Here's a story about a partnership between a group in South Carolina and the Spanish club Levante: https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/article252242638.html
In my constant quest to find the most-tenuous YA connections possible, I'll just point out that Pavel Nedved's daughter is apparently dating the American-born son of Czech tennis star Petr Korda. Top that!
For those interested in the German-American players of African descent who played for Germany in the post-war years, here is a free documentary, Schwarze Adler (Black Eagles), scheduled to stream in July: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/torsten-korner-schwarze-adler-2021-tickets-160037146413 Register now to make sure you don't get left out. You'll get a link to watch the film anytime during the 2 day window.
With the increase in transfers for American players in the last year more and more rumors from dubious sources have started to pop up, and I’ve been posting rumors that get debunked pretty quickly. My question is, are there any set rules in the yanks abroad forum for transfer rumors? I don’t want to fill threads up with fake fluff, especially if it’s against the rules. At the same time, I do feel that these some links to clubs that come out of left field can sometimes be interesting and fun to read. If someone can point me in the direction of rules for this or provide their own insight it would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
I'm not a moderator or anything like that, but my gut tells me just don't worry about it too much. Your natural skepticism (and maybe a bit of follow-up research/Googling if you think it's warranted before posting) is probably enough. If something turns out to be bunk, we'll manage.
Here's a recent story about a player named Shady Omar who is back in the U.S. playing collegiately but spent some time abroad. He started in Spain, earning a trial with second-division club Real Oviedo and eventually getting first-team offers from a couple of third-division teams. While Omar was trying to land a spot with a team, and with his dad in tow, the family took a planned two-week excursion to his father’s home country, Egypt. One of Omar’s cousins, who had soccer connections, suggested trialing with a few teams in Egypt to stay fit for the Spanish teams. And one of those Egyptian clubs, Ittihad El-Shorta, offered Omar a contract to join their youth academy, which he accepted. https://www.lansingstatejournal.com...r-lansing-common-eastern-illinois/7798970002/
Santos Laguna opening up an academy in Washington state. https://www.clubsantos.mx/news/detail/santos-laguna-opens-new-academy-in-washington-state
Apparently the Yanks Abroad folks are coming back: We've been slowly getting back to work to provide coverage of the U.S. national teams and players in leagues around the world. It will take us some time to return to normal service but we are working our way back. We ask for your patience while we get things back on track. https://www.facebook.com/YanksAbroad/posts/194309429371598 However, their site appears to be down. https://www.yanks-abroad.com/
There's a layup of a feature out there for some reporter who wants to do a story about how at least four high-level former YAs are on Harvard's 2021 roster. I'd read it! https://gocrimson.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster
Pulisic picked up another medal today. Maybe we should have a YA Trophy Case thread to track and commemorate these things.
Happy 23rd birthday to Christian Pulisic. I can never forget it because he was born on the same exact day as my own 23 year old nephew. Get well soon, kiddo.
TIL that Charlie Mulgrew once pulled out the "American grandmother" card when he wasn't happy with the attention he was getting from Scotland's MNT program. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Mulgrew
Guessing this is the best place to log that a current college player named Caden Theobald "considered playing in Spain but the COVID-19 pandemic changed those plans." Maybe his name will pop up here again. http://www.thedanielislandnews.com/sports/di-teenager-chases-soccer-dreams-northwestern https://nusports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/caden-theobald/10329
Here's a pro indoor GK named Marijo Musa who apparently spent some time as a youth in a Mexican club's academy. https://www.news5cleveland.com/spor...eld-eventual-accession-to-professional-soccer https://www.transfermarkt.us/marijo-musa/profil/spieler/346628
This is only tangentially YA related, but amusing and worth sharing: a (German) story about an American dad who Googled his young son's name and realized it was the same as a coach of a lower-division German club, so among other things the club sent the kid a jersey, and the family sent the club a jersey from their kid's school team. https://regionalheute-de.translate....l=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=nui Presumably, FSV Schöningen now has at least two American fans for life, or at least until the kid discovers, you know, rock-and-roll music or whatever they're into these days.
Apparently baseball's German Max Kepler is a German-American (through his mother) who played some youth soccer for Hertha Berlin.
Mike Grella left an impression on Brentford (though not the manager): 🇺🇸 Happy #Thanksgiving to all those celebrating today 🇺🇸⚽⚽⚽⚽ Only 4⃣ competitive goals have ever been scored for us by Americans ... @MikeGrella10 with them all on one incredible night against Bournemouth in November 2011 #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/h4Yo3CEuhR— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) November 25, 2021
I'm just gonna leave this here and see who connects the dots first. https://www.oefb.at/Profile/Spieler/1297790?Lennon-Ramon-Marsch
Anyone looking for a YA deep cut challenge? Someone tweeted about a former YA goalkeeper on the plane with her: if anyone thinks they are a truly deep-cut expert in the history of American soccer players in Europe, I have a challenge for you to identify the former goalkeeper I sat next to on the plane— Hailey Bachrach (@hbachrach) January 5, 2022 The tweet with the relevant info: Here’s what I got: first name Phil, played for PSG starting as a teen but loaned around a lot including Lille, turned 18 before 1996, subsequently coached in Atlanta (not sure if it was MLS or university) and then Honolulu— Hailey Bachrach (@hbachrach) January 5, 2022 Paul Carr guessed Quentin Westberg which matches with PSG, but not the other pieces of info.
Assuming that most or all of those descriptors are real, it's not hard to believe such a player, depending on circumstances, could've been pretty much completely unknown at the time given his age and the apparent era. I hate to admit it, but I don't have a clue.
Here's a story about a NYC club that has apparently sent some kids to tryouts in Spain and has some connections to Albanian YNT programs. https://www.silive.com/youthsports/...stleton-corners-for-elite-program-abroad.html https://www.instagram.com/ab7socceracademy/
Just far enough afield that it probably belongs nowhere but this thread: I believe this is a novel, in German, that is at least partly about a German soccer player whose journey includes a search for his American father. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bob-Bomber-Eine-Fußballerkarriere-German-ebook/dp/B086BYYP1B