Lucas Dias - Sporting CP

[Shway]

8 minutes ago, Macksam said:

Good thing Portugal's current talent pool is the best they have ever had. I would even say top to bottom, they're the best in the world on paper.

I still think France is...but that’s a opinionated debate.

[toontownman]

7 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

This can’t be understated, Portugal and Holland are going through golden Generations. I think my Dutch boys are better but the reality is Ferdi isn’t breaking in and Dias is very unlikely to play for Portugal.

Hes a very good prospect that quite frankly would have been a part of their setup in other years. 
 

also if we don’t qualify he’s a 2003 who can come back next cycle.

Are Turkey going through a golden generation too? Fingers crossed lol 😛

[Floortom]

Is Dias a standout on the U23? Corbeanu is arguably the best player on his team - can Dias say the same or is he just another guy on the squad?

[SpecialK]

I think he can be a stand out. He’s playing really well for Sporting U23 at the age of 18. 

[Dominic94]

1 hour ago, toontownman said:

Are Turkey going through a golden generation too? Fingers crossed lol 😛

I don’t think so sadly but Dias and even Colyn could soon make us forget Ferdi.

[Dominic94]

1 hour ago, Floortom said:

Is Dias a standout on the U23? Corbeanu is arguably the best player on his team - can Dias say the same or is he just another guy on the squad?

Everything I’ve heard about him is that he should be with the first team soon and that Portugal are aware of him. He’s probably the best prospect we have after Rutty. I won’t count Flores, but that would be our top 3 and they’d take our youth teams places minimum. 
 

Flores

Rutty

 

Dias 

 

but only because of the hype and level the other 2 are at. In other age groups we’d be getting excited about him.

Edited March 7, 2021 by Dominic94

[LeoH037]

Getting him into the Olympic camp would be a huge step towards getting him to choose us over Portugal... the fact it appears he is legit going to be joining us for the Olympic qualifiers is huge for us. There's a good chance we can fully convert him.

[SpecialK]

1 minute ago, LeoH037 said:

Getting him into the Olympic camp would be a huge step towards getting him to choose us over Portugal... the fact it appears he is legit going to be joining us for the Olympic qualifiers is huge for us. There's a good chance we can fully convert him.

I agree, but it will hurt us if we don’t qualify. We need to qualify it’s a must !

[SpecialK]

Players like Dias are so important because after 2022 we are gonna be losing players like Hutch, Arfield and others

Edited March 7, 2021 by SpecialK

[Dominic94]

2 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, I’m so excited for him, hes talented and linked to many clubs. But he’s played 4 pro games. So I question a little should he be part of U23 team? He’s 16 and he’s going up against men.  Now for him to be at a camp, I’m all for. 

He’s been up against men much older for years now. 

[SpecialK]

2 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

He’s been up against men much older for years now. 

He’s played 4 pro games? I’m gonna switch that comment to U23
 

Edited March 7, 2021 by SpecialK

[Dominic94]

13 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

He’s played 4 pro games? I’m gonna switch that comment to U23
 

Should he have played more ? Yes absolutely. They should have loaned him to CPL for the tourney aswell. Giving him 18 minutes last year or whatever the number was is a slap. But I’m not worried how he will do. He’s been playing against older and training with/against them for 2 years, his age is a number. He isn’t new to this.

[SpecialK]

23 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

Should he have played more ? Yes absolutely. They should have loaned him to CPL for the tourney aswell. Giving him 18 minutes last year or whatever the number was is a slap. But I’m not worried how he will do. He’s been playing against older and training with/against them for 2 years, his age is a number. He isn’t new to this.

My question is , is he better than Ballou? Twardek? Raposo? Or others . See with Dias , he and Daniels are really the only options for number 10. Key question do you put our chances to a 16 vs 24 year old pros. 

[Dominic94]

7 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

My question is , is he better than Ballou? Twardek? Raposo? Or others . See with Dias , he and Daniels are really the only options for number 10. Key question do you put our chances to a 16 vs 24 year old pros. 

I would say he is. Just because someone is a pro doesn’t mean they’re at X level talent wise. I would go as far as saying that Dias is better now than most of the players on the team. Same deal with Corbeanu, they just have to break in at a higher level. 
 

a 16 year old Davies was better than most at the senior level. I’m not sure Davies has the brain of Rutty, and it definitely doesn’t seem like he’s got the same technical ability and that’s saying something about Rutty. 
 

A player of this hype and caliber is expected to be better than his older peers. Some Whitecaps players reported that a 15 year old Davies would embarrass them at trainings. Dias would probably cut it elsewhere other than sporting, same deal with Flores at Arsenal. 

[kacbru]

I don't know much about these players (I don't watch them train). They are just names and hype to me.

However, it seems to me that many are relying on what these players might do, on their potential, rather than what they have done. To me, that's the major difference between the US and Mexico u23s and the next tier countries. They rely on established pros, the rest rely on prospects.

I look forward to us being able to relegate our prospects to the U20s and build an Olympic qualifying team of young, established professionals. But that is still a ways off and I have no expectations for the Olympics. 

[N1ckbr0wn]

23 minutes ago, kacbru said:

I don't know much about these players (I don't watch them train). They are just names and hype to me.

However, it seems to me that many are relying on what these players might do, on their potential, rather than what they have done. To me, that's the major difference between the US and Mexico u23s and the next tier countries. They rely on established pros, the rest rely on prospects.

I look forward to us being able to relegate our prospects to the U20s and build an Olympic qualifying team of young, established professionals. But that is still a ways off and I have no expectations for the Olympics. 

Tbf a starting 11 of Bair, Buchanan, Tabla, Baldisimo, Fraser, Paton, ZBG, Cornelius, Sturing, Gutierrez and St Clair would be filled with a good amount of professional experience. Potentially the most we’ve ever had at Olympic Qualifiers 

[Ivan]

7 hours ago, N1ckbr0wn said:

Tbf a starting 11 of Bair, Buchanan, Tabla, Baldisimo, Fraser, Paton, ZBG, Cornelius, Sturing, Gutierrez and St Clair would be filled with a good amount of professional experience. Potentially the most we’ve ever had at Olympic Qualifiers 

I agree with this, but many on here think our hopes rely on 2 18 year olds and a 16 year old.  If we are going to have any success at this OQ tourney, its the players noted above that will carry us IMHO.

[Fullback]

Can someone sell me on Dias. I get that there is a ton of potential there but I’m not sold that he is going to be a star on the team. I mean he just turned 18 and will be playing against men 3/4/5 years older than him who have been playing in first tier professional leagues.

I’m not even sure that we are going to line up with a #10 anyway

[SpecialK]

His number is 89

[baulderdash77]

Thanks for that.  It really gives a good overall impression of his game.

I really like his tenacity, hustle and those herky jerky moves he does with the ball.  Those are good traits.  I like his use of a lot of Total Futball tactics and style that are clearly from good coaching and development over the years.

What was clear to me is that he’s a bit wasteful with the ball- trying to make 1v1 plays in low leverage situations; or holding onto the ball just a second or too long and then the passing window closes. He did a lot of those 1v2’s that we criticize Bamba and Ikone on the David thread.  I find it very aggravating  when a lot of wingers do that.  Those are coachable traits that hopefully they work out of him.

He’s also often looking for his own great move when there is a player in a better position that he can pass to.  Also coachable and common with teenage wingers.

Overall he has some very good talent but has to work on improving his decision making and ball possession skills to take the next step.  That’s my opinion.

Edited March 7, 2021 by baulderdash77

[Kadenge]

2 hours ago, Ivan said:

I agree with this, but many on here think our hopes rely on 2 18 year olds and a 16 year old.  If we are going to have any success at this OQ tourney, its the players noted above that will carry us IMHO.

Completely agree with this. At the youth level there is a huge difference between a 18 yr and 22/ 23 yr old in terms of speed, physicality and experience. Our youth teams in the past have been  tactically naive not short on talent ...see U20 WC and that comes with pro minutes.

[gigi riva]

Ive just heard of this youngster  so I am not going to rate him yet

[JamesF]

found this mini documentary on him when he was younger 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fen7od2aCqA

[SoccMan]

1 hour ago, JamesF said:

found this mini documentary on him when he was younger 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fen7od2aCqA

I tell you it’s not easy to let your child go overseas at 11 years old I don’t know if I could do that if I had a son . It looks like his parents are of Portuguese background and are very familiar with the country and all but to be separated from your child at such a young age is tough I mean they are only young once . But that’s just me , leaving at say 16 I could see me letting him go if I had a son but 11 that would be tough for me . If I had a son and he showed desire and talent at a young age I would try and put him in the best possible soccer environment here at home and go from there , then if at say 16 he really showed a lot of promise then yes I would let him go overseas to try his luck . Like I said that’s just me , but in the end I only wish good things for this kid they as a family have made an incredible sacrifice and all power to them.

[Reign]

This kid is incredibly well spoken. Even mentions at 12 years old in the video he wants to prove Canada can produce good talent. He seems very driven. If he keeps that attitude he displays in the mini doc this kid can do things in the game. He obviously has the skill being at one of the best academies in Europe. Looking forward to his development.