17-year-old U.S. and New York Red Bulls midfielder Adri Mehmeti grew up looking up to Tyler Adams — and now has an opportunity to play alongside him for the USMNT 🇺🇸❤️ “Watching him kind of being a role model for me, because hopefully one day I can take that similar pathway that he’s taken. Watching him, obviously at the highest levels, you can see the character that he has, the personality, what he’s willing to do with and without the ball.” Tyler Adams also spoke about Adri — saying he has everything it takes to be a good player. “Adri had a similar pathway that I did. Playing with Red Bull II first, going after a championship, winning a championship in that league, like that breeds what you want to see in the youth American pipeline.” “He has all the qualities to become a good player. I’ve only heard good things about him and seeing how diligent he is in doing his work, turning into a really, really good professional. He’s going to be able to take the steps necessary.” “It’s just about obviously doing those things consistently, continuing to play games, stay healthy and continue to just work hard and improve.” (via @SouthWardCtr)

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he has regrets about not being more involved in the situation surrounding Folarin Balogun’s red card at the 2026 World Cup — and that he wasn’t involved in the decision. “Maybe I regret not having been more involved. In the situation that later generated all of the negativity afterwards. Maybe I regret not having been more inside of that decision making process. I wasn’t involved in that decision, to overturn the red card. As a football person, I understand everything … Beyond whether we were right or not [about the call on the field], I think nobody understood how it happened.” “As a football person,” Pochettino said, “where many times we have that emotional intelligence – [we know] that energy can change things. I think that energy changed the minute that happened. And by then, the game is played under different parameters, and that match was never a match where I believe the tactics, strategy, or selection of players would have changed the course of what happened during the game.” Pochettino also suggested too many people were involved in those efforts for his liking: “That’s something we’ve talked about internally. I think that these types of things have to be managed under a much more limited structure, a structure where decisions have to be made by very few people, where very few people manage these types of things. [Those decisions] should be strictly sporting and common sense, beyond whether a rule or a committee can say one thing or another.”

With his assist in the Philadelphia Union’s 4-3 win against Sporting Kansas City — 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan has set the record for most assists by a teenager in a single MLS season with 12. The future is bright 🇺🇸✨

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino addressing Noahkai Banks’ decision to commit to Germany over the USMNT 🗣️ “We want players who show commitment. Commitment is not 50 percent, it’s 200 percent. We want players who are desperate to play for the badge.” 💯🇺🇸

Real Madrid and Barcelona have reportedly made fresh enquiries about 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan with his performances in Major League Soccer continuing to attract attention across Europe — though he remain firmly committed to joining Man City and the wider City Football Group.