USA

The recent big-money sales of players like Matt Miazga, Alphonso Davies and Miguel Almiron are no flash in the pan for Major League Soccer — this is now the trend rather than the exception. With the league’s top academies now producing talent fit for first-team minutes — as well as the shift toward buying young foreign talent with an eye toward developing and selling them on for a larger fee — expect to see MLS clubs make even more noise in the transfer market over the coming years.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sky Sports, Taylor Twellman and The Telegraph (so if Mike Ashley gets blackout drunk and firebombs the deal, don't blame me), Newcastle United and Atlanta United have finally agreed to terms on the transfer of Miguel Almiron to the Premier League.

NWSL club Sky Blue FC has been down in the dumps recently due to poor working conditions for its professional athletes. It's so bad that newcomers that just achieved their lifelong dreams of playing professional soccer are refusing to sign with the team. Prior to being drafted, both draftees said they would not play for Sky Blue in hopes that manager Phil Murphy wouldn’t pick them.

After preaching the verb “compete” as one of the mantras of his new leadership, Gregg Berhalter began his reign as USMNT manager with a 3-0 victory over Panama on Sunday night. The first starting eleven of Berhalter’s tenure included five players making their international debuts, and three of them — Real Salt Lake’s Corey Baird, Chicago’s Djordje Mihailovic and San Jose’s Nick Lima — played huge roles in the opening two goals.

The third was created and finished by two more players making their international debuts — NYCFC's Jonathan Lewis and LAFC's Christian Ramirez. 

Watching 19-year-old American Tyler Adams make his debut for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, it was easy to understand why former New York Red Bulls midfield partner Dax McCarty referred to him as “the Terminator.” Leipzig raced out to a 3-0 lead as early as the 16th minute with a combination of fearlessness, speed and physicality — words that perfectly summed up Adams’ display in the midfield over that period.

The U.S. men’s national team plays the first match of the Gregg Berhalter era on Sunday just outside of Phoenix. The friendly against Panama is the first chance to see the USMNT play under a non-interim coach since October of 2017. Apparently no one cares.

The USA-Panama match will be played at State Farm Stadium (formerly University of Phoenix Stadium) in Glendale, Arizona. It’s a 63,400-seat stadium and one that has been filled for previous USMNT matches. 

That won’t be the case Sunday.

The loan system in soccer can be a useful tool for bigs clubs to get playing time for their younger players. When the loan system works, it usually produces the goods — more experienced young players.

There was a time when indoor soccer was as big as it got in the United States. After the NASL folded in in 1984 and before Major League Soccer launched in 1996, the only professional soccer in the U.S. was indoors. 

The Major Arena Soccer League wants to return to those halcyon days of Dallas Sidekicks and San Diego Sockers, evidence by two giant signings for the current season.

Alejandro Sebastián Romero Gamarra, better known as Kaku (but not that Kaku), is a New York Red Bulls designated player. He arrived in the Big Apple from Huracán with much fanfare in February 2018, but didn’t quite live up to lofty expectations in his first season.

Now he wants a move to Club América. But the Red Bulls are going all Daniel Levy on the Liga MX side and Kaku’s agent, Gustavo Casasola, is not happy.

Chris Richards, an 18-year-old American center back, is officially a Bayern Munich player. 

The FC Dallas Homegrown Player joined the German giant on loan in July. On Thursday, his move was completed as the Alabama native signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Bayern. According to reports, FC Dallas will be paid $1.5 million for Richards.