With most of Europe's leagues now fully back in the swing, it's time once again to check in with all of the Major League Soccer products scattered around the globe.
It's a fine time for this update, to say the least. No less than seven players who got their pro starts in MLS or a league academy scored in their last club games before the current international pause, including rising Malmö FF star Romain Gall.
England
<p><strong>DeAndre Yedlin</strong><br>
SEA: 2013-14</p> |
The <a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/meta/club/united-states">U.S. national team</a> right back picked up where he left off last season as an ink starter at Newcastle, and even scored his first career Premier League goal at Manchester City last month. Unfortunately, the Magpies are off to a winless start, pocketing just two points from their first eight matches of the season. |
<p><strong>Tim Ream</strong><br>
RBNY: 2010-11</p> |
The Fulham defender got a late start to the campaign due to a back injury. Ream made his season bow late last month in a third-round EFL Cup win away to London rivals Millwall, and has started the Cottagers' last two league tilts. Fulham's return to the top flight has been rocky thus far, with but one win through eight EPL games. |
Tim Ream has recovered from injury to return to Fulham's lineup, but life in the Premier League has been tricky so far | Reuters
<p><strong>Geoff Cameron</strong><br>
HOU: 2008-12</p> |
The veteran defensive handyman went out on loan from Stoke City to Queens Park Rangers at the transfer deadline. The Loftus Road crew were off to a miserable start before Cameron's move, but have righted the ship, going 3-2-2 since his early-September debut. The 33-year-old has started four of QPR's last five Championship matches as a defensive midfielder, and bagged the 1-1 equalizer against Derby County in their last game before the international break. |
<p><strong>Matthew Olosunde</strong><br>
NY Red Bulls Academy</p> |
The Manchester United Under-23 defender has yet to appear this season, but seems to be nearing the end of his recovery road from a knee injury. |
Germany
McKennie, center, is mobbed by teammates after scoring a late winner against Lokomotiv Moscow in the UEFA Champions League group phase | Reuters
<p><strong>Weston McKennie</strong><br>
FC Dallas Academy</p> |
Though currently slowed by a knee knock, the Schalke midfielder has begun the campaign in fine form. McKennie has definitely enjoyed his first tastes of UEFA Champions League action, setting up the lone Miners goal in the group phase opener against Porto and striking the late winner at Lokomotiv Moscow on Matchday 2. He followed that goal up with another in Schalke's league win at Fortuna Düsseldorf three days later. |
<p><strong>Carlos Salcedo</strong><br>
Real Salt Lake Academy</p> |
After helping Eintracht Frankfurt post a clean sheet victory at Freiburg on Bundesliga opening day, the Mexico center back tore an ankle ligament early in their next match. Salcedo is tentatively expected back in training around New Year's Day. |
<p><strong>Chris Richards</strong><br>
FC Dallas Academy</p> |
The FC Dallas loan item has wasted no time becoming a lineup fixture for Bayern Munich's U-19 side, starting 10 straight games in the heart of defense. Included in that span was a goal at Freiburg on Sept. 15, as well as his first two appearances in the UEFA Youth League (essentially a U-19 Champions League). |
Mexico
<p><strong>Omar Gonzalez</strong><br>
LA: 2009-15</p> |
The former Galaxy defender has started all but one Apertura match since making a summer switch from Pachuca to Atlas. The Foxes are propping up the table through 12 rounds, but don't blame the Gonzalez-led defense; it's kept them in most games, while the attack has managed just four goals. The back line marshal opened his club account just before the international break, bagging their lone goal in a loss at Santos Laguna. |
Rogelio Funes Mori has made only three starts and six appearances for Monterrey because of an injury | Reuters
<p><strong>Rogelio Funes Mori</strong><br>
FC Dallas Academy</p> |
The Monterrey forward has seen his season interrupted by an injury that has limited him to three starts in six appearances. Funes Mori snapped a two-month goal drought with the early winner against Tijuana on Sept. 30. |
<p><strong>Fabian Castillo</strong><br>
DAL: 2011-16</p> |
After making a summer move from Trabzonspor, the winger missed Tijuana's first four league games with an injury. Castillo has now started five straight Apertura matches, and netted his first goal for the club in last week's draw with Querétaro. |
<p><strong>Rafael Baca</strong><br>
SJ: 2011-14</p> |
The veteran midfielder remains a regular starter for Liga MX leaders Cruz Azul. Baca has superbly guarded the back line for the league's stingiest side (nine goals conceded in 12 games). In the only match he missed, they dropped a 3-1 decision away to strugglers Pachuca. |
<p><strong>Lalo Fernandez</strong><br>
RSL: 2012-17</p> |
After sitting on the bench for every competitive Tigres match during the last Clausura season earlier this year, the netminder finally debuted for the Mexican giants in a 0-0 Copa MX draw against Cafetaleros back in August. |
Spain
<p><strong>Ballou Tabla</strong><br>
Montreal Impact Academy</p> |
The young <a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/meta/club/canada">Canada</a> winger has started in six of his seven outings for FC Barcelona's reserve side, who are early title contenders in Segunda B Group 3. Tabla has a goal, scored in their season-opening loss, and an assist. |
France
<p><strong>Matt Miazga</strong><br>
RBNY: 2013-15</p> |
After watching their Ligue 1 opener from the dugout, Miazga has started eight straight for new loan employers Nantes. It has been a sputtering start for the Canaries, who stand next to bottom thanks to a five-game winless slide. |
Matt Miazga has made egith consecutive starts for the Canaries | Reuters
<p><strong>Timothy Weah</strong><br>
NY Red Bulls Academy</p> |
After scoring in Paris Saint-Germain's French Super Cup rout of Monaco and their league opening victory over Caen, Weah also featured as a halftime sub in a win at Guingamp on Aug. 18. He hasn't dressed since, as PSG's attack superstars returned from their post-World Cup vacations. |
Netherlands
<p><strong>Erik Palmer-Brown</strong><br>
SKC: 2013-17</p> |
The U.S. defender's first two assignments at new loan home NAC Breda came with the reserve team. Palmer-Brown then started consecutive games for the Eredivisie cellar dwellers in mid-September before working a couple more second-team matches early this month. |
Portugal
<p><strong>Eryk Williamson</strong><br>
POR: 2018</p> |
The young midfielder has yet to make a first-team debut for loan side Santa Clara. |
Belgium
Andy Najar, right, has alternated between a defensive and midfield role this season at Anderlecht | Reuters
<p><strong>Andy Najar</strong><br>
DC: 2010-12</p> |
After sitting the first four games of Anderlecht's campaign, Najar returned from a preseason setback in late August. Believe it or not, the diminutive Honduras international has been working on the left side of a three-man back line in league play (he's operated in a more familiar right midfield slot in their two Europa League losses). It's still early, but the Mauves are already six points behind first-place Genk. |
Turkey
<p><strong>Cyle Larin</strong><br>
ORL: 2015-17</p> |
After merely getting his feet wet with Besiktas last season, the Canada striker has already had his name in the lineup eight times this term. Seven of those starts have come in Europa League play, which has seen Larin bag his second hat trick for the club against Faroese second-round qualifying foe B36 Torshavn back in August and set up Ryan Babel's icebreaker in their group stage-opening win over Sarpsborg 08. He's yet to ring the bell in four Super Lig outings for the Eagles, who stand three points off the top after eight rounds. |
Cyle Larin, right, has featured primarily in the Europa League for Besiktas | Reuters
<p><strong>Eric Ayuk</strong><br>
PHI: 2015-16</p> |
The 21-year-old winger has quickly gotten comfy with second-flight outfit Osmanlispor, notching a goal and an assist in his first four starts. The club stumbled out of the blocks, but has now won three of four with Ayuk on the field. |
Costa Rica
<p><strong>Denis Castillo</strong><br>
COL: 2016</p> |
The Costa Rican defender moved home this summer to join Pérez Zeledón, but injuries have bounced him in and out of the selection. Castillo sported the captain's armband in his two starts, a pair of 2-1 victories. With four games remaining in the Apertura season, the Southern Warriors stand fifth, three points shy of the last playoff spot. |
Israel
<p><strong>Aaron Schoenfeld</strong><br>
CLB: 2012-15</p> |
The Maccabi Tel Aviv forward started four of his six games during Europa League qualifying, notching an assist. However, he has been limited to a pair of cameo appearances in Ligat Ha'Al play thus far. |
<p><strong>Jonathan Bornstein</strong><br>
CHV: 2006-11</p> |
Having moved from Querétaro this past summer, Bornstein got the call at left back in Maccabi Netanya's league opener. The Diamonds were demolished 5-0 at Hapoel Haifa that day, and the 33-year-old has not left the bench since. That hasn't really helped, though, as they sit second-to-last through six games. |
Norway
<p><strong>Sam Adekugbe</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-17</p> |
The Canada left back has started 21 of 25 league games for seventh place Vålerenga, and another two in the NM Cup. The Bohemians hold very slim hopes of rallying for a Europa League berth with five games remaining. |
<p><strong>Oyvind Alseth</strong><br>
TOR: 2017</p> |
After winning the treble for Toronto FC last year, the Norwegian returned to his hometown to suit up for Eliteserien risers Ranheim. Alseth has worked at every back line position while starting five of 13 league appearances. Playing in the top flight for the first time in 62 years, the Trondheim mites have surprised all to stand fifth. |
<p><strong>Sean Okoli</strong><br>
SEA: 2014<br>
DC: 2015<br>
NYC: 2017</p> |
The forward joined second-flight side FK Jerv in August and has quickly become a fixture on the line-up card for manager Arne Sandstø (who previously managed both Nat Borchers and Clarence Goodson during their stints in Norway). Nevertheless, Okoli has tallied just once in eight starts for the OBOS-Ligaen middlers, hitting a lone goal winner against Floro a month ago. |
Scotland
<p><strong>Emerson Hyndman</strong><br>
FC Dallas Academy</p> |
On loan to Hibernian from EPL side Bournemouth, Hyndman has four starts in six league games and worked his first two Europa League contests in their third qualifying defeat against Molde FK. The midfielder fired his first goal of the season in a 6-0 rout of Hamilton just prior to the international break. After a slow start, Hibs have won four straight to stand just two points behind leaders Celtic ahead of Saturday's trip to Parkhead. |
<p><strong>Andy Rose</strong><br>
SEA: 2012-15</p> |
The midfielder has started six of eight for Motherwell, who have just one win in their first eight SPL games. |
<p><strong>David Norman Jr.</strong><br>
VAN: 2018</p> |
The Canada youth international is currently on loan to second-division outfit Queen of the South. Norman Jr. made his league debut with a seven-minute shift in a scoreless draw at Inverness on Sept. 29. |
Sweden
<p><strong>Romain Gall</strong><br>
CLB: 2014-15</p> |
After a very brief settling-in phase following his summer move from Sundsvall, Gall has resumed his breakout season with Allsvenskan holders Malmö FF. The winger has four goals and two assists in nine games with the Sky Blues, taking his season totals to 11 (good for fifth in the league) and six, respectively. The 23-year-old also added two goals in Svenska Cupen action, and has made debuts in both Champions League qualifying play and the Europa League group phase. And there's still plenty of time for Gall to accomplish more. In the league, Malmö are five points shy of the last 2019-20 Europa League berth with five games left, starting with Saturday's massive home tilt against second-place Hammarby. Meanwhile, they're still battling in the current Europa League, with all four Group I teams level on three points after two rounds. Next up in that tournament: an Oct. 25 trip to Sarpsborg 08. |
<p><strong>Kofi Sarkodie</strong><br>
HOU: 2011-15<br>
SJ: 2016-17</p> |
The former U.S. youth international signed as a free agent with Trelleborgs this July. By the end of the month, Sarkodie made his debut in the first of six straight left back starts. Playing in the Allsveskan for the first time in six years, the southerners have sunk to the basement on an 0-12-3 swoon. With five games left, they are six points short of the relegation playoff slot, and nine from the safety zone. One reason for hope: They still get to play two of the three clubs directly ahead of them. |
Switzerland
<p><strong>Kekuta Manneh</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-17</p> |
The new St. Gallen winger fought through some early injury struggles to make his debut in a Swiss Cup stroll at lower-level side Ueberstorf in mid-August. Manneh's league bow came in a Swiss Super League win at Xamax a couple weeks later. He's yet to score in three league outings for the fifth-place side. |
Slovakia
<p><strong>Brian Iloski</strong><br>
LA Galaxy Academy</p> |
The 23-year-old Legia Warsaw prospect is spending the season on loan to Slovakian top-tier club Michalovce. Iloski has played everywhere in attack during his four appearances. His first start of the season came last week when he played the No. 10 role in their second victory of the season, a surprise 2-1 decision at Trencin. |
Finland
<p><strong>Ben McKendry</strong><br>
VAN: 2016-17</p> |
The Canada international has started 25 of his 27 matches since joining TPS, and the last eight in a row. McKendry has alternated between the central and defensive midfield spots for the top-flight survivalists, who hold the relegation playoff slot with two games left on the schedule. Perilously, they still have to play at third-place KuPS before hosting runaway league leaders HJK on closing day. |
Syria
<p><strong>Mo Babouli</strong><br>
TOR: 2016-17</p> |
After netting seven times for Al Ittihad Aleppo last season, the 25-year-old forward has yet to find the net in four league games this term. |
