Latest issue 04 Sep 2026

Soccerwise Minutes

September 4, 2026

Headlines:

The MLS transfer window is officially closed, but don’t forget teams can still announce deals if the paperwork was completed before the deadline. Catch up on the latest with Soccerwise’s special Wednesday show and follow Tom Bogert on BlueSky.
Three players with U.S. ties are coming to MLS on loan: 22-year-old Damion Downs joins St. Louis from Southampton, Taylor Booth returns to Real Salt Lake from FC Twente, and 21-year-old defender Joshua Wynder joins New England from Benfica after starring for Louisville City in the USL Championship.
Columbus added DP Uruguayan midfielder Santiago Rodríguez from Botafogo. The former NYCFC attacker cost the Crew side in the region of $6 million in transfer fees.
The Colorado Rapids splashed the cash, acquiring midfielder Morgan Whittaker from Middlesbrough for a club record fee of $10 million. Part of a flurry of moves from the Rocky Mountain side.
The Chicago Fire went on a late-window spree, making four additions in the final 72 hours of the transfer window, and also converted Philip Zinckernagel to a DP.
And the Houston Dynamo bolstered their attack by adding Burnley and South Africa international Lyle Foster on loan with a $7 million purchase option.
In non-transfer related news, for the first time since 2023, all 27 U.S. based MLS teams are back in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for 2027.
Across the pond, the biggest transfer drama went full American as Folarin Balogun was an Everton player, then wasn't, then was, then finally wasn't.
And for some good news abroad, Americans Sebastian Berhalter and Aidan Morris linked up for a goal with Middlesbrough. It was Morris’ first Championship goal and earned our goal of the midweek - check it out below.
U20 Women’s World Cup action kicks off this weekend in Poland. Get to know the players on our US Soccerwise episode this week in which David Gass chatted with Seattle Reign's Emeri Adames and Chicago Stars' Micayla Johnson!
A big USWNT player is staying put, as Rose Lavelle re-signed with Gotham FC through 2029.
USWNT legend and former Portland Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn has signed on to be a technical consultant with the Thorns for the rest of the season.
The NWSL transfer window remains open through Monday with the latest rumor being Italian international forward Barbara Bonansea will join the San Diego Wave on loan.
Meanwhile the Kansas City Current are adding to an already stacked roster, signing 19-year old Cameroonian Maëva Nyadjou, most recently named the 2026 WAFCON Best Young Player.
The WSL season in England kicks off today with USWNT stars Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Alyssa Thompson & Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Emily Fox (Arsenal) and Phalon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United) all in action this weekend.
In the college soccer world, Stanford reigns supreme, as both their men’s and women’s teams are ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Story of the Week: Grading MLS Transfers

The MLS summer transfer window has officially closed, and it was a busy one. With a World Cup and Leagues Cup packing the summer, many deals — including some of the biggest moves of the year — were left until the closing weeks of the window. Plus, thanks to a handful of big money departures, the cash was flowing, both within the league and abroad. Here are some of the top deals that crossed the finish line in the past couple weeks, along with grades based on how well we think they’ll improve their new clubs:

Atlanta United: Breel Embolo - $18m

Grade: B

It’s unfair to judge a player based on factors entirely out of his control, but Atlanta United signing a DP striker for egregious amounts of money is a story we’ve seen before. It’s true that the club desperately needed to move Latte Lath, but Embolo isn’t without his own doubts. The striker has more goals for Switzerland (26) than for any club he’s played for in his career apart from Basel. He’s certainly talented, as seen in his two goals and two assists at the World Cup this summer, but he hardly solves all of Atlanta’s problems and the high fee comes with high expectations.

Kansas City: André Luiz - $18m

Grade: C+

When your club is buying an $18 million designated player, you’re not normally expecting that guy to be a backup winger from the Greek first division. The story of how Andre Luiz got to this point — and this fee — is an interesting one, and Tutul Rahman has a great thread describing the situation.

He may have the talent that we saw for Rio Ave at the beginning of last season, but even then, the sample size is small (just 19 matches of consistently good performances). Luiz is very much an unknown, and an expensive unknown at that. It’s hard to see this as anything other than a wild gamble by David Lee.

St. Louis: Rafael Navarro - $12m

Grade: A

Ever since João Klauss left the club in January, St. Louis have been in need of a new number nine (even though Simon Becher has been doing an admirable job). So, they went out and got one of the best number nines in the league in Rafa Navarro. The league record cash fee is eye-popping, but it’s impossible to argue that Navarro isn’t worth it.

Weekend Watchlist:

Charlotte FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC (Sat., Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. ET, Apple): Here comes Charlotte FC with three wins in its last four, newly acquired DP Allan Saint-Maximin and company are looking to continue climbing the Eastern Conference table as they play host to the Houston Dynamo, one of the hottest teams in the West.   

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. St. Louis CITY SC, MLS (Sat. Sept. 5, 10:30 p.m. ET, Apple): Surging St. Louis is looking to keep pace in the West after adding Rafael Navarro to its attack. They visit Vancouver to take on a Whitecaps FC squad that has found their scoring boots once again and is hoping to strengthen its lead atop the Western Conference.

Portland Thorns FC vs. Washington Spirit, NWSL (Sun. Sept. 6, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Two-thirds of Triple Espresso goes head-to-head at Providence Park. Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit have never won in Portland, and a victory would help their Shield race chase, but Sophia Wilson and the Portland Thorns haven’t lost a home game in over a year.

Union Omaha vs Charlotte Independence. USL League One (Sat., Sept. 5, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+): It’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the table, with just three points separating Charlotte and Omaha. The league-leading Independence attack, with more than 50 goals this season, will look to end the Owls’ 23-game home unbeaten streak.

No. 5 Georgetown vs. No. 10 Oregon State, Men’s College (Fri., Sept. 4, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+): It’s a matchup of two unbeaten teams coming off statement wins. Georgetown’s Mitchell Baker, the No. 10 overall pick by Colorado in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft looks to lead his squad against breakout redshirt freshman Max Eisenberg and the Beavers.

Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Michigan State, Women’s College (Fri. Sept. 6, 7:00 pm ET, SECN+) : A traditional power meets a new one, when Notre Dame plays host to Michigan State. The Spartans just knocked off North Carolina and are looking for revenge after the Fighting Irish rolled to a 3-0 win last season.

U.S. U-20 vs. Italy, U-20 Women’s World Cup (Sun., Sept. 6, 12 pm ET, FOX Soccer PLUS): The U.S. hasn’t won the tournament since 2012, but they had a good showing in the last edition, finishing third in 2024. A squad of 8 NWSL players and a ton of college talent hopes to get off to a fast start in group play.

Goal of the Midweek:

The American boys at Boro. What a strike from Aidan Morris.

Quick Links, Kickback:

Soccerwise: David Gass and your Kickback family have you covered all things MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
First Touch: Kickback’s global soccer platform got bigger this week First Touch Weekly, the best audio coverage in twenty minutes of the global game. This week, the Stadio crew joins host Susannah Fuller!
Tom Bogert, The Athletic: No one better to keep you up-to-date on all of the silly season news from MLS!
Tactics Free Zone: Matt Doyle is your go-to analyst for all MLS action.

Quick Links, Kickback Partners:

SixOneFive Soccer has you covered as they continue to recap Nashville’s historic run. Also check out their Pharmaceutical Soccer podcast to get you ready for this weekend’s action.
Check out Sounder at Heart as they provide all the coverage for the Boys in Rave Green, keeping you up-to-date as Seattle looks to make a playoff push.
Our newest Kickback partner TopBin90 is your main source for Charlotte FC and beyond. Also with college soccer season now in full swing they can keep you up-to-date at College Soccer News.