Up-and-coming Players

Is it too late for Gregg Berhalter to rethink his USMNT roster? Mere minutes after the U.S. roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers was made public — a squad that didn’t include Josh Sargent — the Norwich City forward scored an absurd goal in the Premier League. The Josh Sargent goal vs Watford may just be a Puskás Award-worthy goal for the sheer audacity of it, not to mention the acrobatics and improvisation required to turn the ball into the back of the net.

On Monday, Real Salt Lake set a club record by signing its youngest-ever first-team player, 15-year-old Jude Wellings. That record didn’t even last the week. RSL announced on Friday it had signed 14-year-old forward Axel Kei, who broke Freddy Adu’s record for youngest MLS player ever signed to a first-team contract.

RIYADH - Athletic Bilbao substitute Nico Williams struck late in the second half to give the Spanish Super Cup holders a 2-1 come-from-behind win over LaLiga champions Atlético Madrid in Thursday's semifinal.

Bilbao set up a showpiece clash on Sunday against Real Madrid, who beat Barcelona 3-2 on Wednesday.

Tuesday marks MLS SuperDraft day, and while it's always fun to see who your team adds and to pore over their college bio page, you ultimately want your club moving in the direction of producing and signing more Homegrown Players through its academy. Real Salt Lake did just that Monday with the addition of 15-year-old midfielder Jude Wellings — who becomes the club's youngest-ever first-team signing.

I’ll be honest, I tuned into Manchester City’s third-round FA Cup match against fourth-tier Swindon Town mostly to see how American Zack Steffen performed in goal. I came away impressed with 19-year-old Cole Palmer, who scored a banger of a goal to go with an assist in City’s 4-1 win on Friday.

FC Dallas completed the transfer of striker Ricardo Pepi to FC Augsburg of the German Bundesliga on Monday.

Dallas received a reported $20 million fee, a club record that also makes the 18-year-old Pepi the most expensive outgoing homegrown player in MLS history.

Pepi, the 2021 MLS Young Player of the Year, signed a five-and-a-half-year contract at Augsburg that includes a club option to extend the deal until the summer of 2027.

On Saturday, West Bromwich Albion and Orlando City confirmed that 21-year-old striker Daryl Dike was headed to the Championship side on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a transfer fee of $9.5 million.

Dike again joins forces with French manager Valérien Ismaël, who was Barnsley's boss last campaign when Dike scored nine goals in 19 second division appearances while on loan. Orlando is also in line to receive performance-based bonuses and 20% of any future sale.

One year ago, Daryl Dike was just another young American striker showing promise in MLS. Then a surprise last-minute loan ended Dike's off-season and sent him across the pond to EFL Championship side Barnsley.

Dike took to the English second tier as a Minnesota ice-fisherman takes to a frozen lake.