Now that the 2021 MLS season is in full swing, the denizens of our soccer bubble have more than enough action and intrigue going on to occupy their focus.
That means we sometimes forget to monitor the players on MLS books that are away on loan. We're here to rectify that particular situation with quick catch-ups on all the guys (at least) temporarily lacing up abroad. As you'll soon see, there's plenty of action and intrigue in their ongoing stories, as well.
Of note: With a focus on players abroad, those loaned to USL and CPL clubs aren't spotlighted within this piece.
The forward has enjoyed success in Sweden before, so it was no great shock when he found the net on his Hammarby debut. Accam bagged the stand-up winner in extras to lift the club past Svenska Cupen quarterfinal foe Trelleborg. He'll shoot at his first trophy as a pro when Bajen tackle Häcken in the final on May 30. The Swedish top-flight season kicked off in April, with Accam making one start among his five appearances thus far, mostly as a winger.
No, not that Liverpool, the other one back in the midfielder's homeland of Uruguay. A new season has also just begun there, with Chacon working 75 minutes out on the wing in a 4-2 opening day win at Maldonado on Sunday. The 20-year-old hasn't quite found his footing since coming to Minnesota in 2019, so perhaps this will jumpstart his MLS chances.
The Canada youth international has had his moments in Italy's reserve top flight. Colyn has a wonder strike (see above) and an assist in 10 games, four of which were starts. The seventh-place SPAL U-19's have five games to go this season, but the attacking midfielder is due to remain with them until the end of the year. Colyn, a Vancouver homegrown, made one MLS appearance in 2018.
Barnsley supporters basically worship Dike, and it's because the 20-year-old has taken England's Championship by force of nature. Dike hit nine goals (including four winners) in 19 league games, helping the Tykes inch closer than they've been to the Premier League since 1998. Barnsley dropped its promotion semifinal home leg 1-0 to Swansea City, but can still turn the tie around when the teams clash in Wales on Saturday in order to reach the one-game final.
The defender is yet to suit up for La Lepra due to a metatarsal fracture suffered a week after his loan move back to the club where he developed. Without Escobar, Newell's Old Boys finished last in the first phase of the Argentine top-flight season. They're still alive in the Copa Sudamericana, but need a big win at home on Thursday to give themselves a final shot at advancing to the knockouts.
Playing time has been hard to come by for the striker, with just a single 22-minute appearance for the Europa Conference League chasers. Though AGF holds down the playoff slot with two games left, they still have an outside chance of earning direct qualification. Since coming to MLS in 2019, Jørgensen awaits his first goal through 13 RBNY appearances.
Like his erstwhile Atlanta United backline mate, Meza spent time on the shelf this spring. He missed the Buenos Aires club's first four games of March while recovering from COVID-19, but returned last week to go the distance at center back in a 1-all Copa Libertadores group stage draw at Universitario. On Tuesday night, he came on for the second half as the club clinched their place in the last 16 of the tournament with a wild 4-3 win at Palmeiras. In all, the center back has worked 11 contests for Defensa, who ended the first phase of the Argentine Primera in 11th place.
It's been a rather middling season for the storied Saudi Professional League side (currently eighth in the league, Round of 16 exits in both the Asian Champions League and the King Cup), but Mitrita has been solid. He was slowed by a knee knock in February, yet only missed three matches. Despite failing to make the scoresheet in seven straight, he's registered four goals and five assists in 22 games thus far this season.
The young defender has been bothered by some niggling injuries since making his loan return to Colombia. Nazarit made consecutive 90-minute starts in mid-March, but then sat out five games until making the bench for the second-place club's closing win at La Equidad on April 18. The Cardinals still have slim hope of reaching the Copa Libertadores Round of 16, but will need wins in their last two group games and some help to do so.
Though he'll be there on loan until the end of the year, the 20-year-old wasted no time getting stuck in with the Bolivian giants. Quinteros came out of preseason camp with a starting role, which he's largely kept. He's made nine starts in 11 total games, including four in Copa Libertadores play. The La Paz side, who stand level on points with first place in the table, have leaked only one goal in the central defender's 360 league minutes of action. They're also in strong position to advance from the Copa Sudamericana group phase with two matchdays remaining.
The Uruguay winger's loan adventure in Spain's second division hasn't gone as well as everyone involved had hoped. Rodriguez has made 14 appearances, with but one assist (which, as seen above, set up the late 1-0 winner at Girona on March 7) on his ledger. It's unclear what will happen when his Almeria loan expires, but they have a purchase clause that hinges on promotion to La Liga, as well as some individual conditions. With two games remaining, Almeria have all but secured a promotion playoff berth.
The 21-year-old center back has done fairly well in the Danish second flight this term, and his late-season injury hampered their promotion hexagonal drive to make a Superliga return. Romeo has started seven of his 14 appearances across all competitions, bagging his first goal overseas in the club's DBU-Pokalen second-round victory.
While Servania hasn't made the loan splash of fellow American Taylor Booth, he's established himself as a handyman regular. With shifts in central midfield, on the flank and even at right back, the US youth international has started seven of his nine outings. Unfortunately, St. Pölten are already ensured of a place in the relegation playoff ahead of this weekend's closing day visit from Hartberg.
