Americans Abroad, 2020-21: The Kids Are Alright

[Titans Bastard]

Andrew Wooten signed for FC Admira in the Austrian Bundesliga. Wooten was a solid contributor in the 2.Bundesliga and signed with Philadelphia after a career year with Sandhausen in which he scored 17 goals. However, he wasn't effective with the Union and is now in Austria. Admira are struggling in last place right now.

https://flyeralarmadmira.at/fc-flyeralarm-admira-verpflichtet-mittelstuermer-andrew-wooten/

 

[shawnrbu]

Hoppe scores again. 5 goals in the last 3.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

Hoppe scores again. 5 goals in the last 3.

*Put's on thinking cap* Scruffy goal, but he keeps making it happen and that's pretty good

*Removes cap, waves giant American flag* HOPPE WON'T STOPPE

 

[Titans Bastard]

Video:

View: https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1351967472329453570


He's somehow already tied for the third-highest goal total in a single Bundesliga season for an American:

View: https://twitter.com/tutulismyname/status/1351973938864205828

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

Huntelaar going to Shalke can't be good for Hoppe, no?

 

[Quintanariffic]

Depends if Hoppe remains one of the 2 forwards they play in their 3-5-2 (?) formation but he’s certainly not hurting his chances of seeing more playing time rt now.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Since I know you are all still closely tracking Mix Diskerud's career, he's now in Turkey.


View: https://twitter.com/Denizlispor/status/1351900035936608257

 

[67YAZ]

Looks like Norwich and Berhalter worked the rules to get Soto into camp, into a match, and thereby earning Soto enough points to pick up a UK work permit. Nicely done.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Jordan Morris' loan to Swansea is official:

View: https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/1352677665573105669

 

[rguilmar]

Tyler Adams with a simple tap in goal for Leipzig. He's playing wide right (as he's done a few times) and is playing his usual, disruptive and aggressive game. Nice to see.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Badly needed goal for Josh Sargent:

View: https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1353058233326342146

 

[67YAZ]

First Bundesliga goal for Tyler Adams.

 

[67YAZ]

Badly needed goal for Josh Sargent:

View: https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1353058233326342146

That’s superb.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Another start, another goal for McKennie, with a lot of people calling him MOTM.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Debuts today for the ex-Philly boys. McKenzie started for Genk in a 3-2 loss at runaway league leaders Club Brugge. Someone on Twitter claimed he wasn't at fault for the goals, but who knows if that was rose colored glasses. Aaronson came off the bench in a win over Altach. I watched a bit of his performance — he looked lively and drew a second yellow on an Altach player. It wasn't a dramatic performance, but he looks like he fits in. One thing to watch will be where he plays: he was on the left wing for this one, but I wonder if he'll be deployed in the center of the field as well.

 

[DJnVa]

View: https://twitter.com/noob_fcb/status/1353346180063891456

 

[SocrManiac]

I.m a big Harry Potter fan and that never occurred to me. Totally thought he was fencing.

 

[cromulence]

I.m a big Harry Potter fan and that never occurred to me. Totally thought he was fencing.

Me too, and I think I'll just pretend that's what it was.

 

[67YAZ]

That celebration is just about the only thing going wrong for American players in Europe this weekend.

 

[cromulence]

That celebration is just about the only thing going wrong for American players in Europe this weekend.

Eh, if we want to get nitpicky we could say that Pulisic still isn't in great form and could end up benched for Hudson-Odoi soon if he doesn't pick it up.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Here's a McKennie highlight vid from the Bologna game. With the caveat that it's a highlight vid, he looks really, really good. A year ago I would have said that McKennie was a half-notch below the level of our very best players, but that perspective looks flat-out incorrect now.

View: https://twitter.com/OgEvig/status/1353447180892319745

 

[SocrManiac]

[QUOTE = "Titans Bastard, post: 4270379, member: 474"]
Here's a McKennie highlight vid from the Bologna game. With the caveat that it's a highlight vid, it looks really, really good. A year ago I would have said that McKennie was a half-notch below the level of our very best players, but that perspective looks flat-out incorrect now.

[MEDIA = twitter] 1353447180892319745 [/ MEDIA]
View: https://twitter.com/OgEvig/status/1353447180892319745
[/ QUOTE]

Hedwig's Theme was a nice touch.

I didn’t expect him to be more than a role player but he’s been one of the few bright spots Juventus have had this year.

 

[Titans Bastard]

So, Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard and is bringing in Thomas Tuchel. This would appear to be good for Pulisic, who made his first team debut at BVB under Tuchel and generally did well.


In smaller profile news, Duane Holmes has returned to his boyhood club, Huddersfield Town, after falling out of favor with Derby.

Holmes got a couple of caps for the USMNT in 2019, and was named to the Gold Cup squad, but had to withdraw due to injury. With momentum in his club career stalled as a middling Championship player and the emergence of other CMs, I'd guess that his window of opportunity to play with the USMNT has closed.

View: https://twitter.com/htafc/status/1353659791604936707

 

[Titans Bastard]

No shocker with this one, but the Athletic reports that Caden Clark will transfer to RB Leipzig next winter. $2-3m fee, which is a total sweetheart deal after what we've seen for Aaronson, McKenzie, and Reynolds.

View: https://twitter.com/samstejskal/status/1353760204404482050

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

It feels like the NY clubs are being punished for their global affiliations more than they derive advantages from them.

 

[Quintanariffic]

It feels like the NY clubs are being punished for their global affiliations more than they derive advantages from them.

Not really though, b/c they can only put $1M of that fee back into the roster as GAM, right? Otherwise it’s just left pocket/right pocket for the RBNY and NYCFC owners. If MLS were to change their rules on reinvesting sale proceeds into the roster, then we’d have something.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

Not really though, b/c they can only put $1M of that fee back into the roster as GAM, right? Otherwise it’s just left pocket/right pocket for the RBNY and NYCFC owners. If MLS were to change their rules on reinvesting sale proceeds into the roster, then we’d have something.

I could be wrong because lord knows MLS salary rules are arcane, but I had thought they’d changed the rules for selling homegrowns to encourage the practice such that it is now more advantageous for the clubs. You’re right that they can only invest so much into salary, but I think they get to keep 100% of the cash rather than kicking a lot of it back to central MLS, which they can then use to fund their academy or for fees for players.

 

[Quintanariffic]

I could be wrong because lord knows MLS salary rules are arcane, but I had thought they’d changed the rules for selling homegrowns to encourage the practice such that it is now more advantageous for the clubs. You’re right that they can only invest so much into salary, but I think they get to keep 100% of the cash rather than kicking a lot of it back to central MLS, which they can then use to fund their academy or for fees for players.

TB will know better, but I think that's right. I guess reinvesting the $$ into a DP would be the most visible way to spend that money, so maybe my point above is moot. Still, I would submit that until there is pressure from the fan base/media based on seeing how other clubs successfully reinvest $$ from player sales, this practice will continue. IOW, let's see how Dallas and Philly spend the money they just earned - if it results in clear moves that benefit the club, then pressure will build as that practice becomes the norm. If the $$ ends up in the pockets of the Hunt or Sugarman families, then no.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Quintanariffic has it. Clubs keep the whole fee for homegrown players but only the first $1m can be put back into player salaries (plus whatever you were spending on the departing player's salary). The rest can be spent on DP salaries, infrastructure investments, etc. If NYRB and NYCFC give up sweetheart deals, they are still big enough to generate maximum salary cap space, and the rest doesn't matter because it's all inside the same organization.

I don't know exactly how it works but I'm sure paying peanuts for Adams is good for RB Leipzig's financial fair play situation.

The biggest problem is that when players like Adams and Clark are sold for prices that are dramatically below market rate, it prevents the creation of helpful benchmarks when other teams go shopping in MLS in the future. That being said, it's clear from the sales of McKenzie and Aaronson, and the impending sale of Reynolds, that the market for reasonably good young MLS players has been increasing anyway.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Yedlin is reportedly headed to Galatasaray.

View: https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1354795379284434944

 

[Titans Bastard]

Aaron Long rumors from a reputable source. The delayed start (with the potential to be delayed further) makes these loans-with-an-option-to-buy make more sense. If Long were to return after Reading's season, he wouldn't miss much of the season. If he were purchased by Reading, the summer transfer window opens earlier in the season in MLS than normal (relative to the start of the season).

View: https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/1354860101090373634

 

[Titans Bastard]

This is wild rumor that's now being reported by more reputable sources.

I like Aaron Long...but this is desperate from Liverpool.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4301491/liverpool-monitor-usmntny-red-bulls-defender-long-sources

 

[bosox4283]

Yedlin is reportedly headed to Galatasaray.

View: https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1354795379284434944

Is a move to Turkey considered a dead-end move? Is it better to move to Galatasaray than, say, to a low- to mid-table outside of the Premier League? In other words, can we consider this move to be a last-attempt to remain in European football but one that signifies that a player has declined in quality so much so that no clubs in the more prominent leagues wants to sign him?

 

[Titans Bastard]

Is a move to Turkey considered a dead-end move? Is it better to move to Galatasaray than, say, to a low- to mid-table outside of the Premier League? In other words, can we consider this move to be a last-attempt to remain in European football but one that signifies that a player has declined in quality so much so that no clubs in the more prominent leagues wants to sign him?

I'm not sure, but I'd imagine that Galatasaray is similar in talent, quality, and salary levels to quite a few Big Five league clubs (probably not EPL clubs who all have F-you levels of TV money).

It may just be that Galatarasay's offer was best, plus they have a better chance of making the CL group stage than Bordeaux or Sampdoria or Getafe or whatever.

 

[Joe D Reid]

I'm not sure, but I'd imagine that Galatasaray is similar in talent, quality, and salary levels to quite a few Big Five league clubs (probably not EPL clubs who all have F-you levels of TV money).

It may just be that Galatarasay's offer was best, plus they have a better chance of making the CL group stage than Bordeaux or Sampdoria or Getafe or whatever.

Galatasaray's squad is better than Newcastle's at the moment, and I say that as a Newcastle fan. Big step down in league; not much of a step down in club.

 

[67YAZ]

Playing for a dominant club in a weaker league should allow Yedlin to play to his strengths - getting up the wing and supporting the attack. Bruce had totally shackled Yedlin into a defensive, which was never going to work for anyone. Yedlin has come a long way defensively, but he's never going to fit in a conservative system.

Despite the US player pool suddenly bursting with young RBs, I still think Yedlin has a significant role to play this World Cup cycle as a savvy veteran still in his prime years. Glad he's heading to a place to get regular matches.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Indiana Vassilev has been recalled from his loan at Burton Albion, which really hasn't gone well. Aston Villa sent him back out on loan, this time to Cheltenham Town in League Two.

 

[Titans Bastard]

A report that Richards is heading to Hoffenheim on loan. Hoffenheim recently started using a 3-5-2, which would make earning playing time as a CB easier. Also, their manager Sebastian Hoeneß was in charge of Bayern II last year, so he's very familiar with Richards.

View: https://twitter.com/Sky_MaxB/status/1355835760344264706

 

[Titans Bastard]

Yedlin's move to Galatasaray was made official yesterday.

Richards' loan to Hoffenheim is official as of this morning. Reportedly no option to buy, which means Bayern aren't looking to unload him just yet.

View: https://twitter.com/tsghoffenheim/status/1356240893645361155

 

[Titans Bastard]

FINALLY official. I hope someone publishes the story of whatever the hell happened with this transfer saga.

View: https://twitter.com/FCDallas/status/1356271235659943939

 

[Domer]

Dike on loan with an option to buy to Barnsley. It looks like they were waiting on his appearance against the Soca Warriors to tip the scales on his work permit. It seems like US players could be a big winner in Brexit, as EU players now face the same barriers, plus language obstacle.

View: https://twitter.com/etmckinley/status/1356293811635281920

 

[cromulence]

His COVID diagnosis was definitely part of it. I think it was pretty much a done deal with Roma, but then he tested positive and they had to wait that out. I also think Juventus not having a non-EU spot for him was what initially led to Roma swooping in.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Matthew Hoppe signed a new deal with Schalke through 2023. He was out of contract this summer, but it seems he's chosen to stick around at a club that likes him rather than test the waters as a freely available player. Hopefully he blasts the 2.Bundesliga next year.

Tyler Boyd is heading on loan elsewhere in Turkey after he was the victim of a registration numbers game this fall:

View: https://twitter.com/BrianSciaretta/status/1356286860067266566


Daryl Dike is going on a short-term loan to Barnsley. Barnsley have some connections to MLS and US Soccer these days: Billy Beane is a minority owner, and the club recently hired Dane Murphy as their CEO. Murphy played for DC United in 2008-09, and later was briefly their technical director.

The loan has a $20m buy option, which obviously isn't going to happen for multiple reasons.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-city-soccer/os-sp-orlando-city-daryl-dike-loan-20210201-j6puqljgebcvhne5ocgtcgnhhq-story.html

 

[Titans Bastard]

His COVID diagnosis was definitely part of it. I think it was pretty much a done deal with Roma, but then he tested positive and they had to wait that out. I also think Juventus not having a non-EU spot for him was what initially led to Roma swooping in.

Yeah, it was everything. From what I understand, a family member was acting like an absolute lunatic for a while, which caused a variety of problems as well.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

The more I think about it, the odder that $20 million purchase option is for Dike. It's 6x the amount Barnsley have ever paid for a transfer so I am not sure why it's even there at all.

Is it a positioning signal from Orlando to show the broader market what they think Dike's worth? (If so, wildly ambitious). Is it just a hedge for if he goes off and drags Barnsley to and through the promotion playoffs and they suddenly have EPL cash?

 

[Titans Bastard]

Who knows. It's like when you hear that such-and-such star player has a $175m release clause. I don't know why anyone bothers.

Anyway, Arriola is reportedly headed to Swansea on loan, but it hasn't been finalized.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/01/paul-arriola-swansea-city/

 

[Titans Bastard]

Arriola's loan to Swansea is official:

View: https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/1356396664693649409



This might be it for the busiest transfer deadline day I can ever remember for US players.

 

[Titans Bastard]

One more for the road:

View: https://twitter.com/3rdDegreeNet/status/1356645064374579202



Che is an '03 RB/CB. He's probably wasn't going to feature much for FC Dallas at the beginning of the season, and USL is pushed to May, so he gets an extended trial with FCD's partner club.

 

[TheRealness]

A bit late, but Sargent continues to do well in the German Cup, adding a nice assist to the clinching second goal earlier this week.

Timothy Weah also got the start for Ligue 1 leaders, Lille, and scored an easy tap in goal to continue his run of good play yesterday.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Christian Cappis was stuck with relegated Hobro after they were relegated from the Danish Superliga last year, but he's moving to Brøndby next summer and has signed a four-year deal. Brøndby are currently leading the Superliga, so they'll likely be in Europe in some capacity.

That's about as nice a move as you can hope for if you are playing for a second division club in Denmark.

https://brondby.com/nyhed/2021/02/05/christian-cappis-skifter-til-broendby-if-til-sommer