#22

[quincy101]

I'm very concerned about Christan Pulisic. He's gone from hero in Dortmund's 1st 3 games to no-wheres-ville in the last 6. He is always being fouled-hard & lately is always hurt. I'm just afraid he might be too fragile for the goons in the Bundesliga, not to mention intl competition.

And now, since Dortmund is playing some of the most beautiful futbol on the planet, Pulisic might even lose his job, or be nothing more than a "super sub" late or the 1st one subbed out.

The talking heads always talk about CP's move to the EPL, but hell, if he never plays due to injury or his club team is just too dang good for a full 90, he ain't going anywhere. And how long has it been since he's worked out with or played for the USMNT? Just very concerning.

Well, 1/2 hour later, CP is officially off the shelf & subbed in vs. Stuttgart in the 66th minute. Kid looks just as world-class as usual & even gets an assist on Dortmund's 4th goal. So please disregard all the BS noted above.

 

[TU_BLA]

Until referees start carding the rough play seemingly targeting Pulisic's ankles, it will continue. Any player will give up a foul for a chance to make a guy question whether or not they want to go at that defender at that speed again. Now if the ref starts pulling out cards for the hard, dangerous challenges, they will think twice about going in recklessly like that. Mexico and Costa Rica both went after Pulisic in that way (it's dirty play really). If Bundesliga guys are going at him like that without consequence it will be hard for him to remain healthy enough to stay on the pitch. Was Claudio Reyna in the same vein as Pulisic? I can't ever remember Reyna staying healthy enough to be a factor for the US...but I also don't remember Reyna being that good of a player either.

 

[quincy101]

Liverpool, Chelsea & Bayern Munich are in a bit of a bidding war for Pulisic's services. I know Bla would sacrifice a major body part for him to go to the Liverpudlians, but it appears Chelsea is in the lead for a big $ deal soon. Meanwhile, it's been 14 months without a USMNT coach & E. Stewart still drags his feet. Our young MNT captain(C. Pulisic) is very critical of the delay & is absolutely correct.

 

[TU4ever2]

Liverpool, Chelsea & Bayern Munich are in a bit of a bidding war for Pulisic's services. I know Bla would sacrifice a major body part for him to go to the Liverpudlians, but it appears Chelsea is in the lead for a big $ deal soon. Meanwhile, it's been 14 months without a USMNT coach & E. Stewart still drags his feet. Our young MNT captain(C. Pulisic) is very critical of the delay & is absolutely correct.

Good, the kid has excellent roots for understanding what a successful program should look like. The US needs someone with pull to keep them accountable. One of the benefits not recognized in the young players being developed in Europe is their expectations. The European clubs compete globally and have to maintain strong structures.

 

[TU_BLA]

Good, the kid has excellent roots for understanding what a successful program should look like. The US needs someone with pull to keep them accountable. One of the benefits not recognized in the young players being developed in Europe is their expectations. The European clubs compete globally and have to maintain strong structures.

This is why its good that this next core of players will all be playing in Europe. McKennie, Pulisic, Sargent, Wood, Weah, Ream are all in Euro leagues. There's been talk that some of the EPL clubs are looking at Steffen as a keeper but Columbus' asking price for the transfer was too steep.

 

[quincy101]

Let us not forget: Brooks, Johnson, A. Morales, Miazga, Adams, Carter-Vickers, Chris Richards, Trapp, Yedlin(ugh!), & some others I've forgotten. A good coach should be drooling to have all these guys & be excited to get them

This is why its good that this next core of players will all be playing in Europe. McKennie, Pulisic, Sargent, Wood, Weah, Ream are all in Euro leagues

ready by 2022.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Good, the kid has excellent roots for understanding what a successful program should look like. The US needs someone with pull to keep them accountable. One of the benefits not recognized in the young players being developed in Europe is their expectations. The European clubs compete globally and have to maintain strong structures.

Resident expert on table tennis and curling too.

 

[TU_BLA]

Yedlin(ugh!)

I can't get a feel on Yedlin. I think he is a good player but I'm pretty sure Newcastle and the interim USMNT coach don't really have an idea about how to use him to his strengths.

 

[TU_BLA]

Pulisic finished second in the FIFA Kopa Trophy voting for the best player under the age of 21 finishing behind Kylian Mbappe. Don't think anyone would really argue that Mbappe is that guy right now but it is a good for the USMNT that Pulisic is viewed as that level by the soccer world. And the US has a few more players in the wings that have the potential to be that level (Weah, 18; Sargent, 18; McKennie, 20).

 

[quincy101]

Pulisic just can't catch a break. Dortmund won't let him go till end of season and he happens to play the same position as the best 18 yr-old on the planet(if not 19,20,21 yr olds). Remember when Jadon Sancho tore us up for a while vs England? Well, he's currently doing the same to the entire Bundesliga.

Sancho gets most starts on the right side. For example, Sancho starts last league game & CP replaces him in the 88th min + stoppage. And the only reason for the sub was Sancho looked a little gimpy. Just makes you sick. (For those of you musically inclined, it's like CP was Eric Clapton when Pete Townsend calls him to say he just heard a Yank guitar player & we need to find another line of work. Thas rite, Townsend had just heard J. Hendrix).

 

[TU_BLA]

Pulisic just can't catch a break. Dortmund won't let him go till end of season and he happens to play the same position as the best 18 yr-old on the planet(if not 19,20,21 yr olds). Remember when Jadon Sancho tore us up for a while vs England? Well, he's currently doing the same to the entire Bundesliga.

Sancho gets most starts on the right side. For example, Sancho starts last league game & CP replaces him in the 88th min + stoppage. And the only reason for the sub was Sancho looked a little gimpy. Just makes you sick. (For those of you musically inclined, it's like CP was Eric Clapton when Pete Townsend calls him to say he just heard a Yank guitar player & we need to find another line of work. Thas rite, Townsend had just heard J. Hendrix).

Pulisic started the UCL game yesterday against Monaco and was responsible for setting up both Dortmund goals. Dortmund also won their group meaning (over Atletico) meaning they will avoid the heavies like Barca, ManCity, PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid, and Juventus in the round of 16. However that may mean drawing a Liverpool, ManU or Roma in that round.

(If my thinking it correct, they put all the 1st place finishers in one bag and all the 2nd place pool finishers in another and make the pairings by pulling one chip from each. And I don't think Dortmund could be paired with Atletico since they were in the group stage together.) Dortmund will have a very good chance at making the round of 8.

 

[quincy101]

Yeah, it's 1's vs 2's at random. Did Sancho play in that ECL game? If so, which positions did he & CP play? Hope CP gets way more playing time than lately.

 

[TU_BLA]

Yeah, it's 1's vs 2's at random. Did Sancho play in that ECL game? If so, which positions did he & CP play? Hope CP gets way more playing time than lately.

Everyone knows CP is a player. Dortmun also has a good history of developing good young players and then selling them to the highest bidder. Auyamebang (sp?) was one of the latest but there are plenty of others. There are a ton of transfer rumors for Pulisic to the EPL. Have heard ManU, ManCity, LFC, and Spurs. I don't think ManCity is the place unless ManCity is thinking of moving on from DeBruyne. ManU would be a good space if Pogba is willing to share. Spurs would be a good landing spot as I think Mauricio is the right temperament for Pulisic and young players in general. We'll see

 

[quincy101]

From all I've read, Chelsea is about ready to pull the trigger, although again, he'd have to get scraps from people like E. Hazard & Ross Barkley...ouch! Still, whichever team gets him, CP will shatter the Yank transfer $ record by a factor of 3 or 4!

 

[TU_BLA]

From all I've read, Chelsea is about ready to pull the trigger, although again, he'd have to get scraps from people like E. Hazard & Ross Barkley...ouch! Still, whichever team gets him, CP will shatter the Yank transfer $ record by a factor of 3 or 4!

Chelsea wouldn't be a great fit unless someone comes with $$$$$$$$ for Hazard. Pulisic and Hazard are very similar in their styles...Hazard probably has a little more pace with the ball at his feet. The goal he scored against Brighton this past week was pretty ridiculous from the timing of his run to the defender not being able to catch him to the cheeky finish past the GK. Wouldn't surprise me to see someone like Real or Bayern Munich make a bid for Hazard for a record transfer fee because both those teams are missing that creator right now.

 

[quincy101]

Latest on the CP transfer saga: it's still Chelsea in the lead but the $ offered keeps dropping-now to $57 mil euros. The Liverpudlians still might come back with more cash. Pulisic & co.(& Dortmund) would not mind & the Reds can afford it with another EPL title prolly in the bag.

Eden Hazard will be gone from Chelsea from all reports at end of season.

 

[TU_BLA]

Latest on the CP transfer saga: it's still Chelsea in the lead but the $ offered keeps dropping-now to $57 mil euros. The Liverpudlians still might come back with more cash. Pulisic & co.(& Dortmund) would not mind & the Reds can afford it with another EPL title prolly in the bag.

Eden Hazard will be gone from Chelsea from all reports at end of season.

According to FoxSoccer, Pulisic will join Chelsea next summer for a $72.7M transfer fee. Transfer is effective right now BUT Chelsea has agreed to loan him back to Dortmund for the remainder of the Bundesliga season.

Wow.

 

[quincy101]

Suh....weet!! Kid is in the chips. Now he can develop into the top 20 player we all know he can be & on the biggest stage.

BTW, the salaries of big time soccer stars are apparently chicken feed compared to NFL,NBA,etc. Just wonder what the Russian oligarch owner of Chelsea is going to pay CP? I'm guessing $750k annual with bonuses for production. Still, you can buy a lot of chocolate with that.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Suh....weet!! Kid is in the chips. Now he can develop into the top 20 player we all know he can be & on the biggest stage.

BTW, the salaries of big time soccer stars are apparently chicken feed compared to NFL,NBA,etc. Just wonder what the Russian oligarch owner of Chelsea is going to pay CP? I'm guessing $750k annual with bonuses for production. Still, you can buy a lot of chocolate with that.

Just wondering why the players union doesn't bargain and make demands of higher pay commensurate to the NBA or more appropriately the NFL or MBL.(more similarity in roster size) Seems like a disparately unfair allocation of profits.

 

[lawpoke87]

Average salary in the Premier league is $3M per year.

 

[quincy101]

Well, that's encouraging-he should certainly get more $ than the average player based on hefty x-fer fee paid for him.

 

[lawpoke87]

....and Chelsea has the 4th highest payroll in the Premier league. He's making $1.1M this season with Dortmund. I would expect him to more than triple that number next year with Chelsea.

 

[TU_BLA]

Just wondering why the players union doesn't bargain and make demands of higher pay commensurate to the NBA or more appropriately the NFL or MBL.(more similarity in roster size) Seems like a disparately unfair allocation of profits.

MLS players make peanuts unless you’re one of the faded Euro stars coming over to finish out their careers.

Ronaldo had a salary plus bonuses of $58M in 2017, Messi $53M, Neymar $15M. The 20 highest paid EPL players are making £156,000 PER WEEK. Looking at his transfer fee I would guess Pulisic will get between £75-100k per week (say it’s a 38 week season). At the low end that’ll put him just about £3M for the year.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

MLS players make peanuts unless you’re one of the faded Euro stars coming over to finish out their careers.

Ronaldo had a salary plus bonuses of $58M in 2017, Messi $53M, Neymar $15M. The 20 highest paid EPL players are making £156,000 PER WEEK. Looking at his transfer fee I would guess Pulisic will get between £75-100k per week (say it’s a 38 week season). At the low end that’ll put him just about £3M for the year.

Yeah but futbol is not big here. Fading Euro stars are paid a bunch because they bring people to the games that might not come, like Pele did for the NASL. I'm just wondering why the Euro stars in their prime don't band together and demand a little more equal distribution of profits from the Euro league owners though. Just doesn't seem equitable for all the money the owners are raking in all over the world.

 

[TU_BLA]

MLS players make peanuts unless you’re one of the faded Euro stars coming over to finish out their careers.

Ronaldo had a salary plus bonuses of $58M in 2017, Messi $53M, Neymar $15M. The 20 highest paid EPL players are making £156,000 PER WEEK. Looking at his transfer fee I would guess Pulisic will get between £75-100k per week (say it’s a 38 week season). At the low end that’ll put him just about £3M for the year.

Yeah but futbol is not big here. Fading Euro stars are paid a bunch because they bring people to the games that might not come, like Pele did for the NASL. I'm just wondering why the Euro stars in their prime don't band together and demand a little more equal distribution of profits from the Euro league owners though. Just doesn't seem equitable for all the money the owners are raking in all over the world.

It’s no worse than the NFL.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

It’s no worse than the NFL.

Did a bit of research and you are right. I had just heard anecdotally that they didn't get paid that much. The research I did said the top 50 players got paid on the same levels, which was not how I thought it was.

 

[quincy101]

What a dream return to action by CP. Favre(Lucien, not Brett) just simply hasn't been playing him, plus he pulled a hammie & has been on the shelf the past 3 weeks, anyway. So, Dortmund is in a fight for the Bundesliga title w/ Munich & vs. Stuttgart today, CP comes off the bench with 18 mins. to go in regulation tied 1-1, promptly sets up Alcacer for the go-ahead goal & get's Dortmunds' 3rd a couple minutes later.

He could have scored on Alcacers' goal but sent a soft 5' pass in front of the net onto Alcacer's foot. Just thrilled for CP in his return...for his confidence & you know the fan's & teammate's reaction to his xfer to Chelsea has played on his mind. CP swore to the fans that he would give his all the rest of the season & he certainly proved it today. I imagine the Chelsea brass is happy to see it, too!