Headlines:

• The transfer window closes next week and Atlanta United finally have their man. Swiss striker Breel Embolo was announced Sunday, in a deal reportedly worth $18 million.

• The busy weekend transfer week continued with a long-awaited Seattle Sounders deal. Tom Bogert has reported Sporting KC striker Dejan Joveljić to the Sounders for $6 million.

• Tom also shared on Sunday that Real Salt Lake is in talks with Dutch midfielder Gini Wijnaldum. The former Liverpool star is a free agent after leaving Saudi Arabia this summer.

• In another big inter-league move, the sputtering San Jose Earthquakes have agreed to a deal for St. Louis CITY midfielder Eduard Löwen, per Tom Bogert’s sources.

• Columbus is looking to add to its attack, too. The Crew are in advanced talks to sign Santi Rodríguez from Botafogo, as the former New York City FC star man could be headed back to MLS in a club record deal.

• And because why not, Sporting KC made a bid worth up to $25 million to New York City FC for attacker Nico Fernández Mercau. It was rejected.

• Over the weekend, The Guardian reported that UEFA and Concacaf had begun discussing a combined Nations League tournament. A 96-team biennial tournament could launch as early as 2028 after the Euro’s.

• It was a big weekend across Europe for several USMNT players, including AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, who played his first full 90 minutes for Milan since Aug. 2024. 

• Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun was not part of Monaco’s matchday roster to open the Ligue 1 season with transfer rumors abound, while Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi both scored in PSV Eindhoven’s 5-1 win.

• Two-time World Cup Champion with the USWNT and nutmeg queen Tobin Heath officially retired from pro soccer after signing a one-day contract with the Portland Thorns, and the club celebrated her legendary career on Saturday.

Weekend Recap:

• Nashville leads the Supporters Shield by nine points, but it was not without some drama. On the brink of their first home loss of the season, trailing 2-1, they scored twice in second-half stoppage time to win 3-2 thanks to goals from fullbacks Reed Baker-Whiting and Andy Najar.

• Orlando City’s big summer move is paying off, as a brace from Antoine Griezmann in a 2-1 win for the Lions saw them climb above the playoff line as they grabbed a late result at home against Real Salt Lake.

• In a battle of two of the hottest teams in MLS, St. Louis prevailed, making it 11 games unbeaten with a 2-1 win over the red-hot Houston Dynamo.

• Another disappointing result for Messi and friends sees their Shield hopes slipping away. The defending champs found themselves in a hole they could not dig themselves out of, leading to a stunning 2-1 loss for Miami to Toronto FC.

• After some fireworks midweek, justice prevailed and Cavan Sullivan saw his red card rescinded from their match against Miami. The 16-year-old star responded with his sixth goal contribution in Philadelphia's last five games, as the Union earned a 1-1 draw at Austin FC.

Story of the Week:

This week we’re teaming up with TopBin90 to take you to Charlotte. TopBin90 Chief Editor Brian Maurer joins us as a guest contributor to share what you need to know about Charlotte FC.

Charlotte FC has had its two most successful seasons under current head coach Dean Smith, but there is another level to this team that fans have been feeling the Crown has fallen short on.

This was exacerbated by their Game 3 exit against New York City FC at home last season in the playoffs and again when they lost to Pachuca in the 2026 Leagues Cup knocking them out of the Group Stage. The deck was stacked in their favor to advance and they came up short.

There are a couple adjustments this season that should peak neutrals interests and give Charlotte fans hope that 2026 can be that year where a true next level is reached down the stretch. One, they have a true talisman Designated Player in Pep Biel who scores or assists just about every week. Two, they have a set piece coach named Karl Hooper who has the team seriously bought in from dead ball situations and the Crown is tied for the league lead in set piece goals scored (11).

The third reason is also related to coach Hooper who also helps the younger players with their individual development plans (IDPs). Morrison Agyemang, Rodolfo Aloko, and Will Cleary are all recent examples of these IDPs helping speed up their development. Cleary specifically shouted out how his development plan has helped him after his most recent start and scoring his first Charlotte FC goal.

Finally, Charlotte’s most recent addition, Allan Saint-Maximin, who has looked electric every time he has gotten the ball. He’s a charismatic showman, juggling and getting tricky with the ball for fun to get fans out of their seats (something he takes as a personal responsibility), but is also able to use pace with his flair to be lethal and set up chances for himself or teammates. His stated aim is to build a legacy in Charlotte by winning which is something he says he’s done at every club he’s played. Can he be the difference that changes Charlotte from a floor raising team to a ceiling raising team?

Midweek Matches to Watch:

CF Monterrey vs. Chicago Fire, Leagues Cup (Aug. 25, 8:30 pm ET, Apple TV): The Leagues Cup is back baby! What better way to highlight this round than a reunion. Hugo Cuypers is back in ChiTown with his new team Monterrey, to battle his replacement and the Fire’s newest star, Robert Lewandowski.

Club América vs. Columbus Crew SC, Leagues Cup (Aug. 26, 10:45 pm ET, Apple TV): On the other coast, it’s late night action as two teams travel very far away from home to play in LA. There is no love lost between these two squads since we saw them battle it out in the 2024 Campeones Cup with América prevailing 5-4 in penalties.

North Carolina Courage vs. Angel City FC, NWSL (Aug. 26, 8:00 pm ET, CBS Sports Network): After Ashley Sanchez vaulted to the top of the Golden Boot standings with the latest goal in NWSL regular season history last weekend, the North Carolina Courage look to continue their climb up the NWSL table, playing host to Angel City FC.

Goal of the Week:

Joaquín Pereyra, take a bow.

Quick Links, Kickback:

Soccerwise: David Gass, Tom Bogert, and Matt Doyle have you covered on all this weekend’s MLS action!

First Touch: Kickback’s global soccer platform got bigger this week First Touch Weekly, the best audio coverage in twenty minutes of the global game. This week, the Stadio crew joins host Susannah Fuller!

Tom Bogert, The Athletic: No one better to keep you up-to-date on all of the silly season news from MLS!

Tactics Free Zone: Matt Doyle is your go-to analyst for all MLS action.

Quick Links, Kickback Partners:

SixOneFive Soccer was there as Nashville SC pulled off a dramatic late-game comeback to make MLS history in its win against Columbus.

Sounder at Heart recaps Seattle’s first point since May and gives their take on the rumored Joveljić’s move to the Emerald City. 

Our newest Kickback partner TopBin90 plays Stock Up, Stock Down Charlotte FC style.