Well, Clark did learn something: the value of patience. He felt ready to play, he wanted to play and, with one eye towards the national team and Europe, Clark also knew that he needed to play, to develop, to learn. Like any young player going through his first real fitness issue, Clark struggled to comprehend why he couldn't be rushed back. It was in those moments that Clark's desire to be a dog, a killer, was a detriment. Red Bulls boss Gerhard Struber remained, and still remains, super high on Clark, but the teenager was forced to deal with losing his spot in the Red Bull XI as he struggled to recover from his operation. His spot in the Red Bulls lineup? Also gone, as form and fitness pushed Clark to the bench. “We’re going to continue to monitor him when he goes to Leipzig.” “It’s really unfortunate how things work out sometimes, but we know that this kid has a bright future,” Berhalter said at the time. His hopes of playing for the USMNT at the Gold Cup? Gone, with Berhalter admitting that he was hoping to work with Clark before the appendectomy ruined it all.
#DOCTORS IN TRAINING STEP 1 FULL#
The month-and-a-half that Clark is referring to came over the summer when he was sidelined after undergoing an appendectomy, all but derailing his first full season in MLS. "You have to be that killer in your mind as well because that was a hard month-and-a-half for me." "I think what I've learned is, if you're not a dog in your mind, you have to be," he continues. It's all about your development, your playing time and how you mature as a person and as a player as well." "It's not a race versus anyone, you know? There's no race to get over there. "I think the most important thing for me was staying this year," Clark tells GOAL when reflecting on his first full regular season in MLS. Instead, he spent it feeling somewhat stuck as he had to learn that, sometimes, there are things that you can't simply put your head down and play through, even if you're as talented as Clark is. men's national team or by pushing his way into Gregg Berhalter's plans for World Cup qualifying.
He didn't spend it achieving his goals with the U.S.
Women’s freestyle makes emotional global return as Lia Lewis lands stunning Red Bull Street Style upsetīut this summer made Clark's path towards Europe a bit more difficult.Ĭlark didn't spend this summer dominating MLS after breaking out with the New York Red Bulls in 2020.Can Sterling be the solution to Man City's goalscoring problem?.Xavi's back at Barcelona - but how long until the good times follow him to Camp Nou?.Ballon d'Or 2021 Power Rankings: Messi and Lewandowski in the closest race for years.A silky yet fearless attacker, Clark is a player that has a flair for the spectacular, but also the ability to make the right play at the right time. For years, Clark has known that his destination was Europe, and anyone who followed American soccer closely knew that he would get there sooner rather than later.Ĭlark, by any measure, is one of American soccer's most talented young stars and looks destined to follow the likes of Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna in the Bundesliga.
This year, this MLS season, was about preparing Clark for his next step: a move to RB Leipzig, a step up into one of the best teams in the world.
0 kommentar(er)
