Ayo Akinola

[jpg75]

Thanks for answering my question Chuck.

[harrycoyster]

24 minutes ago, ChuckMe92 said:

I searched around and found the forward group for the mostly-'99 US camp that will set the stage for the 2019 US U20s:

Forwards (6): Shaft Brewer (RB Leipzig; Sacramento, Calif.), Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Miami, Fla.), Griffin Dorsey (Indiana; Evergreen, Colo.), Emmanuel Perez (NC State; Garner, N.C.), Nebiyou Perry (AIK; New York, NY), Nicholas Taitague (Schalke; Midlothian, Va.)

Four Euro-based players, including an arguably top-5-overall US prospect ('01 Konrad) and a top-10-overall one (Taitague). Perez is one of the very best NCAA players and has drawn interest from Spain and Portugal. But this does not include the '00s and '01s at the U17 World Cup (it's 6 plus the highly-rated Llanez, who is only traveling with the team). Sargent, Weah, Carleton, and even Reyes all looked better than Akinola in the opening World Cup match:

FORWARDS (7): Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC; Brampton Ont.), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.), Ulysses Llanez (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Jacobo Reyes (C.F. Monterrey; Houston, Texas), Bryan Reynolds (FC Dallas; Little Elm, Texas), Joshua Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri; O'Fallon, Mo.), Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain, Rosedale, N.Y.)

Combine these two groups, and you've got the initial forward pool for the 2019 US U20s.

Perry switched to Sweden because he wasn't getting enough minutes with the US. But good post overall.

[ChuckMe92]

2 hours ago, harrycoyster said:

Perry switched to Sweden because he wasn't getting enough minutes with the US. But good post overall.

Perry is currently with the US at the camp, the final one for the 2017 U18s before it becomes the 2019 U20s. He has been to a multitude of Sweden camps but isn't with them at the moment. I know his Transfermarkt currently says Sweden but it hasn't been updated. He seems genuinely torn between the two countries: born and raised through early childhood in New York, then moved to Sweden.

He (#21) started their opening match a few days ago, a friendly loss to Belgium.

You aren't wrong, though, that his minutes have been shaky with the US. He (and Akinola) could certainly be overtaken by this guy:

 

[Dr.Dre]

11 hours ago, Kent said:

You must be forgetting TFC have Ben Spencer. I expect he will continue to not score and continue to eat up the minutes that Altidore, Giovinco, and Ricketts don't get.

And that's the main reason why I hate TFC now... the freaking american coaching staffs. 

[1996]

Please with this crap about TFC telling the kid to go play for the US , the US came calling and because he was born there decided to play in a national youth set up he thinks can give him more exporsure because of the fact the US youth teams seem to qualify for on a greater consistent basis to the youth world cups a lot more than Canada,  he is playing in the current U17 World Cup while Canada as usual is staying home. But of course let’s blame TFC instead of the same useless coaches we get over and over again coaching these youth Canadian national teams.

Edited October 8, 2017 by 1996

[jpg75]

Akinola subs on to replace Weah in the 63' and opens the scoring in the 75th. Currently 1-0 USA late in the match.

[BCM]

1 hour ago, jpg75 said:

Akinola subs on to replace Weah in the 63' and opens the scoring in the 75th. Currently 1-0 USA late in the match.

Oh how all his family back "home" in the US must be so proud...

[Blackjack15]

6 hours ago, jpg75 said:

Akinola subs on to replace Weah in the 63' and opens the scoring in the 75th. Currently 1-0 USA late in the match.

Congrats to him! Game winning goal 

Minute 1:20 ^

Next match VS Colombia on Thursday 

I bet TFC must be pleased, I really do hope he can be promoted to the first team and given an MLS contract when he turns 18 prior to the pre-season 

[Floortom]

Akinola reminds me a bit of Larin. Seems utterly useless in most aspects but is a naturally prolific goal scorer. Of course, he’s much further along than Larin was at same age so I think it’s way too premature to assume he won’t be goood enough for the USMNT.

[harrycoyster]

7 minutes ago, Floortom said:

Akinola reminds me a bit of Larin. Seems utterly useless in most aspects but is a naturally prolific goal scorer. Of course, he’s much further along than Larin was at same age so I think it’s way too premature to assume he won’t be goood enough for the USMNT.

Best comparison I've heard is Fanando Adi. Their game's are more or less identical, but I think Adi might be a little faster. 

Edited October 9, 2017 by harrycoyster

[jpg75]

28 minutes ago, Blackjack15 said:

 

I bet TFC must be pleased, I really do hope he can be promoted to the first team and given an MLS contract when he turns 18 prior to the pre-season 

He can be given a pro contract any time, he's a Canadian citizen, there is nothing holding them back. Problem is Akinola apparently wants to test the waters in Europe.

[Blackjack15]

U-17 FIFA World Cup

Akinola played a full 90 today against Colombia in 3-1 loss. Now the US wait an opponent in the Round of 16 as they finished 1st of the third best placed teams

Good Luck Ayo 

[ChuckMe92]

They posted a slightly longer version of the interview with Akinola.

 

[badname22]

who is his brother?

[Shway]

2 hours ago, badname22 said:

who is his brother?

Tom Akinola...plays for TFC U16 , who play in the OSL U21 provincial div. 

[ChuckMe92]

Akinola gets an assist in the Round of 16 vs. Paraguay.

I still don't think he'll have a major role with the US in the future, and may well switch to Canada. But he's certainly done enough in this tournament for the US youth teams to want to keep him as a contributor for a little while longer.

[Ivan]

Impressive goal all the way around.

[ReedOnTheGrand]

On 10/16/2017 at 11:52 AM, ChuckMe92 said:

Akinola gets an assist in the Round of 16 vs. Paraguay.

I still don't think he'll have a major role with the US in the future, and may well switch to Canada. But he's certainly done enough in this tournament for the US youth teams to want to keep him as a contributor for a little while longer.

Same thoughts, with the sheer amount of talent the Us has at forward for young players too. Also most YNT players won't go on to be full nationals, he'd need to pass 4-5 guys in talent that will be within the same generation.

[BradMack]

It's kind of weird, I've been watching Akinola this tourny thinking of him as a Canadian player, like I watch Canadians playing for their clubs... Its the kind of thing that sets a fan up for heartbreak. Although you can tell he's below Weah for sure, he has been a big part of the US team and not a guy with an outside shot as a lot of people here seem to say he is. Although I do understand he has a lot of slightly older players ahead of him, most notably Pulisic, he seems like a prime candidate to get a Teal Bunbury type Cap for the US at the very least at this point. 

[ChuckMe92]

23 hours ago, BradMack said:

It's kind of weird, I've been watching Akinola this tourny thinking of him as a Canadian player, like I watch Canadians playing for their clubs... Its the kind of thing that sets a fan up for heartbreak. Although you can tell he's below Weah for sure, he has been a big part of the US team and not a guy with an outside shot as a lot of people here seem to say he is. Although I do understand he has a lot of slightly older players ahead of him, most notably Pulisic, he seems like a prime candidate to get a Teal Bunbury type Cap for the US at the very least at this point. 

I will say one difference between Akinola and Bunbury is that Bunbury was tied to the United States not by playing in competitive matches -- he only ever played in meaningless friendlies for the US -- it occurred when his one-time switch with FIFA was approved, after being provisionally cap-tied to Canada at youth level. He was tied to the US at that moment. Bunbury was never deemed good enough to represent the US in a cap-tying match such as in World Cup qualifying or at a Gold Cup.

So Akinola has to be a little better than Bunbury, not just being a winter camp body, but getting called to a US roster for WCQ or GC and playing. If Akinola plays only friendlies with the US like Bunbury, and nothing more, he could still file a one-time switch to Canada.

I realize Canada would love nothing more than the likes of Akinola and Tomori to all be in their setup right now and never leave -- that'd be ideal. But one slight silver lining of them being with the US and England is there's no possibility of them filing a one-time switch away from Canada like Bunbury did.

[harrycoyster]

I get that the US u17s are doing well, but the fact remains that Akinola is the fourth or fifth best attacker on his team. How often does the fourth or fifth most talented player at his position in a single birth year end up being a national team contributor? There isn't a reason to worry about him getting a US cap anytime soon and I'd wager he won't even be a starter for the US u20s in a couple years.

[Vince193]

This thread reeks of desperation. 

[Kent]

18 hours ago, harrycoyster said:

I get that the US u17s are doing well, but the fact remains that Akinola is the fourth or fifth best attacker on his team. How often does the fourth or fifth most talented player at his position in a single birth year end up being a national team contributor? There isn't a reason to worry about him getting a US cap anytime soon and I'd wager he won't even be a starter for the US u20s in a couple years.

We don't know what will happen in the future. Which young players will pan out, and which ones won't. What you are saying sounds exactly the same as what some people were saying about guys like Tomori or Jonathan de Guzman.

[masster]

On 10/18/2017 at 2:40 PM, harrycoyster said:

I get that the US u17s are doing well, but the fact remains that Akinola is the fourth or fifth best attacker on his team. How often does the fourth or fifth most talented player at his position in a single birth year end up being a national team contributor? There isn't a reason to worry about him getting a US cap anytime soon and I'd wager he won't even be a starter for the US u20s in a couple years.

How often does any U17 international end up being a senior national team contributor! Only a handful of those guys will have a meaningful professional career period. Whether you are second, fifth or fourteenth on the U17 depth chart really doesn't mean too much.

[Blackdude]

7 hours ago, masster said:

How often does any U17 international end up being a senior national team contributor! Only a handful of those guys will have a meaningful professional career period. Whether you are second, fifth or fourteenth on the U17 depth chart really doesn't mean too much.

Just look at our last 2 U17 teams who made it to the World Cup. I'd say only Piette and Petrasso would be considered contributors. I know Aleman, Stanese, Chapman, Gasparotto, Hamilton, Bustos, Froese, Carducci, Roberts and Crépeau have had the odd cap.

And if you  look at the previous time (1995), I think two players got caps. Bernier was one of them. Don't recall the other player though.

Also, it's really hard to know at 16-17 if a player will make it or not.