As revealed by former manager Philippe Clement, Rangers “tried” to sign Kenny McLean during his time at the club only to miss out on the Norwich City midfielder.

It’s a case of what might have been for those at Ibrox, who have endured a tumultuous time since not only missing out on their target, but also sacking Clement. After hiring Russell Martin to replace the Belgian, the Gers were forced to make another decision less than three months into the season – giving Martin his marching orders.

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Now, with Danny Rohl in charge, Rangers have already won more points in the Scottish Premiership than they did in the entirety of Martin’s rein. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be hoping that the German’s arrival has at least made up for a disappointing summer of decisions.

He told reporters during the international break: “Yeah, I still feel very confident. The situation is clearly that we felt that we weren’t going in the right direction previously and so unfortunately we had to make that change.

“We’ve changed for an individual who’s got very good experience despite his young years and I think he’s proven that with some of the things that we’re seeing on pitch. I think there’s a clear difference in terms of the way in which we’re playing at the moment and fundamentally that’s leading to getting some good results.”

With Livingston up next, Rohl has the chance to make it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership and potentially move up to third if results go Rangers’ way. As January approaches and targets such as Kilmarnock’s David Watson reportedly emerge, there’s no doubt that a change in fortunes on the pitch will be doing the Gers a world of good.

As Clement found out not so long ago, however, Rohl may not get the chance to welcome every top target.

Clement reveals Rangers wanted Kenny McLean

As revealed by Clement, Rangers tried to sign McLean during his time at the club, but missed out after the midfielder decided to stay put at Norwich City. Now, the former Ibrox boss has finally received the chance to work with the Scot after taking the vacant role at Carrow Road and revealed his long-term admiration for his talents.

If Rangers did secure McLean’s signature then they would, of course, have a World Cup midfielder in their ranks these days. The 33-year-old recently played his part as Scotland secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion against Denmark, scoring a stunning half-way line goal.

Given how much talent they welcomed from the Championship last summer that hasn’t worked out, losing out on a player of McLean’s quality should be seen as a real blow at Ibrox.

Dubbed “great” by former Norwich player Iwan Roberts, the 33-year-old will always have his part in Scottish football history after his goal against Denmark to secure a World Cup place.

£5m Rangers flop is bigger waste of money than Miovski and Chermiti

The duo shared an unbeaten 212-run stand at Adelaide Oval after the defending champions slumped to 58 for 3

AAP04-Oct-2025

Centuries to Henry Hunt and Jake Lehmann have defending champions South Australia early control of their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at Adelaide Oval.Victoria captain Peter Handscomb’s decision to bowl looked the right call when Mitchell Perry took his third wicket in the morning session, leaving the home side in trouble at 58 for 3.That brought together Hunt and Lehmann, who steadily took the game away from Victoria and at stumps SA were 270 for 3. Hunt carried his bat through the day and scored a grinding 121 from 300 balls, with 10 fours and one six. Lehmann’s 107 from 180 balls, featuring only seven fours on a slow outfield, was his fourth century in as many Shield games going back to last season.Victoria could have had South Australia in even bigger early trouble. Hunt had reached 33 and the score was 114 when he drove at a wide delivery from pacer David Moody and edged straight to Blake Macdonald at first slip. But the chance was grassed and it proved costly for Victoria.It was the slowest of Hunt’s 11 Shield centuries and he said Lehmann’s innings had been pivotal.”The momentum shifted when he came out – his presence at the crease, to put some pressure back on [Victoria],” Hunt said. “To be 270 for 3, that’s almost a perfect day for us.”Perry finished with 3 for 61 from 20 overs while Test quick Scott Boland went wicketless from 18 overs and Fergus O’Neill also failed to a scalp from his 21 overs.

Venkat Sundaram has been named secretary

PTI17-Oct-2025Former India women captain Shantha Rangaswamy has been elected president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), and former Delhi men opener Venkat Sundaram named secretary.Sundaram had served as the ICA’s president since December 2024, when he was elected unopposed following the death of the former president Aunshuman Gaekwad.Deepak Jain is the treasurer, while the member representatives are Jyoti Thatte and Santhosh Subramoniam.The ICA board has nominated former India women captains Sudha Shah and Shubhangi Kulkarni as its representatives in the BCCI’s Apex Council and the IPL Governing Council.The male representative to the BCCI Apex Council is V Chamundeswara Nath from the Hyderabad Cricket Association.”This election marks a notable moment for the ICA, with two women now serving on the ICA Board, and for the first time, a female president and a female nominee to the IPL Governing Council – reflecting the Association’s commitment to inclusive representation and progressive leadership,” a release stated.

Manchester United are building for the future under Ruben Amorim, and he now appears to have made key decisions on two of his most high-profile Old Trafford stars.

The Red Devils have made a reasonable start to the Premier League campaign and could well make a push for the European slots if they can maintain momentum, though that is something that will be challenged over the festive period due to the African Cup of Nations.

Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are set to depart next month, leaving roles to be filled in the squad during a busy schedule that is set to be fraught with intense action.

Still, Premier League sides have known the competition is part and parcel of their squad planning, making it an issue they should be able to handle without the need for mass panic.

Signings in January will be important and there is an obvious need for midfield reinforcements, especially with Casemiro drawing closer to the end of his contract at Old Trafford.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes is the latest name on Manchester United’s list, and discussions are said to be progressing well over a potential move to work under Amorim’s stewardship in January.

Rob Edwards has signalled his desire to keep the Brazilian at Molineux. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped the Red Devils making tracks, even if there could be a twist in the tale regarding the state of play on their engine room, courtesy of Fabrizio Romano.

Fabrizio Romano delivers contract update on Casemiro and Maguire

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano has confirmed that Amorim wants both Casemiro and Harry Maguire to stay at Manchester United, providing they reduce their wages in line with the club’s new salary structure.

He said: “My understanding is that the situation of Casemiro is a really similar situation in terms of strategy to Harry Maguire.

“Casemiro and Harry Maguire are out of contract in the summer of 2026 and for Manchester United, they are two really important players, especially now.

“We have to say congrats to Casemiro. In this video let’s focus on Casemiro, because he’s been able to change his situation at Manchester United.”

Later, he added: “So now the desire is from Man United, obviously, to continue with Casemiro, but in different conditions. So the salary he has right now is a salary that Manchester United don’t want to pay in the future, not because of Casemiro or Maguire, but because they want to change the salary structure.”

Between them, a pay packet of £540,000 per week is a major chunk of the Red Devils’ wage list, and with both edging closer to the twilight of their respective careers, it may be worth looking at younger reinforcements as their contracts look set to expire.

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Conversely, experience is vital and cannot be understated. Over the coming months, it would be a smart decision to tie down both stars if they can agree to a wage reduction.

يخوض فريق ريال مدريد الإسباني، مباراة مساء اليوم الأربعاء في إطار مواجهات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025-2026، حين يواجه أولمبياكوس اليوناني.

ويستقبل أولمبياكوس اليوناني نظيره ريال مدريد الإسباني، ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وذكرت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، أن الإنجليزي جود بيلينجهام لاعب وسط ريال مدريد، يثير قلق المدرب تشابي ألونسو قبل المباراة المرتقبة.

ويوضح التقرير أن بيلينجهام يعاني من شد في ربلة الساق، وتحوم الشكوك حول إمكانية مشاركته أساسيًا أمام أولمبياكوس.

اقرأ أيضًا | أسطورة ريال مدريد مدافعًا عن ألونسو: يجب على الإدارة حمايته

ويذكر التقرير أن بيلينجهام ليس على ما يرام، وقد لا يُخاطر تشابي ألونسو بمشاركته تجمبًا لتعرضه لإصابة أخرى، والخيار الأكثر ترجيحًا هو تواجد لاعب الوسط الإنجليزي على مقاعد البدلاء.

وسيتم اتخاذ قرار بشأن مشاركة بيلينجهام خلال اللقاء بناء على تطورات المباراة، تخوفًا من خطر الإصابة بسبب الشد الذي يعاني منه.

ويغيب عن ريال مدريد بالفعل كل من أنطونيو روديجر، داني كارفاخال، فرانكو ماستانتونو، إيدير ميليتاو، ديفيد ألابا، دين هويسن، وحارس المرمى تيبو كورتوا.

Sunderland ended a run of three matches without a win by turning around a 2-0 deficit to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the Premier League.

Summer signing Bertrand Traore grabbed his first goal for the club to make it 2-2, before substitute Brian Brobbey scored for the second time in three matches off the bench to secure all three points.

The work done by Kristjaan Speakman and his team in the summer transfer window can only be described as miraculous at this moment in time, given that the Black Cats are fighting for European football, rather than battling against relegation.

Ranking Sunderland's top five summer signings

Sunderland, including permanent deals, free agents, and loans, made a whopping 15 additions to the team that earned promotion from the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign.

It is hard to look past Robin Roefs and Granit Xhaka as being the two best signings made by the club, as they are both undroppable stars within Regis Le Bris’ side.

The Black Cats number one has prevented 3.28 xG more than expected in 13 Premier League games, per Sofascore, whilst Xhaka has showcased his vast experience, starting all 13 matches and providing one goal and four assists from the middle of the park.

1

Robin Roefs

2

Granit Xhaka

3

Nordi Mukiele

4

Noah Sadiki

5

Omar Alderete

As you can see in the table above, we have put experienced signings Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, as they have played a role in Sunderland only conceding 13 goals in 13 games so far.

Noah Sadiki also has to be up there because of his brilliant work rate in the middle of the park, averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 13 starts, per Sofascore, after his £15m summer move from USG.

Of course, not every single signing goes to plan, and Sunderland are no exception. For example, Simon Adingra is currently on track to become the new Jeremain Lens on Wearside.

Why Simon Adingra may be the new Jeremain Lens

The Black Cats splashed £8m to sign Lens from Dynamo Kiev in 2015 to bolster their wide options, but he only went on to play 24 matches for the club, per Transfermarkt, with four goals and three assists to show for his efforts.

Lens found game time hard to come by after Dick Advocaat was replaced by Sam Allardyce. The winger went as far as to call it “annoying” and stated “I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench”.

He then went out on loan to Fenerbahce and Bestikas before signing for the latter permanently in 2018, ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light as a flop.

Unfortunately, Adingra may already be on the same path as the Dutchman after the club paid £21m to sign him from Brighton in the summer, making him the second-most expensive signing in the team’s history, behind the £27m deal for Habib Diarra.

Sporting director Speakman noted in the Ivorian star’s unveiling that he was “excited” to see the 23-year-old in action for the Black Cats, after the youngster had scored 12 goals in 73 games for Brighton, per Transfermarkt.

However, Adingra has not hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light, playing in eight of the 13 Premier League games this season, and is yet to register a goal or an assist, per Sofascore.

The right-footed flanker has struggled badly for game time in the top-flight his season, with one minute played in the last two matches, which will not be what the Black Cats were expecting when they decided to splash £21m on his services.

Bournemouth

0

Fulham

1

Arsenal

26

Everton

0

Wolves

0

Man Utd

37

Nottingham Forest

12

Aston Villa

0

Crystal Palace

69

Brentford

25

Burnley

63

West Ham

76

Adingra has been a bit-part player for Le Bris, with the likes of Traore and Chemsdine Talbi ahead of him in the pecking order, and it remains to be seen whether or not he can turn things around to become a key player for Sunderland.

If it gets to January, or next summer, and he is still struggling for minutes and rarely getting off the bench, the former Brighton man may end up in the position that Lens found himself in, where a loan will be needed for him to go out and play regular football again.

Not Ballard: Sunderland have signed their new O'Shea in £100k-per-week star

Regis Le Bris now has his very own John O’Shea at Sunderland in this £100k-per-week warrior.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Técnico do Flamengo, Tite defendeu a postura da equipe no empate em 1 a 1 com o Millonarios-COL, fora de casa, na estreia do time na Copa Libertadores. Mesmo com vantagem no marcador e um homem a mais em campo durante grande parte da segunda etapa, o Rubro-Negro viu Daniel Rivera, nos minutos finais, igualar o placar.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

Na visão do treinador, o time não administrou o resultado após a expulsão Larry Vásquez, que derrubou o meia Arrascaeta dentro da área. Pelo contrário, acionou seus atacantes de velocidade para continuar agredindo o adversário e matar o confronto.

Porém, a marcação exercida pela equipe colombiana freou o ímpeto rubro-negro, que não conseguiu furar o bloqueio imposto. Com dez homens, o Millonarios implementou uma marcação em bloco baixo, atrasando suas linhas, para aproveitar os espaços e contra-atacar.

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– Não procuramos administrar o jogo, continuamos agredindo o adversário. Colocamos três atacantes de velocidade. Não colocamos o time para trás. O Millonarios, com dez, teve marcação baixa. Atrasou a linha para ter o contragolpe. A gente não soube furar esse bloqueio – disse o treinador em entrevista coletiva.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Para Tite, o Flamengo poderia ter saído com a vitória caso recuasse seus jogadores, mas isso fugiria das características propostas pelo comandante, que acredita que o gol de empate “é do jogo, uma jogada individual”.

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No próximo domingo (7), o Rubro-Negro encara o Nova Iguaçu, às 17h (de Brasília), pelo duelo de volta da final do Campeonato Carioca. Na primeira partida, disputada no Maracanã, o Flamengo venceu por 3 a 0 e se aproximou do título da competição.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoFutebol NacionalLibertadoresTite

Ex-England, Chelsea and Manchester City winger Sean Wright-Phillips has given his verdict on Liverpool's struggles this season, claiming it was a mistake to allow Luis Diaz leave for Bayern Munich without a like-for-like replacement. The Colombian completed a £65.5m ($87m) transfer to the Bavarian giants in the summer, with the Reds acquiring central attackers in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.

Diaz shines for Bayern since Liverpool switch

Former winger Wright-Phillips was clear in his assessment of Liverpool's transfer business, saying he felt the decision to part company with Diaz without replacing him with another winger was a clear mistake from the moment it happened. He said many Liverpool fans are now waking up to the quality Diaz possesses, as he thrives in Munich. 

The ex-Porto man has been a revelation for Bayern so far this term, scoring 11 goals and contributing five assists in 18 competitive appearances. The highlight of his brilliant start to life in Germany came in Bayern's 2-2 draw away to Union Berlin last month, when he rifled home a finish from an impossibly tight angle.  

Diaz was absent in the German club's only loss of the 2025/26 campaign in midweek, after he followed a first half brace with a red card in the Bavarian side's 2-1 win over PSG. Vincent Kompany's side clearly missed his direct running and physical output in their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal. 

AdvertisementGetty Images EntertainmentWright-Phillps: Selling Diaz was a "mistake"

In an interview with Wright-Phillips was asked whether he thought it was a mistake to sell Diaz to Bayern. He replied: "Yes. I thought that when I heard it before it even happened. I couldn’t quite understand it. That was a mistake, but an even bigger mistake was not replacing him.

"You’re losing a winger, so replace him with another winger. For whatever reason, they chose to look elsewhere.

"I think a few Liverpool fans recognised just how good he was for them, but a lot of people didn’t really understand how important and effective he was until he started doing it for Bayern instead."

Wright-Phillips criticises Liverpool's transfer policy

Wright-Phillips continued his criticism over Liverpool's transfer spending. He was asked if the Reds failure to secure Marc Guehi's transfer from Crystal Palace was their biggest mistake, however, the 44-year-old instead referenced the decision to acquire both Isak and Ekitike without Arne Slot adjusting his tactics to accommodate both players, or bring out the best in other high-profile purchases like Florian Wirtz. Isak joined Liverpool for a British record fee of £125m from Newcastle; Ekitike made the switch to Merseyside from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal that could reach £79m; Wirtz cost £116m to acquire from Bayer Leverkusen. All three men have struggled for form and fitness  over the start of the 2025/26 season. 

"No, I don't think Liverpool missing out on Guehi was the biggest mistake of the summer. I think the biggest mistake is that Slot hasn’t adapted his approach so that Ekitike and Isak can play together," said Wright-Phillips. 

"They’re both pretty similar, so you need to work on it to make sure they can team up. But you can’t have one who drops short, because that’s where Wirtz will be. But if you have Wirtz there, you’ve fundamentally changed your title-winning midfield tactics."

Wright-Phillips went on to suggest that Liverpool had tinkered too much with their winning formula from last term. He added: "There's been too much change in Liverpool from the team that almost walked the league last season. I don't think there needed to be £400 million worth of changes. I don't think they needed both Isak and Ekitike. They could have just taken one and then they would have been well placed to go and obviously replace Diaz. But they were so focused on those two players that they didn't really do much else after that."

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Diaz's form will be add insult to injury for Liverpool fans, that have watched their expensive attack fail to gel. 

It has not been much better in defence. Jamie Carrageher unleashed an x-rated rant against Arne Slot for continuing to pick the struggling Ibrahima Konate after Liverpool's disastrous 4-1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven earlier this week. The Sky and CBS Sports pundit suggested the Dutchman has one week to right the ship, before shis position will come under serious threat. Slot has to find the right tactical balance ahead of the Reds trip to West Ham on Sunday, and the visit of Sunderland on December 3.

Trent Rockets women have appointed Chris Read as their new head coach.The former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper and captain has been promoted from his assistant role held under previous incumbent Jon Lewis, who left the Women’s Hundred side at the end of the 2025 campaign after three years in charge.Read is a cult hero at Trent Bridge, having made over 700 appearances in all formats for Nottinghamshire across 19 years, serving as club captain for 10 seasons. He earned 15 Test caps for England, alongside 36 ODI appearances.Rockets will enter the 2026 season under new management following the acquisition of a 49% stake by Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the organisation, with Nottinghamshire retaining a 51% stake.Read’s move into coaching has recently included success as with Lancashire Women, marshalling them to two trophies this year. Last week, he signed a two-year deal to remain as their head coach through to the end of 2027.Read’s coaching staff at Rockets will include another former Nottinghamshire team-mate, Luke Fletcher, as assistant coach.”It’s a deeply proud moment to take on a head coaching role based at the ground that I have a huge number of unbelievably special memories at,” said Read in a statement. “I’ve really enjoyed developing my coaching skillset with the Rockets over the last three summers, and the opportunity to continue that journey is really exciting.”I felt the impact of a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd first-hand over many years, and I know how much their support can change the course of games.”With all the fresh energy and investment into the Hundred, I’m really looking forward to starting the preparation for 2026 and beyond as we bid to deliver success.”Rockets general manager Mick Newell, who coached Read at Nottinghamshire, added: “It’s a real full-circle moment for Chris to return to Trent Bridge to lead Trent Rockets, and we’re delighted to welcome him back.”Having established himself as a true club legend here with years of outstanding service as a player, he has now shown himself to be blossoming into an excellent coach and leader too.”His fantastic start to a coaching career at Lancashire, and his experience from previous years with the Rockets, will stand him in great stead, and we can’t wait to see him in his new role.”Despite boasting a strong group, which includes current England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Rockets have yet to reach the final of the Women’s Hundred. Their best finish came in 2022, losing the Eliminator to Southern Brave.

A new league, a new routine, and a surprisingly “boring” life in Germany – John Tolkin tells GOAL he’s finding stability at Kiel just as his USMNT chance reopens.

If you’ve followed John Tolkin’s career, “boring” is just about the last word you’d use to describe him. This is a player who once said he wanted to retire to a private island so he could spearfish and play Wii Golf all day. A player who changed his hairstyle almost weekly in MLS. A player teammate Jack McGlynn once called “a different kind of human,” and who has described himself as a “simple creature” with plenty of thoughts about New Jersey car rides, American food composition and tiki bars.

So how could Tolkin ever be boring? As it turns out, he means something different. “Boring” now reflects a sense of stability – a comfort level he’s been searching for. As he pushes for a World Cup place, boring means consistency, and consistency at a high level. It means settling into a rhythm in a new league, at a still-new club that’s beginning to feel like home.

For one of American soccer’s most distinctive personalities, boring might actually be a welcome change.

"I've actually been pretty boring lately. For me, it's just going to training and playing, man. It's the easy life," Tolkin tells GOAL. "It's been about being super low-key. It'll stay like that from now until the Christmas break and that's it, man. I've been chilling. That's it: just chilling."

He hasn’t exactly been sitting still, though. In recent months, Tolkin has become one of the 2. Bundesliga’s most effective attacking outlets with Holstein Kiel, contributing one goal and two assists as he rebounds from the frustration of relegation last season to play some of the best football of his career. He’s also worked his way back into the USMNT picture, delivering his strongest senior performance in the 2025 finale against Uruguay. Taken together, there’s plenty for Tolkin to feel energized about – even as he embraces this new, low-key version of himself.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  A home in Germany

  Much of 2025 has been a whirlwind for Tolkin. Shortly after joining the USMNT for January camp, he was whisked away to Germany to complete a big European move to Holstein Kiel from the New York Red Bulls. He wasn’t able to save the club from relegation, but he still earned a late call to the USMNT’s Gold Cup squad. Then it was straight back to Kiel for preseason, taking just four days off after the tournament.

  “It was hard,” he says, “but that’s what it is, right? … I kick a ball for a living, you know?”

  Getting back quickly also had its benefits, allowing him to begin the most important process: making Germany feel like home.

  “It’s good now,” he says. “I met a neighbor the other day – he’s a Kiel fan. He and his wife were lovely. I’ve joined a golf club, too. Me and my teammates all belong to this club, and on off days we’ll go play. I’m not gonna lie: I’m cooking these fools out there. That’s been a fun one.”

  Over the last few months, those simple comforts have helped Kiel start to feel like his own. It’s not a small city – about 250,000 people – but it’s a far cry from the New York and New Jersey metro area where he grew up and made his name in MLS. Now that he’s settled, Tolkin has embraced it.

  That wasn’t always a given. Transfer rumors swirled after the club’s relegation, and there were real questions about whether he would stay. But Tolkin ultimately remained, giving him the chance to continue the journey – both the club’s and his own.

  “I was freaking out the other day,” he says with a laugh. “I was on the phone and said I was going to fly back home after [USMNT] camp, and they were like, ‘You’re going to New Jersey?!’ Nope – I meant Kiel. I guess it does feel like home. Naturally, it took a few months to settle into it.”

  He said his family is flying in from New Jersey for Thanksgiving, and added that spending more time with his teammates this season – a tight locker room with “a lot of cool guys,” as he put it – has helped Kiel start to feel like home.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'It's like a f***ing war'

  What matters now is how that translates onto the pitch. Kiel have struggled to establish upward momentum, sitting closer to the relegation zone than the promotion race, but Tolkin’s individual performances have stood out in his first full season in Germany.

  Tolkin was thrown into the deep end last season, joining a club experiencing its first, and now only, year in the Bundesliga. Survival was always going to be difficult given the quality of the league, and Kiel eventually finished 17th.

  “I think last year, a lot of teams had more possession than us, and we would look to counter a lot,” Tolkin says. “This season, especially at home, we’ve had a lot of the ball, and I like having a lot of the ball. It’s been nice – more possession, more fluidity. Teams also respect us because we’re coming from the first division. It’s good and bad, but the possession and control have been nice.”

  Tolkin has taken advantage. He scored his first goal of the season on Aug. 17 in a DFB-Pokal win over Homburg, followed a week later by another against Greuther Fürth. He then provided an assist against Hannover and added another in late September against Karlsruher. Defensively, he has been just as effective: the 23-year-old currently ranks fifth in the 2. Bundesliga in interceptions.

  There is an asterisk – it is still a second division. But anyone familiar with the 2. Bundesliga knows it is a unique environment: one that may lack the top-to-bottom polish of the Bundesliga but matches its passion and often exceeds it in intensity.

  “It’s a grind, man. It’s like a f***ing war,” he says. “Maybe the technical ability isn’t the same as the first league, but in terms of intensity and guys laying themselves on the line? It’s a different level.”

  He points to a recent match: a 1-0 win at Schalke, one of German soccer's most famous teams.

  “When we went there, it was like, ‘Oh my God, this is the second division? This doesn’t seem right.’ The fans, the stadiums, the atmospheres – they’re as good as the first division.”

  The grind of the 2. Bundesliga also prepared Tolkin for a USMNT return. Called back into the team in November, Tolkin was handed a massive chance in one of the final pre-World Cup camps. He seized it by putting in his best USMNT shift yet.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Renewed USMNT aspirations

  Tolkin’s showing against Uruguay was, admittedly, easy to overlook – understandable given the nature of the match. The USMNT ran away as 5-1 winners, overwhelming Uruguay with a barrage of goals in a comprehensive team display.

  Starting as the left wingback, Tolkin played his part. He logged 75 minutes, completed 17 of 20 passes, drew two fouls, created a chance, and completed two crosses into the final third. Defensively, he stuffed the stat sheet with two interceptions, a tackle, and several clearances. Most notably, he was never dribbled past.

  Tolkin isn’t the only one coming into his own; the USMNT is, too. The growth traces back to the Gold Cup, which Mauricio Pochettino has called a turning point. Tolkin featured four times in that tournament and says the group rediscovered its competitive edge.

  “The team showed that we do care and that we want to win,” he says. “Maybe it’s not pretty all the time, but the passion is there.”

  The U.S. showed a bit of that fight against Paraguay with a late scuffle, which players pointed to as a positive sign.

  "A lot of these teams around the world use that stuff to their advantage, so when you can level it out, that's good," he says. "Now, I'm not promoting real fighting, but, hey, if you need to defend yourself? I'm all for that."

  A new fight is beginning now, one within the USMNT, and Tolkin is right in the middle of it.

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  Day by day

  With the World Cup approaching, Tolkin sits on the fringes of the USMNT picture. He hasn’t been a regular starter – three of his four Gold Cup appearances came off the bench – but his showing against Uruguay offered a timely reminder of his value. Whether a strong run with Kiel can keep him in the conversation remains to be seen.

  “It’s close, but it’s in what, six months? It’s still a lot of time, and you can’t really think about it,” he says. “Maybe it’s in the back of your mind, but you have to focus on how you perform every day. You can’t get to the end without the before.”

  For now, his focus is on helping Kiel climb the table.

  “I think the team is a little inexperienced, but we’re hungry,” he says. “There are a lot of quality players, and I think in the second half of the season you’ll see a serious push. Personally, it’s been alright, but I think we need more goals. If I can help with that, great.”

  The path is straightforward: keep his head down, train, grind, and let the results follow. It may feel a bit boring now – at least until everything takes off. For the moment, Tolkin is embracing a rare stretch of calm, even as he looks ahead to what may come next.