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By Tyler Trent Charlotte FC’s midfield has a lot of questions going into year two. With multiple player departures and options declined, reinforcement is definitely needed. Multiple midfield additions will likely happen in the offseason. In our article yesterday, we mentioned a number of players on the foreign transfer market that could be of interest to Charlotte FC. I felt like multiple players deserved a little deeper dive. Today, I’ll be going more in-depth on some of those players that could fill each of the three midfield positions next season if Charlotte is to continue in their 4-2-3-1 formation. First starting with the “6” position. The 6 Samuel Gustafson protects the ball from a Helsingborg player. Photo courtesy of Mathias Bergeld. Samuel Gustafson (Age 27) The most traditional and experienced “6” mentioned in the article from yesterday was Samuel Gustafson, the 27-year-old midfielder from BK Häcken. Gustafson is a player that will cover every blade of grass (or turf) on the pitch as shown by the his heatmap for last season below. Samuel Gustafson Heat map courtesy of SofaScore Gustafson recently received his first callup for the senior national team of Sweden in November after his successful Allsvenskan season. He played nearly every minute for Hacken in their historic title-winning campaign. While playing as the “6” in a 4-3-3 formation, he managed to add a goal and 4 assists this campaign. However, his offensive capability is only a bonus. Gustafson is a immensely talented passer of the ball where he averaged 89% pass accuracy on the season including 83% in the opposition half. He was pretty accurate with long balls (66%) and chipped passes as well (55%) from his defensive midfield position. Defensively, he was in the upper echelon in duel win percentage for both aerial and ground duels, both 59%. He was tidy with the ball, with only one error on the season leading to a shot for the opposing team. Overall, Gustafson is a player that can be relied on every match to show up and give his all and fight for his team. His impressive passing from deep would be a great asset for Charlotte FC if he was to come in and compete with Brandt Bronico and Derrick Jones. With a 1.1-million-dollar price, it could be an immediate upgrade at defensive midfield if he was able to transition and would provide a lot of depth at the “6”. Johnny battles for a ball against an América de Cali player. Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Johnny (Age 21) João Lucas de Souza Cardoso, better know as Johnny, was born to Brazilian parents in New Jersey who returned to Brazil when he was 3 months old. He grew up in academies of Criciúma and Avaí before moving to Internacional in 2014. In 2019, he finally got his chance with the first team and made his mark. In 2020, he received his first cap for the United States senior national team after playing previously with the U-23 team. Last season in Brazil, Johnny played both the “6” and the “8”. However, he shines in his defensive actions and work rate. He led the league in interceptions and dominated in defensive actions and shot blocks as shown in the below radar. He was good in duels as well and ranked highly in expected assists and progressive carries compared to the rest of the Brasileiro Série A midfielders. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. Johnny would provide a good utility signing capable of playing both the “6” and the “8” similar to what Brandt Bronico did last season. He has shown the tools capable of playing both at a high level in Brazil. However, he only started 45% of Internacional’s matches last season. He could be looking for more playing time and has rumored interested from some European clubs. If Charlotte was able to secure him for around his estimated value of 2.6 million dollars “The 8” Bilal Hussein for AIK. Photo courtesy of AIK. Bilal Hussein Bilal Hussein was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to Somali parents. He joined the AIK academy system in 2014 before breaking into the first team squad in 2018. By 2019, he was making regular appearances for the first team and became a regular starter in the following seasons as he began to make a name for himself in Sweden. Hussein was a regular for both the U19 and U21 Swedish national teams, but has yet to receive a call up for the senior team. While he is capable of playing both the "6" and the "8", Bilal's strength is very much at the "8" being able to link up play with his teammates ahead of him and progressing the ball forward. He loves to play the ball into runners in the box from the 30-40 yard range and provides a really nice curled in ball for the runner to attack. He is very tidy with the ball and has a great first touch. Hussein is a great crosser of the ball and hits a very accurate long ball as well. He led all midfielder in short and medium range passing and ended the season with a 91% overall pass completion percentage. In MLS, Hussein may not be suited for the physical play expected of a "6". However, game film and stats point to him being excellent in a slightly more advanced role where he won't be required to use his strength as much. Hussein would thrive in an environmental where he is able to pass the ball and not be required to be an enforcer, nor a major scoring contributor to the team. Currently valued at 2.1 million dollars, he would be a great addition to the Charlotte FC squad as an "8" that could provide the much needed link-up play that Charlotte was at times missing last season. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. Sergio Peña on the ball for Malmö. Photo courtesy of Andreas Hillergren/TT Sergio Peña (Age 27) Sergio Peña is another midfielder dominating the Swedish Allsvenskan. The 27-year-old Peruvian midfielder came through the youth system of Alianza Lima before breaking into their first team in 2012. He later was transferred to Granada and played with their B team, their first team, and also out on loan. Peña has been a bit of a journeyman playing in home country of Peru, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and now Sweden for Malmö. Peña ranks very highly compared to other central midfielders in Sweden. However, he only started 57% of Malmö's matches in the league in a very congested squad of midfield talent. The radar below clearly show that Sergio is a very rounded player capable of a wide range of passing, dribbling, and with solid defensive contribution including the best possession adjusted tackles & interceptions for all central midfielders in the league. His passing percentages fall in a similar line to the previously mentioned Bilal Hussein with Hussein edging him slightly in that department. Sergio Peña Heatmap courtesy of SofaScore. Valued at the same price as Bilal Hussein, 2.1 million dollar, both are quality options that provide an elite level of passing, with Hussein edging him slightly. However, Peña is much more willing to get involved in the dirty work of midfield. Both would provide a boost to Charlotte FC's midfield, but Peña would likely contribute more to the slightly more to the attack. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. The Hybrid 8 and 10 The players below have been played in a number of positions in their young careers. While all three have most recently been played at the "8" position, they have shown the quality and characteristics to fill the attacking midfield role as well. Carlo Holse celebrates a goal. Photo courtesy of Rosenborg BK. Carlo Holse (Age 23) The Danish Holse has made his name is Norway after leaving FC Copenhagen in 2020. A former academy player for the club, he made a few odd appearances in his three season with the first team squad before being sold fairly cheaply to Rosenborg. Since leaving Copenhagen, Holse has proven himself to be a very valuable and flexible player. Holse has been a jack of all trades, playing every outfield position other than centre-back and right-back. While most of his appearances have come at right-wing, this season he has been playing in the midfield of a 3-5-2 formation which has allowed him some freedom to float around the pitch, but with an emphasis on the left. I've included him in this hybrid category of the midfielder deep dive as he has proven he is capable of playing in numerous positions at a high level. However, I think his best position is in an attacking midfield role. The radar below shows his absolute domination in assisting statistics compared to other midfielders in Norway this season. This season was a down season in goal-scoring for Holse compared to the previous season. This is likely due to him playing in a left midfield role compared to playing much of last season at right-wing which allow him to cut in on his strong left foot to finish. However, he made up for his decrease in goals with 16 assists this season. Carlo Holse is currently estimated to be worth approximately 1.7 million dollars. This is a relatively low fee for a player with as much offensive production with strong finishing as Holse provides his team currently. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. Yasin Ayari models the AIK kit. Photo courtesy of AIK. Yasin Ayari (Age 19) Yasin Ayari is possibly the hottest prospect mentioned in this article. A member of the AIK academy from the time he was 8 in 2012 to 2020, Ayari was able to break out this past season for AIK's first team. He appeared in 24 games scoring 4 times and adding two assists. Ayari was born to Moroccan and Tunisian parents in Solna, Sweden, an urban area of Stockholm. Ayari is a midfield player that is going to work hard and fight to win back the ball when out of possession and look for a positive pass forward when he has the ball. Ayari likes to play up the field and look to play dangerous balls forward to his teammate and has the confidence to go for goal himself. He has an excellent first touch which allows him to quickly move the ball forward. While his stat sheet isn't the most impressive compared to some of the other players mentioned here, Ayari has an intangible air about him where you are always excited to see what he is going to do with the ball when he receives it. As shown in the chart below, he was a well rounded midfielder last season and definitely made an influence when he was involved. At this point his career, Ayari would likely be a project midfielder with a very high ceiling. At his currently estimated 3.2 million dollar value and with reported interested from teams in Europe, Ayari is on the rise. He could be a prime candidate for a Young Designated Player or U22 initiative spot on Charlotte's roster. However, with only one pro season under his belt, it could be a risky move as well. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. Hugo Vetlesen celebrates a goal. Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Hugo Vetlesen - Age 22 Hugo Vetlesen came up through Stabæk in Norway making regular appearances for them until 2020 when he was transferred to Bodø/Glimt. While he had a good season in 2021, he really broke out this past season with 16 goals and 12 assists. While this is an outlier in his statistical history, he has always performed well in Norway. This season Bodø/Glimt scored a massive 86 goals in their 30 league games, due to large part to Vetlesen's contributions. Vetlesen is a similar player to the previously mentioned Ayari when it comes to his attacking attributes. He like to take shots and play smart passes in the final third. However, he won't offer as much in attack and buildup compared to some other players in this article. He is a strong dribbler that will take on players after receiving the ball with his great first touch and often a clever touch around the defender. While Vetlesen will track back for his team, his strengths really are up the pitch with the ball at his feet. So while he plays as more of an "8" for his team currently, I think he would make a much better "10" for Charlotte FC with strong midfielder playing in behind him. At an estimated 1.3 million dollars, Vetlesen could be a steal for Charlotte if he was available around that estimated price. Vetlesen has a lot of European competition experience as Bodø/Glimt has began to make a name for themselves over the past two seasons with big wins over Roma, AZ, and Celtic. He also recently made his debut for the senior Norway national team in November. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. The 10 While Charlotte seemed to find a solution with Karol Świderski filling in as an attacking midfielder for the team to end the season, finding other players capable of playing that role at a high level is still important. With the impending arrival of forward Enzo Copetti, we could see that become Karol's primary position for Charlotte. It remains to be seen where Charlotte would prefer to use Świderski. Franco Cristaldo celebrates in his classic fashion. Photo courtesy of CA Huracán. Franco Cristaldo - Age 26 Franco Cristaldo was passed around by Boca Juniors throughout his youth until finally finding his feet at Huracán while on loan there in 2020. In 2022, they made that move permanent and he had the best season of his career scoring 14 goals and providing 5 assists for a strong Huracán team in Argentina. While 8 (100% conversion rate) of those goals were from the penalty spot, he was effective in multiple areas of the pitch. Cristaldo was involved in 54% of his team's goals last season in the league. Cristaldo is a player with a lot of flair who will play hard for his team and fight for balls in the midfield. He is effective in the attacking half with his strong dribbling skills, aerial prowess, and wide passing range. Cristaldo has all the marking of an excellent MLS designated player level attacking midfielder. The radar below shows he was well rounded compared to other midfield players in Argentina last season as he played a massive 3,787 minutes last season. However, as mentioned in the previous article a deal could be close to complete with Grêmio to transfer the player to Brazil. If that deal falls through, Charlotte should be considering Cristaldo as a potential player to bring into the squad. The biggest risk is Cristaldo has only played at this high of level once in his career at the age of 26. Some of that could be due to being constantly thrown into new team environments each season on loan, however, it could still be a concern when spending the amount of money that would be required to secure the player. While his estimated value is 6.3 million dollars, the reported figure for the Grêmio transfer was closer to 4.5 million dollars. Rumors as late as last yesterday suggested that the deal between Grêmio and Huracán may not happen, which could leave Charlotte an opening if they were interested in the player. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. Iliman Ndiaye kisses the Senegal badge at the World Cup. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters. Iliman Ndiaye - Age 22 Born in France to Senegalese father and French mother, Ndiaye's journey to playing for Senegal at the World Cup has been anything but ordinary. He was moved through multiple acadmies before ultimately winding up at Boreham Wood in England's 5th division. He never made a first team appearance for Boreham Wood, but continued to work hard and make a name for himself with non-league side Rising Ballers. Despite never making a first team appearances for Boreham Wood, Ndiaye was able to make a name for himself through their youth system and his time with Rising Ballers. Ndiaye was signed by Sheffield United who at the time were a Premier League team. Ndiaye finally got his opportunity for Sheffield when they were relegated to the Championship for the 2021-2022 season and he has taken that opportunity and continued to make a name for himself. Radar courtesy of Ben Griffis. Ndiaye has scored 9 goals and added 2 assists this season for Sheffield United. In the World Cup, he made 3 appearances and provided an assist in the win against Qatar. He is capable of playing an attacking midfield role as well as up top. His strengths are definitely better suited to playing in the attacking midfield role. He is a deceptively strong dribbler with a high work rate and excellent finishing skills. At times, he remind me of what Świderski brings to the game for Charlotte. He's equally dangerous with either foot and for headed goals. His biggest weakness is in aerial duels, but playing as an attacking midfielder should limit how many times he is involved in one. Iliman Ndiaye Heatmap courtesy of SofaScore. He is currently valued at around 3.7 million dollars, however, his value could see a World Cup bump while also playing a good season for 2nd place Sheffield United. Illiman Ndiaye could be brought in as young designated player to replace Jordy Alcívar who recently returned to Ecuador and freed up both a designated player spot and an international spot. All player values have been sourced from Transfermarkt – they are not representative of actual transfer fees that would be required to sign a player and, in many cases, will be lower than the actual value of the player. The transfer market is much more difficult than looking at players values. This article does not take into account player salaries and intangibles.

By Tyler Trent Brandt Bronico visits the U13/U12 Discovery Program. Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC. Our second position of need will be midfield depth. At the moment, the Charlotte FC options in central midfield are Brandt Bronico, Nuno Santos, Derrick Jones, Chris Hegardt, and Ben Bender. Moving into next season, Chris Hegardt is likely to see split time between Charlotte’s MLS Next Pro team, and the senior team with Brant Bronico, Nuno Santos, Derrick Jones, and Ben Bender as the main midfield options. Bender has often played further up the field than the previously mentioned players, but could slot in deeper as needed. Charlotte likely see Derrick Jones and Brandt Bronico competing for the starting "6" position for the team in year two. Bronico finished the season playing a more advanced role, but I think he is more suited playing deep. Rumors are that Charlotte is also considering another player to fill the "6" position as well. Adding more central midfielders will be a key area to improve the team and add more depth. I could see Charlotte signing a starting caliber player and bringing in another strong depth piece as well with the departure of Jordy Alcívar. For attacking midfield, Charlotte currently has options of Ben Bender, Nuno Santos, and Karol Świderski. It remains to be seen if Charlotte considers any of the above players primarily an attacking midfielder. Although the rumored signing of Enzo Copetti could lead one to believe that Świderski might be staying in that position as he finished last season. Regardless, looking for more players capable of filling that role is likely be considered for the club. Central Midfield - Dream Signing Tijjani Reijnders on the pitch for AZ. Photo courtesy of AZ. Tijjani Reijnders (AZ Alkmaar – Age 24) has started seeing consistent playing time this season for AZ in the Dutch Eredivisie. Reijnders is midfield player who can control the middle of the park with his accurate passing no matter the distance needed. In 26 games across all competitions this season, he has scored 5 goals and added 6 assists. Reijnders is currently estimated to be worth 6.3 million dollars which would require Reijnders to come as a designated-player. When the research began for this article, his estimated value was closer to 3 million dollars which was a more realistic fee for Charlotte FC to consider. However, if they think he is designated player quality, he could still be a potential option but at a record-breaking price for Charlotte FC if he does at his current estimated value. Central Midfield - Realistic Signings Johnny Cardoso (Sport Club Internacional – Age 21) received a callup to the United States national team after Yunus Musah was out with an injury in September. Johnny last season in the Brazilian Série A was a strong one for the midfielder with 3 goals and 2 assists. Transfermarkt’s estimated price tag is 2.6 million dollars which puts him in a reasonable price range for furthering midfield depth. His USA citizenship is also a big plus as previously mentioned. Johnny would provide a lot of fight in midfield to win possession back and start the attack. Bilal Hussein for AIK. Photo courtesy of AIK. Bilal Hussein (AIK – Age 22) has been an elite passer for AIK in the Swedish Allsvenskan this season. In his five seasons with AIK, he has seen a steady increase in playtime and consistency. Known for his accurate long balls, he has also seen an increase in offensive production this season with 3 assists in 24 games. He is currently estimated with a 2.1 million dollars price tag which makes him well-in the range Charlotte should be looking to pay for an updated midfield. Hugo Vetlesen celebrates a goal. Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Hugo Vetlesen (FK Bodø/Glimt - Age 22) has possibly the most impressive stat line for this season. He scored 16 goals and added 12 assists in 29 games all while playing from central midfield. Currently valued at 1.3 million dollars, for a very talented player could be a bargain. His defensive and standard passing stats aren't as impressive as his goalscoring feats, but they are average for the league as well. However, he is near the top of the league in most offensive stats. Hampus Finndell (Djurgårdens IF – Age 22) is another Swedish midfielder that I’ve kept an eye on recently. In 27 matches this season, he scored 5 times and added 2 assists from central midfield. While his passing numbers aren’t as accurate as the previously mentioned Hussein, he provides more offensive output with decent passing stats as well. His team also play a pressing style which could benefit Charlotte. The young Swede is currently valuated at 1.9 million dollars. Sergio Peña on the ball for Malmö. Photo courtesy of Andreas Hillergren/TT Sergio Peña (Malmö FF – Age 26) is a Peruvian midfielder that currently plays in the Allsvenskan. He previously made stops in La Liga and the Eredivisie, and is a regular with the Peru National Team. Peña is an all-around midfielder with a great range of passing with pressing and other strong defensive work as well. He is currently valued at 2.1 million dollars and could provide that bite in the midfield that has been missing since the departure of Alan Franco. Johan Hove (Strømsgodset – Age 22) while only 22 years old, he is currently in his 7th season playing professional football in Norway. With an unusual amount of experience for a 22-year-old, Hove has continued to improve his game from central midfield. This season, he scored 11 goals and added 2 assists. Hove has also been a regular with the youth teams of Norway, most recently the U21 team with 19 appearances. With an estimated value of 1.4 million dollars, he could be a prime target for Charlotte FC in the offseason. Yasin Ayari models the AIK kit. Photo courtesy of AIK. Yasin Ayari (AIK – Age 19) is another talented midfield player for AIK in Sweden. He has been generating hype lately throughout Europe. He finished the season with 4 goals and 2 assists in 24 appearances. Ayari is currently valued at 3.2 million dollars and could make for a strong U-22 initiative or YDP candidate. Ayari loves to shoot and play the ball through the defense to his forwards. He has looked very impressive at a young age for AIK and the Swedish youth national teams. Ben Lederman battles for the ball. Photo courtesy of Rakow. Ben Lederman (Raków Częstochowa – Age 22) the former USA youth international who was the first American to be invited to Barcelona’s La Masia, is an interesting prospect for Charlotte FC. The American-born, Polish central midfielder has been with Raków for the past four seasons, but last season he really made a name for himself in Poland as a regular starter as his club finished second in the table. This season, he has been getting less minutes which could leave an opening for Charlotte to swoop in if he is interested in returning to the United States. He is currently valued at 1.1 million dollars which could be a perfect signing that wouldn’t take up an international spot, but could provide good depth in midfield. Zorgane for Charleroi. Photo courtesy of Joris Verwijst/Getty Images. Adem Zorgane (Charleroi - Age 22) is an imposing figure to have in midfield. Capable of playing at the "6" and "8", the Algerian will cover a lot of ground across the full pitch and provide quality passing in all situations while being positionally aware in defensive situations to extinguish trouble before it begins. Currently valued at 4.1 million dollars, Zorgane is becoming a regular with the Algerian national team for good reason. However, he has recently commented to media that he intends to stay with Charleroi through the season to secure a better position in the standings. Samuel Gustafson (BK Häcken - Age 27) is the captain of Häcken and a teammate of the previously mentioned left-back Kristoffer Lund. A textbook defensive midfielder who controls the center of the pitch and loves to be on the ball with an excellent passing range. He was consistently one of the best players for this years Swedish champions providing strong cover for the defense and progressing the ball up into the attack. Midfield – Hidden Gem Amir Richardson playing for Le Havre. Photo courtesy of Ligue 2. Amir Richardson (Le Havre - Age 20) is the son of former American basketball player Micheal "Sugar" Ray Richardson, however he was born to a French-Moroccan mother and has grown up in France and has broken out with Le Havre's first team in Ligue 2. Richardson has scored 1 goal and added 2 assists in Ligue 2 this season in 13 appearances. His value is currently estimated at 2.1 million dollars, but he recently moved to Reims this summer so a move to Charlotte may be unlikely. Richardson provides a unique profile to the previously mentioned players. At 6' 5", he has a lot of height to help me with aerial challenges and his long reach help him with ground duals and interceptions. He is an excellent progressive passer including long ball and through balls and has some dribble ability as well. Final Thoughts on Central Midfielders Charlotte FC will likely look for midfielder reinforcements, whether they look to do that within the league, in the MLS draft, or abroad remains to be seen. However, if they do look abroad, any of the mentioned players could provide a much needed boost to the middle of the pitch. Yasin Ayari and Bilal Hussein are two players I would particularly love to see in MLS as U-22 initiative players or young designated-players. They both have really high upsides and have received interest from some top league and clubs in Europe. Bringing that talent level to MLS and the Queen City could be huge especially with the success of recent U-22 initiative players like José Cifuentes. Both these players typically fill the "8" position which would see them likely in competition with Nuno Santos for playtime, however they have shown the tools to play multiple positions in the midfield. Specifically Ayari with an attacking midfield role. Perhaps my favorite of the the mentioned players is Tijjani Reijnders. He is the most complete and proven talent listed above, but the recent rise in his stock would potentially be a deterrent for signing him. He has recently received interest from Championship side Sheffield United as well who is currently looking to reinforce their depleted midfield as they look for promotion to the Premier League. Reijnders is capable of playing both the "6" and "8" at high level and has shown great playmaking ability from both. Amir Richardson provides something none of the other players provide in his size at either of the two central midfield positions. The bonus of having an American passport is something to consider, as well as Le Havre looking to reportedly be shopping him at the moment. These factors could lead to Charlotte FC considering the player that provides a unique profile for the squad. Attacking Midfield - Dream Signing Eduard Spertsyan poses for a picture after the match. Photo courtesy of ArmSport. Eduard Spertsyan (FC Krasnodar – Age 22) is everything you would want in an attacking midfielder. The Armenian is in his third season of professional football after coming through the youth system of Krasnodar. Spertsyan is an excellent set piece taker including corners and free kicks and likes to drift to the left side of the field to get a good angle for a shot with his right foot. In 16 games this season, he has scored 9 goals and provided 6 assists. His value is listed at 9.4 million dollars which would be a statement signing for Charlotte FC if the player was interested. Carlo Holse celebrates a goal. Photo courtesy of Rosenborg BK. Carlo Holse (Rosenborg BK – Age 23) – is a great prospect for a central attacking midfielder for Charlotte FC. At Rosenborg, he plays both wings and attacking midfield depending on the match, however he has primarily played at right wing for Rosenborg. This season, he scored 3 goals and added 16 assists in 28 appearances. While his goalscoring is down compared to previous seasons, he has more than made up for it with his contributions passing to his teammates. His playmaking ability and passing would be a welcome addition to most clubs. The Danish player is currently valued at 1.7 million dollars which would provide a quality option at a much cheaper rate. Kevin Sandoval (Club Cienciano – Age 25) has been a huge asset in the Peruvian League this year scoring 11 goals and bagging 12 assists in 35 games. Sandoval is capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or a left winger with great set piece delivery as well. He is currently estimated to be worth $760,000 which provides a lot of value if he could continue that production in MLS. Martin Baturina (Dinamo Zagreb - Age 19) in his first full season as a professional, he has quickly began to make a name for himself in Croatia. Baturina has scored 3 goals and provided 4 assists in 15 appearances so far this season. He is currently valued at 6.8 million dollars which would require a leap of faith for a player that doesn't have a full pro season under his belt yet. Franco Cristaldo celebrates in his classic fashion. Photo courtesy of CA Huracán Franco Cristaldo (CA Huracán - Age 26) is a former Boca Juniors youth player who was bounced around on loans before finally finding his feet with Huracán in 2020 and eventually moving there in 2022 as a permanent members. Last season he played nearly every minute in the league scoring 14 goals and adding 5 assists. His estimated value has shot up to 6.1 million dollars after his explosive season. However, there are reports a deal is close to being completed with Grêmio for an estimated 4.5 million dollars. Iliman Ndiaye kisses the Senegal badge at the World Cup. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters. Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United - Age 22) recently participated in the 2022 World Cup with Senegal where he made 3 appearances and provided an assist in the win against Qatar. This season in England's Championship he's scored 9 goals and added 2 assists in 21 appearances. His value is currently estimated at 3.7 million dollars. As previously mentioned Sheffield may be interested in Tijani Reijnders which could leave opportunity for someone to swoop in for Iliman Ndiaye as Sheffield also have youngster James McAtee at attacking midfield this season. However, the player has specially mentioned wanting to play in France. Michal Ševčík (Zbrojovka Brno - Age 20) is an interceding prospect for attacking midfield. In his third season of professional football, he has built on a strong campaign in the second division of the Czech Republic where he scored 6 goals and provided 10 assists. This season in the top division, he has scored 7 goals and added 5 assists in 16 appearances for the newly promoted club. Currently valued at 1 million dollars, it could be worth a shot to bet on his talent and potential before his stock begins to rise. Attacking Midfield – Hidden Gem Makoto Mitsuta celebrates in his first professional season. Photo courtesy of J League. Makoto Mitsuta (Sanfrecce Hiroshima – Age 23) is an attacking midfielder used to playing a pressing style and covering a lot of ground. With 9 goals and 8 assists in 29 games this season, Mitsuta has been a huge contributor to Hiroshima’s 3rd place finish in the table in Japan. Currently valued at $470,000, taking a chance on Mitsuta could provide huge dividends if he would consider leaving for MLS and was able to adjust to a new league. Final Thoughts on Attacking Midfielders Eduard Spertsyan would be a statement signing plus some. With interest already confirmed by several top French clubs and numerous other European teams likely to follow, convincing the player to come to Charlotte would be a coup. Combine that with the high and rising price tag, it likely won't happen. Franco Cristaldo is an interesting option if the currently reported deal with Grêmio falls through. However, Carlo Holse and Iliman Ndiaye are the two most interesting prospects mentioned for me. Holse is potentially on the market at a very affordable price combined with three seasons of solid performances. Ndiaye is in the midst of a very strong season in the Championship after a solid season last year as well. Combine that with his recent World Cup experience and if he was available near his 3.5 million dollars estimated value, it seems like a no-brainer to me. There are a plethora of strong midfield options for Charlotte in the foreign transfer market. It remains to be seen if they will look to enforce all three positions and continue in their 4-2-3-1 formation next season. Be on the lookout tomorrow to see an in-depth look at a few players from this article and what they could provide Charlotte FC next season. All player values have been sourced from Transfermarkt – they are not representative of actual transfer fees that would be required to sign a player and, in many cases, will be lower than the actual value of the player. The transfer market is much more difficult than looking at players values. This article does not take into account player salaries and intangibles.

By Vaughn Pollman Brandt Bronico, image courtesy of Charlotte FC Welcome to part 3 of 4 of the TopBin90 positional analysis series where we take a deep look at each positional group, how they performed in 2022, and what to expect from the offseason and beyond. Today we will hone in on Charlotte FC’s midfielders as we continue to progress up the field from goalkeepers and defenders. Midfield Turnover It is safe to say that throughout the Crown’s inaugural season the midfield player selections were the most varied and performances most volatile among the team’s position groups. Midfield players that were signed and since moved on from the club include Riley McGree, Sergio Ruiz, Alan Franco, Titi Ortiz, and Jordy Alcívar. For much of last offseason those five were viewed as the midfield core. That mass exodus of presumed starters all within a year is not particularly normal and has seen a near complete overhaul to that part of the roster already. Brandt Bronico emerged and excelled as the most reliable, versatile, and consistent midfield starter. He led the entire team in minutes across all competitions (2,969’) while also being the only member of the team to play in all 34 regular season games. Bronico proved to be the one constant variable in an otherwise turbulent experiment to find the right mix of players throughout the season. Multiple players were given opportunities with stretches of games to earn their place with the baton being passed for who would rise to the occasion. Aside from the players who have since departed, the other players who were in the mix fighting for their spot in the starting midfield lineup were primarily Ben Bender, Derrick Jones, Quinn McNeill, Nuno Santos, and Karol Świderski. Bender had a fast start to his rookie season and then a fast burn as the rigors of the season seemed to wear on the #1 SuperDraft pick. Despite his drop in form and drop in consistent minutes his 3 goals and 6 assists were the most goal contributions by a #1 pick since Abu Danladi’s 10 (8 goals, 2 assists) in 2017 for Minnesota United. Bender acknowledged in an interview that the physicality of the league and his ability to recover after intense training sessions became a challenge for him as the season drew on. It will be interesting to see how he regains minutes and form with the apparent congestion of quality starting-level players in the midfield between him, Bronico, Jones, and Santos. Jones was added to the team soon after the start of the season but waited until late on to get consistent playing time. Once he settled into being a go-to starter, the team’s form improved. McNeill, an undrafted rookie, earned midsummer minutes as players departed leaving the midfield depth thin until the end of summer transfer window when Santos joined the ranks. Eventually Świderski was moved into the midfield in the season’s final push and we saw the most fruitful rotation of players with Jones, Bronico, Santos and Świderski. These regulars, paired with a shift in formation, proved to be pivotal. Pivot! Pivot! In both the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1, there is a midfield pivot. In the 4-3-3 it is with the use of “dual 8’s” who are two-way players that play box-to-box and look to exchange opportunities pushing into the attacking line or dropping back into a distribution role when in possession. Their freedom of movement is allowed by a lone defensive midfielder playing underneath them, positionally. In the 4-2-3-1 there is a pairing of “dual 6’s” who play from a deeper central defensive posture and alternate opportunities to make advancing runs into vacated space. For most of the season Brandt Bronico was tasked with being the lone defensive midfielder with a pivot of rotating midfield pairings playing ahead of him. This led to Bronico having to cover a lot of ground defensively and limiting his ability to get forward into the attack without leaving the team vulnerable in transition moments. Those mishmash midfield pairings proved to be largely hit or miss with no real consistency and many games coming down to our inability to control possession in the middle of the park. Once Lattanzio made the critical shift to the 4-2-3-1 (honestly a close relative to the 4-3-3), a few things happened. First, it saw Świderski, arguably the team’s most technically gifted player, put into a creative midfield role. Not as a traditional playmaking 10 role, but not far from it. It allowed Świderski to be more involved with more touches than when he was deployed on the forward line. Secondly it saw Jones and Bronico paired together in a deeper-lying pivot with Bronico having more freedom in a box-to-box role to get forward and make late-arriving runs either into space vacated by the wingers or by making late-arriving runs into the box, to great effect. This freedom of range was largely possible due to Jones’ stalwart defending, ability to win aerial duels due to his size, and propensity to maintain possession with the ball at his feet, often using his strength to hold off pressuring defenders. That size and physicality was unique to Jones’ skillset and something the midfield lacked without his inclusion. How Jordy Alcívar’s Departure Changes Things Jordy Alcívar was recently sold to Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle. The move allows him to return to his home country and pursue more regular minutes while providing Charlotte FC some rather significant roster relief and flexibility. Alcívar’s minutes and impact on the field were a bit mercurial and ultimately fell short of the expectations for a typical Young Designated Player. His role on the club just diminished over time. Prior to being transferred, the club had indicated that both Alcívar and Kamil Jóźwiak’s salaries were in a range that would allow the club to buy down their Designated Player statuses. Based on Alcívar’s 2022 salary and the publicly available details of his incoming transfer from LDU Quito, Charlotte FC would have needed to budget approximately $125,000 of allocation money to buy down that roster designation. He also was an international player, so without a green card and US domestic status, the club may have needed to spend additional allocation money to acquire additional international roster spots, which the market for that is between $200,000 to $250,000 of allocation money. By selling Alcívar now, the club recoups their investment in acquiring him and saves upwards of $350,000 of allocation money budget while also vacating the very valuable Designated Player or Young Designated Player roster slot that he occupied. DP CAM 4 CLTFC? With Alcívar’s roster spot open, does Charlotte look to bolster their roster this offseason by targeting to sign a center attacking mid to a DP contract? As the offseason began and evaluations of the state of the roster were being made, many have suggested that compared to other teams across the league, Charlotte FC lacks a traditional playmaking center attacking midfielder, or #10. While Karol Świderski saw minutes in that role in the final stretch of the season, and performed well there, it is not his natural position. So, for the sake of this argument we will not classify Świderski as a DP #10 but as a forward, despite his positional versatility. When you look across the league most contending teams have a player at the 10 who is a difference maker, gamechanger, and rhythm setter with the ability to lead the team or league in important statistical categories such as key passes, assists, and goals. Just looking across the Eastern Conference you see the likes of Daniel Gazdag, Maxi Moralez, Carles Gil, Alejandro Pozuelo, Lucas Zelarayán, and Lucho Acosta setting the tone for their clubs. Those are all Designated Players who have led their team to successful campaigns and been included in MLS Best XI or MVP conversations in recent seasons. In MLS there is arguably no position more influential to a team’s ceiling than the #10. From the outside looking in, the logical approach would be for the club to pursue that true #10 to quickly elevate the club’s chances for success within the league, despite the end of year form. Instead, the club appears to be pursuing another forward. The transfer rumors have been swirling around Charlotte FC possibly bringing in Racing Club’s Enzo Copetti, who would absolutely be classified as a DP. He has played primarily as a goal scoring forward in Argentina, meaning if he were added to the current roster, Lattanzio would have to figure out a plan to get both him and Świderski on the field together, assuming Świderski is not transferred out of the club. Would that require one of them to play as a winger, to shift to a two-striker formation, or continue to play Świderski underneath Copetti as a second striker or attacking midfielder? If that is the case, is Świderski able to have that level of impact of the aforementioned 10’s? Only time will tell as there are still question marks surrounding who is ultimately brought in. What Is Charlotte FC's Best Midfield Grouping? Looking at the players who are currently on the squad and the lineups that were working as the season came to a close, it seems the top of the midfield depth chart includes Karol Świderski, Nuno Santos, Derrick Jones, Brandt Bronico, and Ben Bender. Some mix of those five players will most likely earn the bulk of midfield starts, barring additions, injuries, or departures. It seemed clear that a major tenet of Lattanzio’s coaching philosophy involves giving players opportunities in multiple roles. For example, we saw Świderski play as a striker and as a central midfielder. We saw Bronico as a central defensive midfielder and as a more box-to-box midfielder. In year two there will likely be more experimenting of roles, but if Lattanzio strikes gold with a certain formation and set of regulars, we can expect to see a more consistent lineup selection and set of tactics. Based on end-of-year form and balance of skillsets, the best grouping appears to be Jones and Santos in a pivot with Świderski playing ahead of them. This once again places Bronico as the odd man out, but he just does not have the size and physicality of Jones, nor the technical level of Santos. This does not mean Bronico will not start, just that he could see a regression to the mean in terms of minutes played. His versatility to play both of those roles means he will still get spot starts, could prove to be the full-time starter at one of those roles, and can be a weapon off the bench. He will be an active part of that rotation and so will Bender. Of course, a lot can change throughout a season, including an overhaul of personnel and tactics, but the midfield players that are on the roster today leave us in an overall better situation heading into year two than what transpired in year one. Players seem to be in better defined roles and their skillsets are both versatile and complement one another. With that we will see if stability in the group pays dividends when it comes to results.

By Jacob Sokol The USMNT applauds the fans after their match. Photo courtesy of Clive Brunskill/Getty Images. A crowd of 44,846 onlookers gasped as Christian Pulisic’s strike bounced off of Andries Noppert’s left shin. The Dutch Keeper’s pivotal save came only a couple of minutes into the first elimination match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, between the U.S.A. and Netherlands. Less than ten minutes later, Memphis Depay finished off an attacking sequence of such precision and fluidity, that everyone was reminded why the Netherlands are considered the best team to have never won a World Cup. After 4 goals across 90 minutes, the Dutch national team advanced, 3-1. The United States’ World Cup campaign was over. “We have a young group, players beginning their careers and we’ll catch up to that, but we don’t have Memphis Depay right now, who plays at Barcelona and has played in the Champions League for years. Those are not excuses, that stuff is going to come.” Stated U.S. Men’s National Team Coach, Gregg Berhalter, after Saturday’s match. Berhalter doesn’t exaggerate when he says the USMNT has a young squad. With an average age of 25 years and 214 days, they were the second youngest team at the 2022 World Cup. Ghana, the youngest team, was knocked out in the group stage. With the 2026 World Cup taking place in the United States, and a generation of young talent coming up, exciting opportunities lie ahead. Before moving forward there are many things to still consider. Will Gregg Berhalter still be at the helm in 4 years? What gaps still need filled? And what led The United States to elimination? In order to become a successful host country in 2026, these questions will need to be answered. Match Breakdowns Wales 1-1 36th minute- Weah Goal (USA) 82nd minute- Bale Goal (Wales) Match summary The United States came out of the gate running in this match. They dominated gameplay with 59% possession and an aggressive attacking style. The breakthrough came when #10, Christian Pulisic, placed a perfect pass for Weah to run onto. Weah easily passed it past the Welsh keeper. The second half would prove a bigger challenge. The MMA midfield of McKennie, Musah, and Adams would run out of steam, especially McKennie. Brenden Aaronson would be the first man in to replace McKennie. Aaronson, known for his constant pressing and endurance, is a great replacement to keep the midfield engine running until the end of games. Three more substitutes would soon proceed in Wright, Yedlin, and Acosta for Sargent, Dest, and Musah. All of these changes were for the upkeep of a physical high paced game. Eventually a poor tackle in the box by Walker Zimmerman would see Gareth Bale line up at the penalty spot. After a cool finish by Bale, the United States found themselves on the defense. A final sub, Morris for Weah, would see the game out to a 1-1 draw. Takeaways The United States can play a highly competitive, fast paced match, but never slowing the ball down will likely cause the team to run out of steam. The United States’ subs can keep up the pace but not the same skill level. The team’s depth will likely increase with many young prospects coming up, but for now, managing the pace of the game could prove a better option. A single mistake can cost the game. A substitute like Gio Reyna could have potentially been the type of player to slow down and help control a game. Christian Pulisic drives the ball forward against England. Photo courtesy of Luca Burno/AP. England 0-0 Match Summary Both teams produced dynamic moments that almost ended in goals. The most notable for The United States was when Pulisic had a strike from distance that banged off the crossbar. On the opposite end of the pitch, Harry Kane was denied from inside the box. Either team looked dominant depending on what ten minutes of the match you were watching. At times McKennie and Musah seemed to make smooth play impossible for Rice and Bellingham. At other times they were chasing the technical passing play of the English. Gio Reyna did find playing time late in this match. Even though his presence didn’t lead to any serious chances, it was clear his style of play could slow down a frantically charged game. Overall, with most expectations leaning towards an England win, a 0-0 draw is a result for the young U.S. team to be proud of. Takeaways The USMNT is capable of competing with the best in the world, depending on the day. A #9 presence is lacking. Chances were created, but ultimately the game ended scoreless. A player like Gio Reyna can help slow a match Iran 1-0 38th Minute- Pulisic Goal (USA) Match Summary Possession was shared between both sides, but the lion’s share of opportunities went to the United States. With 12 shots, 5 on goal, it always appeared like a breakthrough would happen, just when? Christian Pulisic put his body on the line to answer that question, receiving a pelvic contusion after finishing off Sergiño Dest’s headed layoff. Pulisic would be subbed off for the second half in favor of a healthy Aaronson. The second half held the same story as the first two group stage matches. After playing an aggressive and dynamic match, players began to tire. In the dying embers of the match, a goal nearly slipped through for Iran. The late substitute, Zimmerman, redeeming himself for his mistake against Wales, heroically cleared the ball. the United States were safe and headed to the knockout rounds. Takeaways Cameron Carter-Vickers is a highly capable starting center back. At 24 years, old this is great news, because Tim Ream will be too old by the time 2026 comes around. Pulisic has been, and continues to be, the playmaker for the United States Men’s National Team. Zimmerman can make mistakes but can also make big plays. He remains one of the best options at center back for the United States. Netherlands 1-3 10th minute- Depay Goal (Netherlands) 45th+1 minute- Blind Goal (Netherlands) 76th minute- Wright Goal (USA) 81st minute- Dumfries Goal (Netherlands) Match Summary The biggest chance of the match for the United States came a couple minutes in. Pulisic was denied by Noppert’s shin, only inches from scoring. For several minutes following it appeared as if the U.S.A. were the dominant side. One swift attack with a cool finish from Depay would silence those hopes in the 10th minute. Beyond that, the first half appeared equal for the most part. Both sides created chances. The United States just couldn’t finish theirs. With the match looking like it would go to halftime 1-0, a similar attacking sequence to Depay’s goal ended with Daley Blind finding the back of the net. Headed to halftime two goals down would prove demoralizing. Berhalter showed his faith in Reyna, subbing out Ferreira at halftime. Ferreira had barely been a factor in the first half. Reyna added a confident element to the attack, but one half wouldn’t prove enough time to fully integrate into the team. In the 76th minute, Pulisic would drive into the box, playing a pass to Wright. An incredibly fortunate deflection off of Wrights’ heel caused the ball to spin between two defenders, finding side netting. For five minutes the United States had hope. A high lobbed ball to Denzel Dumfries would end that hope as the Inter Milan player volleyed it past Turner with ease. Takeaways Missed opportunities can be lethal at this level. High quality opponents will finish good chances. Strikers can’t be left unmarked. Aaronson and Reyna are bright spots for the future. Reyna’s style of play is the type capable of breaking down a highly disciplined defense. The United States defense has trouble defending swift counter attacks. Ricardo Pepi celebrates his goal for FC Groningen. Photo courtesy of FC Groningen. The Missing #9 Scoring twice and being scored on only once across three group matches is a good representation of the young U.S. team. While their defensive presence is sound, they lack a goal scoring threat. Against the Netherlands, chances were created but only scored by a stroke of luck. The finishing touch is greatly missed. 9 of the 11 starters for The United States started every game. Turner, Dest, Robinson, Ream, McKennie, Adams, Musah, Pulisic, and Weah were those players. Zimmerman, who started 3 out of 4 matches, holds responsibility for a penalty kick given to Wales. It is likely he wasn’t in the starting lineup against Iran for this reason. The last starting spot up for grabs was, and is, arguably the most important. The central striker in any 4-3-3 line up is expected to deliver. Ferreira, Wright, and Sargent all saw starts in that position, trying their best to be the goalscorer. Even with Ferreira having the number stamped on his back, it was clear by the end of The Netherlands match, that we have no true #9. One player, Ricardo Pepi, could potentially fill this void. With 6 goals in 9 games for Eredivisie club FC Groningen, many were surprised to see the young striker left out of Berhalter’s squad. At 19 years old, Pepi also managed 3 goals in 10 World Cup Qualifying matches for the United States. While there were reasons to leave him out of the 2022 squad, he will likely be an undeniable option by 2026. A few other options that could break out over the next few years are Brandon Vazquez, Jordan Pefok, and Jesus Ferreira. Ferreira was obviously already in the squad, and had little impact, but the young forward is currently only 21 years old. He just had his first breakout year with FC Dallas, scoring 18 times in 35 matches. Going overseas would be the best option for his development, but that is currently unlikely as Ferreira is FC Dallas’ first homegrown designated player. Vazquez, unlike Ferreira, is highly likely to be heading overseas in January. Vazquez’s season was similar to Ferreira’s, scoring 19 times in 35 matches for FC Cincinnati. Depending on where he lands overseas and how he develops, we could be seeing him spearheading the USMNT attack in 2026. Jordan Pefok, like Pepi, was a player many were hopeful to see in Qatar. The Union Berlin striker offers a large physical presence that would work well in Berhalter’s squad. He also had incredible seasons in the past with Swiss Super League side, Young Boys. During the 2021-22 season Pefok found the net 22 times in just 32 matches. Depending on his form going into 2026, we could see him in the squad. By that time he will be a seasoned striker at age 30. There are also many players aged 15-20 right now who are relatively unknown, but capable of breaking out. Most of us might not even know the name of the player who will score the United State’s goals as they host in 2026. Between now and then, the country will keep searching for their elusive #9. Gregg Berhalter speaks with Yunus Musah after the Iran match. Photo courtesy of Glyn Kirk/Getty Images The Berhalter Situation In December of 2018, Gregg Berhalter became the United States Men’s National Team head coach, after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup. Since taking over, his record is 37-12-11. His most notable achievement as head coach was the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup win,  beating Mexico 1-0 in the final. When looking at the United States’ roster, it is clear there is potential for big wins and a run at a World Cup. With Berhalter’s contract up in January, will he be the man to continue to lead the United States? “In the next couple of weeks, I’ll sit down and clear my head and think about what’s next.” Berhalter has stated. Beyond the possibility of being fired as coach, he may not even want to return. With a 61.6% winning record across his 60 games, a CONCACAF title, qualifying for the World Cup, and escaping the group stage in his résumé, it’s hard to believe he would get sacked. He may make a lineup decision that is disagreed with, or have a demeanor that fans don’t find passionate enough, but at the end of the day Berhalter has produced. We will know soon enough if his national team career will continue. Moving Forward Looking forward to 2026, the core of the United States team will be returning. A young average age at this World Cup, means seasoned veterans at the next. The core of the midfield in Adams, Musah, and McKennie can be expected to stay around for years to come. Pulisic and Weah will be the U.S. wingers in 2026 unless a new phenom replaces them. Both outside backs, Dest and Robsinon, will still be in their 20’s in 2026. With both only improving, they will also be expected to stay in the lineup for some time. Gio Reyna and Brenden Aaronson are also both young talents. They both will still be considered young come 2026. We could see both of them in 2030 even depending on their career trajectory. This team is only going to grow and continue to excite. If a few key roles can be filled, then their limits are beyond any U.S. team before them. With a growing skill level has also come a growing fan base. Soccer is at an all time high in popularity in America. Nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to watch England face the United States on Black Friday. The fan base has also been propelled by Major League Soccer growing in popularity. 9 out of the 26 man roster sent to Qatar featured MLS players, including Zimmerman. With the ability to see World Cup stars at home, it is easy to see why more fans come out each season. A growing fanbase means more players and more potential talent. Expect to see more of a growing relationship between MLS and the USMNT heading into the 2026 host year. Even with Saturday’s defeat and subsequent elimination from the World Cup, there is a lot to be hopeful about U.S. Soccer. Growing players, a growing fanbase, and being the 2026 World Cup hosts should be enough to make any fan of the USMNT smile. Sources used in this article are listed below. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/17/sports/soccer/usmnt-world-cup-roster-ages.html https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/03/gregg-berhalter-bemoans-lack-of-world-class-striker-as-usa-exit-world-cup https://twitter.com/samborden/status/1599097276709842946?s=46&t=XN2YSQs1NtB0xv1rpViNcg https://en.as.com/soccer/what-is-gregg-berhalters-record-as-usmnt-manager-n-2/?outputType=amp https://variety.com/2022/sports/news/usa-england-world-cup-ratings-15-million-1235442592/amp/

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Racing Club Charlotte FC have reportedly paid a $6.3 million transfer fee for Argentine forward Enzo Copetti. according to Cesar Luis Merlo, Racing has sold 80% of his rights to Charlotte and the player will travel to the Queen City this week to complete his medical and sign a 3 year deal with the last being optional. Copetti has spent the last two seasons with Racing Club in Argentina. This past season was his most successful, and his stock has risen considerably because of it.In the 2022 Liga Profesional de Fútbol season, Copetti scored 19 goals* in 35 starts for Racing Club. This past season he showed his ability to get lots of touches in the penalty area as well as an extremely high efficiency rate of converting his shots into goals. He did not take a lot of shots per game but he would still convert goals at an absurd rate. This past year he took 63 shots and converted those into 19 goals. Simply put, if he gets touches around the box and is able to get a shot away, he will likely find the target. Another reason for his high conversion rate is how well he performs on aerial duels. He moves around the box well and is able to put himself in advantageous positions to win the ball in the air and convert those touches into goals. The Argentine will most likely come in as a new designated player (DP). He will also take up an international roster spot. Charlotte FC's front office discussed looking to upgrade a few different positions throughout the winter window. This potential DP signing should provide a significant upgrade to Charlotte's attack, especially when it comes to precision in the box. *All stats were found on Wyscout.com

By Tyler Trent Former Charlotte FC left back/centre-back Christian Fuchs - photo courtesy of Charlotte FC With year two for Charlotte FC quickly approaching, the need for more depth and power in the roster is a must for the team if they want to improve on their up and down year one. I took a look at potential foreign transfer targets at key positions Charlotte will hopefully fill before year two begins. Left back, Midfield, Attacking Midfield, and Right Wing are the positions most desperate for reinforcements or difference makers. These will be divided into a four-part series, with each covering a single position and potential targets. Our first position of need will be at left back. At the moment, our options at left back are Joseph Mora and Adam Armour. In a recent interview with Jessica Charman, Armour mentioned he would likely be moving into a more attacking role. That leaves Mora as the only real option for left back and it’s a position that could be improved to accommodate someone with both defensive qualities and attacking prowess. Left Back - Dream Signing Quentin Merlin as an academy player for FC Nantes - photo courtesy of FC Nantes Quentin Merlin (FC Nantes – Age 20) is a young, promising French talent at left back. Despite only being 20 years old, he’s already made 41 appearances in Ligue 1 and has a been a player at all French youth levels. In his first season, he started 21 of the 28 matches he appeared scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists. Merlin is solid in defense and a regular contributor to the Nantes attack. Transfermarkt currently estimates his value at 7 million dollars which would put him out of Charlotte FC’s price range for a left back. Since the research for this article began, Merlin's value has rose by 2 million dollars! Left Back - Realistic Lund celebrates - photo couresty of BK Häcken Kristoffer Lund (BK Häcken – Age 20) is another young left back currently playing in the Swedish Allsvenskan. He has represented Denmark at youth levels, but also has US citizenship making him an intriguing target as he would not count against Charlotte FC’s international spots. He recorded 6 assists this season in his 25 appearances for the 2022 Swedish Champions BK Häcken. Transfermarkt currently valuates Lund at 1 million dollars which is in range with an expected signing for Charlotte. De Cuyper dribbles with the ball - photo courtesy of Club Brugge Maxim De Cuyper (KVC Westerlo – Age 21) has lit the Belgian Pro League on fire to start this season. In 17 starts, the young Belgian has scored 3 goal and recorded 6 assists. Transfermarkt currently estimates his market value at 2.5 million dollars. However, he is currently on loan at Westerlo from Brugge, which means this transfer would likely have to wait until his loan ends in June 2023. Pedro Amaral (Rio Ave – Age 25) is a more veteran option for the left back position. Coming up through the prestigious Benfica youth academy, he has been playing left back at Rio Ave since 2019. He’s off to a good start in the current Portuguese Primeira Liga with 1 goal and 2 assists. However, he has been prone to picking up yellow cards with 5 already this season. Transfermarkt currently valuates him at $750,000 which puts him on a similar transfer value to Joseph Mora. Murilo (HJK – Age 26) most often plays as a left wingback in a back 5 for the Finnish champions. He is strong and physical, but also very quick and likes to take players on as he moves up the pitch. He is currently valued at $440,000 and has one year left on his current contract which is a real value signing if he could perform as well in MLS. In the 2022 season, he started 59% of games, so Murilo could be looking for a move with more playing time available as well. Left Back – Hidden Gem Pedrinho in his debut for Athletico - photo courtesy of Athletico Paranaense Pedrinho (Athletico Paranaense – Age 20) is a left back I’m excited to see more of. He started 8 games this season for Athletico. He’s very eager to dribble forward and make decisive passes into the final third. He recorded 2 assists for the season. Last season he only started 4 games with minimal impact on the matches. Pedrinho is an interesting player that has a high potential for a lower cost than previously mentioned left backs, he is currently estimated to be worth $500,000 although an increase in his playtime and production will likely see that estimate being on the low end. Athletico may be willing to move Pedrinho on as they have another star left back in Abner. Final Thoughts Ideally, Kristoffer Lund and Maxim De Cuyper would be perfect candidates for Charlotte FC. Lund’s US citizenship makes him a really valuable target, but Maxim De Cuyper seems to have a really high upside with a strong offensive presence that Charlotte could use to compliment Joseph Mora’s strong defensive play for the squad. Both Lund and De Cuyper are currently estimated at reasonable transfer fees for an instant MLS starter. Each has their own upside with Lund a more balanced option and wouldn't use a valuable international roster slot. De Cuyper's offensive capability sets him apart from many left backs, but his defensive qualities could be an issue. If Charlotte wants to go a little cheaper on left back, Pedrinho provides an interesting choice, but would require an international spot to be used. This move would be a little more risky as Pedrinho doesn't have the experience of the other players mentioned above. Pedrinho is a very talented offensive left back, but would likely take time to adjust to playing in Charlotte. However, with several Portuguese speakers in the team, he could begin to gel faster with their help. Taking into consideration all the above, Kristoffer Lund seems to be a perfect signing to compliment and instantly improve the Charlotte FC squad if the team decides to look into a foreign league for that reinforcement. All player values have been sourced from Transfermarkt – they are not representative of actual transfer fees that would be required to sign a player and, in many cases, will be lower than the actual value of the player. The transfer market is much more difficult than looking at players values. This article does not take into account player salaries and intangibles.

By Brian Maurer Anton Walkes (Image courtesy of Charlotte FC) Charlotte FC’s defensive line had some highs and lows during their inaugural campaign. One of their top moments was putting up a clean sheet against the 2021 MLS Cup champions, NYCFC, while down to ten men. While one of the lowest moments was facing the current MLS Cup champions, LAFC, and giving up five second half goals. The defensive line also had a decent amount of overhaul and changes throughout the course of the season. Charlotte FC signed two players, Nathan Byrne and Adilson Malanda, who both ended up sliding right into starting positions on the backline by the season's end. Christian Makoun, who was a regular contributor under Miguel Ángel Ramírez (MAR), was sold to the New England Revolution; and Christian Fuchs, Harrison Afful, and Koa Santos have all had their options declined. Here is an estimation of what Charlotte’s defensive line depth chart looks like going into the winter window: Corujo could easily wind up back in a starting role once he has recovered from his surgery. At this point, however, Malanda and Walkes look primed to be the starters at center back (CB) going into the 2023 season. Byrne also looked like a capable MLS starter in his short stints and will likely maintain a starting spot at right back (RB). Ideally Lindsey and Byrne will provide each other with some competition in training to help improve their performances throughout the 2023 season. The biggest hole on the defensive line for Charlotte FC is left back (LB). With Fuchs and Afful both having their options declined, and having both spent several minutes at LB this past season, there is going to be some game time up for grabs at LB. Mora started sporadically throughout the season, while Armour missed the majority of the season due to an unfortunate knee injury. This means that unless one of these two makes a major step up in 2023 that Charlotte is likely to spend some money on some LB help. They should definitely have the salary cap space to make a deal happen. Guaranteed Compensation Reported by MLSPA The table above shows that the LB position currently has the least amount of money invested in it out of all the positions on the Charlotte FC roster. Only 9.7% of the defensive players salary has been devoted to the LB position (compared to 31% for RBs, and 59.3% for CBs). This signals that a LB addition is likely coming. Charlotte FC should easily have the resources available. When they declined the options of Fuchs, Afful, and Santos they freed up around $750,000 in salary space. While I would not expect all of this salary to be allocated towards an upgrade at LB, I would expect significant investment put towards this position. Center Back Pairings Charlotte FC used a 4-back system in all but three of their MLS games in 2022. Out of those 31 games they had five different center back pairings. Here is the list of different pairings with a few advanced stats*. Some of the drastic differences in team results points to the value of having stability in a defensive backline especially with the CB pairing. When there are this many different CB pairings playing this many games it can be difficult to find any stability. For a comparison, the Philadelphia Union used one CB pairing (Glesnes and Elliott) over 30 times this past season. The Union only used one other pairing and that was for two games. They went on to having a tremendous season that ended with a loss in the MLS Cup final. While having defensive stability from their CB pairing was not the only reason for their success, it can definitely be said that this CB pairing being counted on week in and week out was a driving force for them defensively. Top 7 teams in 2022 MLS Supporters Shield standings Several of the top teams in 2022 had a regular CB pairing that they were able to turn to week in and week out. It should be noted that the two top teams that did not have a regular CB pairing (LAFC and NYCFC) both have a lot of depth at many different positions which is likely a reason they were able to have a decent amount of defensive line rotation and still produce results. Ideally in Charlotte FC’s second season they find a similar level of consistency from their CB pairing. While some changes are unavoidable, such as Corujo’s season ending injury, the constant adjusting at CB that occurred throughout the season likely hurt the team’s cohesiveness. However, this was likely going to be unavoidable in an inaugural season, as the entire team was a new face in the organization. The advantage Charlotte FC has going into year two is that they will have four CBs returning to training camp in January. If head coach Christian Lattanzio can decide on his starting CB pairing going into week 1, and is able to stick with it for the majority of the season, I think this would greatly improve Charlotte FC’s chances of having a big year two jump. Two-Way Fullbacks In the modern game, especially for a team that wants to possess and progress the ball to attack, full backs are asked to be involved in ball progression as well as their defensive duties. Here is a look at how Charlotte FC’s fullbacks performed in a few different defensive and attacking areas***. More concerning than any of the underlying advanced statistics is that Charlotte FC fullbacks produced only one assist in total. If Charlotte FC truly want to be able to demonstrate a progressive possession style of soccer they are likely going to need to see more final third production from their fullbacks when they take their chances going forward. Byrne, in a very small sample size, completed a lot of passes in the final third. Between him and Lindsey, there should be some year two improvement in terms of ball progression and being able to support the attack down the right hand side. I would expect this improvement to be more apparent as Byrne’s playing time increases and as the competition for minutes between both Byrne and Lindsey heats up. The left hand side is the greater question mark. With Afful and Fuchs getting their options declined Mora and Armour are the only LBs on the roster. Mora’s underlying passing statistics and ball progression statistics were not great. However, he is, statistically, one of the better 1 v 1 tacklers on the team. If Charlotte FC want more of an attacking threat coming down the left hand side they will likely need to shop for some additional support. Final Thoughts Overall, Charlotte FC’s defensive line is probably where they have the fewest amount of question marks. They have four CBs who have all shown an ability to start in MLS. The only real question regarding the CB group is staying healthy and finding the main pairing that will solidify the backline, and that can provide the team with more stability week in and week out. If Charlotte FC can get 20-25 starts out of their main CB pairing next season (compared to only 9 in 2022) then their defense should provide some more consistent results. Regarding Charlotte FC’s FBs, they are also close to set in terms of need. Their current options at RB appear set, and their options at LB are also capable of filling the role, with some caveats. If Charlotte chooses to improve their defensive line it will most likely happen at LB. They should have the money to make some changes there if they choose to do so. My final thought on the defensive line is that it was put together quite soundly. As you can see in the guaranteed salary table, above, there is a real balance in spending among all the defensive positions which allows for flexibility and adjustments to be made if the team ever feels the need to do so. This is because Charlotte FC did not overspend on any one player in the defensive line. The players that they did spend more salary on (Corujo and Byrne) are compensated easily by other players that they got good value on (like Walkes and Malanda). With this line being solidified Charlotte FC will likely spend the majority of their attention this offseason on upgrading the attack. *All stats pulled from FBref unless otherwise reported. **Excluded CF Montreal and RBNY as they used back 3 formations frequently ***I excluded Christian Fuchs as he spent a lot of time at both CB and LB this past season. ⁺ This stat is referring to the amount of goals that Charlotte FC had minus the amount of goals they conceded while this specific player was on the pitch per 90 minutes.

By Tyler Trent Quinn McNeill in his debut for Charlotte FC - photo courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC declined options on defenders Christian Fuchs and Harrison Afful last month. Last week, Quinn McNeill and Koa Santos each had their options declined as well. While a declined option likely means these players won’t be back with Charlotte FC next season, it’s not a definite. Harrison Afful and Christian Fuchs time with Charlotte FC could be over. Age would be the most likely factor in the decision as both Afful and Fuchs would turn 37 next season. However, there is still a chance we could see each for another year with a newly negotiated contract. With a newly negotiated contract, Charlotte could offer a reduced salary which would allow Charlotte to sign a much needed player at left back while still retaining a veteran backup in either Fuchs or Afful. Additionally, Fuchs has been working with his Fox Soccer Academy since 2014 to provide top level training for the next generation of soccer players. There is the potential that Charlotte FC could partner with Fuchs in some capacity or see him as an asset in a assistant role. Koa Santos and Quinn McNeill’s options being declined might be a little more surprising. McNeill provided a spark in midfield during a turbulent time for the club amid departures. Santos, while he spent most of the season on loan with Charlotte Independence, is the departure of a young defender. While both of these players had their options declined, we could still see them back in Charlotte next season. With Charlotte set to announce branding of their MLS Next Pro team next month, we could see Santos and McNeill signed to a contract with the Next Pro squad if they don’t find other MLS or USL opportunities. MLS Next Pro had their inaugural season last year and serves to provide a step between academy level and professional soccer in MLS. Charlotte could still see potential in having these players around and developing at the Next Pro level and mentoring future stars for Charlotte such as our two homegrown signings Brian Romero and Nimfasha Berchimas.

By Vaughn Pollman Image courtesy of Charlotte FC As of Monday the 14th, Charlotte FC has made all of their final end-of-season roster decisions after declining the contract options for Quinn McNeil and Koa Santos. These decisions and the recent signing of Nimfasha Berchimas to a Homegrown Contract leave the roster sitting at 28 players under contract for the 2023 season heading into the nitty gritty of the offseason. The Crown got through St. Louis City SC’s expansion draft last Friday unscathed, so we now can look forward with a clearer vision of where the roster stands and how the club may approach the rest of the offseason with free agency already kicking off earlier this week on the 16th. This is the first of a 4-article series where we will assess the current state of the roster line by line, how the players at each position group performed in 2022, and discuss how the club may look to bolster the squad ahead of first kick. Working our way from back to front, we will start with the position group that enters the offseason with probably the fewest question marks: Goalkeepers. Current GK Depth Chart: 1. Kristijan Kahlina 2a. George Marks 2b. Pablo Sisniega 4. Adrían Zendejas Is The Goalkeeper Position Set Or Will We See Offseason Additions Or Subtractions? One of the reasons this series is beginning with the goalkeepers is that this feels like the position group with the most stability, depth, and least likely to see changes ahead of first kick in 2023. All four goalkeepers are under contract through 2023 and beyond with either long term deals or club option years. We could see at least one goalkeeper loaned out as was the case with Zendejas to the Charlotte Independence last season, or we could see any of the players spend time in net for the club’s MLS Next Pro side. It would not be a surprise if the 23 year-old Marks, who was the club’s bench option for 31 games last season, is instead earning valuable playing time and experience with the MLS Next Pro team. As the club tries to manage and fill two rosters across the senior and development team, we could see the team add additional keepers, most likely through the MLS SuperDraft or Academy player signings. How Did Charlotte's Goalkeeping Unit Perform In 2022? As a team Charlotte FC allowed 52 goals in the regular season, a respectable number for an expansion side, but 16th among the league’s 28 teams. That number and ranking will need to improve next season to qualify for the playoffs. While that number does not ride solely on the shoulders of the goalkeepers it’s the first go-to metric in establishing the general group performance relative to their peers across the league. Naturally, our greatest sample size to evaluate individual performance comes from Kahlina who started 31 of our 34 regular season contests and also started 1 US Open Cup match. He was second on the team in minutes played in 2022 with only Brandt Bronico seeing more time on the pitch. Kahlina’s performances could be classified as a bit mercurial, highlighted by impressive saves one game to regretful gaffes the next. In his 32 appearances across all competitions, he allowed 51 goals while earning 7 cleansheets. These simple stats support the reality that Kahlina had a rather pedestrian first campaign in MLS with the team ultimately being middle of the pack in nearly every statistical category related to goalkeeper performance. Those stats are maybe a bit misleading, but they do tell a story of what Kahlina was good at and what he struggled with at times. Early in the season Kahlina received plaudits for his goalkeeping heroics and for seemingly “standing on his head” to keep us in games as he had to face a large volume of shots, often from dangerous goal scoring situation by Charlotte's opponents. He established a knack for making reaction kick saves on low shot attempts, a skill that tailed off as the season wore on. In addition to being adept at kick saves, he showed an ability to be strong in the air and stay close to his line, rarely leaving his goalmouth empty for tap-in goals. The goals he and the team did concede early on were seen by the fanbase as unfortunate and could be chalked up to bad luck with the first seven goals allowed all coming from penalty kicks, deflections, or Efraín Álvarez magic. Those “unlucky” goals did stop happening as frequently, but Kahlina’s other key strength of being able to distribute the ball in possession and play out of the back led to some overconfidence and painful miscues, particularly in games at Philadelphia and at Columbus where individual gaffes led to goals handed to the other team. His other notable lapse in judgment was in the final home game, once again against Columbus, with Lucas Zelarayán’s quick restart free kick from 56 yards catching Kahlina off his line. Kahlina’s reluctance to come aggressively off his line did lead to some avoidable goals both in transition and when opponents were able to get touches near the top of his six yard box, particularly in midseason. Kahlina is not a sweeper keeper, so it is understandable that those moments will occur, but going into next season if he can adjust his decision making to snuff out those opportunities close to goal before they are dangerous that would cut out some high expected goal chances. In review of the Croatian keeper’s shot-stopping trends it became evident that when those early season kick saves were no longer happening as regularly and goals were coming from more natural run of play situations, it resulted in a perceived dip in form that highlighted some of Kahlina’s deficiencies which can be seen in the below spray chart of shots and goals conceded over the past calendar year. It likely comes as no surprise that Kahlina conceded the bulk of goals from the left side of Charlotte FC's defense, but what stood out in reviewing Charlotte's opponent’s goals was how often Kahlina struggled to protect his far post. A vast majority of the goals he allowed were shots coming across his body with Kahlina’s positioning protecting his near post, but leaving too much of an available angle for shots to find the opposite corner of the goalmouth. Graphic and statistics pulled from Wyscout* Is Kahlina The Permanent #1 Now And In The Future? Kahlina is under contract through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025. Barring something crazy happening injury-wise or off the field, we can pretty much write in Kahlina as our starting goalkeeper for the foreseeable future. The next question is whether or not that is a good thing and if an upgrade will be necessitated before the end of his contract? In looking back on his first MLS season and comparing him to other goalkeepers around the league, the underlying numbers do not shine very favorably on Kahlina. In fact, they indicate he is a rather average MLS starting goalkeeper. Kahlina should benefit from more cohesiveness in the roster in year two and hopefully a more stable centerback pairing in front of him, but his growth potential as a goalkeeper at this stage of his career is likely not too great. What he can control is the momentary lapses in attention and decision making. Cutting out those individual errors and managing in game risks better will go a long way in improving his statistical output. The hard truth is that regardless of that, Kahlina has yet to show us he is an outright “match-winning” goalkeeper at the MLS level. Players like Andre Blake, Sean Johnson, and Stefan Frei, for example, have earned their wings as high-level MLS goalkeepers for their higher-than-average shot stopping statistics and acrobatic saves that make weekly highlight reels and earn extra points for their clubs. Kahlina showed that ability in flashes, but not week after week. If he can make that year two jump and find more consistency, the job will be his to lose for the foreseeable future. If he cannot make those improvements or if he suffers injuries, that may open the door for our backup keepers to step in on an interim or permanent basis. Who Will Prove To Be Charlotte's Preferred Backup Goalkeeper? While backup keeper is a bit of an under-appreciated and thankless position, the importance of having the right player ready to go at a moment’s notice can be paramount to a club’s success as we saw when LAFC turned to now MLS Cup MVP, John McCarthy in this year’s title game. For the Crown, the backup goalkeeper role and who fills those gloves seems to be open to debate as we enter our first offseason. Based on the squad selections throughout the season it seemed clear that George Marks had secured the role as permanent backup to Kristijan Kahlina. He made the bench for 31 games and earned starts in the team’s early round US Open Cup matches as well as making his MLS regular season debut in a controversial 2-1 losing effort at Montreal. Then down the stretch, when Kahlina was forced to miss time due to injury, Pablo Sisniega entered the scene. Sisniega earned two surprise starts over Marks, first against Philadelphia, securing a cleansheet in the team’s 4-0 romp, and then earning a second start at New York Red Bulls in the 2-0 season finale loss. This competition between the two backups is a good sign for Charlotte's squad depth, but does beg the question of who Christian Lattanzio views as his preferred choice backup to step up when it counts. The short-term decision likely comes down to training sessions, but the long-term answer is probably more open-ended. While Sisniega has more MLS experience from his past stint at LAFC, Marks is the younger selection who could prove to be in a better position to become Kahlina’s “heir apparent.” Will Adrían Zendejas Get Minutes For Charlotte's MLS Next Pro Side Or Another Club? It would be an error to not mention Zendejas and his future. While he is seemingly buried on the team’s depth chart, he does have 5 MLS starts under his belt for Sporting Kansas City and he performed admirably while on loan with the Charlotte Independence in USL League One, conceding 29 goals in 24 starts while earning 6 cleansheets in just over 2000 minutes of net-minding action. Those minutes make him maybe the most game-ready backup we have. Zendejas will be 27 years old entering next season, pushing the limits of who you probably want in net for a development team like our MLS Next Pro team. That means he could be a candidate to be loaned out again, though the Charlotte Independence, while local, will no longer be an official affiliate club for Charlotte FC next season. Where Zendejas ends up will be telling to the rest of our organizational goalkeeper depth plans for both next season and future seasons. *This data is counted from 8/18/2021, when Kahlina played for Ludogorets, to 8/19/2022 when he played for Charlotte FC.

By Jacob Sokol Ṥwiderski for Poland. Image courtesy of ESPN With the 2022 MLS season in the books, it is time to look ahead to the 2022 World Cup. 32 teams, from across the globe, will gather in Qatar at the end of November to participate in the World’s greatest tournament. With MLS growing every year, it is no surprise to see 36 players from the American league representing  their country. From Zimmerman to Swiderski, let’s take a look at each individual player and what we can expect to see from them in Qatar. USA Jordan Morris Current Team- Seattle Position- Forward Age- 28 Morris making the final USA roster comes as a surprise to some. The Seattle forward hasn’t scored in any of his 6 World Cup Qualifying appearances, and he only scored 7 times in 29 appearances for Seattle this season. With Morris narrowly making the final roster ahead of Ricardo Pepi, the most he is likely to see the pitch is as a late substitute. Jesús Ferreira Current Team- FC Dallas Position- Forward Age- 21 The young Texan striker has been lethal for FC Dallas this year, scoring 18 goals in 35 appearances. Ferreira’s season ended in the Western Conference semi-final by the hands of Texas rival, Austin FC. Ferreira is a player who can spark magic and miss an easy opportunity in the same match. His playing time in Qatar will come down to his current form. Kellyn Acosta Current Team- LAFC Position- Midfield Age- 27 With an MLS trophy in hand, Acosta will be heading to Qatar on a high. The midfielder has been vital to LAFC’s success and consistency, winning both the MLS cup and Supporter’s Shield. With a roster filled with strong midfielders, it is unlikely Acosta will be in the starting line up. Acosta would be valuable to the United States as a substitute to finish off matches with a positive score line. Cristian Roldan Current Team- Seattle Sounders Position- Attacking Midfielder Age- 27 Roldan has been a consistent part of Seattle’s squad this season. Berhalter has also regularly included the Sounders midfielder in his plans. With a roster of players like Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, Roldan will have trouble squeezing into the lineup. In case of injury, or to finish up a match, Roldan could come in handy. Aaron Long Current Team- New York Red Bulls Position- Center back Age- 30 Long has been consistent for club and country heading into Qatar. With 4 goals in 30 matches for New York Red Bulls this season, Long also offers an offensive presence. Although there is a lot of speculation around the USA starting lineup, Long has a good shot of starting against Wales on November 21. Shaq Moore Current Team- Nashville Position- Right back Age- 26 Moore has recently started playing for Nashville after enjoying several successful seasons in La Liga. His presence has been consistent for each club he’s been on, but his international appearances have been more sporadic, with only four in World Cup Qualifiers. It is unlikely we will see much of Moore in Qatar. DeAndre Yedlin Current Team- Inter Miami Position- Right back Age- 29 Having played for multiple English Premier League clubs, Yedlin is aware of what it takes to compete at the highest level. The 2022 MLS All-Star has been highly consistent this season with 35 appearances for Miami. With 9 appearances throughout World Cup Qualifiers, expect to see a lot more of Yedlin in Berhalter’s squad. Walker Zimmerman Current Team- Nashville Position- Center Back Age- 29 Zimmerman has been consistent for the United States throughout World Cup Qualifiers with 10 appearances and 1 goal. The MLS All-Star has 4 goals in 31 appearances for Nashville, showing off his aerial prowess. Alongside Long, the duo would be deadly off of set pieces. Sean Johnson Current Team- NYCFC Position- Goalkeeper Age- 33 Johnson has been one of the most consistent keepers in MLS for the last several seasons. With 14 clean sheets on the year, Johnson finished only second to MLS goalkeeper of the year, Andre Blake. The MLS All-Star will likely be viewed as third string, behind Horvath and Turner. Canada James Pantemis Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Goalkeeper Age- 25 With only 13 appearances for CF Montreal in 2022 and no appearances for Canada’s senior side, Pantemis will likely be on the bench unless injuries arise. Dayne St. Clair Current Team- Minnesota United Position- Goalkeeper Age- 25 At. Clair has been consistently starting for Minnesota this season, though he only managed 5 clean screens in 32 appearances. He will be viewed as the backup to Borjan in Qatar. Ismaël Koné Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Central Midfielder Age- 20 Koné managed to sneak onto the Canada World Cup roster thanks to a great season with Montreal. In 2022 he managed 3 goals and 4 assists with the Canadian MLS side. Koné has only managed 2 total appearances for Canada during World Cup Qualifiers. He is only 20, so this World Cup should be seen as a learning experience for him. It is unlikely he will see much, or any, playing time. Alistair Johnston Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Right back Age- 24 Johnston is known for his offensive abilities as a dynamic right back. With 4 goals and 4 assists, his dynamic runs paid off for a successful Montreal team in 2022. Having 19 appearances throughout World Cup Qualifying, Johnston is essentially a lock for a starting position in John Herdman’s lineup. Richie Laryea Current Team- Toronto FC Position- Right back/midfield Age-27 Like Johnston, Laryea is locked into a starting position under Herdman. With 17 appearances in World Cup Qualifiers, Laryea has been a consistent figure in Canada’s dominant run. With a short loan run at Nottingham Forest, Laryea has been matching up against World Class talent for both club and country. He ended the 2022 season back with Toronto. Kamal Miller Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Center Back Age- 25 Miller has been starting the last several matches in World Cup Qualifying for Canada. With 13 total appearances during qualifying, he is expected to continue his run of form in Qatar. The MLS All-Star has also proven himself as an offensive threat with 2 goals and 3 assists in 29 matches for Montreal in 2022. Joining Montreal from Orlando City a couple years ago was the pivotal move that changed Miller’s World Cup trajectory. Joel Waterman Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Center Back Age- 26 With no international appearances under his belt, Waterman is genuinely lucky to sneak into Canada’s roster. His World Cup call up comes off the back of his most successful professional season, logging 32 appearances for Montreal in 2022. Prior to 2022 Waterman was still working his way into Montreal’s lineup. With his lack of experience it is unlikely we will see Waterman on the pitch in Qatar. Mark-Anthony Kaye Current Team- Toronto FC Position- Central Midfielder Age- 27 Kaye spent most of the 2022 MLS season on the Colorado Rapids before moving to Toronto in the Summer to finish out the season. With 25 appearances across both MLS teams, Kaye has worked his way into a substitute role for Canada. He will likely be subbed in when Canada is controlling a match and needs to close it out. Jonathan Osorio Current Team- Toronto FC Position- Central Midfielder Age- 30 Osorio experienced a severe concussion during the 2022 MLS season. He was a regular part of Canada’s roster prior to the injury, both starting and coming off of the bench. It is unknown how much we will see Osorio in Qatar, but Herdman has said “feedback has been super positive.” The Toronto midfielder has 9 goals in 23 matches for his club this season. Samuel Piette Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Defensive Midfielder Age- 27 Piette has seen the field 8 times for Canada during World Cup Qualifiers. With a strong midfield, Canada will Piette as a good addition rather than a vital asset. In case of injury, Piette is a reliable player to fill a void. With 3 assists during the 2022 MLS season, Piette has also shown the ability to provide an attacking spark on rare occasions. Lucas Cavallini Current Team- Vancouver Whitecaps Position- Forward Age- 29 Cavallini managed 9 goals in 24 matches for the Whitecaps in 2022. With how difficult the season was for Vancouver, those are impressive numbers. The Canadian striker also managed 5 goals in 10 World Cup Qualifying matches. He most likely won’t make the starting lineup, but expect to see him come off the bench as a lethal late-game substitute. Mexico Héctor Herrera Current Team- Houston Dynamo Position- Central Midfielder Age- 32 Herrera has been making consistent appearances for Mexico throughout World Cup Qualifiers. He also started in a 4-0 friendly win against Iraq on Nov 9, getting subbed out at halftime. Herrera has been less consistent for Houston due to injury, only making 10 appearances this season. The former Porto Midfielder is likely to see plenty of playing time in Qatar, though he may be subbed out regularly in the second half. Ecuador Diego Palacios Current Team- LAFC Position- Left Back Age- 23 Palacios is coming off a championship season with LAFC, winning both the Supporter’s Shield and the MLS Cup. The MLS All-Star was consistent with 31 appearances for LAFC in 2022. He has only managed 3 appearances for Ecuador in World Cup Qualifiers. Palacios will most likely find himself on the bench in Qatar. Xavier Arreaga Current Team- Seattle Sounders Position- Center Back Age- 28 Arreaga has been in and out of the Ecuadorian lineup throughout World Cup Qualifying. With 9 appearances, often as a sub, his role in Qatar will likely be minimal. With 27 appearances for Seattle in 2022, he has shown he can be consistent if the time comes. José Cifuentes Current Team- LAFC Position- Central Midfielder Age-23 Cifuentes had a dominant season for LAFC as they won the Supporter’s shield and MLS cup. Cifuentes started nearly every match for LAFC, producing 7 goals and 6 assists. His impressive performances have allowed him to sneak into the Ecuadorian roster just months before Qatar. His first two international appearances came in Ecuador’s last two matches. With his current run of form, there is a good chance we see Cifuentes in the starting line up in the World Cup opener against Qatar. Jhegson Méndez Current Team- LAFC Position- Defensive Midfielder Age- 25 Méndez has been battling an injury during the 2022 MLS season with Orlando before making a move to LAFC. Making the move ended his season on a high as he lifted the MLS Cup with international teammate Cifuentes. Due to Méndez’s injury he was only featured 7 times during World Cup Qualifying. Even with injuries this season, he is likely to start in Qatar against the World Cup hosts. Switzerland Xherdan Shaqiri Current Team- Chicago Fire Position- Right Winger Age- 31 Shaqiri brings loads of experience to the Swiss locker room, having played in two previous World Cups. The right winger has also played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, from Liverpool to Bayern Munich. With six appearances in World Cup Qualifiers, there is a good chance we will see more of Shaqiri in the World Cup group stages. Cameroon Oliver Mbaizo Current Team- Philadelphia Union Position- Right back Age- 25 Mbaizo was an integral part of the Philadelphia Union’s dominate season, last playing in the team’s MLS Cup Final loss. Mbaizo has also managed to log 4 appearances for Cameroon during World Cup Qualifiers and 3 appearances during the Africa Cup of Nations. Mbaizo will get a warm up match when Cameroon plays Panama on Nov.18, just days before the World Cup. Nouhou Tolo Current Team- Seattle Sounders Position- Left back Age- 25 Tolo has come a long way since making his start at USL side, Tacoma Defiance. The right back has been a regular in the Sounders back line for the past several seasons now. He more recently has had success with Cameroon during World Cup Qualifiers, making 6 appearances. He is expected to see playing time in Qatar. Poland Karol Ṥwiderski Current Team- Charlotte FC Position- Striker Age- 25 Ṥwiderski has been a pivotal part of Charlotte FC during their inaugural season in MLS. Scoring 10 goals in 30 games, Ṥwiderski was the club’s top goalscorer. With 5 goals in 9 games during World Cup Qualifiers, the polish striker has proven lethal for his country as well. He is expected to be in the starting line up next to Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski. Wales Gareth Bale Current Team- LAFC Position- Winger Age- 33 Bale is heading to Qatar off of a fresh MLS Cup victory. It is true, Bale did not play much during his first season with LAFC, but it is likely he will be an integral part of the Wales roster during the 2022 World Cup. With 6 goals in 7 World Cup Qualifying matches, Bale is a dominate force for his country. He will be paired up against the United States in his opening match, November 21. Costa Rica Daniel Chacón Current Team- Colorado Rapids 2 Position- Defensive midfielder Age- 21 Chacón plays for MLS NEXT side, Colorado Rapids 2, but has been on loan to Costa Rican club, Cartaginés. While being consistent for his club side, Chacón hasn’t been able to regularly play for Costa Rica. With only a handful of appearances for Costa Rica during World Cup Qualifiers, it is unlikely he will have a major impact for his country. Bryan Oviedo Current Team- Real Salt Lake Position- Left back/Left midfielder Age- 32 Oviedo brings experience to the Costa Rican locker room. Having played in the English Premiership for both Everton and Sunderland, Oviedo will be familiar with the caliber of player that competes in the World Cup. With consistent appearances in World Cup Qualifiers, it is likely we will see more of Oviedo in Qatar. Rónald Matarrita Current Team- Cincinnati FC Position- Left back Age- 28 Matarrita underwent ankle surgery in April which kept him out of Cincinnati’s lineup for six months. The Costa Rican left-back managed to start the last game of Cincinnati’s season, a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia. Being out of form, it is hard to tell what role he will have at this year’s World Cup. Australia Miloš Degenek Current Team- Columbus Crew Position- Center Back Age- 28 Degenek played 28 matches for Columbus Crew during their 2022 campaign. The Columbus Crew defender has also played for his national side 38 times, scoring once.  Degenek was a constant presence during World Cup Qualifiers, appearing 12 times. He has been an unused substitute in certain matches though, so it is uncertain what his role will be in Qatar. Uruguay Martín Cáceres Current Team- La Galaxy Position- Center Back Age- 35 Cáceres brings a veteran presence to the Uruguay squad. Having played in England and Italy, he’s aware of the type of talent that will be displayed at the World Cup. The La Galaxy Center back managed 11 appearances during World Cup Qualifiers, though he is unlikely to see much playing time in Qatar. The following World Cup teams do not have any MLS players on their rosters. France Senegal Denmark Croatia Japan Brazil Qatar Netherlands England Iran Argentina Saudi Arabia Tunisia Spain Germany Belgium Morocco Serbia Portugal Ghana South Korea Sources are listed below. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/fc-cincinnati-fullback-ronald-matarrita-out-6-months-after-ankle-surgery https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/world-cup-call-up-columbus-crew-defender-milos-degenek-joins-australia https://twitter.com/michaelsingh94/status/1587833431269982208?s=46&t=EP_rtMgUp77th6uaK7L11A

By Vaughn Pollman and Brian Maurer Earlier this week, we outlined our predictions for who Charlotte FC will look to protect in the upcoming St. Louis City SC Expansion Draft, on November 11th. Now let’s dive into the players we think could be left unprotected and why that decision may be made by the club. First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the decisions that clubs have to make in who they do and do not protect in the expansion draft have real ramifications both on and off the pitch. How a club delivers the news and justification to a player of why they are left unprotected is highly important in managing the long-term morale and performance of that player within the organization. By being left unprotected a player and their family is subject to being out of control of their future home, which is part of the business of being an athlete, but is a consideration that clubs, players, and fans must all keep in mind in making these difficult decisions. In selecting who we feel the club should or should not protect we had to take into account many factors, as the club will, including a player’s contract length and status, position on the club depth chart, past and future investment of assets in the player, trade and/or transfer value, and the net loss or benefit to the club if that player is ultimately selected. As a reminder, if a Charlotte FC player is selected by St. Louis City SC, the club will receive $50,000 GAM (General Allocation Money) and exemption from having any more players selected when MLS inevitably expands to 30 teams in the future. Below we’ve tried to provide context and justifications for each of the players that we collectively predict could be left unprotected. Jordy Alcívar The primary reason to leave Alcívar vulnerable is that the team would gain considerable roster building flexibility if he were selected by St. Louis. Since he occupies a Young Designated Player Spot, we would open up that roster spot as well as an international roster spot. Zoran Krneta has stated that Alcívar’s contract can be bought down, meaning the team can apply Allocation Money to change Alcívar’s roster designation status. The team also could be working to clear his international status by helping him acquire a green card. There is investment in that process as well. If the team is unsuccessful in acquiring his green card, or other player’s green cards, the club may need to spend the going rate of approximately $250,000 GAM to acquire additional international roster spots later this offseason. If Alcívar finds himself off the roster via Expansion Draft selection, the club could save and reinvest somewhere between $150,000 to $300,000 of Allocation Money that they could otherwise be on the hook for if he is on the roster at the start of the 2023 season. Alcívar is one of the young players on the Charlotte FC roster who could also end up being picked up by St. Louis in the draft depending on their strategy. An expansion draft is an ideal opportunity for new clubs to take a bit of a riskier chance on a player because the transfer is free. Alcívar did not have a standout inaugural season with Charlotte FC, but his potential absolutely showed in flashes. St. Louis could be interested in finding out if those flashes can become more consistent by taking a chance on him and his growth potential in the expansion draft while maintaining the salary cap budget benefit if he remains classified as a Young Designated Player. McKinze Gaines Gaines is a difficult call because we all witnessed his progress as a player, especially late on in the season, as he worked his way into serving a serious role in the club in both starting minutes and as a bench threat to stretch the field and challenge opposing defenses. Leaving him unprotected boils down to Vaughn’s belief that the club will look to protect their investments in three other wingers in Kerwin Vargas, Kamil Jóźwiak, and Andre Shinyashiki. Those three are on long-term contracts whereas Gaines has one remaining club option for 2024. Brian’s belief, in a similar vein, is that Charlotte will have likely spent at least four protection slots on the attack, making it difficult to justify another on Gaines. With that being said, if Gaines were selected, Charlotte would actually net a positive return and not compromise their overall long-term squad depth. Gaines’ pace is something that St. Louis would likely covet, but they would need to decide if they want to take him on as an unfinished, developing player project. ESPN analyst, Alejandro Moreno, discussed Gaines’ potential on a broadcast when Charlotte FC played the New York Red Bulls. On the broadcast he mentioned how good a player Gaines could be if he could figure out the final third production. In Gaines’ last ten appearances of the season he played 539 minutes* and had five goal contributions (1g/4a) in that time. Gaines may have found his stride in the final third in MLS. It’s a small sample size, but again, expansion drafts are an ideal time to take a risk. Gaines is another player that St. Louis could be willing to take that risk on. Daniel Ríos Oh Danny boy, what do we do with you? Ríos showed towards the end of the season how impactful he can be in MLS. He played his way into having his club option picked up and can easily be viewed as a 1500+ minute player for Charlotte. He may not make the Brandon Vazquez jump that FC Cincinnati enjoyed this past year, but Ríos is in the prime years of his career and performed at a high level in Charlotte’s system, especially down the stretch. His trade value is suppressed a bit by the fact that he is on an expiring contract, so St. Louis may be hesitant to pull the trigger on selecting him for that reason, but leaving Ríos unprotected would be enticing both for St. Louis and other teams looking to grab him via trade. Karol Ṥwiderski and Vinicius Mello will be more likely protected due to their long-term contracts, budget friendly deals, and significantly higher transfer values compared to Ríos. When a team can only pick 12 players to protect out of a possible 22 some good players in their prime are going to be available. Ríos fits that bill for Charlotte. He is a player that Charlotte FC cannot be faulted for being left unprotected and yet he is also a player that could be selected by St. Louis, as many teams in MLS are constantly looking for more attacking options. Joseph Mora Mora was selected by Charlotte FC in their expansion draft, so he clearly fits the profile of both a player to be left unprotected and to be selected in large part due to his 100+ games of MLS experience. In Vaughn’s prediction, he has Charlotte leaving both Mora and Adam Armour unprotected, exposing our already thin left-back depth. The club has been pretty open about wanting to add to its left-back core in the offseason, which indicates that Mora and Armour should not be viewed as shoe-in top-of-depth-chart players for Charlotte heading into 2023. If Charlotte were to lose one of them, left-back is one of the positions in MLS that you can most easily fill via trade, without destroying your Allocation Money budget, or can draft a pro-ready starting-caliber player in the MLS SuperDraft. Leaving Mora unprotected on expansion draft night could lead to a nervy time for the Charlotte FC Front Office if they do not have some other options at left-back lined up. Losing Mora in the expansion draft could mean that when the transfer window opens the only left-back on the roster is Armour. If this is the case, Charlotte could find themselves going from being a team shopping for a left-back, to a team that is in desperation mode and getting price gouged for one. If Mora is unprotected Charlotte will need to have a strong alternative plan in place to fill the gap on the roster so that they are not a desperate team looking for a last minute spot starter. Andre Shinyashiki In Brian’s prediction he left Andre Shinyashiki unprotected, electing to protect Mora for left-back preservation. As Brian highlighted, we have considerable winger depth that could see players like Gaines or Shinyashiki being left as the “odd man out”. With Shinyashiki’s recent contract extension, if left unprotected, he could be viewed as a “no-brainer” pickup for his value on and off the pitch. St. Louis could make a big mistake if they miss on grabbing him to either slot in as a veteran MLS starter or to trade him for considerable GAM as we did with Tristan Blackmon and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi as part of our Expansion Draft. The one caveat to that is that Colorado retained 50% of his trade-on rights as part of our acquiring him. If Charlotte FC or St. Louis were to ever elect to trade Shinyashiki, his value as a trade asset is cut in half, which may make selecting him a bit less appealing. There is one other point regarding Shinyashiki to keep in mind as the Expansion Draft approaches. Shinyashiki made one start in the last seven games after receiving his new contract. Whether we like it or not, this is a cutthroat business where harsh decisions are made regarding individual players to help preserve the betterment of the club. Charlotte was willing to sign a player to a new contract and not utilize his services extensively as a starter. They will likely consider leaving him unprotected if the club feels a greater need to protect other players who we hold 100% trade right for, or positions lacking depth. While Shinyashiki absolutely has value as an asset, that value is cut in half by his trade-on, and diminished by his role status. Yordy Reyna Reyna, like Mora, is a player with a lot of MLS experience that has proven to be an effective MLS player in the right system. Reyna, like Gaines, is a winger who is further down the depth chart than Vargas, Jóźwiak, and Shinyashiki. Reyna, like Alcívar, is occupying an international roster spot and is on a TAM-level contract that already requires the club to spend allocation money to buy down his nearly $800,000 cap charge. If selected, there is a considerable relief to the club in shedding his contract that probably outweighs the benefits of keeping him. This is also why St. Louis or any other club would be hesitant to absorb his contract, so I expect him to be left unprotected, unselected, and part of Charlotte FC in 2023. George Marks, Pablo Sisniega, & Adrían Zendejas We are lumping all three of these guys together for natural reasons. We expect the club to protect at least one Goalkeeper, and it would be a surprise if our current starter, Kristijan Kahlina, is not that one. Yes, St. Louis already has Roman Bürki, and yes, they are tight on international spots, but among our four Goalkeepers, Kahlina is the one that holds the most trade and transfer value by a long shot. Among our other three Goalkeepers, Sisniega is the only one with serious MLS minutes while at LAFC. While he is serviceable in net, he has not proven to be a consistent match winner in this league. If we were to lose Kahlina, we would have an unnecessary additional hole in our roster with Sisniega and Marks likely viewed as a stopgap to another future replacement signing. Jan Sobociński Simply, Sobociński is an unlikely candidate to be selected in the expansion draft. His salary is at a level that he should be getting spot starts and would not be considered a budget pickup for St. Louis. There will be other center-backs available in the expansion draft and free agency that will be more enticing for either salary reasons or for MLS experience. With his limited opportunities thus far he also does not hold much trade or transfer value, yet. Lastly, like with our wingers, Sobociński will be the odd man out with Guzman Corujo, Adilson Malanda, and Anton Walkes more likely to be protected ahead of him. Center-back appears to be a position that has had a bit of an inflating value within MLS of late. Aaron Long, for example, appears to be capable of getting a big deal in free agency even though he has been less than his former self of late. Charlotte FC received 400k in GAM, with the potential for more in the future, by trading Christian Makoun to the New England Revolution even though he had lost considerable playing time here. Valuations of center-backs are clearly trending up league-wide, but it is unlikely that that will be enough for Sobociński to be on St. Louis’ radar. Adam Armour Armour is coming off a serious injury and has very limited minutes in MLS. While he did find the back of the net in his limited minutes, it would be a considerable risk and going out on a limb for St. Louis to pick him. Armour also holds little trade value within MLS. It would be a big surprise to all of us if he were protected and an even bigger shock if he were to be selected. *All stats were found on FBref.com

By Jacob Sokol Image courtesy of Atlanta United In the 128th minute of the 2022 MLS Cup Final, Gareth Bale equalized the match with a header to the top corner. LAFC would ultimately defeat the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout 3-0. The Welshman showed up in the final seconds and delivered, creating a true Hollywood moment for LAFC as they claimed their first MLS Cup. With Bale, the 5 time Champions League winner, clearly capable of such class, it makes you wonder where he was the rest of the season. Prior to the MLS Cup Final, Bale had played 347 total minutes across 12 games, scoring twice. For a player who used to score regularly for Real Madrid, these statistics can be seen as underwhelming. In the 2017/18 season, Bale scored 16 times in 26 games in La Liga, as well as 3 goals in 7 Champions League matches. Some looked at these numbers with high expectations for Bale to dominate MLS without acknowledging his most recent season at Real Madrid, where he played only 5 matches in La Liga, scoring just once. The “Retirement League” is the most common phrase used to describe the phenomenon of European superstars giving Major League Soccer their last few seasons before retirement. Bale’s signing was the latest example of the “Retirement League” moniker being tested. With Bale finding himself on an MLS bench the majority of the season, perhaps it is time we reevaluate and eliminate the term “Retirement League” from our rhetoric. “Retirement League” to Aspiring League On July 1, 2007, history was made in Major League Soccer. David Beckham had just announced a lucrative five-year contract with the LA Galaxy under the new Designated Player (DP) Rule created prior to the start of the 2007 season. The contract guaranteed Beckham $6.5 million a year and set a new precedent in MLS. This was now a league that could showcase global stars. Fifteen years later, with the clarity of hindsight, it is easy to say the signing of Beckham is one of the most important moments in the growth of MLS. There are now many designated players spread across Major League Soccer, which has elevated the level of play and profile of the league. Beckham, and those who followed in those initial years, would have more difficulty competing today in the environment they’ve helped to build. Bale, Giorgio Chiellini, and Lorenzo Insigne are among the recent players who still fuel the Retirement League stigma. They all left top European clubs after age 30 to come to Major League Soccer. It is important to note that only one of these three had a highly successful first season in MLS. In 11 matches the 31-year-old midfielder, Insigne, managed 6 goals and 2 assists. That is because Insigne does not seem to have come to MLS with the same outlook as Bale and Chiellini. Insigne had just come off of a 3rd place finish in Serie A with Napoli, producing 11 goals and 9 assists. He was, and is, still capable of playing at the top level in Europe. Bale and Chiellini were both on the brink of actual retirement. They came to MLS and gave neutral fans the sense that the MLS may still be a “Retirement League”. However, they have found themselves mostly on LAFC’s bench while the rest of the team achieved so much success. The DPs of today are different from what we are accustomed to in the past. Instead of Beckham, Thierry Henry, and David Villa, we are now looking at Karol Ṥwiderski, Thiago Almada, and Federico Bernardeschi. Players in their 20’s who have a strong desire for success and playing time that have now realized the benefits MLS has to offer. As a DP, you are automatically intended to be the star of the team, which comes with matching monetary benefits. For Ṥwiderski, DP status has also helped maintain a national team position with Poland. The European striker notched 10 goals for Charlotte FC this year as the club’s top goal scorer. We can expect to see him playing alongside Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski, at the 2022 World Cup. Dániel Gazdag does not have DP status but is still worth mentioning as an example of what MLS can offer to players looking for a national team spot. Gazdag has been receiving regular call ups for Hungary lately while also narrowly losing the Golden Boot race in MLS. New MLS Incentives For Roster Building Back in 2012, the MLS made a rule change to the DP rule to help incentivize teams to sign younger players. They created a young DP spot which would take a smaller cap hit than veteran DPs. This led to the league signing some very promising young players such as Miguel Almirón, Diego Rossi, and more recently players like Talles Magno, Facundo Torres and Cucho Hernández. The most recent roster incentive that MLS has implemented is the U-22 initiative, which started in 2021. This rules MLS clubs with three more roster spots to sign players under 22 years old to lucrative deals that would affect the salary cap less. Besides the reduction in the salary cap hit, these players keep their U-22 initiative status until they are 25. This provides clubs with the time to allow these young players to develop. This initiative is just beginning to take root but the league is already reaping some of the rewards from this new incentive structure. José Cifuentes is the first name that comes to mind as he has become a vital part of the LAFC squad that just won the MLS Cup. Another U-22 initiative that broke out this year was LA Galaxy’s Dejan Joveljić. While he never secured a starting role this season, he seemed to always find the net off the bench. This initiative could also develop into a way for MLS teams to retain their academy starlets for longer. This is already starting with players like San Jose’s Cade Cowell and LA Galaxy’s Efraín Álvarez. Overall, this initiative has added a new way to incentivize clubs to grow their rosters younger, with the intent of developing talent. Recent Exports Recently, MLS has shown an ability to sell young developing players on to other leagues. Over the last few seasons the league has broken several of their outbound transfer records time and time again. Here is a list of some of the more recent outbound transfer examples: Paxten Aaronson is set to join Eintracht Frankfurt in January for a deal worth around $4 million, after being featured in this year’s 2022 MLS Cup Final. He follows his brother, Brenden, to Europe with this move. The U20 Concacaf Golden Ball winner and Philadelphia Union Academy product is the latest trade, showing the class of Major League Soccer’s youth. Eighteen-year-old Goalkeeper, Gabriel Slonina, was purchased for $15 million by Chelsea earlier this year to break a Chicago Fire transfer record. Slonina has been consistent for Chicago all season, playing 32 matches. Real Madrid also showed interest in the young goalkeeper, which brought the initial bid of $5.8 million to $15 million from Chelsea. He also is now the 5th highest outgoing transfer fee for MLS as a whole. New England Revolution’s Adam Buksa was traded to RC Lens for $6 million this year. Buksa scored 17 goals in 32 matches in 2021, and 7 goals in just 10 matches in 2022, before transferring to RC Lens. Buksa has also scored 5 goals in 6 matches for Poland during World Cup Qualifiers. Taty Castellanos is enjoying a loan spell at Girona with NYCFC seeking a $15 million sum for the rising star. Palmeiras in Brazil and River Plate in Argentina both made bids for Castellanos, with neither matching the sum NYCFC hoped for. Premier League sides have also shown interest. Castellanos’s loan to Girona could be to show he can succeed in Europe and merit the high price tag. Tajon Buchanan was transferred for $7 million to the Champions League club, Club Brugge, after the 2021 MLS season. The price tag looks like a steal in hindsight with the 23-year-old becoming a regular for Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League and the Champions League. Buchanan has also been consistent for Canada during World Cup Qualifiers and the Gold Cup. Miguel Almirón, a former Atlanta United midfielder, has been one of the best players in the English Premier League this season, scoring 8 goals for Newcastle United. Almirón produced 21 goals and 28 assists in 62 matches for Atlanta United, and won the MLS Cup in 2018. Almirón headed to Newcastle the following month, and now holds the record for highest MLS transfer fee at $26 million. Alphonso Davies made his start at the Vancouver Whitecaps and is now considered one of the best in the world at his position. The left back has won the Champions League and multiple Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. He is the second most valuable transfer out of MLS, behind Almirón, at $22 million. With over 100 appearances for Bayern Munich, he is arguably the most successful player to come out of Major League Soccer Daryl Dike enjoyed a loan spell at Barnsley in 2021, scoring 9 goals in 21 matches. Dike returned to the English Championship after West Brom offered Orlando City a $9.5 million transfer sum. Dike scored 19 goals in 41 matches for Orlando. Unfortunately he has been injured for West Brom so he has only managed 3 appearances so far. Brendan Aaronson, brother of Paxten, joined Leeds this year for a transfer fee of approximately $30 million, and has been essential to the club’s battle to stay out of relegation. With that transfer finalized, the Philadelphia Union ended up with $14 million for Aaronson because of prior negotiations with RB Salzburg. This makes him the 6th most valuable outgoing MLS player, just behind Slonina at $15 million. Aaronson is expected to be featured by the United States in the 2022 World Cup. Ricardo Pepi started a bidding war amongst Wolves, Augsburg, Wolfsburg, and an undisclosed Premier League club in the Winter of 2022. Augsburg eventually came out on top with a $20 million bid, making Pepi the 3rd most valuable outgoing transfer in MLS history. Djordie Mihailovic has been transferred to Dutch club, AZ Alkmaar, for January 2023. Mihailovic was in the running for MLS MVP during the early part of the 2022 season. He ended 2022 with 11 goals and 5 assists in 29 matches. At only 23 years old he has a bright future ahead in Europe. There is example after example to show the class of player being produced, developed, and maintained in Major League Soccer. Young players like Davies, Buchanan, Slonina, and both Aaronson brothers are being developed into top talent capable of competing against the best clubs on the planet. Major League Soccer is becoming a league where players can count on developing their potential. Players like David Beckham and those who followed hold an important part in the history of MLS. These stars attract buzz, sell tickets, and heighten the profile of the league. The more the league heads towards sustainable success, though, it is expected that these types of veteran players will be less of the lifeline of the league as they were in times past. If you come to MLS, today, expect to compete against young and hungry up-and-coming players. Major League Soccer has too many aspirations of developing stars to play the role of a retirement home. Here is a list of sources used for this article: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/nycfc-loan-striker-taty-castellanos-to-girona-fc https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/top-10-most-expensive-outbound-transfers-in-mls-history https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/11/30/david-beckham-departs-mls-after-earning-255-million/amp/