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The Serbian shot-stopper has arrived at Stamford Bridge to compete with Robert Sanchez to become Mauricio Pochettino's No.1 – but who is he?

In February 2022, the New England Revolution lost their star goalkeeper to a European giant, with Matt Turner joining Arsenal. Just over a year-and-a-half on, the Revs will seemingly soon find themselves in a similar position. That's because Turner's replacement, Djordje Petrovic, has rapidly caught the eye of Europe's biggest clubs, and has now become the latest big-money signing at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea continue to add stars for the present and future.

As with most of their signings nowadays, it appears Chelsea have paid a premium to sign Petrovic, with reports claiming the club has agreed to a £14 million($17.5m) transfer fee that makes him one of the biggest outgoing transfers in MLS history.

The 23-year-old has become a legitimate star in New England, earning a nomination for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 despite only taking over as starter after Turner's departure that May. In the 14 months since, he's been linked to Manchester United, Liverpool, Nantes and Nottingham Forest, having rapidly played his way onto the radar of Europe's elite .

A big move has seemed inevitable for Petrovic for some time. The Revs, meanwhile, have been reluctant to let him go and for good reason: Petrovic's departure will almost certainly doom their season. He's that important to the team, and replacing him will be no easy challenge.

With Petrovic's big move confirmed on Saturday, the expectation is that he won't just head to Europe to make up the numbers, but rather to start for Chelsea at one point or another, even if fellow summer signing Robert Sanchez will begin life ahead of him in the pecking order.

"When great teams like that are interested in you, that's great," Petrovic told GOAL earlier this year, "but I'm not paying too much attention to it because I'm happy here with the New England Revolution and I'm happy with my improvement and the way I work with the team from week to week. When the right time comes [to think about a transfer], then we'll see."

That time has now come, and GOAL can explain precisely why some of the biggest clubs in world football have been following Petrovic's progress…

GettyRoad to New England

Revs goalkeeper coach Kevin Hitchcock remembers the first time he saw Petrovic in action. The club was preparing for the inevitable: the loss of Turner. They knew their United States star was on his way out, and that meant it was time to start looking for his replacement.

Clips of three or four goalkeepers came across Hitchcock's desk, and, within seconds, he knew. "I just loved the way his plyometric jump was; that was the biggest thing for me," Hitchcock, the former Chelsea goalkeeper, told GOAL of Petrovicearlier this ear.

"That was something I saw with Matt Turner, and I knew I could improve it too. I said straight away, 'This is the one I want. Petrovic is the one.' So, we went to [Revs head coach Bruce Arena], and Bruce looked at the video for 45 seconds and he agreed. Everybody was on the same page."

But wanting a player and signing a player, those are very different things. At the time, Petrovic was playing for FK Cukaricki, having been in the club's academy since 2014. He'd featured for the club in the Europa Conference League and had made his Serbia debut in 2021.

Hitchcock is quick to praise the Revsfor getting the deal done so quickly. Petrovic, meanwhile, says it didn't take too much to convince him that a move across the Atlantic would present him with a chance to further his career in a big way.

"I wanted to take the next step," he says, "and so I thought that the MLS as a league and the Revolution were the right place for me. When that offer came, it just really sat right with me. They had a plan for me. When Matt would leave, I would step in and become the [first-choice] goalkeeper. I also worked really well with Kevin and, so far, it has turned out to be a good move for me!"

AdvertisementGettyLearning under Turner

Petrovic, as he says, was initially signed as a back-up. He arrived in April 2022 and Turner, eventually, left in May, and that meant for a little while the Revs had two top goalkeepers in the squad.

Turner, now the No.1 at Nottingham Forest, was on his way out, but he was far from checked out. During his final few months with the Revs, he took Petrovic under his wing, helping to prepare him for his inevitable ascension into the starting role.

"It was a dream. It was brilliant,' Hitchcock says. "Matt picked up straight away the things I was working on with Djordje and he was encouraging him every time. He was pushing him, so it wasn't just me pushing Djordje but Matt pushing Djordje. Matt was like a big brother to him. They got on so well."

Turner moved to Arsenal, leaving the starting spot to Petrovic, who wasted no time in making it his own. Somehow, after losing an MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in Turner, the Revs' goalkeeping got even better once Petrovic took over.

Breakout season

Petrovic made his first MLS start on June 12 against the Philadelphia Union. Two weeks later, he earned his first clean sheet with six saves in a 0-0 draw in Vancouver. And, from there, it all just snowballed.

By the time the 2022 season was over, he had seven clean sheets in just 21 starts, including a club-record run of four straight in July and August. He had the second-best save percentage of all MLS goalkeepers and four penalty saves, more than any goalkeeper since 2017.

He won MLS Save of the Year and came second in the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year voting, finishing behind Andre Blake. It was the third season in a row that the Revs had a goalkeeper finishing top two in the Goalkeeper of the Year vote, with Turner winning the award in 2021 and finishing second in 2020.

"As far as I'm personally concerned, last year was excellent," Petrovic said earlier this season. "I got used to and accustomed to MLS as a league, but we have not achieved our team goals."

Petrovic has been strong once again in 2023, keeping seven clean sheets in 22 matches. His 99 saves are most in the league, eight more than former Borussia Dortmund star Roman Burki at St Louis City, while his save percentage is the highest in the league of any goalkeeper that has started more than two games.

Petrovic has been a hit both on and off the pitch, quickly adjusting to life in Boston. He's working on his English and has, so far, enjoyed life in the U.S.

"Boston is the most beautiful city in the United States for me," he enthuses. "I haven't been to many cities, but among the cities that I visit, Boston is the best. It's so much like some of the best European cities!"

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Getty ImagesThe next Brad Friedel?

Hitchcock has been around the game for a long, long time, having spent over a decade at Chelsea before embarking on a coaching career that eventually brought him to New England. That makes Hitchcock someone who knows what he's talking about when it comes to the goalkeeping position, but even he isn't quite sure how to label Petrovic.

"Athletically, he reminds me of Matt, who used to remind me of Brad Friedel," Hitchcock says. "Brad Friedel was a very athletic goalkeeper. But Djordje is a very different build to both. He has a longer reach, so he really is his own man. He does his own things."

It's pretty high praise. Friedel is an American soccer and Premier League legend, while Turner started for the U.S. at the World Cup in Qatar. Both have reached the pinnacle of the game, but Hitchcock believes Petrovic will too.

At 6'4", Petrovic has the height clubs look for in a goalkeeper and is about an inch or so taller than Friedel and Turner. As Hitchcock says, he has everything a coach can want athletically, but Petrovic's biggest asset, his coach says, is his confidence. The Serbian knows how good he is and can be. He doesn't waver.

He does, however, go through the growing pains that all 23-year-old goalkeepers do, but Hitchcock says he's rapidly improving the mental side of his game: "I'm trying to teach him different habits. Sometimes he finds it very difficult because he gets so frustrated with himself, which is good because he wants to be a better goalkeeper than what he already is."

While some familiar faces didn't put in vintage performances, Vlatko Andonokski's World Cup debutants stepped up in a lopsided win

It was set up to be Thailand 2.0, but this surely wasn't that. The United States women's national team famously kickstarted the 2019 World Cup with a 13-0 shellacking that, ultimately, was a sign of things to come. Vietnam, unfortunately for them, were set up to be the USWNT's World Cup debut/warm-up this time around. Like Thailand, they wouldn't stand a chance, right?

They didn't, of course, as the USWNT ran away dominant winners. It wasn't, however, as dominant as it could have been, as the U.S. left goals on the table in what ended as merely a 3-0 victory.

That word feels harsh: 'merely'. You can't understate how important wins are, even if you are the USWNT. Vlatko Andonovski's side got off to a good start with a win in which they were never threatened. Let's not let that get buried here.

Still, you have to wonder if the U.S. may regret not doing more. Goal difference could be a factor in this group, one which features Portugal as will as their 2019 final opponent, the Netherlands. Winning the group is paramount, and doing so would have been just a bit easier if they had scored more.

Because of that, how you view this one will depend on whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. The optimist will see an easy win headlined by some breakout performances from the youngest USWNT stars. The pessimist will see a performance that needed just that little bit more to make this group stage feel comfortable.

We'll leave that up to you. Meanwhile, the USWNT will take the win and move on. The Netherlands are next on Wednesday night.

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GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the USWNT's 3-0 win at Eden Park:

Getty ImagesWINNER: Sophia Smith

A breakout performance from the USWNT attacker. This summer will be the one where Sophia Smith goes from rising star to superstar, and Friday night's effort showed why. The 22-year-old finished the match with two goals and an assist, playing a part in each USWNT goal in this dominant win.

Her first goal was a fine finish, teed up by strong play from Alex Morgan. Smith made no mistake, blasting the ball past Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh, who had a magnificent game. Her second came just before the half, calming a few nerves after a VAR review determined she was in fact onside.

Not content to just be a scorer, Smith then turned provider, finding Lindsey Horan for the game's third. It was exactly the performance the reigning NWSL MVP would have wanted as she proved no World Cup nerves would hold her back.

She'll be tough to handle for any team this tournament. The Netherlands are surely aware of that and will have been trying to plan for it for months. Smith, at this point, may be the USWNT's most dangerous player and, if they do go on a deep run this summer, it'll likely be with the Portland Thorns star leading the charge.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Alex Morgan

Let's get one thing clear: Alex Morgan did not have a bad game. Her role in the USWNT opener cannot be understated. It was a key moment from the team's most familiar superstar. But superstars can't miss penalties in 1-0 games. Superstars bury those shots and step up in those moments, no matter the opponent.

It continued a weird trend of missed penalties at this tournament, with just two of six efforts from the spot having been scored after Morgan's failure. The USWNT star's effort was too tame and Thanh made a simple dive save to keep it out.

The U.S., fortunately, weren't punished for it and, to be fair, they never were going to be. This game was in hand, with or without Morgan's spot-kick. It would have just been another goal, which would have been nice.

There will be bigger games and moments to come and, perhaps, another chance from the spot. You'd bet on Morgan to score the next one, even if she was a bit off on this one.

GettyWINNER: The Girma-Ertz partnership

This, quite obviously, was the first time Naomi Girma and Julie Ertz had played together in defense. Girma is still a relative newcomer, even if she is a key player for this USWNT. Ertz, meanwhile, has only recently returned after becoming a mother.

It was a surprise to see Andonovski roll with this center-back pairing, especially considering the fact that Ertz has been a No.6 for years. It paid off, though, as the pair both put in strong shifts in a game where they were relatively unchallenged.

The U.S. obviously knew what they were up against in this one and how little the center-backs would be truly tested. Ertz and Girma were largely on clean-up duty defensively, with the most important aspect of their game really being their ability to kickstart attacks with the ball at their feet.

Both put in strong shifts in that regard while showing chemistry as a duo that those outside USWNT camp couldn't have foreseen. Both looked entirely comfortable, as individuals and as partners.

It was good to see, especially considering the USWNT's lack of depth at center-back. Does Alana Cook come back into the team for the next game? Maybe, maybe not. If Andonovski does roll with Girma and Ertz going forward, though, it seems they'll be up to it as a pairing, although there will be much tougher moments in the games ahead.

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GettyLOSER: Megan Rapinoe

Almost 17 years to the day after she made her first USNWT appearance, Megan Rapinoe came on in the second half of this one for her 200th. She could have marked it with a goal. Or two. Maybe three.

The USWNT icon had so many chances to score, but was unable to find the back of the net. She deserved a goal, and Eden Park would have erupted had she gotten one. It wasn't to be, though.

Her best chance came in the 71st minute as she missed a sitter just moments before Horan made it 3-0. She'll certainly replaying that one back in her mind, wondering how she possibly did anything other than put the ball into the back of the net.

Still, it was a good runout for Rapinoe, who was on a minutes restriction due to injury issues. This game was a good illustration into why she's here: to create chances in spurts when coming on as a substitute. She did that here, even if none went in.

A positive day when you look at it big-picture, even if it was a slightly frustrating one as Rapinoe couldn't quite find her finishing boots.

Thomas Muller became just the third player to reach 100 wins in the Champions League when Bayern Munich beat Manchester United 4-3 on Wednesday.

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Muller replaced Kane for BayernEarned his 100th Champions League winFollows Ronaldo & Casillas examplesWHAT HAPPENED?

Muller came off the bench after 87 minutes as his side started their 2023-24 campaign with a good result on home soil. Bayern were 3-1 up when he took scorer Harry Kane's place, but the home team conceded two more afterwards as Casemiro netted a late double. Muller and his co-stars were able to hold out for the three points, however.

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Muller has now made 143 appearances in Europe's most prestigious club competition and been involved in an incredible 100 victories. The only other players to have won as many games in the tournament are Real Madrid icons Cristiano Ronaldo, who won 115 times, and Iker Casillas, who racked up 101.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bayern's win at the Allianz Arena was their sixth against United in the Champions League. No team has won more games against United in the competition, though Barcelona have beaten them just as many times as the German giants.

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Bayern will hope to pick up another victory this weekend when they take on Bochum in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

A striker who's been outscoring Erling Haaland and Manchester City's next star are among the players going under the radar in Europe this season

If you were asked to select the European player of the season so far, few very obvious names would immediately come to mind. Jude Bellingham, certainly. Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Lautaro Martinez perhaps too.

It's only natural to gravitate towards these types of names. As much as the internet has drastically reduced the mystery of football across the continent, if you are not religiously following the action away from the Premier League, it's easy for certain players' performances to slip through the cracks.

For instance, did you realise that Europe's top scorer is not Haaland, Kane or Kylian Mbappe – but a journeyman striker currently at Stuttgart? And have you been keeping track of Manchester City's next prospect, who's currently tearing it up in La Liga?

Below, GOAL has collated a list of players like this, who's flying starts might have passed you by so far this season…

GettySerhou Guirassy (Stuttgart)

The 2023-24 season is already guaranteed to be the most prolific of Guirassy's career – and he's only played seven games! The Stuttgart frontman is well on track to beat the likes of Mbappe and Haaland to the European Golden Shoe, despite experiencing a fairly meandering career at the top level prior to his move back to Germany last summer.

Guirassy has registered a ridiculous 13 Bundesliga goals so far, firing his side – who had to navigate a relegation play-off last season – into genuine European contention. Ironically, he once turned down a move to Chelsea. How the Blues could do with him right now…

AdvertisementGetty ImagesVictor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen)

Guirassy is not the only African striker ripping up the Bundesliga this season. Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen have earned a lot of plaudits for their attractive playing style, and spearheading everything going forward has been Boniface.

The striker has had no issue adjusting to the step up in quality since arriving from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer, netting a trio of braces in his first five games. His form has been enough to earn him a place in Nigeria's recent squads, though getting minutes could prove challenging due to the Super Eagles' quite ridiculous depth up front.

Getty ImagesAkor Adams (Montpellier)

Speaking of Nigerian centre-forwards making a splash, Adams has burst onto the scene with Montpellier in recent months. Fresh off a fruitful spell with Norwegian side Lillestrom, the 23-year-old has already netted five Ligue 1 goals since joining in the summer.

Championship clubs Middlesbrough, Leicester and Leeds were all credited with an interest in Adams before he opted to join the French side, but it appears he made the correct choice.

He is yet to be capped at international level, but continuing his electric goalscoring form might see him sneak into Jose Peseiro's squad for the African Cup of Nations in 2024.

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Getty ImagesSantiago Gimenez (Feyenoord)

After drawing a blank against Fortuna Sittard on the opening day, Gimenez has netted in each of Feyenoord's following seven Eredivisie games, totalling 12 goals already.

The Mexican showed promise last season, top scoring for the Dutch giants as they secured their first league title in six years, but he's exploded into another stratosphere in recent months.

The crowning moment of his season so far was netting a hat-trick against rivals Ajax. The three goals took 47 hours in total to record, with the initial fixture being abandoned just before the hour mark due to crowd trouble.

Patrice Evra has celebrated Halloween with a terrifying Instagram post, in which he videoed himself drenched in fake blood and holding a machete.

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Evra posts creepy videoCovered in fake blood Surrounded by pumpkinsWHAT HAPPENED?

Evra has carved out a reputation as being one of the most colourful personalities in football and he has lived up to that with a truly disturbing Halloween video.

The Manchester United legend drenched himself in fake blood, got himself what appears to be a fake machete, and applied makeup that mimics exposed ribs and a serious facial injury.

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Evra has been retired since 2018 but went down as a United legend, playing for the club between 2006 and 2014, and winning five Premier League trophies, three League Cups, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

He also won Serie A twice with Juventus, and has been a Champions League runner-up on four occasions, twice with United, once with Juve, and once with AS Monaco.

WHAT THEY SAID

Evra wrote on his Instagram post: "HAPPY HALLOWEEN. I tried my best to look scary. (Even my mum call me (sic) and ask if I had an accident)."

The former left-back also made sure to include his famous "I love this game" quote among the hashtags; rest assured that he says it a few times in the video too!

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

One has to imagine that Evra will be letting his mother know he is okay, although his 'I love this game' exploits are unlikely to stop – with Christmas now on the way we can't wait for his themed video around December 25th!

Cristiano Ronaldo scored an exceptional goal for Portugal in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Liechtenstein on Thursday.

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Ronaldo powered a finish into the roof of the net Gave Portugal the leadEndured a frustrating first-halfWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo scored a superb goal for his country against Liechtenstein to give Portugal the lead in the 46th minute. The Al-Nassr superstar raced onto the end of a through ball and slammed the ball into the roof of the net. That goal was then followed by a strike from Joao Cancelo ten minutes later to give Portugal some breathing room.

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Portugal have already booked their place at Euro 2024, having enjoyed a perfect record in qualifying. In a group also featuring Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein, they have won every single game.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

After seeing out a 2-0 victory on Thursday night, Portugal take on Iceland on Sunday. Ronaldo will return to club action on November 24, when Al-Nassr take on Al-Akhdoud. Nassr are currently second in the Saudi Pro League.

GOAL sat down with the longtime coach to find out what it's like seeing his story adapted for a film directed by Taika Waititi

The movie is all wrapped up. It's been screened, promoted and reviewed. The man this is all about has seen it himself, too. The rest of the world will get to watch on Friday, when Next Goal Wins finally premieres to a worldwide audience.

Yet, despite all of the above, Thomas Rongen still talks like a man that cannot believe this is happening. He's played alongside and against legends like Pele and Johan Cruyff in the NASL, but they were always the stars, not him. He's coached at a pretty high level, too, in MLS and the U.S. youth national team system, but those aren't the type of people that usually end up on the big screen.

So, how did he get here, to a point where Michael Fassbender is portraying him in a Taika Waititi film? How did Waititi, of Thor and Jojo Rabbit fame, hear his story and decide it was worthy of Hollywood? Rongen himself is still stunned by it all.

Next Goal Wins offers a glimpse into such a brief period of his life, one that lasted only a matter of weeks. However, if there's anything he's learned from all of this, it's that it doesn't take long for someone to make a difference.

Next Goal Wins tells the story of Rongen's time as coach of American Samoa. At the time, American Samoa was the worst national team in the world. A few years prior, they'd lost 31-0 to Australia – an international record. At the time of Rongen's arrival, they hadn't won in years.

But, with Rongen at the helm, magic happened. They defeated Tonga on November 23, 2011 to win just their second ever match. The win was historic, but it's only one small part of what Rongen found during his time on that Island.

Ahead of the movie's release, GOAL sat down with Rongen to discuss seeing himself in a film, what he learned about himself and others during his time with American Samoa and what he hopes people take away from Next Goal Wins.

'Where's American Samoa?'

Rongen remembers the moment well.

After two separate stints with the U.S. U-20s, sandwiched between a brief spell in charge of Chivas USA, Rongen was out of work. Under his watch, the U.S. failed to qualify for the U-20 World Cup, leading to his firing in May 2011.

Shortly after, he received the call from then-U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati that would, ultimately, change his life – not that he knew it at the time.

"He told me that we have a territory called American Samoa and they need some help prior to their first qualifying games," Rongen recalls. "I go to a friend of mine, I was sitting in a bar somewhere, and I go, 'Where's American Samoa?' and I hear within like a few seconds, 'Oh, it's next to Fiji.' So, I go, 'Great!' That was the only part of the world I haven't been to! Then I go, 'Oh my god, they're the worst team in the world!'"

Rongen wasn't wrong. At the time of his arrival in American Samoa, they were dead-last in FIFA's international rankings and hadn't won a game since 1983, when they defeated Wallis and Futuna.

So, how does one even approach coaching the worst team in the world? Where could Rongen even begin with this team?

"After I watched quite a few games of theirs, I knew this was not a team with a few tweaks," he says. "They had lost by 10, 18, 22 goals, but I knew I could close the gap. I looked at their opponents, which were Tonga, Solomon Islands and some more in that level, and it was pretty similar.

"A few things that stood out was that they can't play 90 minutes, which needs work. I knew tactically I could rearrange certain things. I knew technically I could make them a little bit better, but where I made great strides was in the mental aspect."

That, ultimately, led to the famous win that opened doors that Rongen never could have imagined.

AdvertisementSearchlight PicturesA little help from The Rock

During Rongen's tenure, a film crew was embedded with the team filming a documentary. That documentary, also entitled Next Goal Wins, is what led Waititi to the project.

"We had the a documentary that came out in 2014 at the Tribeca Film Festival," Rogen said. "I'm sitting next to The Rock, who is Samoan. He helped promote the movie and next to The Rock is a smaller gentleman, who says after the movie, after everybody goes nuts, 'I'm going to turn this documentary to a movie!' I was like, 'Yeah, okay, whatever.'

"Fast forward to 2019, 'Hi, my name is Taika Waititi, I just won an Oscar for JoJo Rabbit, I did Thor, but now I want to go back to my Polynesian roots.' He's from New Zealand and is indigenous and he said, 'I'm going to turn this into a movie and Michael Fassbender is playing you!' I was like, 'Woah! Magneto's playing me?! The guy from Inglourious Basterds with Quentin Tarantino? Steve Jobs, which he was brilliant in? Yeah, it's Michael f'n Fassbender, so how's your day going?!

"And the journey itself on the island was personally and professionally probably the most rewarding thing ever."

GettyThe story of Jaiyah

While Next Goal Wins is very much the story of Rongen, it's also the story of Jaiyah Saelua, who is the emotional heart of the film.

During Rongen's tenure, Saelua became the first non-binary and transgender woman to play in a World Cup qualifier. Saelua is a Faʻafafine, a third gender in Polynesian society, and, under Rongen, made her first start for the team in the famous win over Tonga. In that match, she provided an assist and made a last-gasp goal-line clearance and, afterwards, was sent a letter by then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter recognizing her achievement.

Saelua's story was a key aspect in the documentary and remains a key part of the feature film's story, as she is played by actress Kaimana in the film.

"I embraced Jaiyah," Rongen said. "Her passport says Johnny, and I heard, during the first day, that was how players referred to her. I walked up in the group and, not knowing that this will be an unbelievable icebreaker, I said to her, 'Do you want me to tell you Jaiyah or Johnny, because your passport says Johnny?' And she said, 'Coach, you can call me Jaiyah, please?' So I said, 'Okay, you're Jaiyah!'

"The whole group just cheered and she says to me, 'You're the first Pālagi, which is white man, that has accepted me.' The prior coaches from New Zealand, Australia and Germany did not want to call her Jaiyah, shunned her a little bit, so that was huge.

"The fact that I embraced, not only, Jaiyah, but the transgender community in the island, those were all little victories that eventually led to the fact that when I did my last speech when I revealed the starting XI, I looked in their eyes and I said to myself, 'They believe they can win for the first time.'"

In addition to the casting of Saelua, Rongen also stressed how proud he was to see the casting of the rest of the team. With Waititi at the help, the film gave opportunities to many local actors to share a story that will resonate with plenty of others from American Samoa.

"I want people to know now about American Samoans what I know now," Rongen said. "The film really rests on the shoulders of a cast that's probably more than 50 percent with Samoan ancestry, and that's just beautiful.

"Although [Oscar] Knightley and Rachel House and others are doing some atomic lifting, the standout performers are, in my opinion, the Samoan actors that [Waititi] brought in because he said 'I want my people to be showcased to the world' and that's beautiful and something that I really respect and appreciate."

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Searchlight PicturesSome tweaks in Rongen's story

In Next Goal Wins, Rongen is very much presented as a fish out of water, which leads to plenty of the film's comedy. Rongen is described in the trailer as "a little lost white kid", showing just how much he had to adapt to the culture on the island.

That aspect, at least parts of it, was very, very real. Rongen realized almost immediately that his willingness to adapt to his team would be crucial to making them trust him and, ultimately, making them believe in themselves once again. Because of that, Rongen, an atheist, made sure to participate in the team's religious culture, showing his support to players in the off-field aspect of their life.

In the movie, Rongen is depicted a bit differently. For much of the film, you could argue that he's the antagonist. He's shown to be dismissive, arrogant and sexist. His alcoholism is a key character trait. He does not immediately embrace Saelua in the film, leading to an early clash between the two.

"The first time I saw it all by myself about a month ago," he begins, "and it's big theater, I was absolutely overwhelmed, because the first hour, it's totally the opposite of what the documentary was all about! I'm an alcoholic, I'm a sexist, because in the movie, I call her Johnny, not Jaiyah, which was the total opposite. I'm a guy that can't keep a job because I lose my temper all the time. I said to [Waititi], 'Dude, you're killing me!' and he said that everybody needs a villain in this movie and in the end, I become the hero and embrace everybody."

Overall, though, Rongen felt that, while liberties were taken, the heart of the story remained. His character, like the real-life version, is shown struggling to cope with the passing of his daughter. Rongen famously wore his daughter's hat during American Samoa's win, and Fassbender dons the same cap in the movie.

"I'll be real frank with you: The loss of my daughter haunted me for many years," Rongen said. "Finally, I was able to cry. I broke down on the island in a crazy way, and Taika knew that and there's a scene in the movie where I get baptized by these guys, and after I'd been baptized, I get out of the water. That becomes the real Tomas Rongen."

Chelsea have sealed the signing of Everton defender Nathalie Bjorn, who will provide cover for Millie Bright and Jess Carter.

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Chelsea complete deal for BjornDefender signs contract until 2027Blues needed cover for Carter & BrightWHAT HAPPENED?

The London side have completed the signing of Bjorn from Everton, the club announced on Wednesday. Chelsea will pay a six-figure sum to land the Sweden international, who has committed to a deal that runs until the summer of 2027.

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After signing for Chelsea, Bjorn said: "It feels amazing! To sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe feels like part of a dream that you have when you are young. I’m very excited to get this journey started."

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Bjorn, 26, is Chelsea's first signing of the January transfer window and could be their last under coach Emma Hayes, who has agreed to take charge of the United States Women's national team in the summer. Chelsea have been pushing to sign a new centre-back to provide cover for Jess Carter, who has had to fill in despite being naturally a full-back, and her Lionesses team-mate Millie Bright, who is unable to play every game.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Real Madrid were also interested in signing Bjorn from Everton, but she has opted to stay in England by joining Hayes' team. The Swede had been one of the Merseyside club's top performers and has scored one goal in the Women's Super League this season.

The striker is back finding the net in Ligue 1, so how can Gregg Berhalter keep that form going at international level?

It was the type of goal that has become typical for Folarin Balogun. It began with a run: start, stop, and then start again. By the time the defender checked his back shoulder, it was too late; Balogun was in on goal, unimpeded and, ultimately, unstoppable.

That was this past weekend against Paris Saint-Germain, when Balogun scored, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively meaningless goal. It was Monaco's second in a 5-2 PSG win, a goal that made the scoreline just a bit more bearable for Balogun and his teammates.

Still, that goal was more than that. It was a goal against PSG, which always feels like a statement. It was fourth goal of the season for Balogun, who is continuing to prove his worth after a big-money move to Monaco this summer. And it was another data point for the U.S. men's national team to study as they look to integrate Balogun into the team.

Thus far, the USMNT hasn't quite figured out how to get the best out of the young striker. He's gotten goals, three of them in fact, but he's also been kept quiet for large stretches. So what can the USMNT do to get more out of Balogun, and what can they learn from his success on the club level?

Getty ImagesUSMNT career so far

Let's make it clear from the start: there was almost no way for Balogun to live up to the expectations thrust upon him in this first year as a U.S. international. From the moment social media buzz began about his potential arrival, Balogun was depicted as the savior, a player that can take the USMNT from good to great just by showing up.

That's not how it works, at least in the short-term. And that's definitely not how it works for a 22-year-old striker that is still very much finding himself.

Still, despite all of that, the returns haven't been awful. In his first eight appearances, Balogun has already scored three USMNT goals. One of those three came in a cup final, as Balogun helped the USMNT lift the CONCACAF Nations League by scoring while earning just his second-ever cap.

There have been rocky moments, though. He wasn't particularly impressive in the most recent window against Trinidad & Tobago as, without star wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, the U.S. attack struggled as a whole. You can give him a pass for that, though, as a striker is only as good as his service, and during those two games, the service wasn't very good.

When he has had that service, though, Balogun has thrived, and it's those moments that offer a glimpse into how the USMNT can get goals out of him.

AdvertisementBalogun's best moments

A quick glimpse at Balogun shows one thing: he's an absolute beast on the counter-attack. He thrives when he can get into space and already has the intelligence needed to find those pockets. He routinely finds ways to drift out of sight and, once he does that, he has the pace to run onto any through ball.

It's how he was so dominant at Reims last season, a team that's far from a powerhouse in Ligue 1. And, thus far, several of his best moments, including the aforementioned goal against PSG, have come when Balogun was able to run in transition.

Last season at Reims, no team in Ligue 1 moved the ball faster up the pitch. Their goal was often pretty clear: get the ball to Balogun as quickly as possible. The reason for that? His finishing ability, which is just as impressive as his ability to get into those positions to score in the first place.

"I spend a lot of time analyzing places I should be in the box and where I can find space," he told Ligue 1's official website last season. "And I mean even when I'm watching football games just at home, of course a part of me watches them just as a fan, and I'm just as intrigued in football as anyone is, but I'm also looking to see why certain players, the ball always lands to them. So that's an initiative I've just taken upon myself."

So Balogun's biggest strengths are his finishing, his pace and his movement, all of which are pretty all-encompassing. There's a reason Balogun is so highly-rated, after all. However, he's not a finished product just yet. He's still growing as a player and very much finding his footing at international level.

GettyAdjusting to the USMNT

If you need any evidence to prove that Balogun is still not quite fully integrated into the USMNT, you only have to look at the hilarious Aaronson mishap from November. Balogun is still very new; so new, in fact, that he didn't know two of his teammates were brothers!

The USMNT is still adjusting to him, too. It's an ongoing process, as a big group of young players continues to learn to play with one another.

Throughout the World Cup, the USMNT didn't use their strikers as pure goalscorers. Josh Sargent was brought in for his linkup play, which was on display during Weah's opening goal against Wales. Jesus Ferreira was called into the team for his creativity. Haji Wright was in the squad for his hold-up play and physical presence. None were expressly asked to be a primary goalscorer. Any goals from them would, overall, have been a bonus.

That, though, was due to the circumstances. Gregg Berhalter, throughout his time as a club coach, always relied on having strong finishers to lead the line. They often didn't do much heavy-lifting with the ball, as Berhalter's systems were designed for talented wingers to find a finishing striker on the backpost. In Berhalter's system, a striker had just one job: don't mess up when the ball lands at your feet.

However, Berhalter's club systems also called for strikers that thrive in transition, strikers quite like Balogun. "I remember in the Columbus days, we would have a forward always on the weak-side centerback, always looking to run behind the backline," Berhalter said. "Balo really has a talent for running behind the backline. It's something where you need to just be on the same page with him, really identifying his runs and then trying to get him on the ball. When you see the goals he scored in France, most of them are from quick, behind the backline shots from in and around the penalty box."

As Berhalter says, that finisher will be Balogun, who seemingly fits that role perfectly. There will be some games where the USMNT will be able to play in transition in the way that Balogun likes, particularly in next summer's Copa America. Against many CONCACAF teams, though, the U.S. will face opponents that are bunkered in, where transition moments will be few and far between. If the U.S. wingers can beat their defender, though, and play the ball into the box, in theory Balogun should be there waiting.

Still, that all depends on service. Those that are expected to provide chances will have to change their thinking: instead of looking to combine with someone like Sargent or Ferreira, they'll have to look to find a rushing Balogun darting towards goal. So which player or players are best equipped to do that?

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The Reyna connection

Back in October, Balogun was asked about building chemistry with his USMNT teammates, and he immediately name-dropped one particular player. "Top of my head, I really enjoy playing with Gio," he said.

Gio is, of course, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Giovani Reyna, the player that assisted Balogun's first USMNT goal. In that sequence, Reyna drove the ball forward as Balogun ran into space. With the defender fixated on the ball, Balogun broke free, and Reyna had the vision to play the former Arsenal man in for a thunderous finish.

Against Trinidad & Tobago, Balogun returned the favor. After receiving a ball from Reyna, Balogun played it back first time, sending Reyna through. The midfielder made no mistake, scoring the third goal to complete a 3-0 win. Both players can score and assist, and they've both started to make a habit of doing that along side each other.

It's what Reyna brings as a No.10, which seems to be his long-term position going forward. His vision and playmaking ability are key to the USMNT unlocking the best of Balogun.

For most of the 2022 cycle, the USMNT relied on the MMA midfield of Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie. That midfield is very good, but it doesn't have a legitimate playmaker in the bunch, no one that really has the vision to unlock a defense at the moment that Balogun runs in behind.

Pulisic has that ability, as he can definitely make things happen on the left wing. Weah, too, has the ability to help Balogun, as he did on the striker's goal against Ghana. However, the presence of Reyna, or someone like Malik Tillman, in the No.10 position really opens up doors when it comes to finding Balogun.

If Berhalter continues to use Reyna more as an attacking midfielder, it'll almost certainly help Balogun's game, giving him one more teammate to play off of and one more playmaker with eyes up for those big-time Balogun runs.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have ensured there will always be “jealousy” of Wrexham, but Andy Preece says it is impossible not to like them.

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Takeover completed in 2021"Jealousy" natural as remarkable journey enjoyedHeadlines made across the worldWHAT HAPPENED?

Hollywood superstars arrived in North Wales back in February 2021, with a stunning takeover deal completed. The Red Dragons have seen their profile soar since then, with efforts on the field – which included a record-breaking National League title win in 2023 – being complemented by a documentary series off the pitch that has opened up a window to the world.

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Wrexham have now become a prized scalp for Football League rivals, as they attract more attention than any other League Two side, and questions continue to be asked of how far an emotional roller coaster can carry Reynolds, McElhenney and Co.

WHAT PREECE SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Preece says that journey should be enjoyed, even by green-eyed neutrals, with the former Wrexham striker telling : “I’ve watched the Wrexham documentary and I think it’s brilliant. How can you not like those guys? People will always have a go at people – especially in football – but you can’t say anything negative about Wrexham’s owners. There’s obviously going to be jealousy but there are now a lot more people following what’s going on at Wrexham. I know it’s early days here but you’d like to think we can go on the same journey. You couldn’t ask for a better template than Wrexham’s. You see the Wrexham thing and you go, ‘Oh wow, what would that be like?’ But I didn’t really think it was going to happen here. It’s exciting, I’m buzzing about it, everybody’s buzzing about it and we’ll just see where it takes us.”

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Preece is now in charge of National League North side Chorley, who are hoping to start writing their own Wrexham-esque story as they prepare to welcome potential investment from members of the Boyzone and Westlife boy bands.