Only one day after making his long-awaited return to league play for Eredivisie giants PSV, Richie Ledezma was rewarded with a new multi-year contract extension by the club.
Ledezma signed a two-year contract extension with PSV on Friday, which will take him through to June 2024. The U.S. men’s national team midfielder played the final minutes of PSV’s 2-0 win over Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday, his first senior appearance for the club since tearing his ACL last fall.
“I’m really happy to be part of the team again and I’m really looking forward to developing myself,” Ledezma said in a club interview. “I realize that I have to be patient and I am proud to be here again. I cannot describe in words how excited I am. I enjoy every moment of being a footballer.”
Ledezma, 21, made his senior debut for PSV in 2020 and since has totaled eight appearances for the first team between Eredivisie and Europa League play. The bulk of Ledezma’s appearances in Holland have come with Jong PSV in the Dutch second tier, totaling six goals and five assists in 31 appearances.
A former U.S. under-20 men’s national team player, Ledezma made his senior debut for the USMNT in November 2020, registering two assists in a 6-2 friendly win over Panama. Ledezma remains an option for the USMNT u-23 national team in 2022 after missing Concacaf Olympic Qualifying earlier this year due to his knee injury.
PSV currently leads the Eredivisie with 43 points at the winter break, one point ahead of rivals Ajax.
Nice Christmas news ! Sounds like he’s grateful and hungry to repay the faith in his talent.
Waiting for someone to come on and complain that he should come back to MLS because Gregg is ignoring him.
There are some players that could possibly use a loan or a return to MLS as a way to possibly re-start their careers and/or boost their confidence heading toward the WC.
However, Ledezma isn’t one of them. Richie was on-track to break into PSV’s first team before his knee injury. Now that he’s recovered he’s picking up right where he left off. If he finishes this season well and has a strong start next season he’d be right in the mix for a WC roster spot.
IMO Luca is a better option than Lletget or Roldan…and Richie is a younger and more talented player than Luca. If he’s healthy and in form he’d be a great creative attacker off the bench to give a different look.
Luca is the strangest situation. He’s playing well week in and week out for his club, he’s looked good in the minutes for the NT, technical player who can relieve pressure with his dribble and break lines with his passing. Yet he can’t get consistent call ups. He’s an 8 so it’s a position in flux as well. Ledezma is probably a wing at the Pro/NT level so even if he returns to full form he’s got a difficult path to NT minutes.
IMO Ledezma is similar to Reyna. They’re both more of a # 10 than a # 8 and Gregg sees them as wide attackers. I’d love to see either in a 4-2-3-1 as the Central attacker where their vision & passing can be used more effectively.
Luca is a lesser version of Musah…he’s good on the turn and maybe a shade cleaner on his passing, but is a step slower on the dribble.
All in all we’ve got a very nice stable of wide attackers & CM’s. We just lack a clinical CF and quality in the back-up CDM roll.
Lost we keep coming back the same conversation though you don’t like Berhalter’s 4-3-3. I’m not sure I don’t agree with you. But until we see it, it’s pointless to say anyone could be our 10. Because Berhalter has avoided using a 10 like the plague. Given our pressing patterns I don’t see Richie playing as a CM for the NT.
Richie is exactly the kind of player that the current USMNT manager doesn’t seem to know what to do with.
Fortunately for Richie, I’m sure El Tri can make good use of him.
Vacqui: Efra would beg to differ about El Tri knowing what to do with an attacking player that isn’t great counter pressing but doesn’t have the top end speed to play winger. El Tri like the Us has a number of forward/winger option and lacks depth in CM, but Richie is much mor 10 than 8. For the US he’d compare to Musah which I see him as less athletic. If Berhalter moves Reyna inside that pushes Richie further down. I think he provides something from the wing making crosses as he showed against Panama who had kind of stopped playing in that friendly.
JR,
Efra is just one player. His situation doesn’t say anything definitive about whether El Tri know how to use talented players.
The current USMNT manager has a long problematical history with “talented” players.
For example, Gio should have been moved inside for the USMNT a very long time ago. He’s not a winger.
Richie is a special player but I don’t know where he plays for the USMNT. For one thing, as much as I like him, he hasn’t proved himself as a first team pro yet. He might never be good enough for the USMNT or El Tri. But if he does make it as a legit pro first teamer, he’s more likely to fit in with Mexcio than the USMNT.
You can make your players fit a scheme or you can make a scheme to fit your players.
This manager makes the players fit his scheme. That’s not a generally effective strategy with National teams.
Vacqui, I agree:
“You can make your players fit a scheme or you can make a scheme to fit your players.”
A great example of that difference was LAFC’s first year in MLS when Bradley built his system around the strengths of the best players he could find, compare that to Marsch in the same year, who dropped very good players, including team captains, and brought in new ones to play the high pressing system he wanted to employ.
Marsch won the supporters shield that year and Bradley the next. It is not clear which path is best in general, but I think, like you, that at the highest level the system must be adapted to the strengths of the special play
ers.
Dennis,
I don’t know “which path is best in general”, but in the international game , for the most part , your player pool is exclusive. No transfers, no loans. You’re pretty much stuck with what you have so you need to make the most of it.
That would argue for devising a system to take advantage of what your players do best.
This manager compared to most, has had the luxury of a lot of time, 44 games, to build the kind of structure he wants. Much has been made of his “system”.
He has also played mostly mild creampuffs so his record , on the surface, is good, protecting him from too much “unpleasant” scrutiny.
The media for the most part seem to have bought into the narrative. Early on, when you’re most vulnerable, he had the luxury of a very powerful relative in charge of the USSF. So unlike previous administrations, he has had the luxury of time to install his vision.
And he has had the benefit of a steady stream of credible, new young talent.
The downside is much of the talent is new and inexperienced in the international game and to the professional game in general so they need guidance.
Unfortunately, there are few if any decent veteran players to show them the way and the manager is himself learning , at a leisurely pace, on the job.
Whatever is to result from this mix, we should know soon.
Richie is a special player. It’s good to see him back.
Hopefully, he will force his way into the the USMNT picture.