Americans abroad analysis
Aaronson, Busio, Harkes, Wright, Sonora, & Gioacchini impress among Yanks abroad
September 20, 2021
10:00 AM
THE WEEKEND ABROAD was pretty good for Americans abroad. Yes, you had some struggles, some disappointing situations where players struggled to play, and some tough losses. But you also had club debuts, returns from injuries, some goals and some solid performances – including from players on the fringes of the national team pool who may have booted their national team stock.
A big story of the weekend, unfortunately, was who didn’t play – as opposed to who did. With the U.S. national team’s October qualifiers fast approaching, many of the team’s key players didn’t get on the field – for various reasons.
Christian Pulisic is still working his way back from an ankle injury and is training individually. His involvement with the U.S. team is going to be a close call. Gio Reyna is still out for Borussia Dortmund and his involvement with the U.S. team next month seems doubtful, unfortunately. Zack Steffen rarely plays for Manchester City but he’s not even training due to a COVID quarantine rules.
But then you also have those out due to form. This is just as much of a concern for U.S. fans.
John Brooks as struggled for club and country the past month and he was an unused sub for Wolfsburg in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Brooks seems likely to be back with the U.S. team but his starting spot is far from assured with the return to form of Chris Richards.
Weston Mckennie and his ups and downs are well-documented. He didn’t play for Juventus on Sunday in a 1-1 draw against AC Milan. No one is standing out at Juventus now, so McKennie has time to prove he’s part of the team’s solution, not the problem. But that is yet to happen. Unfortunately, if Berhalter is still on the fence about bringing McKennie’ back – McKennie hasn’t elevated his game either to force Berhalter’s hand.
Julian Green wants to return to the national team after helping Greuther Furth earn promotion to the Bundesliga last season. But his club has been brutal to start this season – and simply doesn’t look like a Bundesliga team – or one that is seriously interested in staying in the top tier. Green’s hopes were dealt a setback as he didn’t play over the weekend in another loss – this time to Hertha BSC.
Tyler Adams will absolutely be back with the national team next month and his mere five minutes for Leipzig in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Cologne were about managing his minutes. But Leipzig’s struggles have put Adams, Jesse Marsch, and everyone under a ton of stress.
The bottom line is that many of the top American players were simply MIA this weekend – and that’s a concern.
Regarding the rest of the players, it was more good than bad as fringe national team players stepped up to build their resume’s for a future call-up.
Here is how I saw the action.
Sargent starts in Norwich loss
Josh Sargent made his first Premier League start on Saturday for Norwich – and this was hinted by manager Daniel Farke on Friday who said Sargent was back from his hamstring injury but might not be able to play a full 90. Saturday’s game against Watford was important for Norwich – which lost its first four games of the season against difficult opponents but now had a more winnable game.
???? "The more Teemu and I play together, the more we'll get to know each others tendencies." pic.twitter.com/nLAZQfTz5b
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) September 19, 2021
Sargent started in a newer role for him – at right wing. The good news from an American perspective is that Sargent was pretty good in his 70 minutes of action. He hustled, created a few good chances, and clearly looked like he belonged to start. The bad news, however, is that Norwich lost 3-1 and is now looking at a difficult spot in the table where it is unclear where the points are going to come from. 0 points from five games and a -12 goal differential is a very difficult start.
Sargent will continue to start – that was the positive conclusion. But he now will find himself in yet another relegation battle, which is a tough role for him – or any striker.
Fulham fall to Reading
In the Championship on Saturday, Fulham were knocked out of first place following a tough 2-1 loss at home to Reading. As is normal for the Cottagers, they started two Americans in Antonee Robinson at left back and team captain Tim Ream in central defense.
Antonee Robinson was very good, again, in this game. He was at fault for neither goal and was effective getting forward into the attack unleashing a bunch of crosses that could have been more dangerous with better finishing. Tim Ream was good but was also partially at fault for Reading’s second goal from Oviemuno Ejaria.
Fulham has now lost two of its last three. It has the tools to be a genuine contender for promotion but needs to finish better. That is the team’s biggest weakness.
Busio assists in Venezia home opener
Playing its first Serie A game in Venice since 2002, Venezia hosted Spezia in what was a very tight game. Gianluca Busio got the start and fellow American Tanner Tessmann was on the bench for the hosts.
The game finished in a disappointing 2-1 defeat for Venezia who conceded a late winner in the third minute of stoppage time.
Busio, 19, however, had a good game. To anyone watching (including national team scouts), Busio was hungry for the ball and eager to help his team keep the ball and make plays. His best moment, of course, came in the 59th minute when his free kick found Pietro Ceccaroni for an equalizer.
Busio, free kick assist for Venezia pic.twitter.com/iD934a0xVJ
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 19, 2021
But Busio also showed an increased level of commitment for defense, which addresses the biggest concern many had over his move from Kansas City an into Serie A. If he can keep improving at this rate, he’ll have interest within Serie A after this season even if Venezia suffers relegation.
His numbers were generally solid.
- 76 minutes
- 44 touches
- 1 assist
- 2 shots
- 26/30 passing
- 4 crosses
- 1/1 long balls
- 2/6 duels
- 0 dribbles
- 1/1 tackles
- 1 foul
- 1 clearance
Despite the loss, Venezia has been improving since the first few weeks when it was non-competitive. If they build from these types of performances, they have a chance at survival. Next week, however, is a trip to San Siro to face AC Milan and that could be tough.
As for Busio, he is building a nice case to return to the national team. After winning the Gold Cup, he has settled into Venezia nicely.
Miazga starts in Alaves loss
In La Liga, Matt Miazga made his second start for Deportivo Alaves when they hosted Osasuna on Saturday. The U.S. national team defender played well in some areas but he was unable to help his team avoid a 2-0 home loss to keep it without a point through four games in Spain’s top flight.
Miazga, 26, was 8/13 in his long balls and was a perfect 8/8 in his duels. Osasuna, however, was routinely targeting him in 1v1 situation to take him on in dribbles.
In terms of problems at the club, Miazga is not one of them. This team simply can’t score and has just one goal over its first four games. Miazga should continue to play, but unless the team is scoring, he’s not going to help all that much. For now, however, it’s good to see him get this experience in La Liga.
It is going to be very competitive for him to earn U.S. national team callups against Miles Robinson, John Brooks, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, and Chris Richards. So far at Alaves, it seems like he is neither helping or hurting his case.
Hoppe makes Mallorca debut
With Mallorca scoreless against Villarreal on Sunday, Matthew Hoppe entered the game for both his club and La Liga debut. The California native transferred from Schalke to Mallorca at the end of the summer window and went as an unused sub last week.
In his 30 minutes on the field, Hoppe was pretty good. He scored nice goal that was correctly called back for being offside (his technique was impressive) and overall was pretty good. He was overeager in his touches and often was trying to do too much but it was still promising. He finished with just 14 touches and was 6/9 in his passing but his fearless attitude is one of his best traits, even when he’s still a little rusty in other areas.
It is easy to see him improving over the next few weeks to the point where he is an effective player heading into midseason. A visit to Real Madrid awaits on Wednesday and that should be a great opportunity for him.
Musah features vs. Real Madrid
Yunus Musah, 18, was not expected to play much for Valencia at home against Real Madrid but an injury forced him into the game in the 15th minute. With 75 minutes in front of him, this was Musah’s first meaningful opportunity to impress this season.
Musah was fairly impressive for the rest of the first half but in the second half he tired quickly. When Valencia took a 1-0 lead in the 66th minute (with Musah not involved in the goal), Real Madrid stepped up their game. Musah struggled defensively and offered little in the final 10 minutes. He was far from the only Valencia player who ran out of energy and Real Madrid rallied with 86th and 88th minute goals for a 2-1 win.
It is good to see Musah back after an injury forced him out of action to start the season. But he’s clearly a step behind in his fitness. He could very well return to the national team for the October games but expecting him to start – or at least go 90 – might be asking too much.
Richards starts in Hoffenheim draw
Chris Richards earned the start for Hoffenheim on Saturday away at Arminia Bielefeld. The American defender returned for a second loan to Hoffenheim (from Bayern Munich) shortly before the summer window closed and has now made his second consecutive start for the club.
Richards, 21, had couple of nervy moments early in this game but improved throughout to help keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw. Hoffenheim was generally poor in this game but Richards was a large part of the reason the club earned a point.
The Alabama native had seven clearances and won 9/13 of his duels. He was also a perfect 3/3 in his tackles.
Hoffenheim haven’t won since the season opener and will return to action next week at home against Wolfsburg.
Richards, meanwhile, looks like an very likely bet to return to the U.S. national team next month and, given the dip in form from John Brooks, maybe even start one or two of the next three qualifiers.
Scally solid in M’Gladbach loss
Joe Scally, 18, continues to start for a Borussia Monchengladbach team that has been hit hard with injuries – particularly in the fullback positions. The experience for the Long Island native, however, has been invaluable as he is learning a lot as he features at both right and left back.
On Saturday in an away matchup against Augsburg, Scally started at left wing back and while he wasn’t explosive or a standout player, he was very steady and very reliable. It was a mature performance – which is similar to how he has been playing this whole season.
- 90 minutes
- 77 touches
- 1 shot
- 1 key pass
- 44/52 passing
- 4/6 long balls
- 7/12 duels won
- 4/4 dribbles
- 2x fouled
- 1/1 tackles
- 0/3 aerials
The bad news for Scally, however, is that Augsburg found away to eek out a 1-0 win. Scally wasn’t at fault for the loss, but he has to deal with the pressure that the club now faces for having earned just four points from five games. But thus far, he looks to have the right mentality for the assignment.
Scally’s chances for a return to the U.S. team look to be increasing. On both the right and left side, the competition for backups to Sergino Dest (right) and Antonee Robinson (left) are not excelling. Reggie Cannon is in a tough spot at Boavista, DeAndre Yedlin will likely be there due to his increased time at Galatasaray. On the left, Sam Vines is hurt, George Bello is still young, and Bryan Reynolds isn’t playing at Roma.
Trouble in Leipzig
You can’t really breakdown the performance from Tyler Adams on Saturday for Leipzig on the road at Cologne because he only played five minutes after a taxing effort against Manchester City in a loss in the Champions League.
For American manager Jesse Marsch, the team is struggling to win games. Through five Bundesliga games, Leipzig has just four points. Leipzig should be earning more points. It’s XG has been higher than opponents (except for the Bayern loss) and in this game it was 2.45 to 1.75. His club had nine shots on target but scored just once (Cologne had five).
The team has been in the right position to score, but hasn’t been able to do it. For Marsch, he’s in a tough spot and his biggest task right now is to keep the team calm and prevent frustration from setting in. That’s going to be hard given the expectations for the club among the players – not just the fans or upper management.
Weah returns for Lille
After suffering a hamstring injury in the week before the last international window, Tim Weah finally made his return for OSC Lille on Saturday against Lens in a fierce derby.
Lens ended up defeating the champions 1-0. There wasn’t anything much to write about Weah’s performance other than it was good to see him back. Weah was largely invisible in his 28 minutes on the field. He had just 13 touches and was 7/10 in passing (only three of his completed passes were in the attacking half). He lost all three of his duels and committed a foul.
As the reigning champions, Lille looks like it is in no position to be anything other than midtable this year. Thus far, it has just five points from six games. Lille’s best bet is to be competitive in the Champions League.
For Weah, he will probably return to the national team in October, but his fitness and form remain to be seen.
On an even more important note, this game was delayed because of fan violence and was the third major incident in Ligue 1 this season. The league is getting a ton of bad publicity – first with the financial situation due to the poor TV deal and now with fan violence. It’s not a good look for a league that is trying to remain the elite of the world. PSG is doing it’s part – but the rest of the league isn’t.
Gioacchini hits late equalizer
Nicholas Gioacchini, 21, is making the most of his minutes off the bench since joining Montpellier on loan (with an option to buy) from Ligue 2’s SM Caen just before the window.
Last weekend in his club debut, Nicholas Gioacchini played the final 32 minutes off the bench and helped set up the second Montpellier goal in a 2-0 win over St. Etiennte.
Against Troyes on Sunday, Gioacchini contributed even more with less time on the field. He came into the game at left wing in the 84th minute with Montpellier down 1-0 and also reduced to 10 players after a 79th minute red card.
Just three minutes after coming on, Gioacchini assisted Teji Savanier for an equalizer to salvage an unexpected point.
A very nice assist from #USMNT attacker Nichols Gioacchini to equalize for Montpellier late
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 19, 2021
(Via @ESbeINSPORTS) pic.twitter.com/KJMvvR8T6b
Gioacchini is one of the best “under the radar” stories over the past year. Berhalter brought him into the national team aggressively when he was playing at a lower level in Ligue 2. Now he’s briming with confidence in Ligue 1 and it is only a matter of time before he starts and takes on a bigger role at Montpellier – a team expected to finish midtable. It’s a nice, but appropriate step up, for Gioacchini at this point in his career.
Given that Berhalter has been aggressive in bringing in Gioacchini into the national team in the past, it seems like Gioacchini is in a good position for an October call-up given that he’s playing well at in a “Big 5” league.
On another note, Erik Palmer-Brown is still working his way back into fitness after moving to Troyes on loan and was not on the Matchday roster for this game.
De La Fuente starts in Marseille win
Konrad de la Fuente, 20, earned the start for Marseille on Sunday against Rennes. The Miami native made it 59 minutes before being replaced by Amine Harit with the score 1-0 in favor of Marseille.
In his hour on the field, de la Fuente was active and lively but didn’t have too much of an impact on this game. In sum, it was a bit of a mixed bag that wasn’t made easier with the fact Harit came in and played very well – scoring a goal.
- 59 minutes
- 30 touches
- 0 shots
- 1 key pass
- 15/17 passing
- 3/6 crosses
- 0/2 long balls
- 2/5 duels won
- 0/2 dribbles
- 1/1 tackles
- 1x fouls
With 13 points from five games, Marseille has been great to start this season and competition will be tough for minutes. Thus far, de la Fuente has done very well to play as much has he has. Marseille won’t catch a loaded PSG this season, but they can earn a Champions League spot next season. De la Fuente is in a great spot to learn and succeed - even if he doesn't always start.
De la Torre starts in Heracles win
Luca de la Torre, 23, is a player trying to climb into the national team picture and it has been tough for him given that last season was just his first as a first team regular. He did well with mid-table Heracles in 2020/21 and this season was about showing progress.
The start to this season was tough, for both de la Torre and Heracles, with just one point from three games. But Sunday’s game against a similarly struggling AZ Alkmaar (three points from three games) was just what Heracles needed. With de la Torre getting the start, it got even better for Heracles when AZ was reduced to 10 players just before the half.
This game was wild. De la Torre was subbed out in the 87th minute with Heracles up 2-1. One minute after he left, AZ equalized but Heracles was able to find a winner stoppage time for a 3-2 victory.
In this game, de la Torre played well and helped to circulate the ball when Heracles was up a man for the entire second half. In addition to his passing and dribbling, he also won 8/11 of his duels. He wasn’t creating much by way of chances, but he was effective in keeping up the pressure for Heracles.
Wright scores in Antalyaspor loss
Just before the international break, Haji Wright scored a hat trick for Antalyaspor in a 3-2 win over Rizespor in Turkey’s Super Lig. In that game, he scored twice from the spot in a big win for the team. Last weekend, the Californian struggled in a 2-0 loss to Gaziantep FK.
On Saturday, Antalyaspor had a tough game hosting reigning champion Besiktas. Wright got the start and scored the first goal of the game in the 42nd minute on a very nice effort when he got played into the box and fired home a shot with this first touch.
Antalyaspor had a 2-0 lead at halftime but Besiktas dominated the second half en route to a 3-2 win.
As for Wright, he continues to come up in important moments and in this game, he gave his team a chance. He now has four goals this season (two that weren’t penalties) and his size makes him tough to defend even if he struggles on the dribble and gets dispossessed.
But goals and goals and this season is helping boost his resume. His club situation is murky as his only at Antalayspor on loan from a SonderjyskE team that doesn’t like him after he refused to show up for preseason. He needs to play well to secure his future with a club that will force a full transfer, and thus far he’s doing it.
As for the national team, he might be able to earn a call-up but others like Sargent, Pefok, Pepi, Dike, and Zardes are still ahead of him – most likely.
Harkes scores winner in Dundee Derby
In the Scottish Premiership, American midfielder Ian Harkes earned the start for Dundee United in a derby matchup against Dundee FC. It is one of the geographically closest derbies in the world with less than a quarter of a mile separating the stadiums for the two clubs. The proximity also makes for an intense and hostile rivalry that hasn’t taken place annually due to the yo-yo nature of both clubs.
Ian Harkes, 26, earned the start and was the man of the match in a 1-0 victory for Dundee United. In total, he was everywhere in this game – which was a career standout performance.
?? Ian Harkes’ contribution for @dundeeunitedfc today
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) September 19, 2021
48 touches
Completed 25/29 passes
2 chances created
8x possession gained
4 shots, scoring 1-0 winner in 1st top flight Dundee derby since May 2016 pic.twitter.com/Z7Tbre73nD
He showed a lot of class in this one, with his passing, his playmaking, and his dribbling.
Filthy nutmeg from Ian Harkes in the first half. Shut them @LiamFontaine????????| #DUFC pic.twitter.com/IfZONIEQfd
— OurDUFC (@OurDUFC) September 19, 2021
Harkes’ big moment came in the 81st minute when took a loose ball and hit a shot from just outside the box for the game’s only goal.
AMERICAN IAN HARKES CALLED GAME IN THE DUNDEE DERBY ???????????? pic.twitter.com/beQLnfukhA
— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 19, 2021
Being the MOTM in a derby win is a way to build confidence and become a club legend. For Harkes, he has been playing well but needs more goals and assists. This is certainly way to create momentum both for him and his club.
Carter-Vickers starts in Celtic loss
With his loan to Celtic, Cameron Carter-Vickers is getting his first taste of soccer outside of the Championship. He’s been pretty good – but this Celtic team is off to a poor start this season. Yes, after six games Celtic has the best goal differential at +12, which is twice as high as league leading Rangers (+6). But in between their blowout wins, they have also suffered three 1-0 losses.
One of those losses came on Saturday in a shocking 1-0 loss to Livingston – which also saw American Scott Pittman play the final 30 minutes in the win.
Carter-Vickers went the full 90 for Celtic in this one. He was massively involved with 122 touches and 90/109 passes (compare that with the entire Livingston team completing just 102 passes the entire game at a completion percentage of just 52%). He also won 11/12 duels and 10/11 of his aerials. He even had three shots and was 4/7 with his long balls.
Celtic had a whopping 79% of the possession but let its guard down when a well-executed Livingston corner saw Jackson Longridge beat Celtic defender Stephen Welsh for a goal. Carter-Vickers was pulled out wide to try to guard the cross but really wasn’t at fault for the goal.
Carter-Vickers had a nice game, and he seems to be well built for the Scottish Premiership. His weakness is still his lack of speed, and he is going to struggle in an open game or when he must close space on a counter attacker.
Celtic’s problems, however, are on the offensive end and learning to create chances with its possession.
Aaronson scores for perfect Salzburg
In the Austrian Bundesliga, Salzburg simply remains at a different level. On Sunday, Salzburg defeated Rapid Vienna 2-0 to continue its perfect start to the season. It now has 24 points through eight games and looks to be running away with the league again.
U.S. national team midfielder Brenden Aaronson played the entire game and his best moment of the game came at the end when he made a gut-busting run the length of the field on a counter attack to tap home a Noah Okafor cross.
Nice, long sprint from Brenden Aaronson on his goal to give Salzburg a 2-0 lead on Rapid deep into stoppage time pic.twitter.com/4sBTz14Qu1
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 19, 2021
Other than the goal, it was a good day at the office for Aaronson who worked very hard on both sides of the ball with 42 touches and three shots. He was 17/24 in passing but all but two of his completed passes were in the attacking half. He was 3/5 in his dribble attempts but also drew two fouls. He also won 8/17 of his duel attempts and had two tackles.
This wasn’t a dominant performance from Salzburg but this is always a tricky time for them when they try to balance games between the Austrian Bundesliga and the Champions League. But Aaronson remains one of the team’s better players and might be gone come January.
McKenzie bests Durkin in Belgium
It was a reunion of sorts of the 2019 U.S. U-20 World Cup team as Chris Durkin and St. Truiden hosted Mark McKenzie and Genk in a matchup in Belgium’s top league.
In the end, McKenzie and Genk ended up getting all three points in a 2-1 win.
St. Truiden scored first in first half stoppage time. Neither McKenzie nor his central defense partner Carlos Cuesta were good on the play as they were caught ball-watching as St. Truiden’s Yuma Suzuki moved into the middle and had an open, close-range header to give his team the lead.
The second-half, meanwhile, was all Genk which scored twice for a 2-1 win.
Aside from the St. Truiden goal, McKenzie played well over his 90 minutes. He was 64/71 in his passing including 5/7 with his long balls. He also had five clearances.
Durkin played 84 minutes and wasn’t flashy. Instead, he tried to do the grunt-work in the middle of the field to make things difficult for Genk. For awhile he was successful but he came off just two minutes after Genk pulled ahead in this game.
With the win, Genk moved into third place and is just three points back of leaders Brugge. Genk also has played one fewer game, so it is clearly in the top tier of Belgium. St. Truiden, meanwhile, is in 10th place in its typical midtable standing.
Sonora scores & is MOTM for Independiente
Up to this season, Alan Sonora has shown occasional glimpses of being a good player but has been terribly inconsistent for Independiente. In 2021/22, the New Jersey-born midfielder is putting it all together and is one of the best players on Independiente this season.
On Sunday, Sonora started and scored his third goal of the season. Yes, it was scored via a fortunate and lucky deflection but Sonora is living up to the old saying that the better you are, the more luck you get.
Sonora is now essentially a key to Independiente’s midfield.
- 84 minutes
- 48 touches
- 2 shots
- 1 goal
- 3 key passes
- 34/39 passing
- 24 completed passes in attacking half
At 23, Sonora isn’t a young player in Argentina anymore, but his career is certainly on the upswing. He also fits the bill of the type of South American player MLS teams have been bringing into the league in droves – with big money too. He also might try Europe eventually. The future is looking bright for Sonora as he is leading one of the historically best teams in Argentina (which currently sits in fifth place).
Also, if anyone is looking at one of the “long shot” type players to get a look on the national team, Sonora isn’t a bad bet. He’s playing very well, although hasn’t been doing it for too long. These last two months have simply seen him at another level based on where he was.
Other notes
In the Premier League, Zack Steffen missed Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Southampton on Saturday due to COVID quarantine. Christian Pulisic is still out injured and missed Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Tottenham.
In the Championship, Nottingham Forest won their first game of the season under interim management in a 2-0 away win over Huddersfield Town. Ethan Horvath returned to the bench for Forest after a tough midweek game. Georgia native Duane Holmes played the final 32 minutes in the loss.
In League One, Charlie Kelman started for Gillingham but was subbed out in the first half of a 4-1 loss to MK Dons. Kelman was sacrificed for a defender after a red card. Lynden Gooch, meanwhile, played 90 minutes for Sunderland in a 2-2 draw with Fleetwood Town.
In Italy’s Serie A, Weston McKennie was an unused sub for Juventus in a 1-1 draw with AC Milan and Juve has just two points from four games. Bryan Reynolds, meanwhile, was not on the bench for Roma in a 3-2 loss to Verona. In Serie B, Andrija Novakovich was an unused sub for Frosinone in a 2-0 away win over Como.
In Spain’s second tier, Shaq Moore played the second half for Tenerife in a 1-2 loss to Mirandes.
In German, Julian Green was an unused sub for Greuther Furth in a 2-0 loss to Hertha BSC. Furth remains in last place in the Bundesliga. Gio Reyna was out injured for Borussia Dortmund in a 4-2 win over Union Berlin. Both John Brooks and Timmy Chandler were unused subs for Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt in Sunday’s 1-1 draw between the two teams.
In France’s Ligue 2, Amir Richardson was internally suspended for Le Havre in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Nancy
In Turkey’s Super Lig, Tyler Boyd started and picked up an assist for Rizespor in a 3-1 loss to Adana Demirspor. DeAndre Yedlin started and went 73 for Galatasaray in 1-0 loss to Alanyaspor. The game was 0-0 when the U.S. national team right back left.
In Scotland, Christian Ramirez started at forward and went a full 90 minutes for Aberdeen in a 1-0 loss to St. Johnstone.
In Portugal’s top flight, Alex Mendez was an unused sub for Vizela in 1-1 draw vs Pacos de Ferreira.
In Belgium, Owen Otasowie was an unused sub for Brugge in 1-0 win over Sporting Charleroi. He is still looking for his club debut after the August transfer from Wolves.
In Denmark, Christian Cappis played the final 13 minutes for Brondby in a 1-0 loss to SonderjyskE. Emmanuel Sabbi played 84 minutes for OB in a 2-0 loss to Aalborg BK.
In Austria’s Bundesliga, Thomas Roberts was an unused sub for Austria Klagenfurt in 1-1 draw vs LASK. In the second tier, Uly Llanez played the final 16 minutes for St. Poelten in a 1-0 loss to SV Lafnitz.
In the Swiss Cup, BSC Young Boys (managed by former U.S. national team forward David Wagner) coasted to a resounding 7-1 win over lower tier FC Iliria. U.S. national team forward Jordan Pefok wasn’t even in the squad for this one.
In the Hungarian Cup, Henry Wingo and Ferencvaros rolled past Hatvan 9-0.
In Slovakia’s Premier Liga, Zyen Jones played the final four minutes for Spatak Trnava in a 2-0 win over SKF Sered.
In Brazil’s Serie A, Johnny Cardoso was a time-killing sub in second half stoppage time to preserve a 1-0 win for Internacional over Fortaleza.