With another month of the calendar gone by, it's time again to check in on all the Major League Soccer and club academy products scattered around the planet.
Though we've reached a new year, the injury bug is still taking a noticeable bite out of this group. On the other hand, the globe-trotting likes of Landon Donovan, Bil Hamid and Kekuta Manneh have newly expanded our watch list.
England
<p><strong>Geoff Cameron</strong><br>
HOU: 2008-12</p> |
<p>Following seven straight starts (at three different positions), Cameron is once again in the Stoke City recovery ward. He left early from their galling FA Cup loss at Coventry City 10 days ago with a hamstring complaint. The Potters are hoping their defensive stalwart can hop back aboard their survival drive for the weekend tilt against Danny Williams and Huddersfield Town.</p> |
Reuters Action Images
<p><strong>DeAndre Yedlin</strong><br>
SEA: 2013-14</p> |
<p>The Newcastle right back has started eight consecutive EPL matches and 18 of his last 19. On Saturday, Yedlin helped preserve a 1-1 draw against Swansea City with a stoppage time clearance off the line. The point earned means the Magpies have rebounded from a dreary November and early December spell to claim eight points from their last five games, a haul that has lifted them to three points above the relegation zone. Next up? Saturday's trip to face table-toppers Manchester City.</p> |
<p><strong>Emerson Hyndman</strong><br>
DAL Academy</p> |
<p>Though the midfielder is still waiting on his Premier League debut, he did go the distance in Bournemouth's FA Cup draw with Wigan on Jan. 6. Hyndman has not made the bench for the last three league games, an unbeaten stretch that saw the Cherries pull four points clear of the drop zone.</p> |
<p><strong>Tim Ream</strong><br>
RBNY: 2010-11</p> |
<p>While they were knocked out of the FA Cup a couple weeks back, Ream and Fulham have been on a roll in Championship play. The defender celebrated the holidays by bagging his first goal of the season in a Boxing Day win at Cardiff City. Saturday's 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough was the Cottagers' fourth in five games, and has them just two points shy of the promotion playoff zone. </p> |
<p><strong>Matthew Olosunde</strong><br>
NY Academy</p> |
<p>The Manchester United prospect was one of seven reserve players added to first-team training by Jose Mourinho over the busy holiday schedule period. Last weekend, the versatile New Jersey native returned to the Under-23 side to work all 90 at right midfield against West Ham United. It was his first start off the backline all season.</p> |
<p><strong>Erik Palmer-Brown</strong><br>
SKC: 2009-17</p> |
<p>A couple of weeks ago, everyone and their mother was reporting PSV Eindhoven as the favorites to borrow the young Manchester City signing. Since then, it's all gone very quiet around Palmer-Brown, but his new side do have an imposing 15-point lead in the EPL title race.</p> |
Germany
REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
<p><strong>Weston McKennie</strong><br>
DAL Academy</p> |
<p>The teen midfielder watched all 90 minutes from the bench for the first time since October as Schalke had second place wrested away by RB Leipzig this past weekend. Over the winter break, the Miners staff even gave McKennie a shift at center back in a friendly. He apparently did well in a win over Genk. "He's good in the air, strong and up for anything," manager Domenico Tedesco told reporters.</p> |
<p><strong>Carlos Salcedo</strong><br>
RSL: 2013-14</p> |
<p>The Mexico center back has started nine straight games (next to CONCACAF rival Timothy Chandler) for Eintracht Frankfurt, improving as the weeks go by. Saturday's draw with Freiburg left Salcedo and his loan employers in mid-table, but also one point back of a Europa League slot and just two short of a Champions League place.</p> |
Mexico
<p><strong>Omar Gonzalez</strong><br>
LA: 2009-15</p> |
<p>The Pachuca defender saw an eventful 2017 in club campaign capped by a slim Copa MX final loss to Monterrey. Gonzalez started in a 3-2 Clausura opening day loss to Pumas, but was not dressed for Saturday's draw with Club América. In between those games, the former Galaxy man was linked with interest from FC Dallas.</p> |
Action Images / Reuters
<p><strong>Rogelio Funes Mori</strong><br>
DAL Academy</p> |
<p>The Monterrey striker picked up right where he left off as a Liguilla finalist and Copa champion in December by striking his side's lone goal in a draw with Monarcas on last weekend's Clausura opening day.</p> |
<p><strong>Landon Donovan</strong><br>
SJ: 2001-04<br>
LAG: 2005-14, 2016</p> |
<p>Now that he's done shocking our soccer bubble by signing for Club Leon, the guy with his name on the MLS MVP trophy will battle for a place in their rotation. It won't be a cakewalk; <em>Los Esmeraldas</em> have won two straight out of the Clausura gate and they have a deep stable of attacking players.</p> |
<p><strong>Kekuta Manneh</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-17<br>
CLB: 2017</p> |
<p>The fresh Pachuca catch is only getting started training with the club, but made his debut in a Copa MX match against San Luis on Tuesday night. He started and went 57 minutes, but couldn't help <em>Los Tuzos</em> get on the scoresheet in a 1-0 loss.</p> |
<p><strong>Rafael Baca</strong><br>
SJ: 2011-14</p> |
<p>The Cruz Azul midfielder started every single league, cup and Liguilla match in 2017, and remains a loc to start in the new year. After finishing sixth in the Apertura, his club are off to an unbeaten start to the Clausura. On Sunday, Baca's long-range stunner counted as the winner as <em>La Máquina</em> topped Chivas 3-1.</p> |
<p><strong>Jorge Villafaña</strong><br>
CHV: 2007-13<br>
POR: 2014-15</p> |
<p>After starting their Apertura finale, the US defender was back to keeping the bench warm in both of Santos Laguna's first two games (which they split). Villafaña is now firmly behind 19-year old Gerardo Arteaga, who has gotten the nod at left back in nine of their last 10 league games. He did, however, start and go the distance in Santos' 1-0 Copa MX win at Mineros de Zacatecas on Tuesday.</p> |
<p><strong>Lalo Fernandez</strong><br>
RSL: 2012-17</p> |
<p>As a new season dawns, the netminder is still the backup for Apertura champs Tigres.</p> |
USA Today Images
<p><strong>Marco Bustos</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-present</p> |
<p>Having just arrived on loan to second-division Zacatepec, the Canada midfielder has six months south of the US border to earn his way back into the Whitecaps' first-team reckoning. Bustos endured a rough welcome to life in Mexico on Tuesday night, though, being subbed at halftime with his team down three at Necaxa in the Copa MX, a game that eventually ended 5-0.</p> |
Netherlands
<p><strong>Matt Miazga</strong><br>
NY: 2013-15</p> |
<p>It's become business as usual for the US center back at second-time loan home Vitesse. Due to a yellow card suspension, Miazga missed out on a 15th straight Eredivisie start when they returned from the winter break with a 1-0 win at Sparta Rotterdam on Tuesday night. Vitessestand just two points back of the Europa League playoff zone.</p> |
<p><strong>Shane O'Neill</strong><br>
COL: 2012-15</p> |
<p>The summer NAC Breda recruit remains both on the mend with an abdominal injury and in search of his first bit of Eredivisie action.</p> |
Belgium
<p><strong>Andy Najar</strong><br>
DC: 2010-12</p> |
<p>The Anderlecht right-sider was working his way back from a hamstring injury when he suffered a major setback in a reserve team match late last month. The club now expect the Honduras international to miss the rest of the season. </p> |
Denmark
<p><strong>Bill Hamid</strong><br>
DC: 2009-17</p> |
<p>The US netminder and his new FC Midtjylland teammates are gearing up to bring the Superliga out of its winter slumber with a Feb. 9 visit to AC Horsens, though Hamid himself won’t join the squad until after the USMNT’s January camp. It won't be easy to quickly wrestle the starting job from veteran Jesper Hansen, who is currently on a 10-0-1 league run. </p> |
Guatemala
<p><strong>Moises Hernandez</strong><br>
DAL: 2011-16</p> |
<p>The Guatemala left back did not dress as Comunicaciones opened the Guatemalan Clausura with a 2-0 home loss to Antigua on Sunday.</p> |
Israel
<p><strong>Aaron Schoenfeld</strong><br>
CLB: 2012-15</p> |
<p>Since returning from back-to-back muscle injuries near the end of November, the forward has struggled to break into a streaking Maccabi Tel Aviv side. He made one mid-December league start, but minor knocks have limited him to two sub appearances in the last five games. It does not help Schoenfeld's immediate case for playing time that Maccabi has won all of those matches to move level on points with the league-leading holders, Hapoel Be'er Sheva.</p> |
<p><strong>Michael Seaton</strong><br>
DC: 2013-15<br>
POR: 2015-16</p> |
<p>The Maccabi Ahi Nazareth forward remains on the hunt for his first strike of the season in the second division. Seaton has thus far come up empty in 756 minutes spread across 14 appearances for a slumping promotion chaser that could use some goals.</p> |
Norway
<p><strong>Sam Adekugbe</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-17</p> |
<p>The Canada left back and new crew Valerenga begin preseason friendlies this week in preparation for their March 12 Tippeligaen opener at Kristiansund.</p> |
Portugal
<p><strong>Oriol Rossell</strong><br>
SKC: 2012-14</p> |
<p>The Spaniard has started all three Portimonense games since they resumed play following the holidays. The strugglers are now winless in six, despite allowing just a goal per game in the span.</p> |
Romania
<p><strong>Anatole Abang</strong><br>
NY: 2015-16</p> |
<p>The young Cameroon forward will not be in uniform when the Europa League hunters return from hibernation on February 2. He picked up a red card (his second of the season) during their final match before the winter pause and must sit out a suspension before he returns to competitive action.</p> |
Scotland
USA Today Images
<p><strong>Andy Rose</strong><br>
SEA: 2012-15</p> |
<p>While the midfielder remains a solid cog for Motherwell, the club's current run of futility as seen them manage just two points from the last eight matches. Rose & Co. have fallen from Europa League contenders to a place where they may soon need to start worrying about survival.</p> |
Sweden
<p><strong>Romain Gall</strong><br>
CLB: 2014-15</p> |
<p>With a new campaign set to begin, Sundsvall are hoping for increased production from the 22-year-old winger in his second Allsvenskan go-around. Gall and friends get back to Svenska Cupen work on February 17, and will kick off a fresh league season against visiting Orebro on April 2.</p> |
Turkey
<p><strong>Fabian Castillo</strong><br>
DAL: 2011-16</p> |
<p>After racking up four assists in a seven-game domestic span, the Trabzonspor winger missed their last pair of games before the winter break with the flu. Castillo should be ready to go when the Black Sea-siders carry an eight-game league unbeaten run into their January icebreaker at Konyaspor on Sunday.</p> |
