🇺🇸 State of the Union: Pulisic turns heads, Ebobise's take, MLS Cup favs | OneFootball

Championship matches, transfer news and injury updates continue to make headlines across the United States.

Here’s what we’ve got on tap for Thursday.

The new ‘do

Mind games, or fashion statement?

Christian Pulisic showed up to USMNT training sporting a new hair style, and you can bet his new look had the Twitter mentions rolling.

Comments included “The world is not ready for frosted tips frat boy Pulisic,” “Taylor Twellman walked so that Christian Pulisic could run,” and “Backstreet’s Back”.

But, cut through the thick of it (see what I did there) and some supporters have another take …

Outside looking in

For a time, it seemed as though then-Portland Timbers striker Jeremy Ebobisse was on the cusp of breaking through into the U.S. national team fold.

A sole appearance in 2019 highlighted a stellar club campaign that saw him notch 12 goals in 39 matches for the Timbers.

But, since moving to the San Jose Earthquakes, Ebobisse has fallen out of the national team picture – though a recent rich vein of form has us pondering a potential return.

To that end? The 25-year-old ain’t getting his hopes up…

The travelling contingent

A sizable throng of supporters of USL-1 side Union Omaha are looking to make their voices heard at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City when they take on Sporting KC in the quarter-finals on June 22.

Who doesn’t love a lower league team packing the away section of a domestic cup tie, right?

Off to Hoffenheim?

Looks like USMNT defender John Anthony Brooks could be on his way to swapping VfL Wolfsburg for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, with Derek Rae reporting interest in the 29-year-old centre-back.

Out of favour for both club and country, Brooks will be looking to reinvigorate his career after Wolfsburg confirmed in March the club would be parting ways with the player.

A stay in Germany could see Brooks rediscover the sort of form that made him so instrumental to the United States in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, too.

Odds-on favourites

Who you got for the cup?

According to the league’s latest, LAFC are favourites to clinch, sitting pretty atop the Western Conference and the combined table with 29 points from 14 matches.

As for the longest long-shot? That’d be the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are being given a +20,000, to the chagrin of ‘Caps defender Jake Nerwinski

Throwback rack 👕

In honour of Pulisic’s 1998 NSYNC-inspired hairdo, here’s a throwback to the United States’ 1998 kits, back when “Yeah, an XL for me too” was the vibe.

What’s going on today?