Gregg Berhalter has made his first public decisions as U.S. men’s national team coach, picking the 2019 USMNT roster for the January camp. Berhalter, hired on Dec. 2, named 27 players based entirely in MLS for the annual three-week January training camp, which will culminate in friendlies against Panama and Costa Rica.
America took over the Bundesliga for a brief moment during the Schalke-Bayer Leverkusen match on Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen. Weston McKennie, 20, soared above everyone on the pitch to get his head to a corner kick, which was then turned in for a Haji Wright goal, the 20-year-old’s first in the Bundesliga.
After being officially unveiled as the next manager of the USMNT on Dec. 2, Gregg Berhalter went on a whirlwind media tour where he was asked how he’d fix U.S. Soccer and deliver the 2022 World Cup by recreating the style of play American fans have come to expect when watching Manchester City play from their couch on Saturday mornings.
Berhalter handled himself in a refreshing manner after the fool’s paradise of Jurgen Klinsmann and warbling smugness of Bruce Arena, although that obviously won’t placate exceptionalists who demand he be named Zinedine Zidane.
Newcastle United wingback DeAndre Yedlin was sent off for the first time in his 73-match Premier League career on Sunday during Newcastle’s crushing 2-1 defeat to Wolves. With the score level at 1-1 in the 57th minute, a terrible touch from the USMNT defender allowed Wolves’ Diogo Jota to charge through on goal, and Yedlin’s tactical foul outside the box resulted in a straight red card as the last defender.
America is going to be OK after all.
Forget all the talk of a growing political divide in this country, increasing climate change or an impending cold war with China. Josh Sargent is going to make everything alright.
Sargent, an 18-year-old native of O’Fallon, Missouri, made his Bundesliga debut with Werder Bremen on Friday against Düsseldorf. He scored moments later — on his very first touch as a professional footballer.
Before handing out today’s main prize — the 2018 Ballon d’Or — France Football presented the first-ever awarding of the Kopa Trophy, the accolade given to the best performing player under the age of 21.
This weekend was full of official transfer business for two of the USMNT’s brightest stars: It’s been long-anticipated, but New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams, 19, will officially join Bundesliga side RB Leipzig when the January transfer window opens, and Christian Pulisic, 20, was the subject of an official transfer approach from Premier League club Chelsea.
45-year-old New Jersey native Gregg Berhalter has been named manager of the USMNT with a contract running through the 2022 World Cup, according to ESPN. Berhalter arrives from the Columbus Crew after leading the club to the MLS Playoffs in four out of his five seasons at the helm.