention where as Tesho is not. Although Finlay will probably end up like Teal Bunbury as far as getting capped and discarded, it's looking more likely every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ag futbol Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Klinsmann doesn't disregard MLS. He simply said that the US top players should play in top leagues and he's right. I'd imagine that if Messi, Aguero and Di Maria all left their clubs in Europe to come back to Argentina the national team manager wouldn't be overly impressed. I think it comes as close to disregard as you can get, without actually saying it. Not only are some of these guys better of in MLS, as opposed to warming the benches of europe, they are improving the quality of play within the league which is helping create a stronger pool of talent the USMNT can access. For a guy who claims to be a long term thinker and visionary, Kinsmann's opinion on MLS is about as myopic as they come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One American Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 I think it comes as close to disregard as you can get, without actually saying it. Not only are some of these guys better of in MLS, as opposed to warming the benches of europe, they are improving the quality of play within the league which is helping create a stronger pool of talent the USMNT can access. For a guy who claims to be a long term thinker and visionary, Kinsmann's opinion on MLS is about as myopic as they come. He took 10 MLS players to Brazil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One American Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 As far as FInlay's place in the USMNT pecking order, it's a little hard to say. It starts with whether DeAndre Yedlin is a right back or right wing. Yedlin has played more right MF than right back for the National Team. That gives the US the BL vets Fabian Johnson and Tim Chandler at the left and right back positions. Basically, if Chandler and Johnson are the backs, then Yedlin would move up to right midfield. There are also a slew of young Germericans who could take a wing spot. Joe Gyau has looked good in his first two caps. Devante Parker is an 18 year old already seeing a few BL minutes. He's still committed to Germany. Julian Green has played mainly on the left. There is also Lamar Neagle of Seattle who can play either wing and is having a really good year in his own right. And Darlington Nagbe has all the talent in the world. He's eligible in 2015. Klinsmann could always try Finlay up top, too, since he has played there before. That's a position where anyone who produced could win a spot. So it's certainly possible that Finlay can win a US spot. But he does have competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 He took 10 MLS players to Brazil. He took those players because they were the best available. Better than many players riding the bench in Europe and better than many players getting playing time in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 http://www.mlssoccer.com/extratime implies Canada has reached out, doesn't have a Canadian passport so the process will take a while. sounds to me he'll see if Klinsmann will give him a look before committing to Canada if at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdude Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 implies Canada has reached out, doesn't have a Canadian passport so the process will take a while. sounds to me he'll see if Klinsmann will give him a look before committing to Canada if at all. I don't think it takes that much time. See Sesselmann, Quon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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