Prodigies

She’s here — the savior of American paleontology. A seven-year-old fossil hoarder of rare vision, technique and digging skills. Will the United States Women’s Paleontology National Team (USWPNT) win the 2032 Fossil-Finding World Cup? If Naomi Vaughan keeps up her recent form over the next 15 years, definitely.

Sorry, as a soccer website, it’s our responsibility to hype these sorts of things to an ungodly degree. 

Timothy Weah, the son of former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah, made his senior debut for Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, coming on as a 79th minute substitute in the club’s victory over Troyes in Ligue 1 play. Timothy just celebrated his 18th birthday on Feb. 22, and the native of New York City almost snatched a goal on his first appearance.

Former USMNT striker Charlie Davies has called time on a once hugely promising career that was devastated by a serious car accident in 2009 and a subsequent 2016 cancer diagnosis. Davies' 10-year career included stints in Sweden, France, Denmark and with D.C. United, New England and Philadelphia in MLS, as well as 17 appearances and four goals with the USMNT between 2007 and 2009.

Freddy Adu is back, baby! On Saturday night, the future of U.S. soccer and the next Rivaldo returned to the pitch for the first time since before the Season 1 of Stranger Things came out. The Freddy Adu Las Vegas Lights debut is a sure sign that U.S. soccer is back on the right track, or something. Now 28 and on a baker’s dozen of different clubs, Adu’s preseason performance wasn’t actually that bad, despite an eventual 4-2 defeat to D.C. United. 

Chelsea rolled into the FA Cup quarterfinals with Olivier Giroud scoring his first goal for the club in an emphatic 4-0 victory over Hull City at Stamford Bridge. The 62nd minute also saw the introduction of Kyle Scott, a U.S. U-20, for his club debut.

18-year-old Canadian phenom Ballou Tabla, who transferred from the Montreal Impact to Barcelona B on January 25, is in the midst of a sensational week in Catalonia.