Niccolò Pisilli: Roma’s New Gladiator in Midfield

Roma is a club with a long history of promoting players through its youth academy. Look at club legend Francesco Totti, for instance. No player in the club’s history has scored more goals, made more appearances, or assisted more strikes than Totti. The Italian forward spent his entire career at the club, originally joining the … Read more

Kevin Mantilla: Emerging Colombian Talent in Defense

For two consecutive World Cups, Colombia was one of the most exciting teams in the world. In 2014, they thrashed everyone in their group, advancing to the knockouts and eventually the quarter-finals by scoring 12 times in five games. In 2018, they were eliminated in the Round of 16, having scored six goals in four … Read more

Darío Osorio: The New Hope for Chile

This January, many of the best prospects in South America will face off in the South American Youth Football Championship. The tournament, essentially the Copa America for U20 players, has been a showcase for some of the continent’s stars in the past. Just look at some recent players. In 2017, Racing Club forward Lautaro Martínez … Read more

Umarali Rakhmonaliev: Rubin Kazan’s New Uzbek Sensation

In 2011, a talented player from Uzbekistan joined Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala on loan. The 23-year-old midfielder had been one of the top players with Pakhtakor Tashkent for years, as well as impressing with the Uzbekistan national team as they reached the semifinals of the Asian Cup. This midfielder would go on to win countless … Read more

Efraín Morales: MLS and Bolivia Prospect Set for Big Year

Until recently, Atlanta United was one of the most successful clubs in the MLS. Atlanta debuted in 2017, joining the league alongside Minnesota United. In their first season, Minnesota finished with the league’s fourth-worst record. Atlanta? They finished with the fourth-best record, reaching the playoffs, and the US Open Cup Round of 16. In their … Read more

Ayberk Karapo: Turkey’s Young Starlet Thriving in the Second Tier

The Turkish Süper Lig has recently become a league known for developing young talent. I’ve long been a big fan of the league, and recent sales and player developments have increased the potential of Turkey’s top flight. However, while things have been improving for the first tier, the lower tiers are slightly dicier. Finances for … Read more

Filip Rønningen Jørgensen: Norway’s Latest Midfield Star

Player development in Scandinavia has been improving over time. Just eight years ago, the future of Norwegian football was Mats Møller Dæhli, who now plays in the Bundesliga 2. Sweden looked to Muamer Tanković, who currently plays in Cyprus. Finland was optimistic about Joel Pohjanpalo, who has fallen to Italy’s second tier. Only Denmark had … Read more

The Jewel of Jakarta: Indonesia Star Marselino Ferdinan

Recently, Indonesian football has faced scrutiny. This year, a stampede following a match between Persebaya and Arema FC led to the deaths of more than 130 fans. This incident was worsened by the police, who fired tear gas into the crowds, and the fact that the exits were nowhere near wide enough for the fans … Read more

Mduduzi Shabalala: The New Hope for the Bafana Bafana

In 2010, South Africa was on top of the world. They had just become the first African nation to host the World Cup, displaying an electrifying atmosphere. They scored the tournament’s first goal, a great strike from Siphiwe Tshabalala. They even beat France, although the Bafana Bafana didn’t make it to the knockouts — the … Read more

Best World Cup U21 Players on Every Team: Group H

Group H has many of the biggest storylines in Qatar. For a starter, Ghana are playing Uruguay in a rivalry 12 years in the making. This stems back to the 2010 World Cup when Luis Suarez batted away the ball on the goal line, preventing Ghana from becoming the first African country to reach the … Read more

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