Subject: US Under 21 Team

Defensive wings shouldn't be a problem for you starting as soon as next season. You have Phillip Marvin coming up next year with a load of chemistry built up. The year after that, you have Crispin Beeman (albeit... at the same position, LW as Phillip Marvin ), and Michael Horne coming up.

Tough thing with the youth teams that I've found is that there's almost always one to two "holes" that you just can't fill with the current (small) number of US managers that we have. Right now, I'm having a problem with defensive pivots. You'll likely feel that in a season or two (if you're still running the squad).

But as far as the chemistry discussion goes... I actually try to do my best of getting the "important guys" the most playing time... even if it's to the detriment of the U19 team. I figure the more chemistry they build while on the U19 team, the more effective they'll be when they "level up."

It tends to be part of the reason I don't generally make it too too far each season... and it's perhaps a strategy I should ammend, but I'm glad to hear that the intent is sort of paying off for you at the moment.

With the win over the Czech Republic, the United States can advance to the next round with a win over Germany next week. It'll be a difficult game to win, and the team is probably too tired to accomplish anything in the next round. On the bright side John Field (GK), who is tied for second best OR on the team, has one more season with the team, so maybe the team will be stronger next season.

I'm going to sign up for next season so there is a default candidate, but I'd be willing to step aside if anyone else is interested. I haven't really been able to put as much time into this team as I do for the U18 hockey team. I'll at least stick with the team until someone else expresses an interest so it doesn't end up rudderless.

An U21 player is currently on the market if anyone is interested or wants to save the player. The player isn't elite but plays at a position that lacks depth.

That is good. All 3 advance. Which is what we want. 5 more games of gaining chemistry and experience.

It absolutely blows my mind that John Field has caught up to Robert Mercado considering they both train in the same facilities and are both very good players.

But even crazier to me is that Field will soon have more OR than Senior National Team goalie (and Doppelgangers teammate), Erwin Copeland , who is a full 2 years older.

Field is going to be really, really good for the U.S. for YEARS to come... but I'm probably as excited about Leo Patel as I am Field. Patel actually has an even better eQ than Field does... and depending on how Patel's CL progresses, he could be just as good. The U19, U21, and Senior teams should be set on goaltending for a long, long time coming.

p.s. I appreciate you continuing to do work for the U21 team Capsaicin. Even if you can't dedicate a lot of time to it, it's nice not having the U21 team go "dead," as it serves as a key to developing future players for the senior team. Thanks for putting the work in, mate.

I wish I had my soccer academy in every league. All I get is good 15 year olds in soccer

Anyone with a defensive pivot or a 2-way pivot with more than 1,000 OR should contact me. Such a player would have a chance of making the team, at least as a backup. The player needs to be trained with a reasonable ratio or one that can be improved to a reasonable ratio by the end of the season (no players that for instance trained only one attribute).

Can anyone that has a 20-21 year old goaltender send me a message? I only have 1 at the moment. I'd like to have 4.

Tragic, but your best bets are probably Milo Leslie ,Joe Fischer ,Wilbur Salazar ,and Ellis Ratcliff in that order.

Milo Leslie 's ratios aren't perfection, but he's at least on an active team who seems to be using him. He'll likely only be in the 900s by the end of this season, as his team's training facilities aren't great.

Joe Fischer has arguably the best training ratios, but he's on a dead team (so he won't be growing anymore).

Wilbur Salazar doesn't have training in anything but goaltending. I would talk to his team manager, as he might make a serviceable backup next season for you if he starts training the other stats NOW. But you'll have 2 good goalies coming from the U19 team next season so you won't have quite the same pinch next season as you do this season.

Ellis Ratcliff has 154 points of training in FiP.

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I don't have any other players scouted or followed that are 20 or 21 years old with GOA trained other than those guys.

Jason Beach and Travis Darnell from the U21 NT are available from San Crispino which just folded if anyone is interested.

The U.S. has advanced to the final round! In handball, none of the games from the previous round carry over to the next round.

I will be able to rest the team for the final game of this round.

Based on the team strengths of the other teams, the U.S. probably has a solid chance of making the playoffs and even advancing a round to the quarterfinals. With some luck, either in the draw or in playoff games, a semifinals appearance isn't impossible.


If anyone is especially interested in running a national team, no matter your experience, you might consider running for the U21 team. The middle team is especially good for inexperienced NT managers since you largely just add the players from the lower level, set the lineup, set tactics, and schedule the calendar. I don't really want to continue to manage 2 national teams, and the U18 national hockey team is my priority. I'll stick with the team if there's nobody interested. I'll sign up if there's nobody else signed up after the last match (the end of the final round at the earliest). Anyone who contacts me with interest can also be immediately added as the assistant manager (I won't add an assistant manager from any country that the U.S. U21 NT may face in the near future).

It looks like Slovenia is the best team followed by Italy and Ukraine in the Finals group. The USA U21 NT is more or less tied with Finland and Poland. With that in mind, the USA pulled off an important win against Poland today to start of the Finals round. The top 4 teams from each of 4 groups of 6 teams will advance to the playoffs. Ranking matters in this round.

It looks like Mitchell Moody of the Doppelgangers who is approaching 2000 as a 21 year old (unfortunately with 4 CL already at 21) led the world in goal scoring and total points at the U21 World Championships. He also came in fourth place for assists.

The next game is against Italy tomorrow.

It looks like the team was too exhausted to advance to the playoffs.

If anyone else is interested, I'll step aside (I've signed up for now). It looks like the managers of the senior and U19 teams haven't signed up again yet though.

i did a terrible job of managing the u19 team last season. i didn't even scout or recruit anyone new. somehow i still advanced out of the first round, but i'm slipping a bit too.

I too would be interested in passing things to a motivated individual, but i'm not sure there really is such a thing in the U.S. anymore... it's a small group of us left it seems...

yep its us 3 for the future.