Category: Americans Abroad

It sure sounds like former USMNT prospect Owen Otasowie is done playing

From a onetime top USMNT prospect to out of the game at age 23

Remember Owen Otasowie?

It wasn’t too long ago that Otasowie was seen as a future fixture of the U.S. men’s national team. Now, it seems like he may be done with the game for good at age 23.

The midfielder/defender made his debut for Wolves in 2019 at age 18. In the 2020-21 season, Otasowie made six Premier League appearances for Wolves while making the matchday squad on 23 occasions.

Otasowie’s exploits in the English top flight led to his first senior U.S. national team call-up and cap in November 2020.

But things started going downhill for Otasowie after a €4 million move to Club Brugge in the summer of 2021. A few months after his arrival in Belgium, there were reports he was struggling to adapt. Otasowie didn’t make a single appearance for the club in the 2021-22 season.

The following season, Otasowie returned to the fold and played a handful of matches early in the campaign. But by November 2022, he had gone completely AWOL and Brugge had reportedly stopped paying him.

His last appearance in any match came for Brugge’s reserves in September 2022.

Since then, Otasowie has been mostly out of the public eye, though he did found the clothing company Carsicko in 2021. As a onetime Burberry model, Otasowie has carried a longstanding interest in fashion.

But will he ever return to the field? Based on a live chat shared by @Eyesandvibes on X, that doesn’t appear likely.

“Eventually I just got to the point where I was like, I don’t even give a f—,” Otasowie said.

“The way they troll you is insane. You better be f—–g Cristiano Ronaldo on all days. If you ain’t Cristiano Ronaldo on all days, prepare to be trolled. S–t touch? They are on your ass for anything.

“I don’t play [soccer],” he added. “I haven’t touched a ball in two years.”

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Report: Claudio Reyna pushed for Gio Reyna’s loan to Nottingham Forest

The former USMNT star lobbied for the loan, which hasn’t worked out for his son

Gio Reyna’s ill-fated loan to Nottingham Forest came about at least partially due to the encouragement of his father Claudio Reyna, according to a report from ESPN.

Reyna left Borussia Dortmund at midseason in search of more playing time, but the U.S. men’s national team midfielder has not succeeded on that front.

Reyna has appeared in 10 games for Forest, starting just twice, and has played only 230 total minutes for the club.

The 21-year-old will return to Dortmund after this weekend’s final round of Premier League matches, having played the same limited role in England that he did in Germany prior to the loan.

That was not the plan back in the winter, as Reyna looked for a temporary switch to boost his minutes and confidence.

According to ESPN, Reyna’s former agency Wasserman was not initially in favor of sending the midfielder to England, but his father pushed for the move to Forest.

Around the time of his loan move, Reyna switched agents from Wasserman to Jorge Mendes, who has a lengthy history of ties with Nottingham Forest.

The report is confirmation that ex-USMNT star Claudio Reyna is still actively involved his son’s career, even after a major scandal that broke last year — though advocating for a loan move is certainly a more conventional method of involvement than what was revealed in an investigation last year.

U.S. Soccer’s independent investigation concluded that Reyna had a “pattern of periodic outreach” to U.S. Soccer officials from 2016 through the end of 2022, which included attempts to influence federation decisions.

Most notably, Claudio Reyna and his wife Danielle leaked information to U.S. Soccer about a domestic violence incident involving USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter in retaliation for Berhalter’s treatment of Gio Reyna during the 2022 World Cup.

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Reyna has no Nottingham Forest future, according to least surprising report ever

It’s been a frustrating loan in the Premier League for the USMNT star

If it wasn’t already obvious, a report from Sky Germany has made it clear: Gio Reyna isn’t sticking around at Nottingham Forest past this season.

The U.S. men’s national team star has endured a frustrating half-season loan in the Premier League, featuring only sparingly for Forest after joining from Borussia Dortmund at midseason.

Reyna has appeared in 10 games for Forest, starting just twice, and has played only 230 total minutes for the club.

The 21-year-old’s loan did not include a purchase option, though Forest could have always made a bid for the midfielder at season’s end.

Per the report from Sky, though, the Premier League club has unsurprisingly decided that Reyna has “no future” there. The 21-year-old will return to Dortmund after this weekend’s season finale.

After he returns to Germany, Reyna will once again face an uncertain future. Sky’s report said that another loan next season is possible, which wouldn’t be a total surprise given that Edin Terzić — a manager who clearly doesn’t rate Reyna highly — is expected to return after guiding Dortmund to the Champions League final.

It has been a mostly lost season for Reyna, who hasn’t yet topped 600 total minutes between Dortmund and Forest.

With neither club looking to be a particularly great fit for Reyna at this point, the USMNT midfielder faces a crucial summer ahead.

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Pulisic salutes Giroud after France striker confirms AC Milan exit

The pair spent three seasons as teammates over two different clubs

Christian Pulisic has paid tribute to Olivier Giroud after the striker announced he is leaving AC Milan.

Giroud confirmed the end of his three-year spell at San Siro, saying he was joining a MLS club ahead of a widely reported move to Los Angeles FC.

Pulisic and Giroud spent one season playing together at Milan, the second club at which they were teammates. The U.S. and France internationals also played alongside one another at Chelsea from 2019 to 2021.

After demonstrating real chemistry during their time at Chelsea, Pulisic and Giroud have continued that connection in Milan. Giroud has assisted two of Pulisic’s 15 goals with Milan this season, while Pulisic has provided the assist on three of Giroud’s 16 goals.

Pulisic assisted Giroud on May 5 against Genoa in what could be the striker’s final goal for the Rossoneri, unless he finds the net in one of the club’s final two games this season.

After Giroud announced he was leaving Milan on Monday, Pulisic sent a message via his Instagram story.

“Lucky to have graced the pitch with this guy,” the USMNT star wrote while reposting a tribute video from Milan.

Pulisic also participated in a tribute video from Milan featuring messages from many of the striker’s current teammates.

“I feel like I’ve learned so much thanks to you and we’ve had an amazing connection on the pitch,” Pulisic said.

Pulisic and Giroud will have two more chances to play as teammates. Milan faces Torino on Saturday and Salernitana on May 26 to wrap up a campaign that has already seen the club clinch second place in Serie A.

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Norwich faces nervous wait over Sargent status for Championship playoff vs. Leeds

Sargent faces a race against time to recover for the second leg against Leeds

Norwich City will be hoping for good news after watching leading goalscorer Josh Sargent depart the first leg of its promotion playoff against Leeds with an injury.

The U.S. men’s national team forward was forced off in the 84th minute, and manager David Wagner confirmed that the issue was with the same ankle that required surgery earlier this season.

Sargent missed nearly four full months for the Canaries, only to return to play in inspired form. The Missouri native scored 13 times in 22 matches, helping Norwich claim the final spot in the Championship’s promotion playoffs.

However, Sargent took a seat away from the ball late on against Leeds, departing a tense 0-0 draw at Carrow Road in the 84th minute. After receiving treatment briefly, Sargent slowly walked off under his own power.

Wagner hopes ‘tough guy’ Sargent returns

Speaking to reporters after the match, Wagner offered some hope that the USMNT striker would be available in Thursday’s second leg at Elland Road.

“Obviously [Sargent] wasn’t able to carry on,” said Wagner. “I haven’t spoken with him or the medical department in any detail. I think he has some problems with his ankle again.

“But, he’s a tough guy, and obviously it’s a big game. I hope and I think he will be fine.”

Norwich’s task will be simple: win on Thursday, and the Canaries will move on to the world’s most lucrative one-off match, a one-game playoff final at Wembley against either West Brom or Southampton. With no away goals rule in place, a draw by any score will send the tie to extra time.

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Pulisic back scoring for AC Milan after Cagliari brace

Pulisic’s career-best season continued as Milan crushed Cagliari 5-1

Christian Pulisic is looking to end a strong first season with AC Milan on a high note.

The U.S. men’s national team attacker struck twice for Milan in a ruthless second half as the Rossoneri thumped Cagliari 5-1 on Saturday.

The double takes Pulisic up to 12 goals in Serie A this season, and 15 in all competitions. Pulisic’s first multi-goal game with Milan also broke a goalless run over the last month, with the Pennsylvania native’s last goal coming on April 6 in a 3-0 win over Lecce.

Pulisic’s total of 15 goals and nine assists is by some distance his best output over one season. His previous best, an 11 goal/eight assist campaign with Chelsea, came in the 2019-20 season. The output also represents the most productive first season at the club for any Rossoneri player since Carlos Bacca in 2015-16.

Sporting a “Harlow” No. 11 kit as part of a Mother’s Day celebration, Pulisic got the nod despite some rotation from manager Stefano Pioli, and though Milan held a 1-0 edge at halftime, those changes seemed to contribute to a flat performance.

A triple substitution during the break seemed to be just what the doctor ordered, as the Rossoneri upped the tempo to increase their lead.

One of the changes, Rafael Leão, pushed Milan forward after a backheel from USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah caught Cagliari off guard.

The Portugal winger raced into the visitors’ half before showing patience, waiting for Pulisic — who held his run for a moment before sprinting into a seam — before sending the U.S. forward through.

From there, Pulisic made no mistake, racing into the box before firing past a helpless Simone Scuffet.

While Cagliari would offer a quick response to make it 2-1, Milan proceeded to overpower the Serie A strugglers. Tijjani Reijnders’ brilliant long-range goal in the 74th minute seemed to break the will of the club from Sardinia, and the Rossoneri showed no mercy.

Leão would essentially walk a fourth over the line, while Pulisic’s fifth needed some help from goal-line technology.

Noah Okafor’s cross from the endline found Pulisic in a good position, but the latter’s low shot was initially not given, as Yerry Mina lunged in on the line for a possible block.

However, within a moment, referee Simone Sozza gave the goal, signaling that the ball had indeed completely crossed the line.

Watch Pulisic claim a brace vs. Cagliari

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Why Pulisic is wearing a jersey with ‘Harlow’ in AC Milan-Cagliari match

Milan’s No. 11 didn’t wear “Pulisic” on Saturday, but it was, in fact, still the USMNT star

It may not have looked like it on Saturday, but AC Milan’s No. 11 against Cagliari was, in fact, still Christian Pulisic.

Instead of his usual look, Pulisic, along with the rest of his teammates, wore his mother’s maiden name on the back of his jersey for the Serie A clash at San Siro.

That meant that Milan’s No. 11 was “Harlow” rather than “Pulisic” for one match.

On Mother’s Day weekend, Milan’s players took to the pitch wearing their mothers’ maiden names, in recognition of a court ruling in April 2022 that said an Italian law automatically giving a child their father’s last name was discriminatory.

Now, both parents have the right to choose which surname their children receive.

Pulisic’s teammate for club and country, Yunus Musah, also started against Cagliari, wearing “Abubakari” on his back instead of his usual surname.

“We are happy and proud of this initiative, born on a special occasion like Mother’s Day to raise public awareness about the equal right to choose the surname of one’s children,” said AC Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani in a club release.

“We are equally pleased with the attention and enthusiasm with which it has been welcomed by Lega Serie A and the participation of several other clubs in our league.”

Along with AC Milan, five other Serie A clubs participated in the initiative on Mother’s Day weekend.

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Reyna left out of pivotal Nottingham Forest clash with Chelsea

Reyna’s season to forget seems to be ending on a down note

Nottingham Forest went into a fight for its Premier League life without Gio Reyna.

The midfielder, on loan from Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, was not in uniform as Forest fell 3-2 to Chelsea Saturday in a game that could have sealed Forest’s place in the top flight.

It is not yet known if Reyna was dropped due to injury, illness, or some other reason. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo didn’t discuss the U.S. men’s national team midfielder’s status ahead of the clash at City Ground.

With Luton Town and Burnley both losing earlier in the day, a single point would have mathematically guaranteed Forest a place in the 2024-25 Premier League.

However, Forest’s fumbling of a 2-1 lead in the second half means that Luton maintains a sliver of hope to catch up on the final day. With one match to play, Forest maintains a three-point gap, which is bolstered by a 12-goal advantage in terms of goal difference.

More bad news for Reyna

To say the least, Reyna’s deadline-day loan to the Premier League strugglers has not gone according to plan. The 21-year-old has appeared in 10 of a possible 17 competitive fixtures, starting just twice.

Despite producing an assist in his first start with the club, and a superb performance with the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League final, Reyna’s time in the East Midlands has done little to further his career. Reyna has compiled just 231 minutes for Forest, and has seemingly fallen out of favor in the season’s final days.

Following starts against Wolves and Everton in mid-April, Reyna’s share of the minutes in the Forest midfield have fallen off. He saw 16 minutes off the bench in a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City before becoming an unused substitute for May 4’s 3-1 win at Sheffield United.

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PSV signs USMNT midfielder Tillman on permanent deal

The Dutch champions have activated Tillman’s reported €10m purchase option

PSV has signed U.S. men’s national team midfielder Malik Tillman on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich.

Tillman has starred for PSV on loan in the 2023-24 season, and has now signed a contract with the Dutch power through the 2028 campaign.

“I am very happy that I will stay at PSV longer. The first season has been great and I hope that we will win many more trophies in the coming years,” Tillman told the club’s website.

The 21-year-old has tallied nine goals and 11 assists in the Eredivisie this term, helping his side lift the Dutch title.

PSV had a reported €10 million purchase option on the USMNT attacker, and the club previously indicated it would like to use it.

“Malik has more than proven his worth this season. He is a fantastic footballer with many qualities,” PSV director of football Earnie Stewart said. “In addition, he has also undergone tremendous development, as a footballer and as a person. I am very happy that he will play for PSV for a long time.”

In a Bayern statement, the club’s sporting director Christoph Freund said: “Malik Tillman came to Bayern as a youth player, developed into a professional here and has now become a key player in Eindhoven.

“He continues the long list of young players who have made the cut in professional football after coming through at Bayern. We wish him all the best for his future.”

Tillman, a former Germany youth international, has earned 10 caps for the USMNT so far, and is expected to be on the team’s roster for this summer’s Copa América.

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USMNT midfielder Adams will return to Bournemouth squad following back injury

The USMNT midfielder has missed seven games with a back injury

After missing seven straight games with a back injury, Tyler Adams is finally set to return for Bournemouth.

The U.S. men’s national team midfielder will be part of the Cherries squad for Saturday’s game against Brentford, manager Andoni Iraola said at his pre-match press conference.

“Lloyd Kelly will play tomorrow. He has been involved in training normally so we have no concerns about this,” Iraola said on Friday.

“So, we’ve recovered Lloyd, Tyler Adams and Marcus Tavernier will also be part of the squad.”

Adams first suffered back spasms in early April, an injury that popped up after he had only just returned from two separate hamstring surgeries.

The 25-year-old missed the better part of a year after undergoing hamstring surgery in March 2023, then being forced to have a second operation in October after suffering a setback following his Bournemouth debut.

Between the injuries, Adams has played just three matches for Bournemouth in his first season with the club.

After Saturday’s game, the Cheries will have just one match remaining in the campaign: a trip to Chelsea on May 19.

Even if Adams isn’t able to help his club side much in the season’s home stretch, his return to fitness is huge for his chances of making the USMNT roster for the Copa América.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter has until June 12 to send in his final roster for the tournament, which kicks off later in the month.

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