We Are Being Overrun in Midfield

Pretty clear from watching the U20s that if they want to make any noise at the 2025 U20 World Cup, they’ll need some lottery tickets to break out and get better over the next year. Good news is that’s quite doable. Some options (names in red were @ the Concacaf U20 tourney):

This is the best goal I've seen all year in MLS Next: Charlotte FC top prospect Daniel Brown ('11). As I've told you before, this player has a wand of a left foot. Scored another very nice goal 10 minutes after this. This was playing a year up too. A name to start learning.

WESTON MCKENNIE CLASS FINISH 🔥🔥🔥

Really unfortunate. Whatever you think of the player, he was on a great trajectory and had a real shot at parlaying a successful World Cup into a premier league move.

Peyton Miller (‘07) with a lovely finish to score his second goal of the season

Niko Tsakiris (‘05) with a laser for his first goal of the season

ABSOLUTE FILTH FROM 19-YEAR-OLD ZAVIER GOZO 🔥🤯 What a baller 💫 🎥: @mls

CAVAN SULLIVAN (‘09) GETS HIS FIRST MLS ASSIST JUST ONE MINUTE AFTER COMING ON

Julian Hall (‘08) scores his 5th goal of the season

🇺🇸👀 | Apolo Marinch ('10) came on last night for his Orange County SC first team debut, becoming the second 2010-born player to play for a USL club this season. Eligible for 🇺🇸🇸🇮🇹🇭 #usmnt

The Pathway Continues. 🔸🔹 FC Cincinnati have signed defender Andrei Chirila as a Homegrown Player on a contract through the 2028–29 season, with an option for 2029–30. Chirila has been called up twice to the @USYNT U18s in 2026. He was also selected for the 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star Game. Details: fccincy.com/4tnJevN

🚨 Homegrown signing 🐍 Philadelphia Union have signed @PhilaUnionII forward and @USYNT player Malik Jakupovic. 📝 philaunion.co/malik #DOOP | @primepoint

yılan gibi çocuk valla.

WHAT. A. GOAL. 😱 Former U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year Alex Mendez with an OUTSTANDING free-kick to extend the lead for @eplocomotivefc 🎯

Playing time over 2 games ... Tillman 136 Weah 129 McKennie 115 Pulisic 115 Tessmann 108 A.Robinson 108 Freeman 105 Berhalter 105 Balogun 94 McKenzie 91 Richards 90 Ream 90 Turner 90 Freese 90 Trusty 89 Morris 78 Arfsten 72 Agyemang 65 Roldan 57 Cardoso 45 Scally 44 Reyna 32 Pepi 20 Aaronson 12

The player who scored the winning penalty for Bosnia, to eliminate Italy from World Cup contention, was 21-year-old Wisconsin-born Esmir Bajraktarevic, former U.S. youth international who also made his USMNT debut in 2024, before switching his international allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bajraktarevic was born to parents who fled the Bosnian war as refugees. He spent time with the SC Wave and Chicago Fire academies before moving to the New England Revolution academy — making his first team debut in 2022. He made the move to PSV in January 2025.

The USA U18s drew Portugal 1-1 this morning. Here was the US goal scored by LA Galaxy winger Eric Preston and assisted by Philadelphia Union midfielder Kellan LeBlanc.

🇺🇸 FC Dallas academy and USYNT standout attacker Benji Flowers (turning 15 years old in a couple weeks) is a name to watch. Big talent. Currently at GA Cup with FCD. Already on the radar of some big European teams. Flowers made his pro debut in MLS Next Pro at 14 years old.

Alex freeman hive stand up. Our boy just went stride for stride with Nuno Mendes ⚡️

If and when the US comes up against a world class left winger (à la Jeremy Doku) in the World Cup, whose job should it be to stop them?

Starting 11 was: GK: Giorgio De Marzi LB: Joshua Torquato LCB: Braden Dunham RCB: Neil Pierre RB: Drew Baiera DM: Colin Guske CM: Ervin Torres AM: Marvin Dills W: Cavan Sullivan W: Daniel Pinter CF: Ruben Ramos