Hey friends,

It’s another week of us delivering MLS and USMNT news to your inbox. Because that’s just what we do. This ones juicy. Enjoy!

• 🔄 MLS Moves

• 💸 MLS New Cash-Based Trade System

• 🇺🇸 Yanks Abroad

• 🔵 The Case for the San Jose Earthquakes

• ⚽️ Goal of the Week

• 😂 Meme of the Week

MLS Musings

MLS teams have started to report for training. Inter Miami will kick off the preseason this Saturday with a game against Club America in Las Vegas. Several teams are still bolstering up their rosters. Here’s the low down on moves that happened over the past week.

It’s been an eventful offseason in Salt Lake. Real Salt Lake sold star DP striker Chicho Arango to the San Jose Earthquakes for $1.5M GAM and an international roster spot. Why such a low number after being acquired for $6M just over a year ago? Reportedly Chicho wanted out and other teams knew he wanted out so that drove the price down.

But wow… what a move for the San Jose Earthquakes. And it’s not their only one. They’ve also signed former MLS MVP Jose Martinez to a one-year contract. Bruce Arena is adding experienced MLS goal scorers to the Wooden Spoon winner. They will not be repeating as the worst team in MLS next season.

These deals have been reported for weeks but the Seattle Sounders have officially completed the signings of Jesus Ferreira ($2M GAM) and Paul Arriola from FC Dallas. They’ll join Jordan Morris and Christian Roldan to make up a quarter of the USMNT’s B team. Although a move to Europe would have been preferred I actually love this for Ferreira. After spending his entire career in Dallas, a fresh start with one of the league’s most successful clubs is exactly what he needs.

There’s more exodus in Dallas. They’ve agreed to sell Alan Velasco to Boca Juniors for $10M + $2M in add-ons. They’ll also retain a 15% sell-on clause. Dallas signed Velasco to a contract extension just last month and planned for him to be a bit part of their future but the deal was too good to turn down. Fun fact — on Sunday I got a tour of La Bombonera, Boca Juniors stadium, and it was incredible.

Sporting KC have sold club-record signing Alan Pulido to Chivas. The 33 year-old will return to Mexico and the move opens up a DP spot for KC who have needed a new face of the club for a while.

Charlotte FC has acquired Eryk Williamson from the Portland Timbers for $100k GAM which could become $250k if certain performance metrics are met.

The Portland Timbers have reached a verbal agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk for striker Kevin Kelsey. He’ll join for just under $6M on the U22-initiative.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have named Jasper Sorensen as their next head coach. Sorensen most recently led Brondby FC in his native Denmark to a 37W-19L-17D over 73 games in the top division.

Toronto FC have hired Robin Fraser as their new skipper. Fraser was previously head coach of the Colorado Rapids from 2019-2023 where he led them to a club record 61 points and the #1 seed in 2021. Before that he was an assistant for Toronto for four seasons.

New Cash-Based Internal Trade System

What’s that you hear? MLS loosening up roster and spending rules? Ahh yes, the sound we love!

Yesterday MLS announced a plethora of roster and spending changes that go into effect immediately. The most significant of which is a new cash-based internal trade system. The league has dubbed it “Cash for Player Trades” or what the rest of the world calls “transfer fees”. Now instead of just using an “allocated” amount of GAM to acquire players, teams can trade straight cash. Players will be entitled to 10% of any transfer fee and teams can trade an unlimited amount of cash without impacting their GAM. Teams will be allowed to acquire two players and sell two players via this method each season.

Here’s some more details about the other updates:

• Winter and Summer transfer window’s change to Jan. 21st - Apr. 23rd & July 24th - Aug. 21st

• Teams can convert the money they get from a transfer into GAM

• GAM now has no expiration date

• Teams can now buyout two contracts per season instead of one

• Teams are now allowed to switch roster-building path midseason

• It will start as a two-year trial period before adopting full-time

These changes give teams more flexibility in their roster building while also encouraging the best players to stay in the league rather than leave due to massive transfer fees from foreign clubs.

Fans and owners have been imploring the league for years to embrace looser spending rules and now we’re finally getting changes. I don’t expect these to be the last either.

Tom Bogert reported the two stars that could be the first ones dealt with this new system are Evander and Lucho Acosta 👀 

Americans Abroad

A HUGE week for our lads across the pond:

Paxten Aaronson scored his 5th league goal of the season. He now has 7 goal contributions in 17 games. I won’t be surprised if Paxten finds his way on the 2026 World Cup Squad.

Here’s a new name for you — Noahkai Banks, the 18-year-old defender made his Bundesliga debut for Augsburg. He’s been at the club since he was 7 years old—an amazing moment for the American and another young Bundesliga talent to keep our eye on for the future. He finished the day with 2 tackles, 3 duels won, 2 interceptions, 3 clearances, and an 89% passing rate.

Josh Sargent returned from his groin injury in Norwich City’s loss to Brighton over the weekend. It's great to see him back on the pitch after being sidelined since October.

Ethan Horvath kept a clean sheet in Cardiff City’s 1-0 win against Sheffield United. Horvath had 7 saves to give his team the shutout win.

Fellow goalkeeper Matt Turner made his second start of the season for Crystal Palace. Turner had 4 saves to go along with his clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Stockport. It’s good to see our keepers getting minutes. Pochettino has a massive goalkeeping decision to make for the World Cup.

Antonee Robinson had two more assists bringing his total to 9 for the season. He now has 4 more than any defender and only trails Mo Salah and Bukayo Saka in the Premier League.

Malik Tillman came off the bench and grabbed another goal for PSV. He now has 14 goal contributions in 25 games this season. Ricardo Pepi’s brace helped PSV come back to win in the Dutch Super Cup Round of 16. Pepi now has 4 goals in 2 Super Cup games. What a slick finish by Pepi to tie the game in extra time!

Weston McKennie played the full 90’ and had a beautiful through ball for the assist in Juventus’s game against Atalanta.

Christian Pulisic was unfortunately forced off the pitch due to injury this week. Hopefully, it’s not something that keeps him sidelined for long.

The Case for the San Jose Earthquakes

Before the season starts we’re going to preview a few teams to give you a more detailed look into the state of specific clubs heading into the 2025 season. Up today is the San Jose Earthquakes.

Each of the last three MLS Cup winners did not make the playoffs the season prior to winning the Cup. I don’t foresee that trend continuing but if it did, San Jose is one to watch. (Again, highly unlikely but let’s have fun and make the case.)

They have a head coach who knows how to win — we have to start there. They’ve added arguably the best coach in MLS history. Bruce will build out his culture, bring in his guys (he already has), and things will improve. It’s basically impossible not to improve after one of the worst seasons in MLS history where they gave up a league record 78 goals.

Bruce has already started gutting the roster. They’ve declined eight contracts and let their starting #9 Jeremy Ebobisse leave for LAFC. They’ve traded for three New England Revolution players that Arena coached and have added Josef Martinez and Chicho Arango up top. Not bad!

Martinez and Arango will join Christian Espinoza and Hernan Lopez to form one of the leagues most formidable attacks. So will the defense be better? Or is Bruce just going with the “we’ll score more than you” approach?

Either way I see this team improving as the season progresses and potentially sneaking into the playoffs if these four stay healthy.

Goal of the Week

Gio with a nice strike from deep 😍 

Meme of the Week

🤷 

Quick Hits

• NYCFC keeper Matt Freese is getting interest from the Netherlands and Germany (Link)

• San Diego FC are nearing a deal to sign USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre (Link)

• The Philadelphia Union are on FIFA’s Registration Ban List (Link)

• San Diego FC players take the pitch for the first time together (Link)

Hope you enjoyed it! Give us a little feedback below and we’ll see you next week.

Max & Mason