Ugh, this is terrible
The whole reason I started following Everton was because of Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. Of course, Brian McBride played there, too.
After Everton finally got their act together last year, my excitement right now is sky high.
| Has Balogun missed chance to capitalise on World Cup stardom? |
| The summer of 2026 was meant to be Folarin Balogun’s moment. The World Cup gave him the chance to hit the big time, in front of a U.S. audience. Go well at the finals and a raft of tasty transfer offers would open up in Europe. That was the theory. To an extent, Balogun did go well at the finals, scoring twice in the group stages and once in the round of 32. But between his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the embarrassing mess that followed it, and now an aborted deal to join Everton, I wonder how he’ll reflect on the experience. He’ll probably be ready to forget all about it. It’s genuinely difficult to argue that Everton would have been a good move for him. They’re unlikely to do much more than make up the numbers in the Premier League this season. But Monaco, the 25-year-old’s existing club, aren’t in for much of a year either. Far from giving him more Champions League exposure, they’ve been reduced to Europe’s third competition: the Conference League. Balogun remains central to the USMNT’s plans, and that won’t change any time soon. But if this was the time to take his career to the next level — a window of opportunity which isn’t likely to come again — then he’s missed the boat. Even if he doesn’t rue the decision to turn Everton down, he’ll surely regret his failure to seize the day. |
BWI
Fitz: August headlines vs. what we'll see from Penn State in September on defense
BWI
Penn State transfer tracker: 55 former Lions will play elsewhere in 2026; what role will each have?
BWI
Campbell details game-day role, analytics approach, embrace of Penn State history
BWI
Will D'Anton Lynn call the Penn State defense from the booth or field? A call will be made soon
BWI
Penn State Head Coach Matt Campbell Wednesday Post-Practice Press Conference: Marshall