The MLS regular season may just be a weekend away from its close, but soccer is still in full swing in many other parts of the world this time of year, both at the club and international levels. And as New England prepares to finish their season with a crucial faceoff against Inter Miami CF this Saturday, they will be bolstered by the return of four teammates who proudly represented their respective nations this month: Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Esmir Bajraktarević, Ecuador’s Xavier Arreaga, Nigeria’s Alhassan Yusuf, and the United States’ own Peyton Miller.
Both of the Revs’ breakout youth talents saw on-field action during this window. Miller, called up to join the United States Men’s Under-20 Youth National Team, was given the start by coach Marko Mitrović in the first of the Stars & Stripes’ two friendlies against Chile, a 3-0 win, and went unused in the second. Typically employed as a marauding left back with New England, Miller was listed as an outright forward in the U.S. call-up announcement, a testament to both the versatility of and excitement around the young Connecticut native as he joined the U-20’s for the first time.
And Bajraktarević continued to build on his strong start to his Bosnia & Herzegovina career, featuring in both of the Dragons’ October UEFA Nations League clashes. The Wisconsin native made his home international debut in the 84th minute of Bosnia’s 2-1 loss to Germany, to the thrill of the home fans, before playing the full 90 minutes of a 2-0 loss to Hungary, showcasing his exceptional dribbling and passing abilities throughout the match.
Yusuf, still just a few months into his Revolution career, was an unused substitute for the Super Eagles in their 1-0 home win over Libya last Thursday, an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier that was set to see its reverse fixture played just a few days later. However, as has been widely reported in the days since, the Super Eagles’ subsequent flight into Libya was unexpectedly diverted away from the intended destination airport, leaving the squad stranded for hours before the Nigerian Football Federation made the decision to boycott the fixture and return home. is ongoing over the details of the incident.
Arreaga also went unused in both of Ecuador’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, a pair of 0-0 draws, at home against Paraguay and away versus Uruguay. New England head coach Caleb Porter shared in his pre-match press conference on Thursday that both Arreaga and Yusuf would be reconnecting with their Revolution teammates in Florida ahead of this weekend’s clash.
