Stefan Mitrovic

[Dominic94]

27 minutes ago, jordan said:

There was an offer from a big team in Europe.

I know the reason he didn’t get as many minutes this year. 

If there is any belief he shouldn’t be here over others then that’s confusing. 
 

Something else is definitely going on

Which team ? Can you say about the minutes ? Tbh he’s earned this more than some.

[VinceA]

2 hours ago, jordan said:

There was an offer from a big team in Europe.

I know the reason he didn’t get as many minutes this year. 

If there is any belief he shouldn’t be here over others then that’s confusing. 
 

Something else is definitely going on

This vagueness doesn't help anything.

[jordan]

20 minutes ago, VinceA said:

This vagueness doesn't help anything.

Doesn’t need to help, just backing up some of the comments 

 

1 hour ago, Dominic94 said:

Which team ? Can you say about the minutes ? Tbh he’s earned this more than some.

Cant really say, but maybe when shit boils over 

[TGAA_Star]

On 3/13/2021 at 11:53 AM, Obinna said:

Just my two cents but I don't think it's unreasonable Mitrovic was cut. However, I also don't think his selection would have been undeserved. 

What is unreasonable is that nobody from the coaching reached out to him. That seems a little negligent in my opinion. Very hard to imagine a kid who has played with Serbia's youth team, who also is playing in the top flight of Serbia, is so far away from selection that making contact was unnecessary. That may be what happened, but that's very surprising to me and frankly a little disappointing to hear.

Yeah his father coming out like that yes it was not a good look but then I get why his father did it especially on social media too. 

[dyslexic nam]

6 hours ago, jordan said:

 

Cant really say, but maybe when shit boils over 

I have no specific interest in the backstory, but I would say that shit has boiled over, no? 

[jordan]

2 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

I have no specific interest in the backstory, but I would say that shit has boiled over, no? 

I completely meant cool off

[El Hombre]

13 hours ago, jordan said:

If there is any belief he shouldn’t be here over others then that’s confusing. 

Something else is definitely going on

So, exactly which of the 29 midfielders on the 60-man list should he replace:

Alphonso Davies
Atiba Hutchinson
Caniggia Elva
Daniel Jebbison
David Wotherspoon
Harry Paton
Jacob Shaffelburg
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty
Jay Chapman
Jayden Nelson
Jonathan Osorio
Junior Hoilett
Kris Twardek
Liam Fraser
Liam Millar
Marcelo Flores
Mark-Anthony Kaye
Mathieu Choinière
Michael Baldisimo
Noble Okello
Ralph Priso
Russell Teibert
Ryan Raposo
Samuel Piette
Scott Arfield
Stephen Eustáquio
Tajon Buchanan
Theo Corbeanu
Tyler Pasher

Based on that list, there aren't many that I would remove to slot in Mitrovic.  Maybe Teibert, Choiniere or Raposo, but that might be it.  Keep in mind that he would also have to be more deserving of inclusion than the others that have been left off:

Kamron Habibullah
Ballou Tabla
Tristan Borges
Marco Bustos
Lucas Dias
Jean-Aniel Assi
Shamit Shome
Manny Aparicio
Patrick Metcalfe
Michael Petrasso
Sergio Camargo
Antoine Coupland

[Kusch to the Corner]

6 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

So, exactly which of the 29 midfielders on the 60-man list should he replace:

Alphonso Davies
Atiba Hutchinson
Caniggia Elva
Daniel Jebbison
David Wotherspoon
Harry Paton
Jacob Shaffelburg
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty
Jay Chapman
Jayden Nelson
Jonathan Osorio
Junior Hoilett
Kris Twardek
Liam Fraser
Liam Millar
Marcelo Flores
Mark-Anthony Kaye
Mathieu Choinière
Michael Baldisimo
Noble Okello
Ralph Priso
Russell Teibert
Ryan Raposo
Samuel Piette
Scott Arfield
Stephen Eustáquio
Tajon Buchanan
Theo Corbeanu
Tyler Pasher

Based on that list, there aren't many that I would remove to slot in Mitrovic.  Maybe Teibert, Choiniere or Raposo, but that might be it.  Keep in mind that he would also have to be more deserving of inclusion than the others that have been left off:

Kamron Habibullah
Ballou Tabla
Tristan Borges
Marco Bustos
Lucas Dias
Jean-Aniel Assi
Shamit Shome
Manny Aparicio
Patrick Metcalfe
Michael Petrasso
Sergio Camargo
Antoine Coupland

Nelson

Twardek

Choiniere

Okello

Raposo

And have him ahead of everyone on your other list except Dias

[jordan]

17 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

So, exactly which of the 29 midfielders on the 60-man list should he replace:

Alphonso Davies
Atiba Hutchinson
Caniggia Elva
Daniel Jebbison
David Wotherspoon
Harry Paton
Jacob Shaffelburg
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty
Jay Chapman
Jayden Nelson
Jonathan Osorio
Junior Hoilett
Kris Twardek
Liam Fraser
Liam Millar
Marcelo Flores
Mark-Anthony Kaye
Mathieu Choinière
Michael Baldisimo
Noble Okello
Ralph Priso
Russell Teibert
Ryan Raposo
Samuel Piette
Scott Arfield
Stephen Eustáquio
Tajon Buchanan
Theo Corbeanu
Tyler Pasher

Based on that list, there aren't many that I would remove to slot in Mitrovic.  Maybe Teibert, Choiniere or Raposo, but that might be it.  Keep in mind that he would also have to be more deserving of inclusion than the others that have been left off:

Kamron Habibullah
Ballou Tabla
Tristan Borges
Marco Bustos
Lucas Dias
Jean-Aniel Assi
Shamit Shome
Manny Aparicio
Patrick Metcalfe
Michael Petrasso
Sergio Camargo
Antoine Coupland

Shaff, Choniere, Twardek

[El Hombre]

1 hour ago, Kusch to the Corner said:

Nelson

Twardek

Choiniere

Okello

Raposo

And have him ahead of everyone on your other list except Dias

 

1 hour ago, jordan said:

Shaff, Choniere, Twardek

And ahead of Tabla, Habibullah, Borges, Dias etc?  You both must be seeing something I'm not.

We have a habit of overvaluing players that flirt with other countries and that's what it feels like here.  Very similar to Aleman and Bustos in my mind.  Won't know how good or bad this decision was for four or five years.  Will be interesting to revisit.

 

[Bertuzzi44]

Isn't Twardek getting minutes in the Ekstraklasa? That's a very very good level if so. Would seem crazy to drop him.

[El Hombre]

2 minutes ago, Bertuzzi44 said:

Isn't Twardek getting minutes in the Ekstraklasa? That's a very very good level if so. Would seem crazy to drop him.

He got a few minutes but he was dropped by his team.  Thought the Gold Cup would be a decent showcase for him if he doesn't have anything else lined up.

[The Real Marc]

Sports parents are the worst

[Unnamed Trialist]

@jordanall players with agents always get looks and have offers. You saying someone looked at him is meaningless. First, agents always exagerrate this and the player's circle get used to turn the rumor mill. Which is what you are doing.

But I'll tell you: I've had an inside line on some players as I've been contacted about Spain options. Most were way off, there is a lot going on and not just one story, one line. "I heard Stephan is happy getting minutes in top flight Serbia and would welcome another year of play". That is just as solid as what you're spinning. 

[VinceA]

His father ending his tweet rant with "I'm glad my son is going to play for Serbia" is pathetic.

And checking back in a couple of years possibly hilarious.

Edited June 20, 2021 by VinceA

[El Diego]

A potential move to a big team in Europe that didn't materialize, cryptic reasons as to why he doesn't get minutes, not sticking at TFC, going to CPL tryouts but not signing a deal, CSA president weaseling his way to the top position and using his influence to push his kids and keep Mitrovic out of the national team set up...

Sounds like there is an international conspiracy to keep Stefan down

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 hours ago, El Diego said:

A potential move to a big team in Europe that didn't materialize, cryptic reasons as to why he doesn't get minutes, not sticking at TFC, going to CPL tryouts but not signing a deal, CSA president weaseling his way to the top position and using his influence to push his kids and keep Mitrovic out of the national team set up...

Sounds like there is an international conspiracy to keep Stefan down

The only thing for sure, given the Serbian connection, is that this time it's not a Russian conspiracy. 

Although

https://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=2223446

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

15 hours ago, The Real Marc said:

Sports parents are the worst

...and the player himself may feel completely mortified by all of this. Best to let it all blow over and not burn any bridges as Radnicki Nis are a reasonably big club so he must have some talent in possible future CMNT terms to be playing for them at 18 years old. 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Ivan]

46 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

...and the player himself may feel completely mortified by all of this. Best to let it all blow over and not burn any bridges as Radnicki Nis are a reasonably big club so he must have some talent in possible future CMNT terms to be playing for them at 18 years old. 

Not sure why the father is so upset with the non-Canada call if he is so glad his boy is in the Serbian system.....

Anyway, to Ozzie's point, in his podcast interview with Michael Miller, the kid sounded like he would be honoured to rep Canada, buddies with Corbeanu, and just sounded like a genuine good person.  Best of luck to him in whatever happens in the future. 

[The Real Marc]

I've been thinking that maybe I was being too hard on his dad. I don't know Stefan's situation, but I can appreciate how frustrating it can be for parents to see their kid excel individually but find it challenging to succeed within the context of their whatever team/club/system.

I played with kids like that - we were the ESL feeder area, so most were immigrants (often from the former Yugoslavia, coincidentally) - they were just technically fan-tas-tic, just so much better than anyone on the pitch.

But this gulf in skill level ended up in hindering them in the end, as their ability to display a dominant skill (and their disdain for the rest of us! LOL) meant they failed to follow the game tactically or contribute from a team perspective.

It's great that you can break car windows with your shot, but that's useless if you are so convinced of your superiority that all you do is shoot in every situation every time. Ditto the kids that could dance the whole length of the pitch with the ball, just to lose it 5 metres from the box because they repeatedly missed the outlets and cornered themselves.

I don't blame these guys - to them we were all club footed chumps - but they'd all lose their heads when subbed for one of us whitebread grinders who were willing to pass, position, or play the plan. There is only so much you can organise a squad and plan a match around the niche skillsets of one or two individuals. And unless that kid is Messi, you aren't going to keep other players in the fold by playing "pass it to Mischo."

Now, that was 20 years ago. And it's very anecdotal. And it wasn't that high of a level. And I think a lot of that was coaching - the coaches didn't know how to harness those skills, match players effectively, help them understand how their role in the team was to their individual and our collective benefit, move those kids up to a level where the gulf wouldn't be so noticeable. And maybe the coaches were a bit lazy ... if the kid isn't going to win them games they likely didn't want the hassle.

I remember lots of parent conflict. It wasn't fun. Hissy fits over subs or starting lineups or tactics. Parents coaching from the sidelines against the instructions of the coach, often in another language. 

I can think of at least 10, maybe 15 guys that I thought were world beaters at the time. Some reportedly out of Euro youth clubs (myth or fact, no one knew), and a few that seemed destined for a pro career. Yet they hopped from youth club to youth club and most were out of the organised game playing ethnic soccer before their 20s, likely in their minds out of frustration with how bad the rest of us were, without the realisation that some of the problem was them, too.

So this is a whole bucketload of idle speculation and nostalgia. This may not apply here. But I can appreciate that IF this is a situation the Mitrovices found themselves in, it could feel like your high-potential kid if being let down by the system - even though there is almost always more to the story.

Edited June 22, 2021 by The Real Marc

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

This Serbian newspaper story provides info that suggests that all his youth soccer would have been in Canada so it's probably not like the mid-90s scenario when guys who learned to play the game in Yugoslavia were trying to adjust to life in another country.

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sr&tl=en&u=http://zurnal.rs/fudbal/super-liga/98350/i-kanadjani-culi-za-nis

...Stefan Mitrovic 's story is special in every way. He was born in Krusevac in August 2002, when he was only six months old, and his family moved to Canada.

- I was only five and a half years old when my father took me to the training of the Hamilton City club there, after which, as I grew and changed the age category, I changed five or six Canadian teams. Last summer, I came to Serbia and straight to Radnički, where I signed a four-year contract...

Edited June 22, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Ivan]

6 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

This Serbian newspaper story provides info that suggests that all his youth soccer would have been in Canada so it's probably not like the mid-90s scenario when guys who learned to play the game in Yugoslavia were trying to adjust to life in another country.

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sr&tl=en&u=http://zurnal.rs/fudbal/super-liga/98350/i-kanadjani-culi-za-nis

...Stefan Mitrovic 's story is special in every way. He was born in Krusevac in August 2002, when he was only six months old, and his family moved to Canada.

- I was only five and a half years old when my father took me to the training of the Hamilton City club there, after which, as I grew and changed the age category, I changed five or six Canadian teams. Last summer, I came to Serbia and straight to Radnički, where I signed a four-year contract...

The article is a year old, but goes on to say he was invited to play for Canada U20s and was excited about that, but we know that tournament was eventually cancelled.

[dyslexic nam]

28 minutes ago, Ivan said:

The article is a year old, but goes on to say he was invited to play for Canada U20s and was excited about that, but we know that tournament was eventually cancelled.

That is what makes the dad’s rant so crazy.  He WAS asked to be part of things.  He missed the GC cut this time for whatever reason, but it is not like it was a long standing snub - we would have had him involved with the program quite recently.  So he gets overlooked (or just plain passed over) one time and his dad goes absolutely ape-shit?   Seems like a really toxic response.  

[Colliedor]

I just turned on a stream and I could be way off but it does look like he's playing as a CM.

 

 

EDIT: He's back at a more advanced role to start the second half.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Colliedor

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

At club level he has been in the starting 11 for the first 5 Serbian SuperLiga matches of the season for FK Radnički Niš.
Matchday 6 kicks off in under an hour.

----

The senior squad that Serbia has called for September WCQs :
https://fss.rs/orlovi-obelezili-vikend-golovi-i-asistencije-sergeja-a-mitrovica-djuricica-milenkovica-birmancevica-vazni-minuti-za-veliki-broj-reprezentativaca/

The "U21" squad Serbia has called for September for competitive matches:
https://fss.rs/u21-zvonko-zivkovic-objavio-spisak-igraca-za-kvalifikacione-meceve-protiv-ukrajine-i-severne-makedonije/ This is for player born in 2000 or younger.
голмани Милош Гордић (Црвена звезда),
Алекса Милојевић (ОФК Бачка),
Лазар Славковић (Земун),
одбрана Светозар Марковић (Олимпијакос, Атина),
Димитрије Каменовић (Лацио),
Сава Аранђел Честић (Келн),
Борис Поповић (Серкл, Бриж),
Златан Шеховић (Макаби Натања, Израел),
Дамјан Даничић (Истра, Пула),
Данило Митровић (Линц, Аустрија),
Марко Бјековић (Војводина),
средњи ред Дејан Тетек (Рединг),
Иван Милосављевић (Вождовац),
Мирко Топић (Војводина),
Лазар Павловић (Партизан),
Армин Ђерлек (Сиваспор),
Дејан Зукић (Војводина),
Слободан Тедић (Цволе, Холандија),
Жељко Гаврић (Ференцварош),
Филип Стевановић (Херенвен),
Милутин Видосављевић (Леванте),
Немања Јовић (Партизан),
Алекса Јанковић (Чукарички),
Урош Миловановић (Радник, Сурдулица).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_UEFA_European_Under-21_Championship_qualification_Group_H

On 6/19/2021 at 6:12 PM, VinceA said:

His father ending his tweet rant with "I'm glad my son is going to play for Serbia" is pathetic.

And checking back in a couple of years possibly hilarious.

Stefan has been invited to the Serbia U20 squad to play a friendly match against Italy U20 (in Italy) on September 6th:
https://fss.rs/u20-selekcija-koju-vodi-selektor-aleksandar-rogic-ima-proveru-u-italiji/
https://www.figc.it/it/nazionali/news/amichevole-contro-la-serbia-lunedì-6-settembre-a-castel-di-sangro/

As an '02, he is too old to be invited to the U19 squad, which is '03 and younger:
https://fss.rs/u19-dejan-brankovic-odabrao-igrace-za-27-memorijalni-turnir-stevan-vilotic/

So Serbia does have their eye on him, but at this point don't rate him highly enough to try and bring him into the competitive matches at the "U21" level. For those that may be curious, I copy-pasted the U21 list because Google Translate wasn't working well directly from the Serbian FA's website. Those would be the players he'd have to get rated above to get called to competitive matches.

So he won't get an official youth cap for Serbia (thus no one-time-switch would be necessary to bring him into a Canada squad), but he is on Serbia's radar and in their setup.

Edited August 23, 2021 by Olympique_de_Marseille