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Hey, it’s back finally. Americans at home took a little time off but it’s back now. Time to update everyone on the kids who aren’t with the national team. Oh, and Bobby Wood, Bobby Wood is here too.
Ricardo’s a daisy if you do
FC Dallas has a bonafide wunderkind on the team in Ricardo Pepi. He scored a hatty over the weekend and the 14,000 fans on hand in Frisco were thrilled by the performance. It didn’t take long either, in just 50 minutes the 18 year old put FCD up 3-0 against the LA Galaxy.
He’s got eight goals in 780 minutes, it’s a great rate and at just 18 is pretty torrid.
18-year-old Ricardo Pepi has a hat-trick for @FCDallas
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 25, 2021
Another exciting USMNT talent to watch.
(via @MLS)
pic.twitter.com/DXgPvK53V8
Justin Che lined up as a right back and also got an assist in the game.
A goal for the American with the most assists in MLS on the year
Guess who it is, which Yank has the most assists so far? It’s Djordje Mihailovic. The CF Montreal midfielder has four assists on the year, but he’s in this post because he scored a goal this weekend.
Mihailovic from outside the box! @clubdefootmtl pulls one back! #NEvMTL pic.twitter.com/XctSkS5KEm
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 25, 2021
Look, Bobby Wood scored
Good for Bobby.
TAKE IT YOURSELF, BOBBY WOOD.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 25, 2021
His first MLS goal makes it 2-0! #RSLvCOL pic.twitter.com/j3P4Gnauh9
Cole Bassett also went the full 90 for the Colorado Rapids in the loss but did lead the team with 21 pressures. They seem to be missing Kellyn Acosta quite a bit.
Quinn got an assist - wait, who?
He hasn’t been playing much but Quinn Sullivan made an impact for the Philadelphia Union as they tried to battle back against Inter Miami on the weekend. The midfielder came on as a sub for Alejandro Bedoya, who did not get a yellow card in the game, and notched an assist to Kacper Przybyłko to earn the Union a road point.
to Quinn Sullivan on this one!#MIAvPHI 1 - 1 pic.twitter.com/fu8MaKQL5g
— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) July 26, 2021
Sure, I guess that’s an assist.
The yoots face off in DC
Most of America’s young soccer kids who play play for the Red Bulls. They took the show to DC and... OK, the game was rough. DC scored and probably should have had more but Ola Kamara doesn’t like goals that much apparently and the Red Bulls had just .2 on the ole xG count. Not great. Still, they’re somewhat rebuilding and playing the kids to do it.
Kevin Paredes went 63 minutes for DCU and Caden Clark started and went 70 for NYRB joined by Frankie Amaya who came off the bench for 26 minutes, meanwhile John Tolkin and Kyle Duncan went the full 90. Moises Neyman also came on for a 17 minute stint for Felipe to see out the 1-0 win.
Something to be... proud of?
The Seattle Sounders went to Austin midweek and won but might have embarrassed the league along the way. The team played six players under the age of 20 with five starting, two were under 17. They won 1-0. On the one hand, it’s great to see, good job kids! On the other... it’s a little embarrassing for MLS that a professional team could lose at home to a squad of academy players. Seattle is good, but the rampant expansion of the league is perhaps not the best from a competitive stand point week in and week out.