ASN: Sands suffers critical damage, Aaronson scores for Utrecht, U-17 crew qualifies for World Cup & extra

The ASN morning replace is right here with ideas on Individuals overseas and the U.S. U-17 World Cup. MLS previews are on the way in which. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
February 18, 2025
8:00 AM

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HAPPY TUESDAY to all you ASN readers, we hope you had been in a position to have the break day on Monday for President’s Day – as we did – and that every part goes nicely. Here’s a fast notes to start out your week.

Simply to maintain everybody within the loop, we’ve loads of MLS content material this week because the season is about to open this weekend. We’ll do our convention previews and predictions in addition to charge the highest younger American gamers and toss in a number of interviews if we’ve the time.

Sands will miss loads of time

James Sands, 24, was off to an awesome begin at St. Pauli since becoming a member of the membership final month on mortgage from New York Metropolis FC. The six-months deal included the likelihood to increase by means of the next season if standards had been met (probably if St. Pauli weren’t relegated). 

However all that got here to a screeching halt on Saturday when within the closing minute towards Freiburg, Sands was injured on a free kick into the field. The quick scenes indicated it was critical as teammates and opponents signaled to the bench for assist.

Sands was rushed into surgical procedure for a sophisticated ankle damage. He’s out indefinitely.

It’s an terrible blow to a participant who excelled along with his hometown membership and was getting ready to reestablishing himself with the nationwide crew through Bundesliga performances. Hopefully inside a number of weeks we are able to get a timetable for his return and whether or not the trail ahead for him is to return to NYCFC and get again to his stage.

Individuals overseas

I analyzed the weekend for Individuals overseas over at Soccer America and it was a greater weekend that at the beginning look. Other than Paxten Aaronson and Josh Sargent, there weren’t too many fireworks.

The weekend was good to Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson within the Premier League. 

For Adams, he went 90 minutes for Bournemouth in a 3-1 away win over cellar-dweller Southampton. Total, it was one other excellent efficiency and Adams is popping in constantly sturdy outings for the primary time in years. 

That is so essential on so many ranges. He’s arguably the very best American export out of MLS who began on the academy stage, and now he has an opportunity to return to the Champions League and the record of American gamers who’ve certified for that competitors from the Premier League is brief. It’s a good factor for Adams and everybody that he’s again into the very best ranges of the sport. Clearly for the nationwide crew, it’s big to lastly have a steady presence in central midfield. 

For Robinson, his consistency is nothing new. He has been good for years, though this stays his finest season. He’s now captaining a Fulham crew that can also be inside placing distance of Europe. He has been a part of the membership’s promotion and rise throughout the Premier League. He’s now the crew’s captain. 

Robinson turned in one other 90-minute outing over the weekend in a 2-1 win over third place Nottingham Forest. It wasn’t a flashy efficiency, and he’s performed higher this season, however he was regular and dependable towards an excellent crew. The end result was Fulham’s third win over its final 4 league video games and the Cottagers now sit in eighth place.  

In Serie A, it was additionally an excellent day on the workplace for Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus who defeated second-place Inter Milan at residence 1-0 to maneuver again into fourth place. Regardless of having simply 42% possession, Juventus managed to win and each Individuals performed all 90 minutes. Weah was excellent at proper again whereas McKennie created most of the finest Juventus possibilities within the recreation. McKennie appears to be settling again into his regular midfield function, which is nice for him, Juventus, and the U.S. nationwide crew. 

When it comes to youthful gamers making an attempt to push upward, Tanner Tessmann continues to construct his resume with Lyon and on Saturday, the Alabama native performed 90 minutes in a 4-1 away win over Montpellier. Whereas he didn’t have any very large moments, he was quietly regular all through the sport and helped Lyon management the midfield in a win that noticed the membership stay in sixth place of Ligue 1. 

Tessmann had a superb yr in 2024. He helped Venezia win promotion to Serie A, he captained the Olympic crew, and he moved to Lyon. Whereas he hit a patch the place minutes had been powerful to return by, he’s again to enjoying and is profiting from his time on the sector. Lyon has finished nicely with Tessmann on the sector, and he now has performed 900 minutes for Lyon in all competitions. 

He’s had some powerful studying classes in transferring to a giant membership like Lyon, however he ought to like the place he stands. 

Likewise, this season has been an awesome studying expertise for Santiago Castaneda. The younger defensive midfielder signed with Paderborn final yr and is in his first season with the two.Bundesliga membership. The 20-year-old from Tampa, hit a tough patch over the previous month however was given the beginning for Paderborn on Friday towards Preussen Munster. 

Actually good from Santiago Castaneda in a 2-0 win. – 10/13 floor duels- 3/3 aerials- 4 fouls drawn- 4 clearances – 3/4 dribbles- 90 minutes/73 touches – 45/51 passing- this might get Paderborn again into promotional race – Castaneda ought to proceed to start out https://t.co/TAjR7LUNYG

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 14, 2025

Needing to reap the benefits of the chance, Castaneda turned in one in all his finest and most full performances of the season in a 2-0 win. He acquired on the ball quite a bit and he received an awesome majority of his duels to assist Paderborn management the midfield. 

As talked about, Paxton Aaronson scored for Utrecht in a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven and was named to the Eredivisie Workforce of the Week. This continues to be an awesome mortgage that’s solely going to both open the door again at his mother or father membership, Eitnracht Frankfurt, or with one other membership in a prime league. As for the U.S. nationwide crew, it is exhausting to see many gamers in entrance of him as he fights for a roster spot. 

U-17 crew qualifies for the World Cup

After two lopsided outcomes to open the group stage, the U.S. crew defeated Cuba 2-0 on Saturday to qualify for the 2025 U-17 World Cup. In three video games, the U.S. crew boasted a +31 objective differential. That’s extra reflective of CONCACAF’s new format which inspires lopsided routs as a result of objective differential is at play.

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) February 16, 2025

There isn’t a lot to remove aside from the very best U.S. gamers had been Chase Adams and Maximo Carrizo who occurred to be the objective scorers towards Cuba. Adams had 11 targets within the three video games and it is going to be fascinating to see if Columbus indicators him to a homegrown quickly.

Hopefully this crew can get again to enjoying higher groups quickly.