It's time again for a monthly check-up on all the players scattered around the globe who got their start in Major League Soccer or a club academy.
The injury bug has bitten a few alums, and a few others are being linked with moves, but nothing has stopped Tim Ream and Jorge Villafana from helping their respective clubs climb the table with hot streaks.
England
<p><strong>Geoff Cameron</strong><br>
HOU: 2008-12</p> |
<p>The Stoke City handyman had come back from a knock to start three straight Premier League tilts in defensive midfield, but the relegation fighters managed only two points despite solid efforts at the back. Cameron was then dropped for the weekend home loss to Everton. Though now winless in seven, the Potters are still just three points shy of the safety zone with seven to play.</p> |
<p><strong>DeAndre Yedlin</strong><br>
SEA: 2013-14</p> |
<p>The US right back went all 90 minutes in each of Newcastle’s EPL games since our last update. The Magpies bagged just a point from road games at Bournemouth and Liverpool, but rebounded for a shutout win over Southampton to stand four points clear of the trap door with a game in hand on four teams below them after the latest round.</p> |
<p><strong>Emerson Hyndman</strong><br>
DAL Academy</p> |
<p>The season of discontent continues unabated for Hyndman, who hasn’t gotten a Bournemouth game since January and hasn’t dressed for one of their Premier League matches since Boxing Day.</p> |
Tim Ream shows his appreciateion to the Fulham supporters. | Reuters/Tony O'Brien
<p><strong>Tim Ream</strong><br>
RBNY: 2010-11</p> |
<p>The center back has worked every Fulham minute since the last update. Their four-game win streak (as well as a 556-minute Craven Cottage shutout string) ended with Saturday's 2-2 draw against QPR. However, the promotion hunters did run their unbeaten streak to 16 games (12-0-4). Ream has helped the Cottagers reach third place, where they're now within seven points of the second promotion spot.</p> |
<p><strong>Matthew Olosunde</strong><br>
RBNY Academy</p> |
<p>After being removed at halftime of a Premier League International Cup defeat to Villarreal with a hamstring knock in late February, the Manchester United reserves defender sat out a pair of league matches. What's more, rumors recently cropped up suggesting he could be loaned back to the Red Bulls for a spell.</p> |
Germany
<p><strong>Weston McKennie</strong><br>
DAL Academy</p> |
<p>The Schalke midfield apprentice returned from a knee knock with a 10-minute sub outing in a win over Hertha Berlin two rounds ago, and then last weekend went the full 90 as the Miners posted their fourth straight victory by shutting out Mainz away. They won again at Wolfsburg on Saturday, but the USMNT hotshot missed out with a muscle problem. Nevertheless, the hot streak has Schalke back up to second place in the Bundesliga table.</p> |
<p><strong>Carlos Salcedo</strong><br>
RSL: 2013-14</p> |
<p>Both the Mexico defender and loan employers Eintracht Frankfurt have seen their form hit turbulence in recent rounds. Salcedo missed consecutive games for tactical reasons before returning to the line-up for last Sunday's loss at Borussia Dortmund. This past round, he wasn't even dressed for a 3-0 cruise past Mainz that pushed Eintracht back up to the final Champions League slot.</p> |
Mexico
<p><strong>Omar Gonzalez</strong><br>
LA: 2009-15</p> |
<p>Since starting a Copa MX loss at San Luis to end February, Gonzalez has been out of the Pachuca 18. A few weeks ago, the Mexican edition of AS reported that Gonzalez was looking for an escape route and that one viable option is an MLS return.</p> |
<p><strong>Rogelio Funes Mori</strong><br>
DAL Academy</p> |
<p>The Monterrey hit man scored in his first two Liga MX outings this month, and has four goals in their last eight league games despite coming up empty in Sunday's win over Queretaro. The club will need more of his goals down the stretch, as they're only two points above the playoff line in sixth.</p> |
<p><strong>Landon Donovan</strong><br>
SJ: 2001-04<br>
LAG: 2005-14, 2016</p> |
<p>Since we last checked in, Donovan has made three more sub appearances in league play and his second in Copa MX action. The former USMNT star converted his spot kick in their March 7 quarterfinal duel with Zacatepec, but Leon lost the shootout to fall out of the running.</p> |
<p><strong>Kekuta Manneh</strong><br>
VAN 2013-17</p> |
<p>Early this month, Manneh made his league debut for Pachuca with a cameo in their loss at Toluca. He also ran his total of Copa MX starts up to five before <em>Los Tuzos</em> bowed out to upstarts Zacatepec in the quarters earlier this month.</p> |
<p><strong>Rafael Baca</strong><br>
SJ: 2011-14</p> |
<p>It's been a strong season for Baca, despite Cruz Azul’s struggles. The defensive midfielder, who is averaging more than 17 recoveries per 90 minutes played, helped La Maquina rout Pachuca 5-0 last weekend for their first "W" in nine. They followed with Sunday's home draw against Pumas, a result that did no favor to slim Liguilla hopes.</p> |
<p><strong>Jorge Villafaña</strong><br>
CHV: 2007-13<br>
POR: 2014-15</p> |
<p>The US left back made his 10th straight start as Santos Laguna held firm in the Liga MX penthouse with a 2-1 victory at Necaxa. <em>Los Verdiblancos</em> have won four straight in league play and are also through to the Copa MX semifinals (without any input from Villafana, thus far).</p> |
<p><strong>Lalo Fernandez</strong><br>
RSL: 2012-17</p> |
<p>The netminder, who has yet to make his debut in Mexico, still gets a great seat for every Tigres match.</p> |
<p><strong>Marco Bustos</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-present</p> |
<p>On the last day of February, the Canada midfielder notched his first Zacatepec goal with the second half 1-0 winner in Copa MX group stage closer against Murcielagos. They've since taken both Pachuca and Leon out on penalties, setting up an April 3 semifinal at Toluca. This past weekend, Bustos made his first start for the loan employers, but was pulled at halftime of their 2-1 loss at Universidad Guadalajara.</p> |
Spain
Former Montreal Impact academy product Ballou Tabla is earning time with Barcelona B. | USA TODAY Sports Images
<p><strong>Ballou Tabla</strong><br>
MTL academy</p> |
<p>The Montreal product's Barcelona B playing time is on a steady rise. Tabla worked his longest outing yet in a 70-minute start last weekend, earning the spot kick for the opener in a 2-2 Segunda Division draw against Numancia. Though he often worked left wing in Montreal, the Catalans have mostly been using him wide right.</p> |
Netherlands
<p><strong>Matt Miazga</strong><br>
NY: 2013-15</p> |
<p>The first half of March has been a roller coaster of emotions for Vitesse and its backline marshal. Miazga helped them earn a 3-2 victory over Ajax two rounds ago, but they followed that act by taking a 5-1 beating at FC Utrecht last weekend and settling for a scoreless home draw with Heracles on Saturday. The Gelredome crew still look in good shape for the Europa League playoffs, but have won just one of five.</p> |
<p><strong>Shane O'Neill</strong><br>
COL: 2012-15</p> |
<p>One day after the last update, O'Neill finally made his Eredivisie debut for Excelsior by coming on very late to help close out a 1-0 victory at Heerenveen. The former Rapids man has watched all three games since from the pine. Despite Friday's late collapse loss to ADO DenHaag (thanks to a brace from American-born Norway striker Bjorn Maars Johnsen), the Rotterdam mites are within five points of a Europa League playoff berth.</p> |
Belgium
<p><strong>Andy Najar</strong><br>
DC: 2010-12</p> |
<p>The shifty right-sider may just get his wish to get back in the game for Anderlecht in time to take part in Belgium's championship playoffs. Out since undergoing hamstring surgery last fall, Najar returned to training last week to help Anderlecht prepare to begin the postseason against Gent on April 1.</p> |
<p><strong>Erik Palmer-Brown</strong><br>
SKC: 2009-17</p> |
<p>The young center back made his loan debut for Kortrijk two weekends back, working all 90 minutes of a 2-1 loss away to league leaders Club Brugge. This past weekend, Palmer-Brown was back on the bench as they fell two points shy of making the Jupiler League championship playoffs despite a 2-0 closing day win over Charleroi. The Guys will begin the Europa League playoff round by hosting Waasland-Beveren a week from Saturday.</p> |
Denmark
<p><strong>Bill Hamid</strong><br>
DC: 2009-17</p> |
<p>The US netminder is simply waiting his turn behind Jesper Hansen, who had backstopped FC Midtjylland to eight straight Superliga wins until a tough 1-0 home defeat to Brondby dipped them to second in the table on goal differential three weeks ago. Hamid has since posted his second reserve team shutout and will hope to get the start when the Wolves visit Emmanuel Sabbi's Hobro for a DBU Pokalenquarterfinal tangle on April 4.</p> |
Guatemala
<p><strong>Moises Hernandez</strong><br>
DAL: 2011-16</p> |
<p>It's business as usual for the Comunicaciones left back, who worked every game as they alternated wins and losses for the last month. Hernandez and his teammates scored a big win last Sunday, knocking Apertura champs Antigua off the summit with a tense 2-1 road decision.</p> |
Israel
<p><strong>Aaron Schoenfeld</strong><br>
CLB: 2012-15</p> |
<p>The embattled Maccabi Tel Aviv striker did grab his first league start in a couple of months on February 24, and helped set up the capper in a 4-0 rout of Hapoel Haifa. Schoenfeld again got the nod for a scoreless draw at Ashdod the following week, but was an unused sub as the 21-time champs opened the Ligat Ha'al championship playoff round with a 2-1 home defeat against Hapoel Haifa.</p> |
Norway
<p><strong>Sam Adekugbe</strong><br>
VAN: 2013-17</p> |
<p>The Canada left back celebrated his Valerenga debut by going the distance in a 1-0 triumph over Elitesrien opening day hosts Kristiansund BK a week ago Sunday. This past weekend, Adekugbe and Co. moved into second place with a 2-1 home win over Odds BK.</p> |
Romania
<p><strong>Anatole Abang</strong><br>
RBNY: 2015-16</p> |
<p>The striker has been in and out of the Astra Giurgiu line-up in recent weeks, and didn't see the field in their championship playoff round opening loss to Universitatea Craiova last weekend. He's without a goal in his last 319 minutes of play.</p> |
Scotland
<p><strong>Andy Rose</strong><br>
SEA: 2012-15</p> |
<p>The midfielder's playing time is suddenly being divided at Motherwell. Rose had come on as a sub in two of their three contests before Sunday's draw with SPL leaders Celtic, which Rose missed with a knee knock.</p> |
Sweden
<p><strong>Romain Gall</strong><br>
CLB: 2014-15</p> |
<p>The former US Under-20 ace made it two goals from his first two appearances of the campaign by striking the late winner against Svenska Cupen group stage guests Varnamo near the end of last month. Gall and his Sundsvall teammates are now getting amped up for their April 2 Allsvenskan opener against compatriot Brendan Hines-Ike and Orebro.</p> |
Turkey
<p><strong>Fabian Castillo</strong><br>
DAL: 2011-16</p> |
<p>The season has gone completely sour for the Trabzonspor winger since our last check. First, Castillo suffered an ankle fracture that should sideline him for the rest of the campaign. Then, as he started recovery, reports broke that the Colombia international had handed in a transfer request.</p> |
<p><strong>Cyle Larin</strong><br>
ORL: 2015-17</p> |
<p>The Canada striker made the sub's bench for the fourth straight Super Lig round in Sunday's 1-0 derby loss at Istanbul Basaksehir. The result dropped the Black Eagles to third, four points off the title pace of another local rival, Galatasaray.</p> |
Poland
<p><strong>Brian Iloski</strong><br>
LA academy</p> |
<p>Less than a month after signing with Legia Warsaw, Iloski enjoyed an Ekstraklasa debut for the league leaders. The attacker made a brief cameo at the end of their 3-1 victory at Lechia Gdansk on March 11.</p> |
