Prodigies

Jesús Ferreira made his second game for the U.S. men's national team memorable with two goals and three assists in a 7-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in Orlando, on Sunday.

The Colombia-born Ferreira, 20, debuted on Feb. 1, 2020, vs. Costa Rica — two months after gaining American citizenship. The FC Dallas striker did not get on the scoreboard in that game but more than made up for it against the Trinidadians.

We’ve reached a new level in the relationship between Nike and the young phenoms churned out at Santos FC. It began with PSG’s Neymar, who signed with the multinational corporation at the age of 13. That trend continued with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who, at the tender age of 11, became Nike’s youngest-ever affiliated athlete after dazzling at a youth tournament in New York.

This week's football wonderkid comes from the depths of the English Football League, in Manchester's industrial suburb of Rochdale.

Rochdale AFC teenager Kwadwo Baah, a tender 17 years of age, announced himself by scoring a pair of goals in Tuesday's League One match against Charlton that would make any Premier League winger envious.

Both goals came from the left wing, the opener a sublime first-time strike, and the second a powerful bottom-corner finish after a clever dribbling sequence.

Another member of the Rodman family could be headed for the athletic spotlight.

The Washington Spirit selected forward Trinity Rodman with the No. 2 overall pick in the National Women's Soccer League draft on Wednesday. Rodman, 18, is the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.

The younger Rodman was due to play for Washington State before the last college soccer season was wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic. She has played on the U.S. national under-20 women's team, and she helped lead that squad to the CONCACAF championship in March 2020.

It’s not everyday that Americans exchange goals in the 2. Bundesliga, but that was the case on Sunday when Julian Green’s Fürth defeated Leon Flach’s St. Pauli 2-1. 

The 25-year-old Green hasn’t played for the U.S. since 2018 and has fallen down the attacking midfield depth chart at the international level, but he opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 24th-minute in a man of the match display.  

It was only a matter of time, and the time came for young Youssoufa Moukoko on Friday. On the last Bundesliga match day of 2020, Moukoko became the youngest Bundesliga goal scorer ever, providing a stunning finish in the 60th minute against Union Berlin at the tender age of 16 years and 28 days.

For the neutral, there could be no victor in Wednesday’s win or go home meeting between Ajax and Atalanta at Johan Cruijff ArenA (although a draw would suffice for the Italian side).

Ajax’s run to the semifinals of the 2018-19 tournament is already the stuff of legend, while Atalanta’s own trip to the quarters last season was just as improbable, and likewise ended in heartbreaking added-time defeat.

Of all the phenomenons we’ve covered over the last six years — Christian Pulisic’s tender years, Martin Ødegaard’s journey of the Prodigal Son, Alphonso Davies meep meep — Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko stands out as the most prodigious.