American players on the national team looking to make the World Cup roster experienced a varied weekend in European league matches, with some outcomes far from ideal.
While two players stood out by scoring and assisting—one even from a throw-in—there were setbacks including a suspension due to an own goal in the Bundesliga, a red card, a yellow card, and an unexpected injury to a key player. Furthermore, several usual starters had to come off the bench.
Turning to positive news for the national team’s international contingent, we begin with England, where Derby County forward Patrick Agyeman is thriving in his inaugural season abroad. Defender Chris Richards netted the winning goal during a challenging match for Crystal Palace.
Agyeman, a 25-year-old from Connecticut who began with Charlotte FC, scored in the 44th minute after capitalizing on a loose ball from the goalkeeper. This marked his second goal in three games, bringing his total to eight with three assists in 24 appearances in the Second Division Championship.
Despite Derby conceding a late equalizer for a 1-1 tie against West Brom, it was a fruitful week for Agyeman and Derby, collecting seven points over three games while staying competitive for a promotion playoff spot.
Meanwhile, based in the Netherlands, Ricardo Pepi is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks due to a broken forearm, but aims to work his way up the roster ahead of the upcoming training camp before the World Cup. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino will soon finalize his squad for friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal in March.
Richards, a vital part of Crystal Palace’s defense, scored his first Premier League goal this season with a close-range header after a corner kick scramble in the 88th minute. Unfortunately, at that point, the team, down to ten men, had already lost three points to Chelsea, suffering their third consecutive defeat, contributing to a winless streak since mid-December.
In England, midfielder Tyler Adams celebrated on the field despite his recovery from a knee injury, following Bournemouth’s stunning 3-2 home win against Liverpool.
Fullback Anthony Robinson played 59 minutes in Fulham’s 2-1 victory over Brighton, helping lift the team to seventh place and closer to European competition qualification. Since rejoining the Premier League in 2022, Fulham has finished in 10th, 13th, and 11th places.
Defensive midfielder Aidan Morris contributed to Middlesbrough’s 4-0 thrashing of Preston North End, marking their fourth consecutive league win, moving them into first place in the Championship and closing in on promotion to the Premier League.
US forward Haji Wright visits Norwich City, currently 20th, on Monday, while midfielder Brenden Aaronson prepares for a Premier League match with Leeds United against Everton.
France
All U.S. assists from abroad came from Ligue 1 wingers Tim Weah and center back Mark McKenzie.
Weah’s cross, combined with Amin Gouiri’s efforts, led Olympique Marseille to a 3-1 victory over second-place Reims, ending their ten-game winning streak in all competitions. Over his last nine league matches, Weah has recorded two goals and two assists from his wing position.
Marseille has secured three wins from their last four games and currently sits in third place, trailing leaders Paris Saint-Germain by seven points. They are set to complete the group stage of the Champions League with a match against Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday.
McKenzie provided his second assist of the league season, helping lead Toulouse to a 2-0 victory over Brest.
Midfielder Tanner Tessman made his fifth start in six league games as Olympique Lyonnais triumphed over Metz 5-2, continuing their four-game league winning streak. Lyon remains in contention for Champions League qualification and leads their Europa League group, assured of a round of 16 spot.
Folarin Balogun, the U.S.’s leading striker, drew a blank for the sixth time in seven games as Monaco battled to a goalless draw with Le Havre, struggling to find the net recently with limited goals in their last five league matches.
Italy
AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic stayed in the game until the 68th minute during a 1-1 draw with Roma, having gone scoreless in his last five matches.
Since their Serie A defeat against Cremonese, Milan has remained unbeaten across 21 matches, holding the league’s best record with 13 victories, one loss, and eight draws, but remains five points behind leaders Inter Milan due to their tally of drawn games.
Weston McKennie continued his fine form in Juventus’ 3-0 win over Napoli.
(Defody image via Getty Images)
Midfielder Weston McKennie played a significant role in Juventus’ comfortable 3-0 victory over Napoli, which propelled them to fifth place, just points behind Roma and Napoli. McKennie has made 21 consecutive starts in various competitions as Juventus looks ahead to their Champions League matchup with Monaco.
On a less positive note, midfielder Yunus Musa didn’t feature in Atalanta’s 4-0 win over Parma, remaining on the bench for a second straight game. He’s set to participate in the Champions League against Union Saint Gilloise on Wednesday.
In the second division, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann faced disappointment as Cesena lost 2-1 to Bari, leaving them 10 points shy of automatic promotion to Serie A.
Germany
The weekend did not bode well for American players in Germany as Mönchengladbach’s Gio Reyna missed out due to a “muscle issue,” while right wing back Joe Scally conceded an own goal in a 3-0 loss to Stuttgart, resulting in a negative outing overall.
Reports from the German newspaper Bild criticized Scully’s performance, stating, “Terrible! He first deflected the first goal with his chest, then accidentally scored an own goal. A complete failure.”
Reyna, once a rising star for the U.S., has only played 26 minutes over the last four Bundesliga matches.
Midfielder Malik Tillman made a return to the Bundesliga bench for the first time since November 8, playing during the 1-0 victory against Werder Bremen. He aims to get back to action in the Champions League against Villarreal on Wednesday.
Center back Noah Kaind had his streak of 13 consecutive Bundesliga starts halted due to a suspension from a yellow card received in Augsburg’s 2-1 win over Bayern Munich, marking a rare setback for the league’s leading team.
Midfielder James Sands turned in another solid performance, playing 90 minutes in St. Pauli’s 0-0 draw against Hamburg, while forward Damion Downs struggled to impress during his third start since being loaned from Southampton.
Left winger John Tolkien received accolades for his performance in Holstein Kiel’s 2-2 draw against Arminia Bielfeld, helping the team extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
Scotland
Center back Auston Trusty experienced dramatic emotional highs and lows over four days, receiving a controversial red card in Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Hearts. Earlier, he had scored against Bologna in the Europa League.
Initially given a yellow card, Trusty was sent off after the video assistant referee concluded he had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity, a decision supported by the referee.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill remarked, “A red card is the same as a blue card.”
Netherlands
After missing two games due to illness, Serginio Dest returned to play the first half in PSV Eindhoven’s 2-2 draw with NAC Breda, which ended PSV’s 13-game winning streak in the Eredivisie. They’ll face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Spain
In a competitive field of American central midfielders, Johnny Cardoso earned a second straight La Liga start, playing 73 minutes in Atlético Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca. Atlético remains unbeaten in four matches and sits third in La Liga, behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, while preparing for their upcoming Champions League match against Bodø/Glimt.
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Mexico
Club America was inactive this weekend; thus, American winger Alex Zendejas won’t return from injury until February 1 at the earliest. He has missed the first two matches of Liga MX Clausura this month and has not seen action since November 30.
Fan Take: This news is crucial for soccer enthusiasts as it highlights the performance of American players across key leagues in Europe, showcasing their talent and potential contributions to the national team. As the World Cup approaches, these developments could have significant implications for team selection and overall American soccer visibility on the global stage.
