Joseph Lapira

[Metrostars]

Playing in a friendly does not cap tie you.

[dr_peepee]

Think it does!!

Only if it's an "Ireland Select" like in a testemonial it doesn't commit you but in a proper international friendly it does!!

[Plastic Paddy]

It's just another stunt from Stan and unfair on the likes of Garven or Whealen who were ignored.

Not sure it was a stunt as such OF but I do think Stan is easily led by those around him. Geary's call-up before his unfortunate injury was example enough of that ("does he even know I'm Irish?" Well, he did after that particular Sky Sports News piece). He'll be showing leadership soon enough but I guess the question is whether that leadership takes us in the right direction.

Cyprus aside, I've seen enough promise from a team in transition to merit giving him more time. After all, we here were clamouring for Kerr's head after the last qualifying fiasco yet I'd bet you that 95% of those people that wanted him out at the time would now gladly have him back. We (or more precisely Delaney) made our collective bed so now we'll have to lie in it.

Good luck to Lapira and all the new debutants, whatever the criticism levelled here by the armchair Championship Managers. Here's hoping that the new boys give Stan and his cabal some food for thought if nothing else.

:ball: PP

[Paddy Garcia]

The hysteria is amazing. A meaningless friendly is exactly the right time to try something from left field. We may have plenty of forwards now but few are top quality. The hottest prospect on the continent is worth inclusion. If he were Brazilian they would not think twice about including young talent.

Th Irish shirt was brought into far more disrepute over the last 12 months than anything this tour has yet to offer.

I hope the boys who has family commitments are having a good rest anyway.

[DmanDmythDledge]

The hottest prospect on the continent is worth inclusion.
Based on what the previous winners have gone on and done that is far from the case.


If he were Brazilian they would not think twice about including young talent.
In fairness if he won the same award in Brazil it might actually mean something.

[BobbySands]

Didn't Claudio Reyna win the same award and by jayzuz he could have done a job for us over the years. I'll take Lapira any day. If it doesn't work so what. And I'm no stan fan.

[gustavo]

Didn't Claudio Reyna win the same award and by jayzuz he could have done a job for us over the years. I'll take Lapira any day. If it doesn't work so what. And I'm no stan fan.
Heres the rest of the guys that have won it since Reyna won it
2006 — Joseph Lapira, Notre Dame
2005 — Jason Garey, Maryland
2004 — Ryan Pore, Tulsa
2003 — Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina
2002 — Alecko Eskandarian, Virginia
2001 — Luchi Gonzalez, Southern Methodist
2000 — Chris Gbandi, Connecticut
1999 — Aleksey Korol, Indiana
1998 — Wojtek Krakowiak, Clemson
1997 — Ben Olsen, Virginia
1996 — Johnny Torres, Creighton
1995 — Mike Fisher, Virginia
1994 — A.J. Wood, Virginia
1993 — Claudio Reyna, Virginia
1992 — Claudio Reyna, Virginia

[Soper]

Such illustrious names

[Metrostars]

Heres the rest of the guys that have won it since Reyna won it
2006 — Joseph Lapira, Notre Dame
2005 — Jason Garey, Maryland
2004 — Ryan Pore, Tulsa
2003 — Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina
2002 — Alecko Eskandarian, Virginia
2001 — Luchi Gonzalez, Southern Methodist
2000 — Chris Gbandi, Connecticut
1999 — Aleksey Korol, Indiana
1998 — Wojtek Krakowiak, Clemson
1997 — Ben Olsen, Virginia
1996 — Johnny Torres, Creighton
1995 — Mike Fisher, Virginia
1994 — A.J. Wood, Virginia
1993 — Claudio Reyna, Virginia
1992 — Claudio Reyna, Virginia


Actually your list is a little bit off e.g. Chris Wingert won in 2003 and Danny O'Rourke in 2004: http://www.mac-hermann-trophy.org/Past%20Winners.htm

These names might not mean anything to you and I'm not saying they're world beaters but I follow footie in the US and all the players in 2000 have had pretty successful careers in MLS.

[Metrostars]

Think it does!!

Only if it's an "Ireland Select" like in a testemonial it doesn't commit you but in a proper international friendly it does!!

FIFA Article 15 states: As a general rule, any Player who has already represented one Association (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category may not play an international match with another Association team.

Friendlies are not official competitions.

[GavinZac]

These names might not mean anything to you and I'm not saying they're world beaters but I follow footie in the US and all the players in 2000 have had pretty successful careers in MLS.

would any be able to make the step up to the eircom league?

[eirebhoy]

It's hard to tell if that's sarcasm. :) I backed New York a couple of days ago and most of their team is full of internationals from Holland (Waterreus, den Bergh), USA (Reyna, Mathis, others), Colombia (Angel), Austria (Markus Schopp) and a couple more. If they're anything to go by the top teams in America are fairly strong. Last summer Celtic played DC United and they got destroyed 4-0. Celtic hadn't trained much but DC United really impressed.

[osarusan]

The hysteria is amazing. A meaningless friendly is exactly the right time to try something from left field.


Exactly right. There were over there - they heard about a decent prospect, decided to have a look at him not just in training but also under the (relative) pressure of an international match. Whats the problem?

So what if he hasnt seen him live...........the question is - "is he any good or not?" That should be all that matters.

All these whingers pointing out that Stan picks from only one league while ignoring another........Stan breaks with tradition and picks a player who...if he is good, then great, we have a decent prospect on our hands, and if he is no good...and if he is no good...we wasted 10 minutes of a nothing game.

Where he plays his football is irrelevant. Whether he has "earned" a cap is irrelevant (whatever that even means). How good he is - that alone is relevant.

And I'll bet that if Stan hadn't played him, and in 5 years he was banging in goals for the USA, people would be whinging about how Stan had a great chance to check him out when he was over there in 2007, and blew it.

[Qwerty]

From that list Ben Olsen and Reyna went on to play for the US, Olsen is a very good player who would be plenty good enough to be in our squad. Just remember Stan also capped Alan O'Brien :) who will probably play again aginst Bolivia and show us how effective speed alone without football brain/technical ability is. :rolleyes:

[DmanDmythDledge]

Exactly right. There were over there - they heard about a decent prospect, decided to have a look at him not just in training but also under the (relative) pressure of an international match. Whats the problem?
Still can't understand how anybody can justify his selection. His uncle, who works in the FAI, told Stan about him and what do you know he's in the squad. That's nepotism and could have both of them sacked, although it seems impossible to prove.

By the off chance of that being untrue the best case scenario is that Stan's a muppet for picking a player of his calibre.

[pete]

Just remember Stan also capped Alan O'Brien :) who will probably play again aginst Bolivia and show us how effective speed alone without football brain/technical ability is. :rolleyes:

O'Brien is an experienced international with 5 caps which clearly how Lapira got picked ahead of him...

[tetsujin1979]

His uncle, who works in the FAI, told Stan about him and what do you know he's in the squad. That's nepotism and could have both of them sacked, although it seems impossible to prove.
So what if his uncle told Stan about Lapira? If he didn't call in Lapira to have a look at him, everyone would be complaining that Stan wasn't listening to his uncle, who works for the FAI. It was Ron Atkinson who told him about St Ledger, it was Kevin McDonald who alerted him to Gary Cahill's eligibility, and, in all likelihood, to O'Halloran's progress this season.
Wasn't Kerr alerted to the eligibility of various players in the youth setup by a parish priest, and a cab driver? Stan is listening to those around him, like I said, if wasn't people would complain about that.
I'm starting to think that his start in management is still counting against him and people are refusing to see any progress in the setup as a positive, and only focusing on the negative

[dr_peepee]

Friendlies are not official competitions.

You sure?

Why then if you're red carded in a Friendly the suspension applies to competitive games? Like Scholes and Rooney at the start of the season?

"With the exception of the conditions specified in par. 3 and 4 below,
any Player who has already represented one Association in a match
(either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or
any type of football may not play an international match for a representative team of another Association."

I dunno for sure and the FIFA .pdf on the issue is a bit vague to me, but based purely on the noises being made by international managers over the last decade regarding the tying up of players like Steven Reid, Clinton Morison etc i'm fairly sure that a FIFA sanctioned friendly is enough to tie them in.... But I could well be wrong.

[fergalr]

FergalR - "So tell me why Lapira deserves a cap more than the any of the players that have played in the eL this season?" - I'm not saying that he does, however players are called up in such friendlies based upon their potential ability - which having had a look at hime, Stan obviously thinks he has. I would be more than happy to see players like O'Donovan & Gamble get the chance to prove themselves that they deserve, however the exceptional circumstances in this instance is that players like Lapira (like Dixon) have the option to represent other countries - so if they are adjudged to be any good, we need to poach them while we can.

ok - let me try to understand the logic at work here.

So ... If you are Irish born and playing professionally in Ireland then you have to get in the queue behind players of lesser quality because they have a hypothetical chance to represent another country?

Give me strength.

[Paddy Garcia]

So ... If you are Irish born and playing professionally in Ireland then you have to get in the queue behind players of lesser quality because they have a hypothetical chance to represent another country?


How do you know if he is of lesser quality ? If you do know this then fair enough.

[zenokelly]

ok - let me try to understand the logic at work here.

So ... If you are Irish born and playing professionally in Ireland then you have to get in the queue behind players of lesser quality because they have a hypothetical chance to represent another country?

Give me strength.

Just think about it this way. If Stan didn't decide to go on this tour to the US, Lapira would probably never have been mentioned by the Irish officials or Stan. It was just luck for Lapira that he was in the right place at the right time for Ireland to take a look at him.

If Stan sees enough in him in training on this trip to include him in future squads then good luck to the lad. How do we know where he could go from here.

And you could also say that Stan can watch the eircom League lads every day of the week (not saying that he does at all) whereas he won't get to see Lapira too often "up close".

[Soper]

Stan probably watches the Eircom League as much as he watches Notre Dame play

[tetsujin1979]

Stan probably watches the Eircom League as much as he watches Notre Dame play
Isn't that why Devlin was brought into the setup - to report on, and recommend, players from the eircom League?

[timmy mallet]

Still can't understand how anybody can justify his selection.

Stan's a muppet for picking a player of his calibre.

Player of his calibre? How many times have you seen him play? Is he any good? YOU HAVE NO FU**ING IDEA.

Stan might have seen him before, might not have. You do all you can as a manager to get ahead and be successful, fair play to Stan for sticking his neck out and having a look at him. The best young player in the US is eligible for us then you have to take a look at him, regardless of the circumstances. I almost guarantee you that he'd be better than alot of the players in the EL.

[Metrostars]

You sure?

Why then if you're red carded in a Friendly the suspension applies to competitive games? Like Scholes and Rooney at the start of the season?

"With the exception of the conditions specified in par. 3 and 4 below,
any Player who has already represented one Association in a match
(either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or
any type of football may not play an international match for a representative team of another Association."

I dunno for sure and the FIFA .pdf on the issue is a bit vague to me, but based purely on the noises being made by international managers over the last decade regarding the tying up of players like Steven Reid, Clinton Morison etc i'm fairly sure that a FIFA sanctioned friendly is enough to tie them in.... But I could well be wrong.

Cards in games have NOTHING to do with this.

You forgot to highlight the most important part of that statement: "official competition". "Official competition" would mean World Cup qualifiers, euro qualifiers etc, even Youth level qualifiers are "official competitions" but that has the whole Under-21 switching brought in a few years ago.

In any case one of the guys over at bigsoccer sent an email to the FAI about this and got this reply:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11657126&postcount=48

[Dodge]

Isn't that why Devlin was brought into the setup - to report on, and recommend, players from the eircom League?

LOL, you really have no idea about the LOI, or Devlin, if you think thats the case.

And Lapria, amy or may not be the best "young player in America" but if any of his defenders are going to be pedantic about him getting a call up, please call him the "best player currently attending college" rather than the title YOU HAVE NO ****ING IDEA about

[timmy mallet]

And Lapria, amy or may not be the best "young player in America" but if any of his defenders are going to be pedantic about him getting a call up, please call him the "best player currently attending college" rather than the title YOU HAVE NO ****ING IDEA about

Oh the irony nearly made me explode. Now run along, big boy.

[Dodge]

It seems you didn't even get close to seeing the irony...

[timmy mallet]

show yer workings

[ColinR]

Player of his calibre? How many times have you seen him play? Is he any good? YOU HAVE NO FU**ING IDEA.......................... I almost guarantee you that he'd be better than alot of the players in the EL.


How many times have you seen him play to say this???? , which LoI players are you including - "alot of the players in the EL" - first division players, u21 players, squad players, or the top players who many people believe should be in the ireland squad???

btw what is an 'almost guarantee' - if your tv breaks down and you return it to a shop, do you get a refund if you have an 'almost guarantee'

[Soper]

I didn't realise it was the ACTUAL Timmy Mallet posting!

[pete]

Heres the rest of the guys that have won it since Reyna won it
2006 — Joseph Lapira, Notre Dame
2005 — Jason Garey, Maryland
2004 — Ryan Pore, Tulsa
2003 — Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina
2002 — Alecko Eskandarian, Virginia
2001 — Luchi Gonzalez, Southern Methodist
2000 — Chris Gbandi, Connecticut
1999 — Aleksey Korol, Indiana
1998 — Wojtek Krakowiak, Clemson
1997 — Ben Olsen, Virginia
1996 — Johnny Torres, Creighton
1995 — Mike Fisher, Virginia
1994 — A.J. Wood, Virginia
1993 — Claudio Reyna, Virginia
1992 — Claudio Reyna, Virginia

Was Reyna is the US squad while he was at college?

I am sure some of them have made a decent career in the MLS but is there any chance they have improved since they left college? :o

To use that logic we should be calling up youth team players to get a look at them early. :rolleyes:

[Soper]

A lot of them have ended up in the league under the MSL too. And some tried getting a club in their home country, and were unable to do so. So hardly inspiring.

[bohsRap]

The best young player in the US is eligible for us then you have to take a look at him, regardless of the circumstances. I almost guarantee you that he'd be better than alot of the players in the EL.

Who said he was the best young player in the US? He won a COLLEGE'S award in an AMATEUR league! I guarantee you he wouldn't make most of the teams in the EL.

[livehead1]

Who said he was the best young player in the US? He won a COLLEGE'S award in an AMATEUR league! I guarantee you he wouldn't make most of the teams in the EL.

Your having a laugh son, how can you "guarentee" that when you don't even know how good he is.

[GavinZac]

Your having a laugh son, how can you "guarentee" that when you don't even know how good he is.

the same way you've generalised about the eircom league in the past?

[Plastic Paddy]

I just know Plastic Paddy is going to post something in a similar vein soon enough, so I was really using my psychic ability in using 'people'.

I didn't let you down, did I? ;) :rolleyes:

:ball: PP

[Soper]

I'm disappointed

[Plastic Paddy]

I'm disappointed

Perhaps you would be good enough to enlighten us as to why?

:ball: PP

[pete]

Who said he was the best young player in the US? He won a COLLEGE'S award in an AMATEUR league! I guarantee you he wouldn't make most of the teams in the EL.

Thats a big claim. Surely he would get into the UCD side if he got a scholarship to do his Masters there. :D

[DmanDmythDledge]

So what if his uncle told Stan about Lapira? If he didn't call in Lapira to have a look at him, everyone would be complaining that Stan wasn't listening to his uncle, who works for the FAI. It was Ron Atkinson who told him about St Ledger, it was Kevin McDonald who alerted him to Gary Cahill's eligibility, and, in all likelihood, to O'Halloran's progress this season.
Wasn't Kerr alerted to the eligibility of various players in the youth setup by a parish priest, and a cab driver? Stan is listening to those around him, like I said, if wasn't people would complain about that.
The thing about those cases are that the information was coming from people that had knowledge of football and seen the players play. I've never heard anything like that about Kerr but if that was the case that can't justify Stan doing it.


Isn't that why Devlin was brought into the setup - to report on, and recommend, players from the eircom League?
That was the reason but is far from what he is doing, e.g. Alan O'Brien.


Player of his calibre? How many times have you seen him play? Is he any good? YOU HAVE NO FU**ING IDEA.
Look at the award he won. All quality international players.:rolleyes: How many times have you seen him play? Is he any good? YOU HAVE NO FU**ING IDEA.;)


Stan might have seen him before, might not have.
There's no might- he hadn't before he was invited to train with the squad.


The best young player in the US is eligible for us then you have to take a look at him, regardless of the circumstances. I almost guarantee you that he'd be better than alot of the players in the EL.
Best young player? Just shows what you know about him.

How many eL games have you ever seen?

[tetsujin1979]

The thing about those cases are that the information was coming from people that had knowledge of football and seen the players play.
So Lapira's uncle, who works for the FAI, never saw him play and has no knowledge of football?

I've never heard anything like that about Kerr but if that was the case that can't justify Stan doing it.
From http://www.kickinmagazine.ie/jpanayi1622001.htm

Irish underage supremo Brian Kerr has called on the huge Irish communities in the UK and America to act as scouts for the Republic of Ireland soccer teams - revealing that a parish priest and a taxi driver have tipped him off in the past!
Kerr wants Irish people living abroad to let the FAI know whether promising young players have an Irish parent or grandparent.
He revealed he found out from a taxi driver that Wycombe's u17 Irish international Ian Simpemba's mother was Irish; and that a parish priest tipped him off about Charlton Athletic's Adrian Deane.
I'm convinced I read it elsewhere too


Look at the award he won. All quality international players.:rolleyes: How many times have you seen him play? Is he any good? YOU HAVE NO FU**ING IDEA.;)
After this week, the Irish management have seem play, know if he's any good, and have a decent fu**ing idea - certainly better than any of us.


There's no might- he hadn't before he was invited to train with the squad.
In all likelihood Stan hasn't seen him play live, but he has to have seen videos of him, otherwise he'd never had brought him into the squad - to see him play live.



Best young player? Just shows what you know about him.
So who is the best young player in the States? Lapira is the best college player in the states, and previous winners of that award have gone on to play professionally, so why not try and get this guy on our side

[Soper]

Since when does going on to play professional football mean a player should be capped? Why not cap all of the professional Eircom League players? I'll answer that - alot of them wouldn't be good enough, when compared to our Premiership based players such as Doyle, Keane.

I fail to see how Lapira could be conceiveably thought of as having the potential to be good enough for the Irish squad on the basis that he may one day be a professional player. Jesus, he could end up playing for TNS in the Welsh league. Surely scouts would have been alerted to him if he truly had any sort of potential. It stinks of nepotism and cronyism.

[timmy mallet]

Look at the award he won. All quality international players.:rolleyes: How many times have you seen him play? Is he any good? YOU HAVE NO FU**ING IDEA.;)

No i haven't seen him play but I didn't comment on his uselessness without ever seeing him play, like yerself. Based on comments on here from a few living in the US about the standard in the MLS and having watched a lot of MLS games, he is more than likely better than most of the eL.


How many eL games have you ever seen?

Played in the eL, son. Standard, bar about 10 players, is very poor.

[Soper]

DmanDmyth used to manage Shelbourne

[DmanDmythDledge]

So Lapira's uncle, who works for the FAI, never saw him play and has no knowledge of football?
The people you mentioned, Ron Atkinson and Kevin McDonald, are experienced, well respected and have proven to be very good at their jobs, which are in football. Lapira's uncle merely works for the FAI- this requires no knowledge of football.


After this week, the Irish management have seem play, know if he's any good, and have a decent fu**ing idea - certainly better than any of us.
That's the thing- after this week. What about before? Incidentally they clearly weren't impressed by him.


In all likelihood Stan hasn't seen him play live, but he has to have seen videos of him, otherwise he'd never had brought him into the squad - to see him play live.
Like the "videos" of Alan O'Brien he saw on Sky Sports News?


So who is the best young player in the States? Lapira is the best college player in the states, and previous winners of that award have gone on to play professionally, so why not try and get this guy on our side
Seeing as you asked Freddy Adu is the best young player in the States. I'd say all of these (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_U-20_men%27s_national_soccer_team)are better than him as well seing as they made the squad.

How many previous winners went on to play international football? Sweet feck all. And being professional does not make you international standard.

[DmanDmythDledge]

No i haven't seen him play
So how do you know if he's better than most eL players?


but I didn't comment on his uselessness without ever seeing him play, like yerself.
But you made comments on how good he is.:rolleyes:


Based on comments on here from a few living in the US about the standard in the MLS and having watched a lot of MLS games, he is more than likely better than most of the eL.
:confused:MLS? He isn't even at that standard. Look at the previous winners of the award- how many have played international football?


Played in the eL, son.
Proof?


DmanDmyth used to manage Shelbourne
Not only that I went one better and managed Notre Dame.

[Soper]

I'll jump on the prooflessness bandwagon by saying I used to play for Drumcondra in a parrellel demension, so I know it all.

[GavinZac]

DmanDmyth used to manage Shelbourne

I am Andy Townsend.

[Soper]

Hows the form Andy.