I’ll admit to finding this news surprising: 17 year-old Zach Pfeffer, currently playing with Philadephia, will spend 2013 with TSG Hoffenheim.
Pfeffer’s loan starts Jan. 7 and runs through Dec. 31. He will join Hoffenheim following the Bundesliga winter break, reside and train in Germany during its offseason and play through the end of the year when the 2013-14 Bundesliga season opens Aug. 9. Pfeffer has already left with family to begin looking for housing as he embarks on the next big chapter of his still very young soccer career.
“We looked at it and it was really probably the best spot for me in terms of my overall development as a player at this point in my career where I am, you know with my age and everything included in that,” Pfeffer told philadelphiaunion.com “The main thing is I need a place to play games most importantly good competitive games… in [MLS] reserve league we have 10 and that’s really not enough, not even close to enough.”
The playing time has been scarce for Pfeffer, who despite showing an immense amount of talent and promise; found it hard to crack the starting 11. In his two seasons with the Union, Pfeffer has played in just four regular season league matches and a handful of international friendlies. In addition, Pfeffer has been called to a few U.S. under-18 national team camps and guided the Union academy to Generation adidas Cup title, but Pfeffer and the coaching staff want more.
Pfeffer hasn’t played much with Philadelphia (in part because he’s still finishing high school), so you have to imagine he’ll spend more time in Hoffenheim’s development system (which includes fellow Pennslyvanian Russell Canouse) than playing for the first team (which includes Americans Danny Williams, Fabian Johnson, and the loaned-out Joe Gyau).
UPDATE: As has been pointed out, Philadelphia has a partnership with Hoffenheim that saw Hoffenheim loan midfielder from their reserve team to Union for two months.
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Thats interesting. This is why MLS needs to have more reserve games, or start up either U-21 league or U-23 league like Germany. He is pretty talented, but my guess is he will be playing on the U-19 or U-23 team for Hoffenheim.
Here you go Howie…looks like the “agreement” between teams extends further than just US players going to Germany
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/soccer/Union_acquires_Herdling_on_loan_from_TSG_Hoffenheim.html
This is another potential distraction. Diego Fagúndez needs to be capped, he is a 17 year-old that has made plays in the MLS that few can. He can actually dribble and has a chance to play in elite leagues.
I’m glad the MLS is over, it’s off season is more exciting then when they play games. The MLS is so garbage that a 17 year-old can start and be the best player on the field. (Andy Najar and Diego Fagúndez showed this)
I just do not want the USA to lose Diego Fagúndez without a fight.
Fagundez doesn’t have citizenship.
Pay no attention to Gregory’s outbursts.
I read he immigrated at age 5, something could be done, or at-least attempted. Juan Agudelo immigrated at the age of 7.
Chances are the next great MLS homegrown player will have similar citizenship issues. The USMNT & the MLS need to have a plan in place to at-least attempt to offer these players citizenship/green cards. (Green card gets you a passport)
I warned about this last summer with Andy Najar. Everyone was expecting Brek Shea to transfer and start for Arsenal/EPL.
Joke was on the USA, Shea has no hopes of a meaning full transfer, and Honduras got the best young talent in the MLS.
If the MLS actually wants to help the USA, it needs to supply it’s elite homegrown talent with citizenship.
I find it hard to believe Deigo could not be granted Citizenship after living in the USA for 12 years and still being under 18.
I would be content if Diego stated “I’m becoming annoyed by all the calls, gifts, and contracts offered to me by the USMNT. I’m flattered, but have decided to play for Uruguay.”
What in God’s holy name are you blathering about?
Please name an USMNT attacking mid/forwards the MLS has produced since Dempsey? (Dempsey will be 31 next WC; Altidore and Michael Bradley got transferred to Europe as soon as legally possible)
The MLS is not capable of growing attacking talent, the only real prospects are foreign born players who immigrated as kids to the US. (Juan Aguldolo, Andy Najar, Diego Fagúndez) The USMNT/MLS needs these players to play for the USA.
@2tone
Do you still think Break Shea is better then Andy Najar?
Uhm. I don’t ever recall saying that Brek was. But yes Brek is better than Najar. Let me know when Najar scores 11 goals in MLS.
@Gregory Luis Gil and Jose Villareal are two examples of the MLS currently growing attacking talent. Both of which have just as much potential as the foreign born players you mentioned.
” the only real prospects are foreign born players who immigrated as kids to the US. (Juan Aguldolo, Andy Najar, Diego Fagúndez) ”
So you think MLS and the USA’s training grounds provided nothing to these players? Fagundez got all his attacking prowess prior to coming here at the age of 5?
You should know that Break Shea is garbage, nearly all MLS attacking players are garbage. Shea is not athletic, I find it funny/annoying the MLS can print some articles and people think he’s a freak. (Go to any D1 college football or Bundesliga practice and you will see real athletes.)
I’m very confident with saying that after watching the MLS Cup. I turned it off cuz after 15 minutes Ricardo Clark was the best player on the field. The MLS is that garbage. Anyone that has real talent transfers out as a teenager or, at the end of their first contract.
The MLS has one thing going for it, home-grown players. Instead of over-hyping players the MLS should be trying to cap foreign born players that actually have elite talent. The pattern will continue, next year another Najar/Fagundez will emerge and nobody will care.
@Trent Hill
They were born in a futbol culture that most Americans do not understand. Growing up they only kicked the soccer ball around. There has to be a reason why not 1 American can actually dribble. (Dempsey is the one exception and he was a late bloomer)
The best coaches can be your family, you learn to dribble age 4 to 12. The technique is so hard that your muscle memory needs 15 years to actually dribble. Why can Juan Agedolo, Freddy Adu, and Andy Najar dribble better then anyone else? If a player wants to develop their muscle memory to dribble you can’t play other sports, you can’t even practice other sports, that’s very rare for Americans. (Klinnsman talked about this)
The USA training grounds have not be able to teach a non-foreign-born player to dribble. It can’t be coincidence that the only MLS prospects that can dribble are all immigrants. Growing up in a culture/home were soccer is the only sport that matters really helps their skills. Michael Bradley can be an example of this also, I’m sure his dad helped develop his touch/skills at a very early age.
Trent I actually respect your opinion and know you know the difference between dribbling with your head up, and being fast and 1 footed.
@gregory
you really need to calm down, mls is a fine league and probably one of the top 15 leagues in the world, the only leagues i can say are def better are england, spain, germany, italy, france, portugal, russia, holland, turkey, mexico, brazil and argentina
Also dont hate on ricardo clark, hes a fine player, maybe not good enough for the MNT but hes still a pretty good player.
Dribbling at people doesn’t necessarily make you a good player, look at spain or even barca (except messi), they are pretty much all passers and they play a beautiful brand of football and may be the best group to ever play. MLS has produced plenty attacking players who can play, such as donovan, eddie johnson, dempsey, shea (contrary to your beliefs shea is better than najar with no doubt in my mind, he had a down year but he will come back better than ever next year), altidore, wondo, agudelo, adu, zusi, kljestan, holden, even some younger players like bunbury, chris rolfe, bruin mcinerey, gil, pontius, and mccarty.
I think the type of style klinsi is trying to play is keeping possession and making the other team chase, which means no one really runs at the opponent, remember if you run at an opponent you will most likely lose the ball and thus not have possession
“Trent I actually respect your opinion and know you know the difference between dribbling with your head up, and being fast and 1 footed.”
Thanks. Yes, I do. That’s why I’ve never been too big on Shea.
With that said, chris is right that MLS is a top 15 league.
I know I’m being out of control, but the MLS is not helping the USMNT with attacking players.
@Chris
I love Ricardo Clark, but he was cut from 2.Bundesliga.
All the players you named that are still in the MLS would have a very hard time playing in the English Championship or 2.Bundesliga. Eddie Johnson was garbage in the Championship, but in the MLS he’s a hero. (2 goals in 46 games in the Championship.) I doubt any others could do much better. I’m EJ biggest fan, I started the cap EJ chant when others would laugh, but against Ghana he would look bad, some with almost everyone in the MLS.
Also of all the player you named only Dempsey is starting in an elite league. You can disagree, but their is a reason Championship players make 3 to 6 times much money as MLS players.
Please name any attacking MLS player that has transferred to the Championship or 2Bundesliga and up his stock? Brian McBride??
Please don’t use Holden as an MLS success example. He was in the EPL got in trouble and was banished to the MLS making $32,000 a year. He is an example of how the MLS game-play style can dull a player.
I hope the MLS continues to grow, but please stop believing 2nd rate players can help the USMNT. I just want the USA to attempt to cap the young prospects that have a chance to play in elite leagues.
Lets what till next season then we can re-access my Shea vs Najar theory. I still feel great about my Najar pick.
idk wut ur saying about holden, he was great for bolton but has had a bad run of injury, if holden comes back this season and stays healthy he will either take bolton back to the epl, or be transfered to a mid table club
also with clark and johnson, its all about fits, they were in bad fits and it didnt work, big deal
Please for the sake of the USMNT, and your integrity, do not praise Ricardo Clark. BAD PLAYER. Brings back heartbreaking memories from the WC… BB should never have had him on the pitch against Ghana.
Gregory makes some compelling points and seems to back most of his assertions with valid sources, but his logic is mostly flawed. What were you saying about Holden, banished??(haha)??
anyway,
“They were born in a futbol culture that most Americans do not understand. Growing up they only kicked the soccer ball around. There has to be a reason why not 1 American can actually dribble. (Dempsey is the one exception and he was a late bloomer)
The best coaches can be your family, you learn to dribble age 4 to 12. The technique is so hard that your muscle memory needs 15 years to actually dribble. Why can Juan Agedolo, Freddy Adu, and Andy Najar dribble better then anyone else? If a player wants to develop their muscle memory to dribble you can’t play other sports, you can’t even practice other sports, that’s very rare for Americans. (Klinnsman talked about this)”
– these assertions are broad and fraudulent. Most of what Gregory has said is fraudulent. Across the spectrum of professional sports it is EXTREMELY common for players to have been multi-sport athletes growing up, often excelling at every sport they played. that’s why they’re pros. The USA doesn’t have any elite dribblers just like they don’t have any elite goalscorers, defenders, etc. I’m willing to let Gregory slide because he’s obviously either foreign, uneducated or just very young. not worth the time to rebuttal.
I’d argue that what separates a Clint Dempsey from the rest of the pack is his mentality. 100 %. yes, he is a very skilled American player. However, other Americans have the ability to do what he has done.. we just don’t see them accomplishing it quite yet. It’s impossible to produce world class players when the world laughs at “American soccer”
@Mitch
You should ask questions/read instead of insulting.
Holden was banished from the EPL. He left college early and signed with Sunderland. Holden then was hospitalized after a bad bar fight. Sunderland cut him shortly afterwards, and he signed with the MLS for $32,000 a year. I considered that a banishment.
Being skillful with your feet cannot be compared being skillful with your hands. Try catching a football with your feet, it takes exponentially more practice to master foot eye coordination then hand-eye coordination. Soccer is a completely different then most sports. No other major sport relies on foot coordination instead of hand coordination.
For example lots NFL players never played football till the age of 15 or 16. The most skill-full big man in the NBA, Tim Duncan, didn’t play played basketball till the age of 14.
Soccer/foot muscle memory cannot be compared to other sports that use your hands.
Please stop trying to find ways to insult me and actually read with an open mind. I like you, you understand that American soccer is a joke.
i guess if you call being jumped outside a bar and then injuring your ankle on the training ground being banished, and then he moved back to MLS to get regular time and once that happened he moved back to england and is a regular starter at bolton when fully healthy.
Also agudelo and fagundez moving here when they were 5 make them american players, im not sure how much younger than 5 you start participating in soccer, so that makes you an american player.
Also you can hate on ricardo clark all you want, yes he made a huge mistake against ghana but still, players learn from mistakes like that. For instance sean johnson made a HUGEEEEE mistake with the u-23s but it doesnt mean he wont turn into a great player for us. You can’t just give up on players cuz of a few mistakes, if that would happen there would be no defenders on the field. I would say clark is our 4th best pure holding mid, behind williams, beckerman and edu, and kitchen is in the conversation too.