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Oliver to trial with Liverpool

AndrewOliver (ISIPhotos.com)

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

Former U.S. Under-17 national team standout Andrew Oliver looks to be the latest young American to catch the eye of English powerhouse Liverpool.

Sources have told SBI that Oliver has traveled to England to train with Liverpool with an eye toward securing a contract.

Liverpool recently completed the signing of U.S. Under-18 striker Villyan Bijev, and has been linked with U.S. Under-17 midfielder Marc Pelosi, but now comes word that the Reds will be bringing in Oliver to train.

Oliver was suspended from the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program and the national team, which caused him to miss the Under-17 World Cup after being the team's leading scorer in CONCACAF qualifying.

What do you think of this development? Like seeing Liverpool take such an interest in scouting and signing young Americans?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. There’s always a caveat with American youth talent. Sigh. Furthermore, does he have any other citizenship and do we think his expulsion might make him say f the USMNT and just not play for us (Clarence Seedorf)?

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  2. He does if and when he signs a pro deal. He’s not 18 yet so he can’t sign a deal youth or pro until he is 18 it breaks international labor laws unless he has an EU passport.

    They will loan him to Belgium for 3 years. Bijev is going to Belgium for a year because Bulgaria is not a full member of the EU until January 2012.

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  3. Andrew Oliver is interesting indeed. He had more than just a few problems with following the rules in the residency program. After he was sent home he joined Indiana United’s DA program in Indianapolis and during the Dallas DA showcase was arrested for shoplifting. Talent is there, but not sure about work ethic and overall behavior. 17 or not, these boys have to behave in a manner that will not reflect negatively upon their clubs.

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  4. I didn’t think you were. I appreciated the info on why he was kicked out.

    I get both sides…sort of…if this were college football, he would get to apologize and play on.

    Going to the residency program is pretty hard core for a kid (and his family) and to be honest kids need some time to rebel a little. It’s going to happen at some point.

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  5. So wait. You’ve hit back at a guy that said “* mexico” with a mom joke that is racist towards the people of the nation you’re seemingly defending?

    Interesting approach.

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  6. Im American, but were the ones getting F*****d while Mexico’s U-17′ win World cups, our U-20 couldn’t even beat Guatemala to reach a World cup.. my friend, we are screwed

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  7. sorry I keep making all this stupid misspell, I writing real fast cause I’m working and don’t want to get caught. LMAO

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  8. Well I heard the reason Liverpool is looking for young kids is to start their own homegrown players. something like Arsenal or Barcelona is doing. Is a new think that FA rules that everything have to start playing kids from the Academic.

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  9. This is not the only time that a player was sent off by Cabrera I think it did with another player I just forgot his name but it had a latino, I think it was Hernandez.

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  10. Good news for everyone involved. Liverpool have made some massive strides this year to get back to where they once were. This bodes well for their future and USMNT future!

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  11. I found this on goal(dot)com:

    “Head coach Wilmer Cabrera, who has been in charge for just under four years, is starting to leave his mark on the program. In the last six months, the former Colombian international has led the team to the CONCACAF Championship, secured a seed at the World Cup, and dealt with the expulsion of star forward Andrew Oliver from the team. Oliver was asked to leave U.S. Soccer’s residency program over disciplinary reasons earlier this year.”

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  12. I tried to find the reasoning as well, but was only able to find that he was suspended due to “behavioral reasons”…but this was only on one site that I found. Most sites state that he only missed the first game for a red card suspension for some kind of altercation in a game.

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  13. If I recall Wilmer also had issues with Joe Gyau that got him kicked off the team. I guess he must be a pretty strict guy.

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  14. I also would like to know this, I think it was for behavioral reasons but I what like to know what exactly he did or said.

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  15. Liverpool also signed Carlos Bueno of Mexico’s U-17 team, he’s a forward. Liverpool seems to be scouting talent around CONcACAF, it only does good to the region.

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  16. Can only be good for the future of our national team set-up to have young lads training with one of the biggest clubs in the world. And it’s not as though pool would take them on if they didn’t see potential for them to be full-fledged premier league players. Win-win for everyone in my book. YNWA

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  17. if they sign him they’ll quickly send him to a country that fast tracks citizenship so he can get around the work permit thing.

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