One name popped out when Mauricio Pochettino announced a largely experimental United States squad last week for a training camp and two friendlies, with 10 of those included yet to make their senior international debuts. In all, 23 of the 24 selected are with MLS clubs, but the 24th is with no club at all.
It was last month that Matko Miljevic was released by Newell’s in Argentina less than a year into his time with them, rather temperamental reactions to being substituted persuading the higher-ups that he didn’t quite have the required discipline.
Pochettino is, though, an admirer of the attacking midfielder who has played at youth level for both Argentina, where he was born, and the United States, even if the 23-year-old’s, eh, decision-making hasn’t always been the best.
He grew frustrated with his lack of game time with MLS side CF Montreal after signing for them in 2021, so used a fake name to turn out for another club in a local amateur league. When you do this it is, of course, advisable to keep a low profile and not punch and spit on an opponent. The upshot? He was barred from the amateur league for life and Montreal terminated his contract.
Mauricio Pochettino picks combustible player for questionable US experiment
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz give US a double threat at Australian Open
Some threw toilet rolls - others, sausages. How it might look if you were a fly on the wall at Mack Hansen’s Media Training
From Cork to Carlton and back: Ciáran Sheehan’s life in the GAA-Aussie rules fast lane
Newcastle fan misses school but learns lesson
Nine-year-old Sammy Scott had a mighty time when his da Mark took him to London last week to see his beloved Newcastle beat Arsenal 2-0 in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final, the trek south made possible by his ma Claire telling Sammy’s school that he was “poorly” that day so he wouldn’t be in.
“We were right at the front and were celebrating when Anthony Gordon scored,” Mark told the Sun. “The cameras panned around to us ... then Sky used the picture of Sammy as a still with the message ‘Geordie Joy’.”
Some time later: an email arrived in Mark’s inbox. “Just to let you know that Sammy’s absence on Tuesday will now be marked as unauthorised. This is due to media footage showing him in London at a football match. Benton Dene Primary.”
Mark and Claire need to buy Sammy a balaclava for his next away trip.
The Saudi Pro League – this means meh
For all the eye-watering amount of money being pumped in to the Saudi Pro League, the struggle to whip up interest among locals persists. While four clubs have an average attendance this season in five figures - with the Karim Benzema-captained Al-Ittihad top of the list with 37,331 – the other 14 haven’t fared so well.
Al-Riyadh are at least in the top 10 with an average crowd of 3,726, boosted by the visit of three of the league’s bigger sides so far this season. But? How many seats were filled in the 22,188-capacity Prince Faisal bin Fahd stadium last Thursday for the visit of Al Khaleej? 315.
In fairness, as the Daily Star pointed out, that was still more than twice their record low – 133 for a game in 2023. Strewth.
Quote of the Week
“It’s not a bad run on paper if you had wins in it.” – Sean Dyche on Everton’s run of two defeats and three draws in five games. Somehow that reasoning didn’t prevent him from being sacked.
Number of the Week: 115
That’s how many caps, over 18 years, Niamh Fahey won for Ireland before her retirement from international football last week. She did her State some service, that one.
Word of Mouth
“His grandmother was born in Liverpool, we have relatives in Liverpool and we were fortunate to know quite a lot of the Beatles. So, we are attached to Liverpool.” – Errol Musk explaining why his young fella Elon should buy Liverpool. The reaction in the city suggests he’ll forever walk alone with this particular ambition.
“It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. We kicked a lot of balls over the bar.” – Mikel Arteta not making any excuses at all, at all for that 2-0 League Cup defeat to Newcastle, during which Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon kicked the ball under the bar.
“One of their players had a pop at me, which was bang out of order. We are not a charity case.” – Spoilsport Darren Ferguson after he failed to bring on Tyler Young in Peterborough’s FA Cup game against Everton, thereby depriving him of the chance of upending their left-back, his da Ashley.
