ASN: With knockouts in sight, Pomykal wanting to step up in Poland & past

Probably the greatest gamers on the U.S. U-20 staff thus far in Poland has been Paxton Pomykal. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the Texan from Poland concerning the event, the staff, his growth, and his future. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
Could 29, 2019
1:55 PM

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THE UNITED STATES U-20 staff has an enormous sport on Thursday in opposition to Qatar on the 2019 U-20 World Cup that may decide whether or not it should progress to the event’s knockout phases. The Individuals narrowly misplaced their opener to Ukraine final week however rebounded with a strong 2-0 win over Nigeria.

Midfielder Paxton Pomykal, 19, has been one of many staff’s greatest gamers – not simply on the World Cup, however because the qualifying event. However a deadly highway lies forward for the staff as Qatar will be difficult and a outcome there may imply a matchup with event favorites France within the Spherical of 16.

“I feel like we’re going in confident but at the same time we know that like everybody here battled their way to get here and that they all deserve to be here the same as us,” Pomykal informed ASN from Poland. “We can’t be going into any game complacent and knowing that it’s just going to be easy. Obviously, there’s the world’s talent is here so we have to go in and be prepared.”

Pomykal has additionally been one of the staff’s most transformative gamers this cycle. Final season, Pomykal solely performed sparingly for FC Dallas and usually his appearances have been late-game cameos. However when he went to the CONCACAF U-20 championships, he elevated his sport en path to the title.

USA tie it! ????????????

Brandon Servania picks up his first objective of the FIFA U-20 World Cup and ranges the rating. pic.twitter.com/rdQicMCvvb

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) Could 24, 2019

Then after qualifying, FC Dallas made a training change when Oscar Pareja left to take the Tijuana gig in Mexico. He was changed by Luchi Gonzalez, who was the staff’s long-time academy director. With Gonzalez acquainted with so a lot of Dallas’ younger gamers, Pomykal has thrived initially of the 2019 season.

“Do I think I’m 50 times the player I was last year? I don’t think so,” Pomykal defined. “I think that a lot of it had to do with opportunities and the way things went in Dallas last year. Yeah as soon as I got a run of games at qualifiers I kind of started to get my stride, built some confidence, and then kind of carried that into this season and I feel really good right now on the field. It’s hard being subbed in every third or fourth game for 5-10 minutes and trying to make an impact.”

“Luchi plays a lot of young kids and I think that’s our philosophy,” he added. “But it’s his coaching style that I think that fits my game a bit better – a high pressing , possession-oriented team. That’s kind of like the way I would like to play and we play that way here at the national team as well. And no knock on the way we played with Oscar I mean it was very successful but it’s not as much of how I would want to play but I’d be happy to do it the same – more sit back conservative and then counter.”

However the U.S. U-20 employees additionally labored onerous with Pomykal to get him to open up as a participant and develop into extra of a distinction maker. Head coach Tab Ramos, a former attacking participant himself, particularly met with Pomykal to induce him to take the sport to opponents.

Ultimately, Pomykal’s response has been one of many higher American participant growth tales thus far in 2019.

“After speaking with Omid Namazi, who was his coach at the U-18s, he told me: ‘this is the guy. He’s the best player.’ Then he came to the U-20s and maybe in the negative Jersey guy we are, I was like: ‘I need more. There is more there. There is more in the tank. You’re really good but can you do more? Can you do stuff that you can barely do? Can you do things where sometimes you’re going to make mistakes because you’re trying so hard? Make the plays that win games. Go at people. When you have the ball go at defenders in the box and get the defenders on their heels. Don’t control the ball and play it sideways so the defenders can take a step towards you. Everything you do, make it forward so that they’re maybe taking a step backwards.’”

“I had that conversation with Paxton,” Ramos went on. “I think if you watch World Cup qualifying, he did a lot of that…Now when you watch him play for the first team at Dallas, he does the same. The one thing I love about him he just has this confidence about him.”

Pomykal agreed that it was a matter of the teaching employees urging him to be extra assured and fearless when he was on the sector.

POMYKAL SCORES HIS SECOND. ???? https://t.co/dkaeLfXCjV

— USMNT Solely (@usmntonly) March 31, 2019

“I had conversations with the coaching staff in the past – specifically around a couple of camps before qualifiers,” Pomykal defined. “I think that’s when my mentality changed a little bit and with Luchi as well. I think I was being a little conservative – not just at national team but the way I play at FC Dallas when you’re coming on only playing the 5-10 minutes. You want to make an impact but at the same time you don’t want to make a mistake because you want to get back on and that’s kind of the way I was playing around that time.”

However along with the upcoming video games in Poland, the long run past the U-20 World Cup is probably much more fascinating for Pomykal. The U-20 World Cup is without doubt one of the most scouted tournaments for youth soccer and FC Dallas may additionally quickly be on the receiving finish of bids for a participant it developed by means of its personal academy.

As well as, FC Dallas can even be in a race for the playoffs and Pomykal, together with others on the present U-20 staff, may discover himself an enormous a part of the upcoming U-23 staff which is able to try and qualify for the 2020 Olympics. There may be additionally the chance that United States nationwide staff supervisor Gregg Berhalter may call-up Pomykal to the total nationwide staff.

The U-20 World Cup has been an necessary a part of many younger American gamers. Matt Miazga first garnered curiosity from Chelsea on the 2015 event. Josh Sargent burst onto the scene in 2017 and landed his Werder Bremen deal shortly after. Tyler Adams turned broadly recognized to American followers in 2017 and Erik Palmer-Brown earned a contract with Manchester Metropolis largely due to his U-20 performances. Even DeAndre Yedlin used his 2013 efficiency (mixed with a beginning function with Seattle) to make the 2014 World Cup staff and signal with Tottenham.

When requested about scouts in Poland, Pomykal is considerably dismissive about it being a motivating issue however famous that he’s conscious there might be extra eyes on him and his teammates.

“I mean every single game these days is televised,” Pomykal mentioned. “For us MLS guys, it’s not like we play in a league that’s not televised. Every single game we play anybody around the world can tune in and watch. Obviously, I know that there’s going to be people there watching but it shouldn’t really make a difference to anybody here knowing that they’re there because you never know who’s watching in any game.”

It’s turning right into a probably large yr for Pomykal – and when all is alleged and carried out Poland may simply solely be the beginning.