Page 53 – The Pulse of Football

Jul

2023

Transfer Roundup: Pulisic, Milinkovic-Savic, and a bumper week for PSG

It feels like the calm before the storm. It is very much a case of when and not if this transfer window will burst into life again. For now though, a round-up of some of the biggest deals this week.

By Sam McGuire

Robin Koch

Leeds United to Eintracht Frankfurt

Fee: Loan

With Leeds United looking to trim their squad following their relegation to the Championship, versatile defender Robin Koch has returned to Germany. The 26-year-old centre-back-cum-defensive-midfielder has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan and will likely fill the void left by Evan Ndicka.

The former SC Freiburg man started 36 matches for Leeds last term, six more than he managed across both of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns combined. He will be a big loss for Daniel Farke as he looks to get them back into the Premier League.

Manuel Ugarte

Sporting to Paris Saint-Germain

Fee: £52million

Paris Saint-Germain finally completed the signing of the highly-sought after midfielder. Ugarte once looked set to join Chelsea following a staggering offer from the Blues but the Uruguayan destroyer opted for the French capital. The 22-year-old has had a meteoric rise over recent years.

After an impressive campaign with Portuguese side Famalicão, Sporting signed him as an understudy to João Palhinha. He eventually replaced him in the team and was one of the key reasons for his departure to Fulham. Ugarte is a pitbull without the ball, forever hunting down opponents in a quest to regain possession. He’s much more than just a destroyer though and his passing ability is underrated. Luis Enrique could do a lot of good with him.

Enzo Le Fee

Lorient to Rennes

Fee: £17million

This is something of a surprise move. Le Fee was linked with Bournemouth in January and it appeared he would be plying his trade in the Premier League. He rejected the Cherries and despite reported interest from elsewhere, he remained in Ligue 1. He did, however, say he wanted a new challenge.

Few would’ve expected to see him move to a rival French team in Rennes but that is exactly what happened. It is a bigger platform for the 23-year-old to star on and positive performances there could see bigger clubs make their move.

Kang-In Lee

Mallorca to Paris Saint-Germain

Fee: £19million

Another move that few would’ve pictured. The Ligue 1 champions have been busy in the transfer window and the capture of the former Mallorca man has the potential to go under the radar.

The 22-year-old scored six times and assisted a further six goals in LaLiga last season. Used across a number of positions, the versatile attacker racked up a FotMob rating of 7.19 for the 2022/23 campaign. He has the potential to improve under Enrique and at just £19million, he could turn out to be a bargain in the long term.

Lucas Hernandez

Bayern Munich to Paris Saint-Germain

Fee: £40million

The Frenchman has had a strange career. He was a starlet at Atlético Madrid and was tipped for greatness following his £75million move to Bayern. To this day, he is still the record signing for the Bundesliga giants.

The 27-year-old played as a full-back on occasion but would get opportunities at centre-back, however, he wasn’t ever able to make either position his own. Bayern spent more money on centre-backs every summer, highlighting the fact they didn’t have complete faith in him. PSG clearly feel as though there is some value there as they parted with £40million to bring him back to his homeland. It will be interesting to see how he slots into the backline there.

Manor Solomon

Free Agent to Spurs

Fee: Free Transfer

Having caught the eye in glimpses for Fulham last season, Solomon bagged himself a move to Tottenham Hotspur. His situation was a tricky one given he was a Shakhtar Donetsk player but FIFA ruled he could suspend his contract following the Russian invasion.

The 23-year-old scored four times in 563 minutes while on loan with Fulham and many thought they would turn the move into a permanent one. However, Spurs swooped and managed to sign him for nothing. A real coup in the current market and someone who could play a significant role for Ange Postecoglou this season.

Shea Charles

Manchester City to Southampton

Fee: £14million

Last summer, Southampton raided the Manchester City academy for a number of players. They brought in Gavin Bazunu, Roméo Lavia and Samuel Edozie for a combined £32million. If reports are accurate, they are set to sell Lavia for £50million this summer. So it is safe to say it was a successful trip to Manchester. With that in mind, it is no surprise to see them looking to repeat that trick this summer. The Saints parted with £14million to bring Shea Charles to the South Coast. He could eventually replace Lavia in Russell Martin’s midfield.

Sergej Milinković-Savić

Lazio to Al Hilal

Fee: £34million

The powerhouse Serbian has been linked with a move away from Lazio every summer for the past six years. Despite interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, he always stayed put in Rome. There was even some talk that the 28-year-old might retire at the club. But then Saudi Arabia came calling.

He notched nine times for Lazio last term as they claimed a surprising second place finish in Serie A. Milinković-Savić was a key player for Maurizio Sarri and earned himself a FotMob rating of 7.44.

Christian Pulisic

Chelsea to AC Milan

Fee: £14million

There had been interest from Lyon but the 24-year-old opted to make the switch to Milan. Depending on what the plan is, the 2021/22 Serie A champions have the opportunity to field Pulisic on one flank and Rafael Leão on the other in what would arguably be one of the quickest pairings in Europe.

The former BVB winger had a disappointing 2022/23 campaign with Chelsea, appearing in just 812 minutes and scoring just one goal. He isn’t the first player to leave Stamford Bridge looking to restart his career and he definitely won’t be the last.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 25

As the United States men’s team was being knocked out of the Gold Cup semifinals by Panama, its domestic league, Major League Soccer, continued apace, with a midweek round of fixtures being played at the same time.

Midweek matches can be unpredictable, and with some players still away on international duty and new arrivals looking to make their mark following the opening of the transfer window, such a round of games at this stage of the season brings added intrigue.

There were standout players across the field in Matchday 25, and here are the five who made our Player Power rankings at the final whistle.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

José Cifuentes (Los Angeles FC)

LAFC’s Ecuadorian midfielder isn’t quite performing to the levels of previous seasons so far in 2023 but gave a reminder of how influential he can be as he helped his side to a 3-0 win against Western Conference challengers St. Louis City.

It required an almost acrobatic movement to play the ball over the top from inside his own half for Carlos Vela to open the scoring for LAFC in the 72nd minute, and from there, the floodgates opened.

Cifuentes was then on hand to score his side’s third in added time. Still with enough energy in the tank, he burst forward through midfield and was ideally positioned on the edge of the area to receive a pass from wide by Nathan Ordaz before finishing convincingly into the bottom corner.

Add to this 11 passes into the final third, four out of four tackles won, and seven defensive recoveries, and you get a complete performance from the midfielder. A reminder of why there is still interest in him from Europe during this summer transfer window.

Obinna Nwobodo (FC Cincinnati)

In a league full of creative and attacking midfielders, sometimes the more defensive or box-to-box players in the middle of the park are overlooked.

But this week, a late game-winning volley from FC Cincinnati’s Nigerian midfielder Obinna Nwobodo against New York Red Bulls gives us a chance to sing his praises.

Nwobodo has been one of the best players on this Cincy team that has stormed to the top of the Eastern Conference and also leads the overall standings.

This position sees the team remain the favourite to claim the Supporters’ Shield at the end of the 2023 regular season and puts it in a good place ahead of the playoffs.

Per the FotMob overall player ratings, Nwobodo is the third-best Cincinnati player this season, behind star attacker Lucho Acosta and standout wing-back Alvaro Barreal, with an average rating of 7.52.

Nwobodo makes the Player Power rankings this week thanks to his late goal, but he also won four out of four tackles, made two interceptions and ten recoveries, demonstrating the work in midfield that has been so important to his team’s success this season.

Cristian Espinoza (San Jose Earthquakes)

San Jose’s Argentine winger Cristian Espinoza has been one of the best players in MLS so far this season.

He has played a big role in the Earthquakes’ newfound ability to stay in touch with the leading teams in the Western Conference.

His goal from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win against west coast heavyweights Seattle Sounders means he has now scored three in his last three games following something of a lull after his MVP-level early-season form.

He then provided the assist from a corner for Miguel Trauco’s volley which was one of the goals of the round.

Espinoza had more touches of the ball than any other player on his team with 69 and finished the game with a pass success of 90%, which is impressive for a winger who tries to make things happen in the final third.

The assist was his 51st for the club and means he passes Shea Salinas as the all-time club leader for that particular stat.

“It makes me feel very happy because I can see all the effort and sacrifices that I made in every single training session since I arrived here paying off now,” said Espinoza.

“At the same time, I try to keep the focus on trying to help the team. I think that is the most important thing for me.”

Đorđe Petrović (New England Revolution)

There were a collection of good goalkeeping performances during these midweek games, including Chicago’s Chris Brady making the team of the week for his clean sheet against Montreal and Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Clair putting in a good display against Houston.

Kendall McIntosh of Sporting KC and Gavin Beavers of Real Salt Lake also made good saves in the meeting between their respective teams to make sure each claimed a point.

There weren’t the only ones, either, but the standout once again was in New England.

Despite not keeping a clean sheet, Petrović’s performance between the sticks played a key part in securing the win for his team, as is so often the case, this time against Atlanta United.

The Serbian who remains on the radar of European clubs made an MLS personal best ten saves to keep Atlanta out for much of the game, and wasn’t beaten until Machop Chol scored a consolation goal in the 93rd minute.

The 2.69 expected goals on target he faced in this game is an indicator of how many saves he had to make and how difficult some of them were.

A save from Juan José Purata following a corner kick routine was a particular highlight, while even an impressive Thiago Almada couldn’t find a way past him.

Jack Elliott (Philadelphia Union)

His Philadelphia Union teammate and centre-back partner Jacob Glesnes may be the player who more regularly gets nominated for end-of-season awards, and is also the one called up to the MLS All-Star game this month, but Jack Elliott remains one of the best defenders in this league.

He proved as much once again with a display that was as key to Philadelphia Union’s 2-0 victory against Nashville as the two penalty goals scored by Daniel Gazdag.

Elliott made numerous key interventions in defence throughout the game. With star goalkeeper Andre Blake away on international duty with Jamaica, this was a valuable contribution to help backup keeper Joe Bendik.

This included two goalline clearances as part of nine total clearances, as well as important blocks.

To win a game like this you sometimes need a bit of luck, but being in the right place at the right time to intervene, as Elliott so often was, is a skill in itself.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 24

It was a great week for LA Galaxy and Riqui Puig as they built on a 2-1 win against LAFC at the Rose Bowl in midweek with another fine outing in Matchday 24 of Major League Soccer.

There were several other notable performances in the Western Conference this week, and a few of the individual displays within teams from that side of MLS have made a mark at the top of the Player Power rankings.

The majority of teams in the league will still believe they have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and some star players appear to be stepping up at just the right time for their clubs

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Pablo Ruiz (Real Salt Lake)

All eyes were on RSL’s new signing up top, former LAFC striker Cristian Arango who joined this month as a designated player, but it was Argentine midfielder Pablo Ruiz who stood out in a 4-0 win against Orlando City.

It took Arango just 23 minutes to open his account for his new club, but the goal was also the first of three assists on the night for Ruiz.

The first two came via pinpoint set-piece delivery which Orlando couldn’t defend. The third was a clever ball played through a busy defence to send Anderson Julio through for RSL’s fourth goal.

There was some defensive work from Ruiz, too, including 4/6 tackles won and 15 ball recoveries, in what was an outstanding all-round display.

Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)

LA Galaxy has turned a corner after a poor and troubling start to the season during which fans were boycotting games due to unhappiness with the front office.

The team only won twice in 14 games, losing nine of them, and this led to the departure of president Chris Klein.

Since then, there has been a better feel around the place. The team is unbeaten in seven games and a 3-1 win against Philadelphia Union in Matchday 24 gave them back-to-back wins for the first time this season after they also defeated LAFC at the Rose Bowl in midweek.

Back-to-back wins against two of the most difficult teams to beat in the league, no less.

This upturn in form has also seen Puig begin to show his class in MLS.

The former Barcelona midfielder ran the show against the Union, touching the ball 109 times and creating four chances for his teammates.

His performance was capped off by one of the goals of the round, fired in from outside the box to make sure of the win.

It was another man-of-the-match contribution following on from his goal and assist in El Tráfico in midweek which gave his side a 2-1 win against their rivals.

LA Galaxy has gone from having the worst record in MLS at one stage of this season, to now having an eye on qualifying for the playoffs. If Puig carries on like this, you wouldn’t bet against the Galaxy adding their name to the post-season bracket.

Sebastián Driussi (Austin)

As the Galaxy have shown, it only takes a short burst of good results to see a team move up the table in a tight Western Conference, and Austin FC has experienced something similar lately as they put themselves right in the mix.

Austin have won three of their last four games, drawing the other, meaning they’ve now won six of their last ten.

Just as Puig has been driving the revival for the Galaxy, Austin’s own star, Sebastián Driussi, has himself started to step up.

The captain scored twice and assisted another in a 4-1 win against Minnesota in this latest matchday. It was his first multi-goal game of this season and gives him six goal contributions in the last seven.

Having already scored a penalty, his second goal was an excellent finish on the volley as he glided in at the far post to get on the end of Ethan Finlay’s cross.

Driussi rounded off his performance with a well-worked assist for Emiliano Rigoni as Austin moved up to fifth in the table.

Karol Świderski (Charlotte)

Over in the Eastern Conference, two well-taken goals from their Polish designated player gave Charlotte a 2-0 lead in the first half against table-toppers FC Cincinnati.

The first was scored at the near post from a near-impossible angle but the striker did well to get something on Kerwin Vargas’s cross ahead of two Cincinnati defenders, and somehow direct it goalward.

The second came in a similar manner but this time more centrally. Świderski created some separation between himself and Nick Hagglund as a cross came in from Jaylin Lindsey before showing good agility and technique to get good contact on the ball from an awkward position.

These were the finishes of a striker hungry for goals, looking to score in any way possible and getting in the best positions to do so.

They weren’t long-range thunderbolts or mazy runs taking on numerous defenders, but they were high quality finishes in their own way.

Świderski went on to miss an easier chance for a hat-trick in the second half having gone through one-on-one with the keeper, and also hit the post with an effort from outside the box.

Charlotte were not able to hold on to the 2-0 lead, though, conceding twice in the second half as Cincinnati showed why they have been so difficult to beat this season, and why they’re still leading the race for the Supporters Shield.

Frankie Amaya (New York Red Bulls)

The 22-year-old American midfielder was heavily involved as the Red Bulls eventually took advantage of a New England red card to record a 2-1 win.

Amaya created five chances throughout the game and opened the scoring himself with a header after making a good run into the box from midfield.

He also drew the foul which led to Latif Blessing being sent off for New England, and though the visitors did manage to score, despite being a man down, a late strike from Wikelman Carmona gave the Red Bulls the win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: U21 Euros Final, Gold Cup quarter-finals, and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏆 U21 Euros Final: England vs. Spain

The biggest international tournament taking place in Europe over the summer has, fittingly, seen both of the strongest competing sides reach Saturday’s showpiece final, being played in the Adjarabet Arena, in the Georgian city of Batumi.

On one side of the draw, England’s Young Lions have dominated, scoring 10 unanswered goals as they’ve topped their group, and then overcome Portugal and Israel in the knockout stages. Lee Carsley’s side have looked inspired, with standout performances coming from the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White (3 assists, one goal) and Cole Palmer, who was involved in all three goals in Wednesday’s semi-final against Israel.

England haven’t won this tournament since 1984 and they’ve not made a final since a 4-0 defeat to a Mesut Özil-inspired German side back in 2009.

In contrast, Spain have the best record in the history of the U21 Euros having lifted the trophy five times (most recently in 2019) and finished runners-up in a further three finals. And on the opposite side of the draw this time around they also topped their group – beating Romania and Croatia, but then drawing 2-2 with Ukraine. They did need extra-time to edge past Switzerland in the quarter-finals but then showed their mettle after going down 1-0 to Ukraine when they met them again in the final four – going on to score five goals in reply.

Their tournament stars to watch out for include Barcelona academy product Abel Ruiz, who now plays for Braga in Portugal, and Manchester City’s Sergio Gómez who both have five goal contributions.

🏆 Gold Cup: United States vs. Canada

Over in the CONCACAF region, we’ve reached the quarter-finals in the 17th edition of the Gold Cup. And on Sunday night, there’s a massive clash between two of the favourites – defending champions, the USMNT, and Canada.

The US will be on home soil, with the game played in Cincinnati, and also have the recent form that suggests they’ll be favourites for this game. Despite beating their North American rivals in qualifying en route to their first World Cup Finals in a generation when the two met in early 2022, it’s been somewhat of a downwards spiral for Canada, since that trip to Qatar.

Amidst disputes with the federation, the Canadian squad at this tournament is also seriously depleted by injuries – missing star names including the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, who were ruled out ahead of time, but also long-term goalkeeper, Milan Borjan, who dropped out after disappointing draws in their opening two games of the group. After failing to overcome non-FIFA nation Guadeloupe and Guatemala, Canada required a morale-boosting 4-2 win over Cuba in their final game to see themselves through to the knockout stages, and even then they were kept on their toes.

In contrast, the US came in to the tournament having beaten both Canada and Mexico in the finals of the CONCACAF Nations League a week beforehand but were then temporarily brought down to earth by Jamaica as their Gold Cup started with a 1-1 draw. Since then, though, the stars and stripes have done exactly what is expected of them – they’ve thrashed St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago, by matching 6-0 scorelines. FC Dallas forward, Jesus Ferreira has looked inspired, becoming the first player to score consecutive hat-tricks in the history of the competition.

🏆 Gold Cup: Mexico vs. Costa Rica

Ahead of the big showdown between the North American rivals, there’s Saturday’s quarter-final between Mexico and Costa Rica, on the other side of the draw.

El Tri haven’t been setting the tournament alight, frustrating fans with their displays in wins over Honduras and Haiti, before going on to lose to Qatar in their final group game. The positives of scoring seven goals in those two wins has been outweighed by the perceived lack of a cutting edge, something that was compounded by the stats against Qatar. Mexico had 25 attempts on goal to Qatar’s one and bossed the possession with 77% of the ball but still succumbed to a 1-0 defeat.

But, we should never rule out the tournament’s record winners.

For their part, Costa Rica looked to be going home after defeat to Panama and a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Honduras. But their campaign sparked into life during a crazy 6-4 win over Martinique, a result that ultimately decided second place in the group. They were 5-1 up and seemingly cruising in that game until an exciting last quarter that saw four goals exchanged. As always, Los Ticos could depend on former Arsenal man Joel Campbell, who was directly involved in three of the goals.

🇺🇸 MLS: Charlotte vs. Cincinnati

While the Gold Cup rages on for the men’s national team, the MLS season continues, business as usual. And after a lot of our focus in recent weeks has been on the Western Conference, where we’ve suggested watching out for games involving the likes of high-flying newcomers, St. Louis City, or the struggling LA Galaxy, this week we thought we’d turn our attention to the East.

Here, FC Cincinnati maintain pole position despite a recent slow down in results that has seen them win just one of their last four. Their current four point lead was built during a 14-game unbeaten run between April and June that has also seen them qualify for the semi-finals of the Open Cup.

On Saturday they visit Charlotte FC, who currently sit 10th and just outside the play-off positions by a point. The Conference is fairly tightly packed, with eight points separating 2nd down to 9th. The Crown have drawn each of their last four games and haven’t tasted victory since facing the Galaxy seven rounds ago.

🏆 Women’s International Friendly: United States vs. Wales

As thoughts turn to the Women’s World Cup, which starts in just over a week’s time over in Australia and New Zealand, it’s probably worth checking in on the overwhelming favourites for the tournament, the USWNT.

Ranked no.1 in the world by FIFA and defending back-to-back World Cups won in 2015 and 2019, the US bid farewell to their home crowd on Sunday, with a last warm-up match to be played against Wales, in San Jose.

The US come in to this game having won their last eight, a run that includes friendly series against Ireland and New Zealand, as well as the triumph in the SheBelieves Cup where they conceded just once in three matches. Wales missed out on World Cup qualification but by being ranked no.30 in the world, they probably offer up one of the stiffest tests that the US could want before they depart for the main event.

Whilst we’re here, why not try your hand at our tournament predictor game for the Women’s World Cup. You can find this in the More tab in the app, or enter by clicking the link – here.

Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…

This week, it’s top of the table clashes in two of the leagues currently running around the world.

🇧🇷 Brazil: Grêmio vs. Botafogo

Heading in to the 14th round of games in the Brasileirão we have two surprise leaders at the top of the table. Botafogo already have a seven point cushion on Grêmio, their nearest chasers, and the two meet in Porto Alegre on Sunday evening.

The Rio-based club haven’t finished a season in the top 10 since 2016 and they finished 11th last term having been promoted back to the top flight as Serie B champions in 2021. In the recent past, the club has drawn attention with the signing of ageing international stars like Salomon Kalou and Keisuke Honda, but their success this season appears to be built on a Brazilian backbone, and the goals of Tiqunho Soares, who has returned to the country after notable spells with the likes of Porto and Olympiacos.

But Botafogo have, this week, been rocked by the departure of coach Luís Castro. The Portuguese-born manager has been lured away by the prospect of linking up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi club Al Nassr.

Grêmio have only just returned to the top flight this year but have settled spectacularly well, spearheaded by the infatigable Luis Suárez, who has four goals and three assists in 11 appearances so far this season.

🇯🇵 Nagoya Grampus vs. Yokohama F. Marinos

In comparison, the top of the J-League looks a lot more familiar. Current Japanese champions, Yokohama F. Marinos, coached by former Socceroo Kevin Muscat, are again leading the way. They have a four point advantage on Nagoya Grampus, their opponents on Saturday, having scored a whopping 42 goals in their 19 games to date.

Muscat was appointed as the successor to new Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou, when he left for Celtic, and Muscat led the side back to the championship in 2022 having finished runners-up the previous season. The Marinos also won the Super Cup back in February so are now well accustomed to starting games as the overwhelming favourites.

For anyone wondering, Nagoya Grampus are indeed the club formally known as Nagoya Grampus Eight, made famous by the fact that both Arsene Wenger and Dragan Stojković have managed them, and players such as Gary Lineker turned out for them in the 1990s. Their current showing is a big improvement on last season’s eighth placed finish.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Threads, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jul

2023

Transfer Roundup: Mount, Tonali, Güler, and more

Well, the transfer window has really come to life over the past week, hasn’t it? You may have missed a few, so we’ve got you covered.

By Sam McGuire

Granit Xhaka

Arsenal to Bayer Leverkusen

Fee: £22million

Xhaka’s Arsenal career has been something of a rollercoaster. He was stripped of the captaincy in 2019 and it appeared his time at the Emirates would be coming to an end. There was interest in him from Roma and yet a move never materialised. The Switzerland international then played his way into Mikel Arteta’s plans and had the best season of his career during the 2022/23 campaign, netting seven Premier League goals.

With the Gunners looking to revamp their middle third options, the 30-year-old has decided to return to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen paying £22million to secure the signature of the experienced midfielder.

Arda Güler

Fenerbahçe to Real Madrid

Fee: £17million

Güler has been a revelation for Fenerbahçe since breaking into the first team during the 2021/22 campaign. The 18-year-old, dubbed the Turkish Lionel Messi due to the wand of a left foot that he possesses, has been linked with a host of top European clubs over recent weeks and it did appear as though he would be heading to Barcelona. However, it was LaLiga rivals Real Madrid who made the first move and tied the talented teen down to a long-term contract

It is going to be fun to see how he links with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo over the coming years. The potential there is scary.

Mason Mount

Chelsea to Manchester United

Fee: £55million

Manchester United finally got their man. After seeing a number of bids rejected for the England international, the Red Devils had a bid accepted by Chelsea for Mount.

The 24-year-old is the first new face through the door at Old Trafford and having been given the iconic No.7 jersey, it is safe to assume he will play a key part in Erik ten Hag’s plans. It will be intriguing to see where the versatile midfielder is used and whether he can rediscover his 2021/22 form when he involved himself in over 20 goals for the Blues. He had a forgettable 2022/23 season, scoring on just three occasions in the Premier League. Mount has the potential to play in the middle or final thirds.

Vitor Roque

Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona

Fee: £30million

All of the focus, in Brazil, had been on Endrick but once it was confirmed he was moving to Real Madrid, the focus soon pivoted to Roque. The 19-year-old had been in the spotlight for some time having made the move from Cruzeiro to Athletico Paraenese for a club record fee. It was a controversial move at the time and it heaped even more pressure on the explosive forward. He dealt with it. In fact, he dealt with it so well that a number of European clubs were queuing up to sign him. In the end, Barcelona triumphed – with Roque set to link up with the Spanish giants later in the season.

All eyes will yet again be on him when he turns out for the Catalan side. He could follow in the footsteps of Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar.

Nathan Collins

Wolves to Brentford

Fee: £23million

Brentford parted with a club record fee to sign Collins. The transfer also made the 22-year-old centre-back the most expensive Irish footballer ever.

The Bees are one of the smartest clubs in the Premier League when it comes to transfers, so they will have a clear plan in place for the former Wolves defender. He is actually deceptively good in possession, finding a teammate with 88% of his attempted passes and ranking in the 78th percentile for completed dribbles by centre-backs in the Premier League.

Felix Nmecha

VfL Wolfsburg to Borussia Dortmund

Fee: £27million

Borussia Dortmund are finally starting to spend some of the Jude Bellingham money. Earlier in the summer, it appeared as though Nmecha would be joining Newcastle United but the former Manchester City youngster made the move to Bundesliga rivals BVB in a deal worth £27million.

The versatile 24-year-old bolsters Eden Terzic’s options. They lacked depth during the final stages of the 2022/23 campaign as they lost out on the title on the final day despite being favourites with just a couple of games remaining. BVB will be hopeful Nmecha’s injury woes of last season are behind him – he missed 16 matches.

Bart Verbruggen

Anderlecht to Brighton

Fee: £15million

Brighton needed a goalkeeper this summer. It was obvious that Roberto De Zerbi didn’t fancy Robert Sánchez while Jason Steele, despite impressing, had his limitations and at 32 he wasn’t a long-term option for the Seagulls.

They moved swiftly to bring in highly-rated shot-stopper Verbruggen from Anderlecht in a deal believed to be in the region of £15million. The Dutchman impressed in Belgium last season and was tipped for a big summer move with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all interested. Brighton got there first though and have one of the most sought-after young goalkeepers in world football now. Watching him develop under De Zerbi will be fascinating.

Sandro Tonali

AC Milan to Newcastle United

Fee: £60million

This one was a bit of a shock. Newcastle seemingly had an interest in Nicolo Barella before pivoting to compatriot Tonali. Given he was the beating heart of the Milan team, a move seemed difficult and yet in the blink of an eye, it happened.

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder posted a FotMob rating of 7.33 last season for the Serie A side and captained the Italy Under-21 team at the recent European Championships. His experience will be important to the Magpies this season as they play Champions League football. Tonali could strike up quite a well-balanced midfield partnership with Bruno Guimarães. Eddie Howe will be banking on that duo to deliver.

Dominik Szoboszlai

RB Leipzig to Liverpool

Fee: £60million

Another move that arrived out of nowhere.

There had been no links to the Hungary captain before David Ornstein published a piece claiming he was liked by the Reds but a deal would be difficult. A couple of days later, he was named as Liverpool’s new No.8 after the Merseysiders agreed to pay his £60million release clause. He is a final third threat, chipping in with goals and assists for RB Leipzig over the past two seasons – he’s averaged 16.5 per season. The reds will be hoping for a repeat performance from the 22-year-old.

Nicolas Jackson

Villarreal to Chelsea

Fee: £35million

Not long after formalising Christopher Nkunku’s move to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea parted with another £35million to bring Nicolas Jackson to the club. The 22-year-old has a strange season for Villarreal and a purple patch towards the end of the campaign changed the narrative. The Senegal international finished with 12 goals and four assists in LaLiga but nine of those goals and two of those assists arrived in the final eight matches.

He is incredibly raw but the talent is there. Mauricio Pochettino has a history of developing young centre-forwards *cough* Harry Kane *cough* so the 6ft2 striker is in good hands. It could prove to be a match made in heaven but patience is going to be required.

Fabio Carvalho

Liverpool to RB Leipzig

Fee: Loan

Liverpool fought off interest from big clubs last summer to convince Carvalho to move to Anfield. His career with the Reds started off well with him scoring the winner against Newcastle United in August but that was the highlight of his season. He wasn’t given many opportunities and it comes as no surprise to see him going elsewhere on loan in search of regular football. With RB Leipzig losing Nkunku and Szoboszlai, there was a void to be filled and this has given the former Fulham youngster an opportunity and a platform to thrive. Let’s see what he does with this chance.

Pau Torres

Villarreal to Aston Villa

Fee: £34million

It always felt like a matter of when and not if Torres would end up in the Premier League. Linked with Spurs, Manchester United, Liverpool and even Chelsea over recent summers, the Spain international made the move to Aston Villa to reunite with former manager Unai Emery.

The left-footed centre-back would replace Tyrone Mings in the starting XI, something Steven Gerrard attempted to do with Diego Carlos last summer. The 26-year-old is impressive in possession and coming in at 6ft3, he should be able to adapt to the rigours of the English top-flight. It is a statement signing for Villa as they look to build on their 7th-placed finish last season.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Jul

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 22

As Major League Soccer awaits the arrival of Argentina’s World Cup winning captain and talisman Lionel Messi, fans of the league, and especially those of Atlanta United are already enjoying the performances of another Argentine World Cup winner.

Thiago Almada leads the way in our Player Power rankings for Matchday 22, amid a number of outstanding performers represented in both the team of the week and our five standout picks.

As is often the case in MLS, there are plenty of attacking midfielders among the league’s most eye-catching players, and Matchday 22 was one of those weeks where a number of creative, inventive attacking talents excelled for their respective teams.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Thiago Almada (Atlanta United)

When Argentina lifted the trophy in Qatar last December, Almada became the first active MLS player to win the World Cup.

As is the case with many players of his age range, stature, and quality in this league, Almada is constantly linked with a move away from it.

This was the case for another former Atlanta star, Miguel Almirón, who left for English Premier League side Newcastle United in 2019, having been part of Atlanta’s MLS Cup win in 2018.

Atlanta have struggled since that early success, but in Almada, they have a player who could steer the team to play-off glory in 2023 – IF he stays until the end of the season.

His performance against Philadelphia Union this weekend was far from his best in an Atlanta shirt, but it was still at a level to make him one of the standout players of Matchweek 22. His normal, regular level being so good is why he stands out so much in this league.

He opened the scoring for United from a free-kick situation. His shot from the set piece rebounded off a busy wall, but he was on hand to steer the rebound home, showing good technique to get over a bouncing ball and scythe it into the net from just outside the area.

Almada also gets the assist for his side’s second goal, spotting the run of right-wing-back Brooks Lennon down the right and making it easy for his teammate to double the lead.

Almada leads the league for assists with nine, big chances created (14) and expected assists per 90 (0.37).

Emanuel Reynoso (Minnesota United)

Another Argentine attacking midfielder has returned to the league in recent weeks having resolved some personal, family issues, back home.

Reynoso missed the first few months or so of the 2023 season, but on his return looks comfortable in the team, comfortable with his situation in Minnesota, and in good shape to make a difference for Adrian Heath’s side.

“His attitude since he has been back has been absolutely first class,” Heath said last month.

“There’s intensity in every session he’s done and he looks great physically. He put himself in a position where we could start him [in games] if we wanted.”

And Reynoso has started the last two games, scoring once in the tie with Real Salt Lake last week and twice in the 4-1 rout of Portland in Matchday 22.

His first against the Timbers was an “Olimpico” i.e., scored directly from a corner kick, and his second was a tap-in at the far post assisted by the next player up in our Player Power rankings.

Reynoso also attempted 10 dribbles in this match, completing just four of them, but demonstrating his desire to make things happen and push this team forward.

Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota United)

As Reynoso deservedly takes the headlines, it might be easy to overlook the contribution of South African winger Hlongwane to this game, and to any success this team could have and is having this season.

The 23-year-old is fifth in all of MLS for expected goals (7.8) or fourth for this particular stat if penalty kicks are removed from the equation.

His expected assists total of 3.8 puts him among the top players in the league for goalscoring and creative metrics combined and suggests there is much more to come from a player who has five goals and one assist from these underlying numbers.

The return of Reynoso and the addition of Teemu Pukki in the upcoming summer transfer window could see Hlongwane add to his tallies.

“I’ve been watching him since I was young,” Hlongwane said of Pukki, speaking to Sota Soccer. “The only thing we need to do is pass him the ball. He can score, he’s a good striker with experience from Europe.

“I know him from Norwich in England. He played very well there and I have been watching him since I was young.”

Hlongwane’s cross from the right put the ball on a plate for Reynoso to score the team’s fourth goal against Portland. The convincing win keeps Minnesota well and truly in the race for the playoffs, and maybe even primed for a surge to the top of the table in what is a tightly-packed Western Conference.

Facundo Torres (Orlando City)

Orlando’s Uruguayan attacker continued his goalscoring spree with a brace in a 3-1 win against Chicago Fire on Matchday 22.

The 23-year-old now has four goals in his last four games having only scored twice in his previous 13 appearances this season.

His first in this game came from a header following a nice cross from the right from full-back Kyle Smith, before adding his side’s second by sending a penalty kick straight down the middle.

Torres will be key for Orlando and will need to keep up this goalscoring form if they are to join the chasing pack behind FC Cincinnati in the East.

He’s getting in the right areas to do so, as shown by the header, and looks safe from the spot so far having scored 7/7 in his career.

Randall Leal (Nashville SC)

Nashville’s versatile attacking midfielder may have missed out on a place in Costa Rica’s Gold Cup squad, but he showed them what they are missing with a standout performance in a 2-0 win against DC United.

He became the latest player to take advantage of Tyler Miller’s hit-and-miss sweeper-keeping when he rounded the stranded DC goalie on the edge of the area having been put through by a great pass from deep by Hany Mukhtar.

Leal was then on hand to take advantage of more confused DC defending, somehow ending up with the ball despite being surrounded by three or four opposition players before firing past Miller from the right.

This made it two goals from two shots on the night for Leal, who is back in the team following time out through injury earlier in the season, taking some of the weight off Mukhtar’s shoulders as Nashville continue to chase down FC Cincinnati at the top of the Eastern Conference.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Champions League, Gold Cup, U21 Euros, and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏆 Champions League Preliminary Round: Budućnost Podgorica vs. Breiðablik

For those of you who are unaware, the 2023/24 Champions League is already underway! The Preliminary Round of the long qualifying process started, in Iceland, this past Tuesday. And now, tonight, we have the final between Icelandic side Breiðablik and Budućnost Podgorica, who hail from Montenegro.

Breiðablik will start as favourites, not least because they are hosting the four-team tournament, but also because of the ease with which they got past San Marino’s Tre Penne in their semi-final.

With the Icelandic season in full swing, the timing of these matches also suits the hosts but Budućnost Podgorica showed their credentials, with a 3-0 win, when they met Andorran side Atlètic d’Escaldes in their previous game. And they are fresh from a very tight title race in Montenegro which they won only by virtue of having a superior head-to-head record against rivals Sutjeska.

The winners of this tie go on to face Shamrock Rovers in the first round of qualifying proper and they’ll need to win through a further two rounds to take one of the remaining places in the hallowed Group Stages.

🏆 Gold Cup: United States vs. Trinidad & Tobago

This weekend also brings us Matchday 3 in the Group Stages of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and on Sunday night, the USMNT, the defending champions, go up against Trinidad and Tobago.

The situation in the group means that the US still require at least a draw to make it through to the knockout phase of the competition. And this game will be all about maintaining momentum after they backed up last weekend’s disappointing draw with Jamaica by running riot against minnows St. Kitts and Nevis during the week.

The US notched up 34 shots in a display that showed plenty of attacking intent – particularly from hat-trick hero Jesus Ferreira, and Đorđe Mihailović, who had four goal contributions, as both recorded matching 9.6 FotMob ratings.

In the group’s other final game, Jamaica will qualify for the quarter-finals if they can pull off a similar result against St. Kitts and Nevis.

🏆 Gold Cup: Mexico vs. Qatar

A little later, on Sunday, we’ll see how regional giants Mexico fare against tournament guest nation Qatar. El Tri have already secured their quarter-final spot after starting with a comfortable win over Honduras (4-0) and eventually breaking down a resilient Haitian side on Thursday night (3-1).

And no doubt, still smarting from their recent Nations League Final defeat to the US, they’ll be looking to complete a full sweep of group stage wins.

Their globe-trotting opponents made it to the semi-finals when they were invited to take part in the 2021 edition of this tournament but, in truth, their progress in international football has stalled of late. And after gaining a single point from their two games so far, they’ll need a win, and a favour from Honduras, in order to take second place in the group. The Qataris have just one victory in their last nine competitive games, a run that dates back to before the World Cup they hosted in 2022.

🏆 U21 Euros: Georgia vs. Israel

UEFA’s U21 European Championship is one stage further on with the quarter-finals set to start on Saturday afternoon. And in a somewhat surprising turn of events, co-hosts Georgia feature in the opening game, against Israel.

Such is the success of the Georgian youngsters, the game has had to be moved to a bigger stadium. That’s after the hosts finished top of the ‘Group of Death’, beating Portugal, before going on to secure draws against both Belgium and the Netherlands. The latter encounter was watched by a tournament record crowd of over 43,000.

Now, the side, which boasts a number of fully fledged senior internationals, must start as favourites against an Israeli team who qualified for the knockout stages with four points after holding Germany to a draw, and beating Czechia in their final game.

🏆 U21 Euros: England vs. Portugal

On the same side of the draw, but playing on Sunday, England face Portugal. The Young Lions have put in three dominant displays, so far, recording three back-to-back 2-0 wins to top Group C.

With the wealth of talent that Lee Carsley has at his disposal that perhaps shouldn’t be surprising – Arsenal’s Emile Smith-Rowe, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, and Villa starlets Jacob Ramsey and Cameron Archer have provided the goals.

Portugal got over that shock defeat to Georgia in their opening game, drawing with Netherlands, and then scrapping through to the knockouts thanks to a win against Belgium secured by a Tiago Dantas penalty scored in the 89th minute.

Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…

🇺🇸 MLS: San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy

Long before LAFC joined Major League Soccier, and El Tráfico became a regular feature on the fixture list, LA Galaxy had a well-established rivalry with fellow Californians, San Jose Earthquakes. And this Saturday, the two are set to meet in the 97th edition of the Cali Clasico.

After finishing rock bottom of the Western Conference last year, 2023 has been far kinder to the Quakes, and they go in to the weekend sat fifth in the table, 12 points better off than their rivals. However, that advantage would have been much greater had their form not taken a significant dip following recent defeats to higher ranked sides, Houston and St. Louis.

For Galaxy, it’s been a season of turmoil both on and off the field. On it, they’ve recorded just three wins and things probably reached a nadir when they drew with Colorado last weekend, the only side with a worse record across the entire league, not just the Conference. That was their third successive draw but there is, at least, one glimmer of hope for the fans – one of their three wins came against San Jose back in May (2-1).

🇲🇽 Liga MX: Tigres vs. Puebla

Much like the league north of the border, Mexico’s domestic league starts again this weekend, despite the fact that the national team are away participating in a major tournament.

And from the opening round of Apertura fixtures, we’ve picked out the one between Tigres UANL and Puebla, which takes place on Saturday night. The Apertura is the first of the two campaigns that will played across the 2023/24 season in Mexico, and will be followed by it’s own play-off sequence.

Puebla ended the most recent Clausura campaign in fifth but were knocked out of the post-season play-offs by a Tigres side, who despite finishing a lowly seventh, went on to win the entire thing. Their run to the title included wins over Monterrey, who had finished the regular season in first, and then Chivas, in the Final. To cap things off Tigres also won last weekend’s Campeón de Campeones title against Pachuca, who’d picked up last season’s Apertura.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2023

Transfer Roundup: Havertz, Maddison, and more

The transfer window has well and truly kicked off over the past week with some big moves now finalised.

By Sam McGuire

James Maddison

Leicester City to Tottenham

Fee: £40million

Tottenham’s interest in Maddison dates back a couple of years but it came as a bit of a surprise to see them sign the England international after their eighth-place finish last season. The 26-year-old was always going to be on the move this summer after Leicester’s relegation but it had appeared as though Newcastle might be his most likely destination. There had even been some suggestion that Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all might make a move for the former Norwich City playmaker.

Maddison was one of the star performers for the Foxes in what was a disappointing season, scoring 10 times and assisting nine. During the 2021/22 campaign, he finished with 20 goal involvements in the Premier League. He’s a dual threat – he’s a reliable goal outlet and a creative menace – and he will add some guile to a new-look Spurs team under Ange Postecoglou.

Kai Havertz

Chelsea to Arsenal

Fee: £65million

As soon as it was clear that Chelsea would entertain offers for the Germany international, the expectation was that he would return to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich primed to add him to their attack. There was even some talk that Real Madrid might move for him following the departure of Karim Benzema, so it was a bit of a surprise when Arsenal went big on the 6ft3 attacker.

The Gunners paid a reported £65million to sign the 24-year-old and Mikel Arteta plans to use him in midfield next season. He didn’t have the best of times at Stamford Bridge but if he’s able to rediscover his Bayer Leverkusen form – he scored 29 times across two Bundesliga campaigns as a teen – Arsenal will be even more of a threat during the 2023/24 campaign. After all, the Spanish tactician helped develop Martin Ødegaard into a 15-goal-a-season midfielder.

Edouard Mendy

Chelsea to Al Ahli

Fee: £16million

Mendy had a strange Chelsea career. During his debut season with the club, he was one of the best goalkeepers in the world as the Blues claimed the Champions League trophy. He even equalled a European record by keeping nine clean sheets throughout the competition.

The former Rennes shot-stopper won the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award, helped Chelsea win the Club World Cup and was pivotal in Senegal being victorious in the African Cup of Nations. Graham Potter’s appointment saw Mendy lose his place in the starting XI to Kepa and he went on to make just 12 appearances across the 2022/23 campaign.

He’s one of a number of Chelsea players to move to Saudi Arabia this summer.

Marcus Thuram

Borussia Mönchegladbach to Inter

Fee: Free transfer

At one stage, it had appeared as though Thuram might be heading to Paris Saint-Germain. Following the expiration of his Gladbach contract, the 25-year-old was free to move and he finally settled on joining beaten Champions League finalists, Inter.

This has the potential to be one of the best signings of the summer. Thuram scored 13 times and assisted on six occasions in the Bundesliga last season on his way to a 7.3 FotMob rating. He’s a versatile goalscorer who could well be a good foil for Lautaro Martínez.

Mateo Kovačić

Chelsea to Manchester City

Fee: £24million

This transfer is one that suits all parties. Chelsea pocket £24m for a player who would’ve left for free in 12 months while treble-winners Manchester City get a highly technical player with plenty of experience to help fill part of the void left by İlkay Gündoğan. Then there’s Kovačić, who moves from a club in perpetual transition to arguably the most consistent team in world football, and one that might allow him to play his natural game.

It will, however, be interesting to see who else the champions bring in this summer to help bolster their midfield options.

Guglielmo Vicario

Empoli to Tottenham Hotspur

Fee: £16milion

Spurs needed to address the goalkeeping situation so it was no surprise to see them move for a shot-stopper this summer. What was a surprise, though, was who they brought in.

Empoli finished 14th in Serie A last term but Vicario’s performances earned him FotMob’s highest average rating, in the league, for his position. And he was therefore included in our Team of the Season. But what will likely interest Postecoglou is his ability with the ball. The 26-year-old is comfortable in possession and this is something the former Celtic boss can work with as he looks to put his stamp on things while finding a suitable successor to Hugo Lloris.

İlkay Gündoğan

Manchester City to Barcelona

Fee: Free Transfer

After seven trophy-filled years with Manchester City, Gündoğan decided to make the move to Barcelona. Under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, he developed into one of the most well-rounded midfielders in the world and his experience will no doubt help the likes of Pedri and Gavi, especially with the LaLiga champions losing Sergio Busquets this summer.

It will be interesting to see how Xavi plans to use the free-scoring 32-year-old. He can practically play any role in midfield to a ridiculously high level.

Kalidou Koulibaly

Chelsea to Al Hilal

Fee: £20million

Koulibaly is another to have a strange Chelsea career. He signed for the Blues last summer from Napoli and, at the time, it was considered to be quite the coup after a number of clubs had shown an interest in the 6ft1 centre-back.

He started well, scoring against Spurs, before being sent off in a heavy defeat to Leeds United. Koulibaly was in and out of the team before missing most of April and May with a hamstring injury. The 32-year-old has now been sold for a £10m loss just 12 months after signing.

Rúben Neves

Wolves to Al Hilal

Fee: £47million

Neves was another player heading into the final 12 months of his contract. The Wolves midfielder had been linked with moves away from Molineux in January but multiple reports said Barcelona would make their play for him in the summer. That might’ve been their plan but they likely didn’t expect Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal to offer £47m for the Portuguese international’s services.

This was a statement move for the club. Up until that point, only free transfers had been making the move to the Saudi league. All eyes will be on Wolves now to see how they replace their captain.

Christoph Baumgartner

Hoffenheim to RB Leipzig

Fee: £21million

RB Leipzig are starting to spend some of the Christopher Nkunku money. Baumgartner could prove to be a shrewd signing for the Bundesliga side. The 23-year-old is arguably just as versatile as Nkunku and there are plenty of positives to his game. He’s scored seven goals in three of the past four seasons and chips in with assists too.

His arrival coupled with Dani Olmo’s contract extension and the potential arrival of Fabio Carvalho on loan from Liverpool means Die Roten Bullen have plenty of attacking options next season.

(Images from IMAGO)

To keep track of all the latest deals, and even set alerts for transfers in your favourite leagues; head to the More tab in your app to find FotMob’s Transfer Centre. Download the free app here.

Jun

2023

MLS Team of the Week – Matchday 21

Some new names to the Player Power rankings caught the eye in Major League Soccer’s Matchday 21 as the race for the playoffs and the Supporters’ Shield begin to take shape.

It’s been a tough schedule for MLS teams, especially as recent games have coincided with international breaks and missing players as a result.

This matchday followed a midweek round of games with barely a chance to pause for breath, but this provided an opportunity for those new faces to score highly in our ratings.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Vancouver’s forward line is starting to click. It put six past Houston Dynamo earlier in the month, and in this most recent game scored three against MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC.

Scottish designated player Ryan Gauld is a key part of this, contributing goals, and assists.

He assisted two of the goals against LAFC, one from a corner for Ranko Veselinović and another with a perfectly lofted cross from the left for Brian White, before scoring the third goal himself, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Since arriving in the league the 27-year-old has been one of its outstanding players, but this hasn’t always converted into wins for his team meaning he’s always been a level below those discussed as MLS MVP candidates.

If the Whitecaps can push on a be among the best teams in the league, as head coach Vanni Sartini believes they can, then Gauld will be viewed alongside the likes of Hany Mukhtar, Carles Gil, Thiago Almada et al.

“We showed today that no team in the league is better than us,” Sartini said following the LAFC win.

“We are still ninth, of course now because we have played two fewer games than other teams, but we need to aim for the sky because this team is really good.”

A Canadian Championship win earlier in the month, in which Gauld scored the winner from the penalty spot in the final against Montreal, means the team has already qualified for next season’s Concacaf Champions Cup, so can now focus on finishing as high as possible in the Western Conference.

Samuel Adeniran (St. Louis City)

Despite injuries to its two designated players, Eduard Löwen and João Klauss, expansion side St. Louis City remain top of the Western Conference.

A 2-1 win against San Jose Earthquakes on Matchday 21, thanks to the goals of Adeniran, helped it stay there for a little while longer as LAFC lurks just behind them with a game in hand.

This was Adeniran’s first start of the season having spent some time on loan with USL Championship side San Antonio FC.

The injury situation in St. Louis meant the Houston-born centre-forward was recalled shortly before this game, and it was a dream return, or introduction, to the team.

He scored twice, once from a header and another confidently from the penalty spot, to give his team the win.

“I think it will hit me on the plane,” Adeniran said after the game.

“I didn’t even really get a chance to train with the team and to be able to help the team in this way is a blessing. I’m really grateful.”

Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)

It’s been a good month for the 19-year-old RSL attacker. After impressing at the U20 World Cup in Argentina, where his United States side went as far as the quarter-finals stage for the fourth tournament in a row, Luna returned to club football for a rare run of starts in MLS.

Luna has long been considered one of the league’s, and indeed the country’s, most talented young players, but has so far not seen as much regular senior-level club football as he and his admirers may have liked.

That has changed this month, fresh from some standout displays in Argentina, the hardworking, technically gifted attacker has started RSL’s last four games and made a good case for getting a run in the side for the rest of the season.

Luna scored his first MLS goal in a midweek matchday 3-1 win against St. Louis City last week, following it up with an assist and a FotMob Star Player performance in a 2-2 draw with Minnesota on the weekend.

In that most recent game, he created seven chances for his teammates with an expected assists score of 0.88, and has regularly shown his worth to the team on and off the ball in these past four games.

Mateusz Klich (DC United)

The former Leeds United midfielder is often close to being featured in these Player Power rankings but has never quite made the list of five… until now.

On Matchday 21 he was a key part of an impressive DC United win against the best team in MLS so far this season, and cannot be overlooked.

Klich‘s importance to the team is demonstrated by the fact he is fourth in MLS for chances created this season behind star names Cristian Espinoza, Thiago Almada, and Carles Gil.

He is also fourth in the league for expected assists, creating chances from set pieces as well as in open play.

The 33-year-old created five chances in the Cincinnati game alone, assisting the opening goal for Pedro Santos. It was his free-kick from deep which caused trouble for the Cincinnati defence for the second, too.

Cincinnati were without the likes of Yerson Mosquera, Matt Miazga and Brandon Vazquez due to international call-ups, but still had three of their most important players —Luciano Acosta, Alvaro Barreal, and Obinna Nwobodo—in the lineup.

The win meant DC United remains in touch with the playoff places with just over half of the season gone and the creative and attacking combination of Klich and Christian Benteke offers Wayne Rooney’s side hope of making the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Frankie Amaya (New York Red Bulls)

It was a short and sweet appearance for 22-year-old New York Red Bulls midfielder Amaya on Matchday 21.

It’s not easy to make the Player Power rankings having only entered the field on the 77th minute, but Amaya was perfect off the bench.

His two goals in 12 minutes helped finish off Atlanta United at the Red Bulls’ home in New Jersey, and he did everything right in those limited minutes he was on the pitch.

Two shots, two goals, albeit with help from slight deflections. Five out of five passes completed. One tackle attempted, one tackle won. One cross attempted, one cross completed.

It is a small sample size but it was enough to make an impact and become FotMob’s star of the game in this impressive 4-0 win, just ahead of fellow outstanding young American midfielder on the night, Daniel Edelman.

The Red Bulls have underperformed their xG so far this season, but this was an indication of what they can do if things go right and they get a bit more luck.

The team has turned a corner under new head coach Troy Lesesne and is slowly working its way towards the playoff spots.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2023

FIVE games to follow this weekend: Gold Cup, U21 Euros, and more

In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.

By Bill Biss

🏆 CONCACAF Gold Cup: United States vs. Jamaica

The Gold Cup, the premier international competition run by the CONCACAF federation begins on Saturday, just a week after the region’s Nations League Finals were played out in Las Vegas.

The US once again plays host to the tournament, alongside Canada, and its the home nation who kick-off proceedings with a Group A game against Jamaica. The USMNT are the reigning champions and they come in to the Gold Cup on form having beaten both their Northern and Southern rivals in last week’s Nations League Finals – dispensing with Mexico in the semi-finals before beating Canada this past Sunday. Not bad for a team currently playing under a second interim manager following the dismissal (Dec 2022) and forthcoming rehiring of coach Gregg Berhalter (announced June 2023).

For their part, Jamaica come in to the tournament having finished second behind Mexico in their Nations League A group back in March and might need some time to find their feet after recent friendly defeats to Qatar and Jordan. the Reggae Boyz haven’t actually recorded a win since June 2022.

🏆 U21 Euros: England vs. Israel

If you’ve been taking a brief break from football as last season came to an end, or you just haven’t been looking down your match feed, you may have missed that the U21 European Championship got underway during the week.

And in those opening group games, a heavily-favoured England side, full to the brim with established, or soon-to-be, established Premier League names were 2-0 winners over Czechia. The starting line-up for the Young Lions is shown below but that was backed up by the likes of Emile Smith-Rowe (who scored the second goal), Oliver Skipp, and Harvey Elliott, all coming off the bench.

Now, England face Israel on Sunday. With their nation’s youth football programme fresh from the surprise success of their U20 team, who made it to the semi-finals of the recent U20 World Cup in Argentina, Israel managed to hold defending champions Germany to a 1-1 draw on Thursday. Thanks – in the main – to goalkeeper Daniel Peretz who saved two German penalties during that game!

🏆 U21 Euros: Norway vs. France

Perhaps the team with the next highest profile at the U21 Euros, and actually, the bookies favourites, are France. Their squad contains the firepower of Amine Gouiri and Elye Wahi who scored 34 Ligue 1 goals between them last season, plus break-out stars such as Lorient’s Enzo Le Fee and Loic Badé, a Europa League winner with Sevilla.

The latter was sent off as they begain their campaign with a confidence building 2-1 win over Italy in midweek so they’ll be confident of going again, as they take on Norway, also on Sunday evening. Norway were beaten by Switzerland by the same scoreline in their opening group game so will need a result to maintain any hope of progressing to the knockout stages of the competition.

🇲🇽 LigaMX Campeón de Campeones: Pachuca vs. Tigres

After a long old season in Mexico finished at the end of May, we’re now already looking ahead to the next Apertura campaign starting in July. But before that, there’s the battle to decide last season’s champion of champions!

This game, akin to a Supercup, but not to be confused with the separate Supercopa tournament, pits the winners of the first half of last season (Apertura) – Pachuca, against the winners of the Clausura championship – Tigres UANL, who beat Chivas to that honour last month.

Unlike most other finals in Mexico, this will be a one-off game settled by extra-time, and penalties, if needed. All seven of the sides’ most recent meetings have ended in a home win but with this game being played on neutral ground (in the United States!) perhaps the form book goes out of the window.

🇧🇷 Brasileiro: Palmeiras vs. Botafogo

We’re only eleven rounds in to the Serie A season in Brazil but Sunday sees a key clash between the top two teams in the table with leaders Botafogo travelling to defending champions Palmerias.

Botafogo are something of a surprise package having finished eleventh last year on their return to the top flight following a one year absence in 2021. Their unlikely run appears to be built on a solid defence, instilled by Portuguese coach Luis Castro, and the goals of former Porto striker, Tiquinho.

Palmeiras, led by Abel Ferreira, their own coach from Portugal, have dominated South American football in recent times – winning the Copa Libertadores in back-to-back years (2020, 2021) and lifting their domestic cup in 2020 before last year’s league triumph. And although they’ve drawn a few games during the current campaign, they were unbeaten up until their midweek game at Bahia, where they went down to a 1-0 defeat, with the goal coming in stoppage time.

For their part, Botafogo secured a 1-0 win of their own, away to Cuiaba, thanks to a penalty from the aforementioned Tiquinho.

Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…

🇺🇸 MLS: LAFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

There was virtually a full-round of games played in MLS during the week and although there were other matches with more excitement, one result stood out, at least in terms of significance. And that was LAFC’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders. Heading in to the game, the sides were sitting second and third in the Western Conference but LA, the current MLS Cup holders, managed to defend a lead that was established in the very first minute of the game. Veteran defender, the former Italian international, Giorgio Chiellini played his first full 90 minutes since April and did enough to earn himself a place in our midweek TOTW!

But, more importantly, the result lifted LAFC back to the top of the table above newcomers St. Louis City. The reigning champs were winless during the month of June, losing both legs of the CONCACAF Champions League Final to boot, but have now won back-to-back games for only the second time in the league this year.

We’ll see if they can now maintain a grip on pole position following the visit of mid-table Vancouver Whitecaps, on Saturday, with the Canadians presumably well rested having not played during the week.

🇳🇴 Eliteserien: Strømgodset vs. Bodø/Glimt

And lastly, we’ve selected a game from our home league, Norway’s Eliteserien. The 2020 and 2021 league champions, and famous Europa League / Europa Conference League giant killers, Bodø/Glimt have got off to a flyer in this 2023 season. They remain unbeaten after eleven rounds having dropped points on just one occasion, scoring 32 goals, and conceding just nine. And they already boast a ten point lead at the top of the table.

So, we’ve selected Sunday’s game, away at twelfth-placed Strømsgodset, in the hope that it will provide some entertainment. And an example of the best football currently on offer in Norway’s top flight. Failing that, we could see a freak result and a glimmer of hope restored for the rest of the teams in the league!

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Cover Image from IMAGO