230201 ASU Newsletter

The 2023 January transfer window has slammed shut. The jostling for power and adjusting the squad balance is done. Now it’s time for our Baby Eagles to get on with the second half of the season proper.

Now we newsletter.

Magical Move for McKennie:

It was not a fever dream. It really happened. Weston McKennie 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 has joined Leeds United.

Monday seemed a blur. Things moving so fast — all jet planes and physicals. But ultimately, after McKennie's arrival in the U.K. was such a beautiful sight to see him hold up his new No. 28 shirt, and then watch his eyes light up after being surprised by his good mate Tyler during his unveiling.

Here's to hoping his dream of playing in the Premier League goes to plan. England could wind up a far better fit for the 24-year-old from Little Elm, Texas than Northern Italy was. A lot of Weston's humor while at Juventus was about being a Yank abroad — like trying to explain ranch dressing to Giorgio Chiellini. Moments like that were humorous, but ultimately seemed to leave him a fish out of water.

That won't be the case in Yorkshire. It's not as complicated. It is a place where you fit in by working hard, playing well, and giving your all. Weston can do it. And if he does, the Leeds fans will love him. But Elland Road can also be unforgiving if it doesn't work out.

Either way, it all starts Sunday at Nottingham Forest, where Weston could make his Leeds debut. Must-watch fare on USA. A chance to watch Weston wave his wand with American teammates and an American manager in the Premier League. 🪄

For a recap of everything that went down during the window (and in those nail-biting last 24 hours), we did a very special Do it Live! last night on AMP with special guest - journalist, insider and Mustache of Truth - Tom Bogert. LISTEN HERE

Eagles at the Window:

Some other key Americans Abroad also found new homes. To start, John Brooks 🇩🇪 is back in Germany after making a move from Benfica to Hoffenheim, and his new club wasted no time in putting him to use, as the German side threw the 30-year-old center-back from Berlin straight into the starting lineup against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday. To his credit, Brooks had a solid showing — earning a 7.7 Fotmob rating — yet the home side still allowed four goals in his debut loss.

Matthew Hoppe’s 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿(21; Yorba Linda, CA) own last-minute move was the surprise of the window, as he went out on loan to Hibernian from Middlesbrough. And Hibs rolled out the McLovin’ Treatment for the pugnacious striker. Gedion Zelalem 🇳🇱(26; Berlin GER) may never quite live up to the hype that followed him as an Arsenal Wunderkind, but based on his announcement video, he looks absolutely elated to have signed with Dutch second-division side FC Den Bosch. And Julián Araujo 🇪🇸 (21; Lompoc, CA) appeared to have made a dream move to Spanish super-club Barcelona, but apparently the paperwork for the Mexican international was filed less than a minute late, meaning the deal for the L.A. Galaxy right-back is still uncertain.

For USMNT fans, the deals that didn’t get done were arguably just as impactful as those that did. Big names that didn’t switch clubs included Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, and Antonee Robinson, who was rumored to have drawn Pep’s eye at Man City. And Konrad de la Fuente’s 🇬🇷 (21; Barcelona, ESP) loan move to Hull City from Olympiacos frustratingly fell through, but the Tigers are apparently hoping to bring him to England in the summer.

Good Look for Luca:

After months of finding minutes tough to come by in Spain, it appears that Luca de la Torre 🇪🇸 may have turned a corner with Celta Vigo. The 24-year-old from San Diego, CA has played every one of Celta’s last four matches, including back-to-back starts. Good news is the Galician side has seen an uptick in form over that stretch, with two wins and one draw, all of which has helped them stay out of the relegation zone in La Liga.

De la Torre also got his first assist of the season Sunday, with a perfectly chipped through ball to Iago Aspas in Celta’s 1-0 win over Athletic Club (WATCH AT 1:17). LDLT then celebrated the win with a plate of octopus, as one apparently does on the Iberian Peninsula.

News and Notes:

• Folarin Balogun 🇫🇷(21; New York, NY) showed incredible pace and power in scoring a 96th minute equalizer for Reims against petrol-giants PSG (WATCH). The Arsenal loanee is eligible to play for the U.S., England, and Nigeria, but has yet to make a final decision on his international future. 🤞

• Chris Richards 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (22; Birmingham, AL) was voted Crystal Palace Player of the Month for January.

• One week after getting his first assist for Wolfsburg, Kevin Paredes 🇩🇪(19; South Riding, VA) scored his first goal for the Bundesliga club via a powerful left-footed strike through traffic (WATCH).

• Ricardo Pepi 🇳🇱 (20; El Paso, TX) scored his eighth goal in all competitions for FC Groningen in a 3-2 loss to Volendam (WATCH). Despite the Augsburg loanee’s productivity, the Dutch side currently finds itself at the bottom of the Eredivisie table.

• Matt Turner 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿(28; Park Ridge, NJ) started for Arsenal against Manchester City in the 4th Round of the FA Cup. While the Gunners fell 1-0, Turner has allowed just two goals in six starts this season. It also appears that Bergen County Buffon is becoming more than a shot-stopper, as his play with his feet is growing more impressive with each appearance.

Fit But You Know It:

After scoring back-to-back match-winners, Gio Reyna 🇩🇪 (20; Bedford, NY) was an unused sub in Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen Sunday, with manager Edin Terzic saying he’s “not at 100% yet” two days before the match. Sergiño Dest 🇮🇹(22; Almere-Stad, NED) missed AC Milan’s 5-2 loss to Sassuolo Sunday due to muscle fatigue, but should be able to return to action soon. Cameron Carter-Vickers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿(25; Southend-on-Sea, ENG) returned to action in Celtic’s 2-0 win over Dundee United Sunday after missing the Hoops’ three previous matches.

Parting Shots:

In a match that was sweeter than an all-you-can-eat Stroopwafel buffet, AZ Alkmaar and FC Utrecht played out a gluttonous 5-5 draw Saturday, with American attacking midfielders Djordje Mihailovic 🇳🇱 (24; Lemont, IL) and Taylor Booth 🇳🇱 (21; Eden, UT) starting for each Eredivisie side, respectively. Moreover, both Baby Eagles had assists in the 10-goal thriller. Mihailovic’s goal involvement came in the 34th minute, via a well-weighted chip into the middle (WATCH). Booth then countered in the 65th minute with a perfectly struck first-time cross for Utrecht (WATCH), meaning he now has two goals and three assists so far this season.

On the Wednesday prior — during AZ’s 4-1 win over Go Ahead Eagles — Mihailovic scored his first Alkmaar goal in extremely impressive fashion, via a face-on-the-floor header that saw him get lower than the Benelux (WATCH). It was a goal so good, in fact, that Senior Eagle, and AZ alum, Jozy Altidore saw fit to congratulate the recent Eredivisie arrival via social media.