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Fox Sports
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
13 USMNT World Cup hopefuls who could, or should, switch clubs this summer
Somehow it's June already, and while the summer transfer season won't officially kick off for most European soccer clubs until the beginning of next month, teams across the continent are quickly getting their ducks in a row ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. For many members of the U.S. men's national team player pool, their next move is pivotal. The 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil is now just 12 short months away, and how they perform in their day jobs starting this August will go a long way to determining how much they play during the Greatest Show on Earth, if they even get there at all. Here are 13 Americans who could — or should — find a new club over the next 13 weeks or so. GK Matt Turner No U.S. player needs a move more than Turner, who played in just four games for Palace all season and none after March 1. Asked earlier this month about his top keeper's lack of minutes, Mauricio Pochettino admitted that Turner needs reps before the World Cup. "Until now Matt was our number-one choice, but that can change," the U.S. coach said. " In one year's time, I think he needs to find a way to compete every week" at the club level. That could be in England's second-tier Championship, elsewhere in Europe, or even back in MLS, where Turner was named Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021 before moving from the New England Revolution to Premier League Arsenal. But the Americans' 2022 World Cup starter has mostly been a backup over the last three seasons, making just 31 appearances for the Gunners, Nottingham Forest and Palace. Wherever he lands in 2025-16, he has to be the No. 1. M/F Gio Reyna If the 2026 World Cup began today, Gio Reyna probably wouldn't be on the roster. That's a damning indictment of how far the 22-year-old's stock has fallen over the last year. Reyna made just three starts for Borussia Dortmund in 2024-25. He logged just 20 total; minutes off the bench over the Black & Yellow's last 10 Bundesliga games and was an unused substitute in eight of them. With a year left on his contract, BVB has given the oft-injured attacker the green light to find a new employer this summer. It could even happen this month; FIFA has opened a special early-June transfer window for Club World Cup participants such as Dortmund. Per multiple reports, Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad is interested in signing Reyna. It would be the perfect fit on paper. Wherever he ends up, though, the Qatar 2022 veteran must play regularly — and well — to ensure that he isn't watching the biggest event in sports from his couch 12 months from now. M/D Yunus Musah An in-pen starter for the national team since 2022, Musah isn't one right now under Pochettino— something that missing the Gold Cup for undisclosed personal reasons won't help. In Milan, Musah is seemingly on the way out after two seasons. He made 19 starts under since-fired managers Paulo Fonseca and Sérgio Conceição, but reports in Italy say the seven-time European champs are looking to offload the American over the summer. Perhaps the appointment of Max Allegri on Friday changes that. Otherwise, expect to see Musah at a new club in Serie A, Spain or the Premier League next season. M Gianluca Busio After four seasons with Venezia, Busio is ready for a chance of scenery. The Sporting Kansas City product suffered his second relegation from Serie A this season. If competing week-in and out in one of Europe's best leagues wasn't enough to make him a U.S. regular — after starting Pochettino's first two games as USMNT boss, Busio was dropped to the bench and then dropped from the squad altogether — heading back to Serie B won't cut it, especially in a World Cup year. Busio will have options abroad, no doubt. Would the 23-year-old consider a return to MLS? That path worked for another technical and undersized central midfielder in Luca de la Torre, who was loaned from La Liga side Celta to expansion San Diego in January and subsequently played his way onto the Gold Cup squad. M Johnny Cardoso Even before his wildly successful first half season with Real Betis was over, Cardoso was being linked with a move elsewhere. Tottenham purchased a right of first refusal. Even mighty Real Madrid were sniffing around. Now, after the New Jersey-born, Brazil-bred central midfielder's first full campaign ended with a UEFA Conference League final loss to Chelsea, Cardoso seems set to join the Spanish capital's other giant: Atletico Madrid. Last week, reported that Atléti is leading the race to sign the 23-year-old. M/F Diego Luna Luna enters the Gold Cup in excellent club form; in 16 MLS games for Real Salt Lake so far this season, the diminutive winger/attacking midfielder already has as many goals — eight — as he did all of last year. That production has caught the attention of European teams. RSL could receive a bona fide offer for Luna between now and Aug. 21, when the domestic league's summer transfer window slams shut. The Californian has earned the opportunity to test himself at the top level. He should be careful, though. Four years ago, U.S. striker Ricardo Pepi put himself on a path to the 2022 World Cup. Then he left MLS for Germany and struggled for playing time; the move that probably cost Pepi trip to Qatar. Luna, 21, is in a good spot now with RSL but is destined for Europe eventually. It will be interesting to see when he decides to make the leap. LB Antonee "Jedi" Robinson Although the longstanding Jedi-to-Liverpool rumors have died down a little heading into the silly season as the English champions consider all options, the expectation remains that Robinson will leave Fulham for a Champions League-level club this summer. The 27-year-old left back is coming off a career season for the Cottagers; his 10 assists led all defenders and was tied for fourth overall in the Premier League. With three years remaining on his contract, Jedi, who was voted U.S. Soccer's male athlete of the year for 2024, could fetch a fee as high as $50 million. F Josh Sargent A Best XI season in England's Championship wasn't enough to get Sargent on the Gold Cup squad, which means there's nothing Sargent can do at Norwich to return to Pochettino's good graces. Simply put, Sargent has to move to a better league and continue scoring regularly to have any chance of making his second career World Cup squad. A return to the Bundesliga, where he began his career, could be the perfect fit. F Christian Pulisic The odds that Pulisic leaves AC Milan before the most important season of his life seem slim. Pulisic himself wrote on social media this week that he was "hungry for more" at the San Siro after what he described as "Not our best season." Despite the 26-year-old's career-best 17 goals, Milan finished eighth in Serie A and will not compete in European competitions next season. That led to speculation that Pulisic, who has delayed signing a contract extension with the Rossoneri even after agreeing to term, could leave the club this summer. Word is several Premier League clubs are interested in brining America's best player back to England. Pulisic helped Chelsea win the European title in 2021. The arrival of veteran manager Allegri may have settled Pulisic, though. Over the weekend on Instagram, the Pennsylvania native dropped another hint that he's staying put: "He's to bigger and better next season," he wrote. RB Alex Freeman The rumored interest in Freeman in England is real, a source with knowledge of the situation told FOX Sports. Why wouldn't it be? The son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman is young, technical, coachable and outlandishly athletic. Those attributes make the 20-year-old the prototypical modern fullback. No wonder European suitors are eager to get him across the pond as soon as possible, though he won't come cheap: Orlando would probably have to receive an eight-figure transfer offer to consider moving Freeman mid-season. No wonder, given how rapidly the youngster's stock is climbing: The lesser known Sullivan brother — 21-year-old Quinn is six years older than Philadelphia Union teammate Cavan Sullivan, who made international headlines last spring when he signed with Manchester City at age 14 — has been one of the best midfielders in MLS season. Poch isn't the only one who has noticed: so too have European clubs, particularly in the Netherlands, sources told FOX Sports. The fact that Sullivan also has a European Union passport (via his German mother) and therefore wouldn't count as a non-EU player only makes him more appealing to suitors across the pond. LB Max Arfsten The converted winger has emerged as one of the top left backs in the country under the tutelage of Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with whom Arfsten won an MLS Cup in 2023 and nearly the continental title a year ago. This year, Arfsten, 24, broke in at the international level. He made two starts and played in three games overall, and beat out the Europe-based likes of Kristoffer Lund, John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley for a Gold Cup roster spot. The University of California-Davis product could soon join them overseas; a French Ligue 1 club is interested in inking him in July, one source told FOX Sports. LB Peyton Miller Still just 17, the New England Revolution fullback probably isn't a realistic candidate for 2026. But the U-20 U.S. national teamer is already being touted by some as Jedi's eventual replacement long-term. A second-year pro, Miller has started 10 of the Revs' 15 MLS games in 2025. On Saturday night, he scored his first career goal in a 3-0 rout of CF Montreal. At least one Premier League club wants to buy him this summer, though under FIFA rules they'll have to loan him back to New England until he turns 18 in November. Either way, he's expected to be in Europe by January, multiple sources tell FOX Sports. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Double award win for Hibs transfer target as Bournemouth goalie honoured
Potential No. 1 part of Auckland team who fell just short in A-League title shot Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Top Hibs transfer target – and potential No. 1 – Alex Paulsen picked up TWO major awards after his team's breakout season ended with a painful near miss in their bid to claim a shock title triumph. And the Bournemouth goalkeeper, currently on loan at Auckland, wasn't the only winner as the Black Knight's newest club were singled out for end-of-season honours Down Under. After sealing a move to Bournemouth last summer, Kiwi keeper Paulsen was immediately loaned out to the latest sporting acquisition by billionaire Cherries owner Bill Foley. New Zealand-based Auckland FC have just called time on their debut campaign in Australia's multi-national top flight with an agonising – and controversial - defeat to Melbourne Victory in the play-off semi-finals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Paulsen is definitely of interest to David Gray, who needs to bring in at least one goalkeeper during the close season transfer window. The Black Knights, who hold a minority stake in Hibs, are eager to demonstrate the value of player movement within their stable. And the 22-year-old is seen as a player who ticks all the boxes. He's just been named the A-League's Goalkeeper of the Year AND picked up Save of the Year for a stunning stop against Victory's Nikos Vergos. Auckland boss Steve Corica was named Coach of the Year at the Dolan Warren awards. Watch video of Alex Paulsen as Auckland FC No. 1 rewarded for starring performances Hibs gaffer Gray and sporting director Malky Mackay will retain final say on any incomings this summer, with chairman Ian Gordon and his family – majority shareholders at Easter Road – calling all the shots on major decisions despite Foley's £6 million buy-in. But the relationship between the Black Knights and Hibs has been strengthened in recent months, with the appointment of former Bournemouth analysis guru to a head of recruitment role at East Mains opening up more possibilities for co-operation. Former England goalie replaced by Nottingham Forest veteran With former England Under-21 goalkeeper Josef Bursik returning to Brugge after an unsuccessful loan spell and young prospect Max Boruc unlikely to remain on the books as his contract expires, Hibs currently have only Jordan Smith competing for a start between the sticks. The veteran back-up has added reliability to the team since stepping into relieve a struggling Bursik back in November, with Smith more than playing his part in a 17-game unbeaten league run that helped Hibs climb from the relegation zone to finish third in the Scottish Premiership. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former Nottingham Forest keeper Smith has just signed a new long-term deal keeping him at Hibs until 2028. But the club are looking for someone to provide genuine competition for the 30-year-old. Paulsen was actually named by Black Knight president Tim Bezbatchenko as a likely target just a few weeks ago, the Hibs director telling The Athletic FC podcast: 'Hibs could be a good location for him. 'We look at the Bournemouth players who may benefit from going out on loan to a good environment. Players want to move up whether within the Black Knight group our elsewhere. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Alex Paulsen is a good example. It may make sense to move him within the group this summer. There's constant communication; there's weekly meetings about these things between out club's sporting directors.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Portland Thorns' Bella Bixby on returning to play after motherhood: ‘It changes your body'
Bella Bixby entered Snapdragon Stadium Saturday night the same way she has entered every stadium for weeks — not just as Portland Thorns' starting goalkeeper but also mom to toddler Ruby, who was perched happily between her right arm and hip. For the 29-year-old, the 2025 NWSL season has been more than just returning to the field after the offseason. It has been a balancing act between being an elite athlete and a new mother — a transformation she does not sugarcoat. Advertisement 'It changes your body,' she tells . 'I think I underestimated how much pregnancy was gonna change my body.' Planning for a family was not a simple process for Bixby, especially with limited guarantees in her sport. That uncertainty lingered through the entire 2023 season, even before she started trying to get pregnant. After 14 years with her husband, Elliot, she knew it was time, but making the decision was hard. Her teammate Crystal Dunn just returned to play after having her son, Marcel. Another former teammate, Iceland's Dagny Brindisdóttir, who had a son at the time, was also able to come back to the team. Despite these role models, she was still unsure. 'I was anxious about what it might mean for my career,' she explains. 'Will I come back? Can I even do it? Is this going to be my last season?' A Portland native and an Oregon State alumnus, Bixby was drafted by the Thorns in 2017. After loan spells in Germany and Israel, she made her NWSL debut for the Thorns in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup – only to suffer an ACL injury and be sidelined for the rest of the tournament. Advertisement She returned in 2021 with a statement, setting an NWSL record for most consecutive shutout minutes (269) across her first three games, and earned a spot as one of three finalists for Goalkeeper of the Year that same year. In 2022, she helped lead the Thorns to an NWSL championship. The Thorns offered her a contract extension through 2025 (with an option for 2026), signaling the club's belief in her continued impact, especially following her return from maternity leave in 2024. The NWSL's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which included protections for mothers and extended support for families, gave Bixby more confidence that having a family earlier in her career was possible. 'The new CBA changed everything,' Bixby says. 'It's not just about me — it allows my husband to travel with us, so we don't have to be apart during these early years with Ruby.' But physically returning to play wasn't as simple for Bixby. Advertisement 'People think it's nine months and then you're done. But it is a much longer commitment on your body,' she says. 'My center of gravity changed, my hips are different, everything is different.' Before pregnancy, as an elite athlete, she felt there was nothing her body could not overcome with some rehab, hard work and time. But pregnancy and nursing affected her ligaments and joints, crucial parts of her body as a goalkeeper. 'There's a hormone that is in your body in high amounts when you're pregnant, it's called relaxin,' Bixby explains. While it prepares the body for childbirth by relaxing ligaments, especially in the pelvis, it's not ideal for a goalkeeper's body. Relaxin does not immediately go away after childbirth either, especially if the mother decides to nurse. 'By the time we get to October of this year, it'll have been two years since my body really has reset hormonally, which is insane to think about,' Bixby says. 'You really only think about pregnancy as a nine-month commitment to your body, but it's not.' Advertisement Since Ruby's arrival, it's not just her body that's changed; her entire routine has, too. 'I don't know what I did with all my time before,' Bixby laughs. While she calls Ruby the greatest gift, she doesn't downplay the reality of how motherhood has transformed her life. 'I used to sleep in till 10,' she says with a smirk. 'Now I'm up at six or seven —whenever Ruby is. I used to come home from training and just… decompress. Now I'm chasing a toddler.' Even with the upheaval, she still carves out time for recovery, nutrition, and sleep, all the non-negotiables of an elite athlete. Bixby is one of several NWSL players who have recently become mothers or are currently expecting. In February, Washington Spirit and U.S. women's national team midfielder Andi Sullivan announced that she and husband Drew Skundrich are expecting a baby girl. Bixby's teammate and U.S. forward Sophia Wilson announced she is having a baby with her husband, Arizona Cardinals' Michael Wilson. And last week, Chicago Stars and USWNT forward Mallory Swanson announced she is expecting a child. Advertisement While there might not officially be a best window of time for an athlete to get pregnant, this year has its perks, especially for the national team players between major tournaments. Bixby thinks that if there is a sweet spot, it is different for every player. She says the best is to come back in time to be cleared for preseason. 'That'll dictate when you want to get pregnant,' she explains. As more players announce pregnancies, Bixby sees the ripple effects of the league's evolving support for mothers. It's not just about what happens on the field anymore, it's about who's standing beside it. For her, this dual identity is a badge of honor, but she is still getting used to being the mom on the team. 'There is a misconception that motherhood changes you so much that you have to give up what you're passionate about,' she says. ' But this is our passion, and our dream. Some people, I'm sure, motherhood changes things for them. In my case, the moment I was pregnant, I was already picturing what it was going to look like to come back.' Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Portland Thorns, Soccer, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calgary Wild bring in Forest Lawn students for club's first home game on Sunday
Students at a Forest Lawn school will get some of the best seats in the house when pro women's soccer arrives in Calgary this weekend. Calgary Wild FC goalkeeper Sarah Keilty-Dilling visited Ian Bazalgette School in the city's southeast this week to launch the Keepers Corner campaign. Now a goalkeeper herself for Alberta's first pro women's soccer team, a founding club in the Northern Super League, Keilty-Dilling previously taught physical education at Ian Bazalgette. Keepers Corner is an initiative through which Wild goalies will donate 20 tickets to the school for each of the club's 13 games at McMahon Stadium, where the club will make its home debut on Sunday against Ottawa Rapid FC. WATCH | Former teacher returns to school as pro goalkeeper "The kids at the school and the kids in this area are historically underprivileged and undervalued, and I see so much potential and value in these kids," said Keilty-Dilling, who visited the school alongside Wild midfielder Sonia O'Neill and goalkeeper Stephanie Bukovec. The initiative will seat students from the program in a Keepers Corner section of the stadium by the home team's net. Following the game, students will get to meet the goalies. Bazalgette principal Steven Pike considers Keilty-Dilling, who has committed to regularly visiting the school, an inspiration to students. "I think professional sports is a good platform to give people an idea that there are opportunities in life," he said. "Especially in Canada, as long as you work hard and you pursue things, you can gain a lot of those opportunities." After Keilty-Dilling, 31, got her start with the Calgary South West United and Chinook FC youth clubs, she joined the NCAA Division I soccer team at the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. Her final season in 2014 netted her MVP and Female Athlete of the Year awards, while her 82 games started and 41 wins in her college career made her the program's all-time leader in both categories. After one year on the Women's Premier Soccer League's FC Tuscon in Arizona, she returned to Calgary and played with Calgary Foothills in the professional-amateur Women's United Soccer league, where she served as team captain and was named the Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022. Now, she's playing a pivotal role for the Wild in the Northern Super League's first year. "It's a dream come true," Keilty-Dilling said. "It's unreal, and to be able to do it in my hometown as well, it's really special." WATCH | Calgarians lace up for Wild The Wild made their debut on April 16 at B.C. Place against the Vancouver Rise, where they fell 1-0. They rebounded at their next game, hosted by the Halifax Tides on April 26, with a commanding 4-1 win. Calgary fell short in their third contest, losing 2-1 to AFC Toronto, but they hope to climb back to .500 during their home opener on Sunday. Knowing they've got those students cheering them on could be the boost they need. "I'd hope that they could be inspired by just a little bit of my journey and just the message of not giving up, not quitting and chasing your dreams," said Keilty-Dilling.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Subhasish, Soumya bag top honours
Bhubaneswar: Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal dominated AIFF's annual roll of honours on Friday with Bagan skipper Subhasish Bose and East Bengal midfield livewire Soumya Guguloth named as AIFF Men's and Women's Player of the Year respectively. While left-back Bose guided Mohun Bagan to an ISL double with Shield and Cup wins en route a record-breaking 570 minutes without conceding, Guguloth was instrumental in her club's maiden IWL title scoring nine goals, including the winner in their title-clinching 1-0 win over Odisha FC. It was also a personal triumph for Bose in their club's most successful season in recent times. "It was a tough season for us. But together as a team, we have done so many good things this time. That's why we could do an ISL double. It was a great season personally for me and as a team, too, we did great things," Bose told TOI after the ceremony at the Odisha State Convention Centre here. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10 Retirement Blunders to Avoid Fisher Investments UK Learn More Undo Guguloth, meanwhile, wanted to credit her exposure playing in Croatia for Dinamo Zagreb for her achievement. "I'm really proud of this award and it's a first for me," Guguloth told TOI. "I went to Croatia and came back with a lot of experience. That contributed to my performance this season." There were more honours of the Kolkata clubs as Bagan's Vishal Keith and East Bengal's Elangbam Panthoi Chanu won the Goalkeeper of the Year awards in the men's and men's section, respectively. "All of us at the club worked hard together and it's because of that I have got this honour today. I just want to thank everyone at East Bengal – my teammates, my coach Antony, my goalkeeping coach Gautam and all the staff — without whose help this would not be possible," Chanu told TOI. In other significant categories, Brison Fernandes of FC Goa was named the Most Promising Men's Player of the Year while the women's award went to 18-year-old Toijam Thoibisana Chanu of Sribhumi FC. The honours for coaching excellence went to Khalid Jamil for guiding Jamshedpur FC to ISL semifinal while Sujata Kar took the women's coaching award for helping Sreebhumi's third-place finish in IWL.
