220118 ASU Newsletter

January 18, 2023

Hail GFOPs

What a time in the football calendar. Games coming thick and fast. The transfer window yawns wide open. The USWNT defeating New Zealand 4 - 0 in the first of a pair of tune up games against the Football Ferns in front of a record Kiwi crowd. Highlights HERE. It’s almost enough to make Rog forget Everton are ensconced in a relegation battle for their Premier League lives. Almost. But let’s put that aside for a second, for now…We newsletter.

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New Year, New Homes, New Rumors:

In Germany, Paxten Aaronson 🇩🇪 could make his much-anticipated Bundesliga debut this weekend, as Eintracht Frankfurt host Schalke on Saturday (watch live at 9:30 a.m. EST on ESPN+). Having just joined the German club at the start of January after completing his transfer from the Philadelphia Union, the 19-year-old from Medford, NJ appears to be settling well so far, banging in training goals, and getting some solid burn in friendlies. Eintracht is so amped for Paxten’s debut, in fact, that they’re organizing a watch party in Philly, and might even have some kits to give away. Wunderbar!

While Medford Messi II has already found his new home, some other U.S. stars might be on the move during the winter transfer window. Haji Wright 🇹🇷 reportedly might be off to England, with Brentford and Crystal Palace emerging as his top suitors. The 24-year-old striker from Los Angeles has been out of action since Jan. 7, reportedly due to a back injury, but this could also be a case of Antalyaspor wanting to protect their prized asset ahead of a lucrative sale.

Fellow World Cup goal scorer Tim Weah 🇫🇷 is reportedly also drawing English interest, with Everton, Fulham and Brighton keeping an eye on the 22-year-old. While Weah has shown real ability in an attacking role for the U.S., his current club Lille has been using him at right and left back recently.

Yunus Musah 🇪🇸 is also reportedly generating serious interest from numerous European clubs on the heels of an impressive World Cup. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Inter have all been linked to the 20-year-old who was born in New York City, but the latest has his current club Valencia holding out for a summer sale.

And lastly, despite what many USMNT fans have been clamoring for, Christian Pulisic 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 won’t be leaving Chelsea in January, injured or not. Graham Potter recently shot down any rumors that there were ever any plans to move the 24-year-old from Hershey, Penn. “There was never any consideration about him leaving,” said the Chelsea boss.

American (D)Ream:

Tim Ream 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 continues to hit new highs in England. The 35-year-old from St. Louis, MO was stellar in Fulham’s 2-1 win over Chelsea last Thursday, their first win over their West London neighbors in nearly 17 years. This was followed by a tough 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Sunday. And while there’s no glory in defeat, Ream’s back-line mate Antonee Robinson did miss the Toon match due to yellow-card accumulation, meaning that the USMNT duo are still on a four-match EPL winning streak when starting together.

Bonus: The ginger(ish) legend will be our guest on an upcoming podcast and television show special, so be sure to submit any questions you’d like us to ask him. Watch our social for more.

Leeds Not Lacking for Leaders:

It isn’t a stretch to say Leeds have hit a rough patch lately, having earned just two points from their last five league matches. And while this might have turned up the heat a bit for coaches and players at the club, midfielder Tyler Adams 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and manager Jesse Marsch press on, maintaining a steady demeanor in the face of this latest challenge.

In Leeds’ tough 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last Friday, Adams was outstanding on both sides of the ball, distributing well on offense, and executing an impressive seven tackles on defense. That sort of effort from your central midfielder can infuse the entire side with an energy and enthusiasm that can help put them on a good run of form.

The 23-year-old from Wappingers Falls, NY was also named U.S. Soccer’s Men’s Player of the Year last week, a well-deserved honor for the no-nonsense captain, who even admitted to Rog on the final episode of our “Road to the World Cup” podcast that he doesn’t swap jerseys with opposing players after matches, finding no motivation from having someone else’s kit hanging on his wall. (Listen to all eight episodes of the podcast here.)

Like Adams, Marsch is a strong-willed leader who remains positive despite the tough stretch.

“I feel (the Villa game) was a massive step in the right direction,” Marsch said Tuesday. “I’m more energized and I’m stronger in my belief that we’re going to be a good team and we’re going to be a good team soon. Now we have to show it, specifically tomorrow. We need another complete performance. We need conviction and we need a win. I hate being results based, but that’s where we are.”

In this case, “tomorrow” is today, and Leeds’ 3rd Round FA Cup replay against second-tier Cardiff City. This is followed by a Sunday visit from a surging Brentford side, who have won three-straight EPL matches.

A win Wednesday is a must. A result over the weekend is as well. Anything less, and the flames will continue to lick the denim that clings so tightly to Jesse Marsch’s American ankles.

Tyler is also a special guest on The Men in Blazers TV Show this Sunday, Jan. 22. It drops on Peacock TV, where you can binge all of the last two seasons with guests like Will Ferrell, Matthew McConaughey, Jesse Marsch, Emma Hayes and so many more. It’s all available HERE.

News & Notes:

  • Gio Reyna 🇩🇪 (20; Bedford, NY) and Borussia Dortmund make their Bundesliga return on Sunday against Augsburg. The Black and Yellow find themselves in 6th place, and trail first-place Bayern by nine points.

  • Daryl Dike 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (22; Edmond, OK) scored his third goal of the season on Saturday, this one coming against Ethan Horvath and Luton Town (WATCH). Dike then sat out West Brom’s FA Cup Replay win over Chesterfield on Tuesday.

  • In Italy, Weston McKennie 🇮🇹 (24; Little Elm, TX) started and went the full 90 in Juventus’ loss to first-place Napoli, while Sergino Dest 🇮🇹 started and played 110’ in Milan’s Coppa Italia loss to Torino, and then played the second half at left back in Milan’s 2-2 draw with Lecce. After the Lecce match, Dest talked about how it feels to play LB, as opposed to lining up on the right as he normally does (WATCH at 2:04).

  • Ricardo Pepi 🇳🇱 (20; El Paso, TX) started in Groningen’s loss to Feyenoord Sunday, as well as his side’s surprising 3-2 Dutch Cup defeat to SV Spakenburg last Thursday. Pepi has now gone three-straight matches without a goal contribution, his longest stretch since joining the Eredivisie club.

  • Gaga Slonina 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (18; Addison, IL) made his Chelsea U-21 debut in a 2-0 shutout win over Wolves on Friday. 💪

Fit But You Know It:

Taylor Booth 🇳🇱 is a tough Baby Eagle. During a recent Eredivisie match, the 21-year-old forward from Eden, UT apparently had his head stapled shut on the pitch in the middle of a match (WATCH), but continued playing. 😳💪 Booth was back in the starting lineup for the following match, and has helped FC Utrecht earn four wins and two draws in their last six league matches, all started by Booth.

Parting Shots:

Son of an OG American Abroad, Ian Harkes 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (Fairfax, VA) scored his first Scottish Premiership goal of the season for Dundee United (WATCH) in a 2-2 draw at Hibs Saturday. The cutback, far-post finish was a solid enough strike, even if it wasn’t quite the legendary laserbeam from distance his dad, John Harkes, scored for Sheffield Wednesday against rivals Derby County back in 1990.

As we move on from the 2022 World Cup, you can still continue to support the Baby Eagles by shopping at the Men in Blazers store. To kick off the new year, we are offering discounts up to 60% off and free shipping for orders over $65. Don’t miss your chance to grab your favorite shirt or pint glass suitable for your Third First. Hurry, this sale ends on 1/22.