Mike Grella has had his ups and downs since signing with English League One side Leeds United out of Duke University, but his performance on Tuesday will certainly qualify as the highlight of his young career.
Leeds came on as a substitute in overtime and promptly scored two goals to help Leeds run away with a 5-1 FA Cup victory against Kettering on Tuesday.
The victory advances Leeds to the third round of the FA Cup.
Grella has struggled for steady playing time since joining Leeds, but he has enjoyed solid performances in cup competitions, making the 22-year-old one of the more promising young American prospects currently plying their trade in Europe.
Here are some other stories from Tuesday:
AC ST. LOUIS IS BORN
The new club set to begin play in St. Louis in 2010 will be called AC St. Louis, club organizers announced on Monday. Whether the team actually has a league to play in is still being sorted out.
St. Louis also introduced its new head coach, Frenchman Claude Anelka, brother of Chelsea start Nicolas Anelka, as well as the team's director of player development, former Manchester United Academy director Francisco Filho.
AC St. Louis will play in the newly-formed North American Soccer League, but not before the new NASL is formally recognized, either by U.S. Soccer or the Canadian Soccer Federation. As it stands, the on-going battle between the new NASL and the USL continues.
For the latest news on the NASL-USL tug-of-war, be sure to check out Inside Minnesota Soccer and The 24th Minute, which have been on the forefront of coverage of the battle.
CANADA INTRODUCES NEW HEAD COACH
The Canadian national team will have to wait at least until 2014 to have World Cup aspirations, but the underachieving soccer country has found the man to lead it toward the goal of qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil.
Stephen Hart was introduced on Tuesday as Canada's new head coach. He has spent most of the current year as Canada's interim head coach.
Hart will look to rebuild a Canadian side that saw its 2010 World Cup hopes dashed when it could not escape CONCACAF's qualifying Group of Death, which including World Cup qualifiers Mexico and Honduras, as well as Jamaica.
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What do you think of these stories? Excited to see Grella have such a great game? Like the name AC St. Louis? Starting to wonder if the USL and NASL will ruin each other, leaving North America without a second division?
Share your thoughts below.