Fort Lauderdale Strikers legend Marlon Freitas is the starting d-mid for reigning Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo.

Also on that team: Inter Miami’s Fafa Picault.

Two participants in the Club World Cup!

1000%. That was a game changer.

Even now for a ton of these guys the best path is academy -> next pro -> USL Champo -> MLS. The whole pathway matters.
bsky.app/profile/njem...

yeah

Once a structure like that is in place, the floor gets higher and once the floor is higher, it becomes a virtuous cycle for one group after another.

And hopefully somewhere in there you get a global superstar or three who can lead you to a full World Cup title.

Does making the U-20 QFs once matter? Not really! And even our excellent run from 2003-2007 wasn't as good as it looked b/c so much of it revolved around one exceptionally dominant youth level talent (Adu).

This is legit 5 separate cohorts who've gotten there. It's structural now.

Se reeked from 2009-2013 before these rosters started getting filled with MLS talent, which really began with the 2015 group.

Now we're the most consistent team in the world at this level & first to do 5 straight QF appearances since Brazil did 13 straight (lmao), which was ended (by us!) in 2007.

The US are into the U-20 World Cup quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive tournament.

**insert 2000 words on the MLS academy initiative kicking off in 2007, and this being immediately downstream of that**

Also it's just so freaking dope that we're producing 10s now:

Luna
Paxten
Guti
McGlynn
Taha
Niko
Wolff (kinda)
Leyva

Gonna rage if Tsakiris doesn't get 2000+ MLS minutes next year. Be it in San Jose or elsewhere.

Wondo goal from Cremaschi here. Love to see it.

he's done great work

Those our our guys!

Congrats to @benwright.bsky.social for being voted Nashville's Best Sports Writer by the @nashvillescene.com readers, and to @valair.bsky.social for finishing in the Top 3!

yeah there's been a big shift back to it post-Covid.

Did a midweek mailbag and got the room to stretch my wings a bit and think philosophically about where all the No. 10s have gone.
www.mlssoccer.com/news/midweek...

the cameras cutting to A-Rod and Jeter as they do this is cinema

Congratulations, you played yourself

genuinely think they are feeding him AI videos

other teams have new fans, too.

Still tho, I'm seeing now it's not just a "fans" thing. Appears to be cultural.

You can set your watch to Timbers fans crashing out over this every. single. year.

No other fanbase does this. It's wild.

Since this list started the rule has always been "are you under 22 when the season finishes? If yes, eligible. If not, ineligible."

That's not a technicality. That's literally the rule.

bsky.app/profile/adam...

WHY IS ALVAS POWELL NOT ON THIS LIST

I did a mailbag for the first time this year! Talked 'Caps, Union, FC Dallas's post-Lucho turnaround and a few other things.

I also fixed D.C. United. That was easy.
www.mlssoccer.com/news/midweek...