Prodigies

During Sunday’s Segunda División B match between the Barcelona B squad and SD Ejea, 20-year-old Barca right back Moussa Wagué was sent off for clashing with an Ejea supporter while attempting to take a throw-in. 

The match was played at the tight confines of Ejea’s 2,900-capacity Nuevo Estadio Municipal, and after Wagué went to collect the ball for a throw, a supporter tossed it away from him, resulting in the physical altercation.

Last week, the South American U-20 Championship kicked off in Chile, with the top four finishers earning qualification to this summer’s U-20 World Cup in Poland.

18-year-old Mexican phenom Diego Lainez made his debut with Real Betis on Sunday following his transfer from Club América. Lainez entered the fray in the 81st minute with Betis and Girona knotted at 2-2 at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in LaLiga play.

Lainez’s introduction made him the third-youngest Mexican debutant in Europe, and his positive play on both wings during the brief cameo certainly isn’t going to slow the hype surrounding him.  

Granted this isn’t much, but there’s nothing else we can do until the Bundesliga returns from its winter break on Friday, Jan. 18, so these friendly matches will have to tide us over.

We can’t wait to see how Josh Sargent carries on with Werder Bremen after scoring two goals in his first three appearances, as well as how Christian Pulisic fares for Borussia Dortmund during his final four months at the club, but we’re equally as excited for the debuts of Canadian international Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams at RB Leipzig. 

The Diego Lainez transfer is complete. And he’s headed to Spain.

The exciting 18-year-old winger made the move from Club América to Real Betis on Thursday. The LaLiga club will pay América a reported $16 million for Lainez’s services.

There's been a lot of news surrounding American players abroad in Europe lately.

It’s no revelation that it’s become increasingly difficult for youth players to make the grade at clubs of a certain stature. From Barcelona’s La Masia to Bayern’s Junior Team, potential first team prospects struggle to make the breakthrough while the world’s richest clubs continue to look outward rather than promote from within. 

The Liga MX 2019 Clausura season kicked off Friday, 19 days after Club América claimed its historic 13th league title in the Apertura competition. The opening night of play featured Cruz Azul — the beaten Apertura finalists — settling for a draw against Puebla, but how about this strike from La Maquina talisman Elias Hernandez. 

According to the latest reports, 10-year-old Barcelona phenom Michal Zuk has signed a brand ambassador contract with adidas.