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Americans abroad analysis

De la Torre, Musah, Dest, Harkes, & Ream standout in otherwise tough weekend abroad

The weekend for Americans abroad wasn't great as many players were out of action or only saw limited minutes. A few players, however stood out with big outings. ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks it all down - the good and the bad - with deep analysis. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
February 28, 2022
12:05 PM

THE WEEKEND FOR AMERICANS ABROAD wasn’t bad, but it was lackluster. There weren’t many standout performances, and many top players were out of action. It wasn’t all bad, however, as national team players like Sergino Dest, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre all played well. There was also some solid outings from those outside the USMNT player pool such as Ian Harkes, Duane Holmes, Scott Pittman, Tyler Boyd, and Alan Sonra.

Injuries continue to mount for some key players in Europe. This past weekend, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, Zack Steffen, and Kyle Duncan missed games from recent injuries. Meanwhile, players like Daryl Dike, Chris Richards, and Richard Ledezma who have both been out for several weeks.

That’s a lot of players.

In terms of what happened on the field, the disappointing news dominated the positive news.

Christian Pulisic played 74 minutes against Liverpool the Carabao Cup final – which Chelsea lost 10-11 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Pulisic had a few really nice moments but wasn’t quite as sharp as he has been this past month, where he has logged a lot of minutes.

Ricardo Pepi earned a start against Borussia Dortmund, but he was invisible for an Augsburg team which managed to pick up an important 1-1 draw anyway. Fellow forward Josh Sargent offered little for Norwich in a 2-0 loss to Southampton. Tim Weah only played the final 16 minutes for Lille in a big 1-0 away win over Lyon. Sam Vines got the start for third-place Royal Antwerp but his team was dismantled easily by second place Club Brugge. In Italy, neither Gianluca Busio nor Tanner Tessmann could help Venezia as it lost 3-1 to Verona and is now three points deep in the relegation zone.

Also of concern was the growing list of players who did not get off the bench, did not dress, or played only in a brief cameo at the end of the game. Many of these players were expected to be regulars with this club before the season. Mark Mckenzie did not make the roster for Genk in its 2-1 win over Kortrijk. Nicholas Gioacchini was an unused sub for Montpellier in a 4-2 loss to Rennes. Julian Green did not get off the bench for Greuther Furth in its 1-1 draw with FC Koln. Matthew Hoppe was again unused for Mallorca.

Continuing with the players who didn’t see action, Konrad de la Fuente was not in the squad for Marseille in its 1-1 draw with Troyes. Shaq Moore went unused for Tenerife in 2-1 away loss to Mirandes. Haji Wright was a stoppage time sub for Antalyaspor to preserve a 0-0 draw with Adana Demirspor. Matt Miazga did not get off the bench for Deportivo Alaves in 2-2 away draw vs. Getafe. Joe Scally also remained on the bench for Borussia Monchengladbach in its 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg.

Many of the January transfers continue to have a slower integration into their new teams – although it was expected for many players. James Sands was unused for Rangers against Motherwell. Justin Che was also unused for Hoffenheim in a 2-1 win over Stuttgart. Cole Bassett played just two minutes for Feyenoord in a 2-1 loss to AZ Alkmaar. Kevin Paredes was not in Wolfsburg’s squad in a 2-2 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach. George Bello played 16 minutes for Arminia Bielefeld which was thoroughly beaten by Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.

The bottom line is that when you combined the injured players, with the players who struggled, the players who didn’t play, and the players who are only slowly integrating into new clubs – it isn’t a great time for Americans abroad. This season has actually been a step back in many regards from recent seasons. Yes, it is possible to point to an impressive number of Americans doing things like participating in Champions League games or making appearances in “Big Five” leagues. But injuries are mounting, impact performances (far more relevant than mere appearances), seem to be declining, and injuries are mounting.

Here is a more detailed look at the weekend and a deeper breakdown of the top stories – including what went right.

 

Pulisic starts in Carabao Cup final

 

Christian Pulisic was looking to add to his impressive silverware collection which saw him add over the past 12 months a Champions League title, a Nations League title, and a FIFA Club World Cup title. Unfortunately for the Hershey native, he will have to wait to add a Carabao Cup title.

On Sunday against Liverpool, Pulisic played 74 minutes but the game remained scoreless for a full 120 minutes. In his time on the field, Pulisic only had 27 touches and was 8/14 in passing. He was 0/2 in ground duels, and 1/3 in aerials.

Pulisic wasn’t involved much, but he had some nice moments. He had two shots but missed a big chance. He also had one incredible lob pass to Mason Mount which broke apart the Liverpool defense and set Mount up for a chance which he failed to convert.

Things are still trending up for Pulisic. Last month, people were questioning his future at Chelsea after this summer. This past month he’s started in two finals – in a win over Palmieras in the Club World Cup final, and against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. He’s impressed in the Champions League against Lille and went the distance in a strong outing against Crystal Palace in the Premier League. All these have been starts and, even tossing the Carabao Cup aside, Pulisic has been very solid for the other games.

 

Musah impresses in Valencia win

 

Yunus Musah had one of his better outings of the season on Saturday in a 1-0 away win over Mallorca. Musah played 78 minutes and did his part to make a 4th minute goal from Gabriel Paulista stand up. As you can see on Musah’s touchmap, he was playing on the right side and only rarely cut into the middle.

But Musah was solid in this one in how he contributed on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he forced turnovers (2 interceptions), won tackles (3/3), won duels (5/9), won aerials (3/3), and also had two clearances. He was smooth on the ball and he set up two dangerous chances with his crossing.

Musah might prefer to play centrally, but this was as good as he’s looked while playing as a winger.

 

Dest resurgence continues

 

When Xavi was hired to coach Barcelona in December, Sergino Dest looked to be in a tough spot. Dani Alves, 38, was getting more starts at right back and there were even questions of Dest was going to be sold in January. Obviously, that did not happen but most of the media attention around Dest wasn’t good.

Dest began playing again when Alves was injured. But now with the Brazilian back, Dest was given a chance on the left side on Sunday against Athletic Club at Camp Nou. The game was a mismatch and Barcelona looks to be gradually turning a corner – with the top four in La Liga in its sight.

Over 90 minutes, Dest played the left back position in a traditional madder despite not being left-footed. He rarely cut into the middle of the field and most of his 123 touches were near the sideline. He was also 84/88 with his passing and was aggressive with his dribbles.

Dest may not return to Barcelona next season. It’s hard to picture Barcelona not entertaining offers for the U.S. international. But with performances like this the rest of the year, his value will only increase – especially because he shows he can play on both left and right.

On the other hand, Alves has been great but he can only play for so long at this level. Perhaps Dest will prove to Xavi that he is still part of the team’s future.

 

Pepi’s struggles continue

 

Ricardo Pepi has been off to a slow start at Augsburg – and this continued on Saturday as he was invisible in a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund. This is a very tough stage for Pepi. The value that was paid for him combined with Augsburg being in a relegation fight has put a spotlight on the young Texan. Typically, when a relegation battling team forks over a club-record amount for a new player, they are doing so with the hopes that player can immediately help them avoid relegation.

Pepi is still looking for his first Bundesliga goal but after Saturday's game, it still looks far away. Pepi played 59 minutes and had just 16 touches. He did not register a shot or a key pass and was 5/10 in passing.

 

Pepi is not entirely the problem. His teammates are struggling to get him the ball (part of the reason why they were in a relegation battle before Pepi even arrived).

But while Pepi is working hard, his off the ball movement doesn’t seem to be in-synch with rest of his team. The midfield is probably one of the worst in the Bundesliga, but even then, they don’t seem to know where Pepi will be or how to get it to him. This is going to take time, but it is only more frustrating because Augsburg needs goals right now.

 

De la Torre: MOTM in Heracles win

 

Luca de la Torre was very good for Heracles on Saturday in a 2-0 win over PEC Zwolle. His 19th minute goal, his first of the season, opened the scoring.

 

But beyond that, the San Diego native was very good. He covered a nice stretch of ground, made plays happen with five key passes, and contributed to a win that moved Heracles comfortably into midtable. PEC Zwolle is in last place, but Heracles never played down to the level of its opponent.

With Weston McKennie injured, de la Torre is becoming a more important player for Gregg Berhalter. Fortunately, he is playing well at an important time.

 

Yanks surge in Championship

 

A lot of Americans were in action in England this weekend but in the Championship, it was a clean sweep of success.

Tim Ream captained Fulham to a 1-0 away win over Cardiff City in Wales. On the offensive side, Aleksander Mitrovic continued his record-breaking season with the game's only goal. It was his 34th game of the season in his 31st appearance. Ream, however, was excellent. He completed 86/97 in passing with 6/12 coming on long balls. He also had six clearances and four interceptions to preserve the clean sheet. Fulham is in first place and is coasting easily towards promotion. For Ream, it would be his third promotion but only his first automatically and not via the playoffs.

Duane Holmes started for Huddersfield and played 77 minutes in a 2-0 away win over Birmingham City. Holmes had just 36 touches but his biggest presence was felt defensively and in winning duels – winning 5/8 ground duels and generally being a tough defensive presence, despite his small frame. Huddersfield has now won three in a row and Holmes has seen his role on the team increase. He is a versatile midfielder and in this game, he was centrally but played all over – most of his touches came on the right or left sides as opposed to the middle.

He’s seen a career resurgence since returning to his hometown club and the club is surprisingly in third place. The only concern is that Huddersfield has played 35 games, which is one or two more games than the rest of the teams in the Championship playoff positions. Huddersfield is looking to be in a great position, however, to contend for promotion.

Finally in the Championship, Ethan Horvath earned his second straight start with Brice Samaba serving a three-game suspension. On Saturday, he was in goal for Nottingham Forest in a convincing 2-0 win over Bristol City. Forest dominated this game and Horvath had to make just one save. One moment came in the first half where he confidently dribbled the ball away from Bristol attackers before making a play.

Is Horvath making a push to pass Samba once his suspension runs out? Probably not. He is, however, likely making Samba’s leash shorter. Another question surrounds the national team with both Matt Turner and Zack Steffen not in uniform this weekend due to injuries. How does Horvath now compare with Sean Johnson, Brad Guzan, or upstart Gaga Slonina? It’s an interesting question with no real answer.

Back up in the Premier League on Friday, Norwich dropped a 2-0 decision to Southampton to remain in last place. Josh Sargent went 90 minutes, had one shot and was 15/20 in passing. He had some nice moments on the ball but was rarely threatening. Relegation is looking almost like a forgone conclusion for Norwich. It is now five points from safety but has played two more games than Everton – the last safe team.

As for Sargent, he might not be far from the mix of returning to the national team – despite his scoring woes. Pepi hasn’t helped his case, Zardes struggled in January, Dike is injured, and Berhalter has never really believed that the way Jordan Pefok plays will help the U.S. team. Sargent can hold the ball up better than Pepi or Pefok and he might allow others to contribute in the attack.

 

Rough weekend for Yanks in Germany

 

The weekend wasn’t particularly kind for the Americans in Germany. In addition to Pepi (mentioned above) few had anything positive to take from this round of games. Eintracht’s Timothy Chandler, Hoffenheim’s Justin Che, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Joe Scally, and Greuther Furth’s Julian Green were all unused substitutes. Kevin Paredes did not make the bench for Wolfsburg and Chris Richards was still injured for Hoffenheim.

Tyler Adams started for RB Leipzig against Bochum on Saturday and was neither good nor bad. He played 60 minutes for Leipzig and left with the score 0-0. He was not on the field for Leipzig’s late winner scored by Christopher Nkunku in the 82nd minute. Adams was only on the ball 38 times and was 20/28 in his passing. He had 0 key passes, 0 shots, and was only 1/4 with his long balls. Leipzig got the win, but Adams won’t waste any energy remembering this game.

George Bello played the final 16 minutes of Arminia Bielefeld’s 3-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. He had just 5 touches and was 2/2 in passing in an otherwise uneventful outing.

John Brooks played the full 90 minutes for Wolfsburg in 2-2 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach. Brooks wasn’t quite as sharp as in recent games, but it was by no means a big step back in form. He’s clearly better than he had been earlier in the season. For Brooks, he is coming up at a crossroads with his contract with Wolfsburg set to expire at the end of the season. Will he return? Will he look for another team? Then there is also the national team and while his form was lacking during recent windows, he’s on the upswing – unlike players such as Mark Mckenzie, who was on the most recent team.

Finally in the Bundesliga, America manager Pellegrino Matarazzo was on the wrong end of a very difficult setback as his Stuttgart team lost to Hoffenheim 2-1 despite having a lead for nearly the entire match. Hoffenheim rallied with two late goals and Stuttgart now is four points deep in the relegation hole.

In the 2.Bundesliga, Ryan Malone and Hansa Rostock were on the wrong end of a tough 2-0 loss to Nurnberg. Hansa Rostock are in a tough battle for survival and occupy the last safe spot.

 

Pittman & Harkes standout in Scotland

 

Scotland is a busy place for American players these days. This past weekend saw mixed results.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic played Hibernian to a 0-0 draw that was disappointing to league leading Celtic. Chris Mueller played the final 28 minutes for Hibs in the draw. Carter-Vickers continues to have a strong season for Celtic. It is a bit different than his previous roles in the Championship as he has more time on the ball (typically because of Celtic’s superiority in the league) and can showcase his passing. In this game, he had 104 touches and was 84/95 in passing and was 2/4 in long balls. Defensively he is not tested nearly as much and in this game, Celtic had a 13-2 shot advantage and 63% possession.

As for Mueller, it has been a rougher than expected transition into Scotland. He hasn’t walked into a starting lineup the way fellow Americans such as Christian Ramirez and Joe Efford have done. He will get more chances soon, it’s just up to him to take advantage and prove his case. In this game, Mueller was had 16 touches and worked hard defensively, but wasn’t able to generate much offense against a superior opponent.

At the Ibrox in Glasgow, Motherwell played to an impressive 2-2 draw at Rangers. The game offered little to report from an American perspective. James Sands did not play for Rangers and while Joe Efford started for Motherwell but was pulled at the half with his team down 2-0 and he did not take part in the team’s second-half rally.

It was much more interesting from an American perspective when Aberdeen hosted Dundee United and the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. Former Aberdeen manager Sir Alex Ferguson was on hand and Christian Ramirez started for Aberdeen and Ian Harkes started for Dundee United. Christian Ramirez played well, despite not scoring or assisted. Ian Harkes, however, was one of the best players on the field in the game with impressive numbers. He drew a penalty and won 12/17 of his ground duels.



Meanwhile, Ramirez was able to meet Sir Alex after the game.

 

Finally, Livingston FC smashed relegation battling Dundee FC 4-0 on the road. One of the goals was scored by Scott Pittman, son of former USMNT veteran Steve Pittman. His 19th goal gave Livingston a 2-0 lead.

Sebastian Soto played the final 18 minutes for Livingston but didn’t have much to do with the game out of reach and Livingston looking to simply see off the win.

 

In France, EPB keeps Troyes spot

 

Three American players saw the field in France’s Ligue 1 this weekend: Tim Weah, Erik Palmer Brown.  French-American Amir Richardson returned to the starting XI for Le Havre in Ligue 2 where he played 85 minutes in a 1-0 win over Nancy.

Erik Palmer-Brown was the only American player to see significant minutes in Ligue 1 and he started and played 76 minutes for Troyes in a 1-1 draw with Marseille (Konrad de la Fuente was not in the matchday squad for Marseille). Palmer-Brown started on the left side of a three-man backline and was subbed out with Troyes down 1-0 and pushing for an equalizer. That equalizer came in the 90th minute.

After two brutal games where Troyes conceded nine goals, this game was an improvement for both Troyes and Palmer-Brown, who played well. Palmer-Brown was strong defensively and with his passing out of the back. He is still on an upward swing in his form since 2022 arrived and might be setting himself up for a transfer this summer. For now, he is adjusting well to life in a “Big 5” league and could be a strong dark horse pick to push for a spot on the USMNT. If that doesn’t happen before the World Cup, it could happen at the start of the next cycle, which is now less than a year away.

Tim Weah played the final 16 minutes for Lille in an impressive 1-0 win over Lyon away. Weah’s next appearance should be significant in that it will push him over 1000 league minutes in a season for the first time (he’s at 992 Ligue 1 minutes now). Despite being a USMNT mainstay, he still only has 2549 career minutes of first team soccer in league play (3,598 first-team club minutes across all competitions). That is not a lot, and it reminds you how much time he has lost in his career due to injuries. There wasn’t anything to report in this last outing as he had just three touches and one completed pass. But in many ways, he is still in the process of making up for lost time.

 

Reynolds, Durkin, & Vines start in Belgium

 

In Belgium, three Americans started but none of them were part of a winning effort.

Sam Vines started for Royal Antwerp and was on the wrong end of a 4-1 loss. Vines played 77 minutes and wasn’t bad – but he also didn’t stand out from the pack. In his best moment in the first half, he beat his defender off the dribble and drew a yellow card after having his jersey pulled. On another occasion, however, he was aggressive going for a lose ball and allowed space to behind him – which resulted in a great chance for Brugge which was saved. Vines has played a lot since healing from his broken collarbone, but he’s been forced to learn a lot of lessons – which should only make him better. He’s in the U.S. national team picture but needs to do more to get regular call-ups.

Genk defeated Kortrijk 2-1 on Sunday. Bryan Reynolds went a full 90 in the loss. Mark McKenzie did not make the bench after a poor outing the week before where he was pulled at halftime. Reynolds had some positive moments but generally did not stand out too much in the losing efforts.

Finally, Oostende played visiting St. Truiden to a 0-0 draw. Kyle Duncan was injured for the hosts while Chris Durkin played 74 minutes for the guests. For Durkin, he earned the most positive reviews and posted the best stats than he has this season – winning 5/7 of his duels in defensive midfield and proving to be an effective defensive presence up the middle.

 

Italy: Busio and Tessmann feature for troubled Venezia

 

It is going to be a tough and uphill climb for Venezia to avoid relegation out of Serie A. Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Verona put them three points deep of relegation. Gianluca Busio played 79 minutes and was unable to make an impact. As a central midfielder, he needs to be on the ball a lot. But when he only has 25 pass attempts (like he did in this game), his impact is going to be minimal.

Busio had just a single touch in the attacking third and was unable to create. But playing in a deeper role, he wasn’t using his passing range enough to stretch the defense. Tanner Tessmann, meanwhile, had a nice dribble once with the ball, didn’t have enough time to truly get going. Venezia needs points and has to play well in its remaining home games – including Saturday against Sassuolo.

In Serie B, Andrija Novakovich played the final 34 minutes for Frosinone in a 3-0 away loss to Cittadella. The club is on the edge of the playoff positions but hasn’t been in convincing form lately.

 

Portugal: Cannon and Mendez both feature

 

Two Americans played in Portugal’s top-flight over the weekend.

The best performance came from Reggie Cannon who continued to start for Boavista in the back of a three-man backline. In this role, he is starting more of a central defender than as a fullback. He’s been in this position since early January and it has worked well as Cannon has been doing well defensively. On Saturday, he helped Boavista earn a solid 3-2 win on the road over Estoril. He played pretty deep in the backline but was effective in getting the ball forward (52/56 passing) and his physicality has helped him perform well in central defense.

He might not be playing the position he wants, but he’s doing well and should be impressing scouts of teams looking to add players who fit well into a three-man backline.

Meanwhile, Alex Mendez might have lost his starting spot for Vizela – at least for now. On Saturday, he came on in the 71st minute in a 1-1 draw vs. Portimonense

 

South America: Sonora scores vs. Boca Juniors

 

With Joel Sonora and Velez Sarsfield off this weekend along with Jonny having his International game postponed, there were few Americans involved in games in South America.

Alan Sonora, 23, continues to build a case for his first U.S. national team call-up. The New Jersey-born attacking midfielder scored against Boca Juniors (whom his father used to play for) in a 2-2 game played in the driving rain. It was a tough game for any player to shine with creativity and skill because of the conditions, but Sonora scored a big goal to force the draw.

 

Mattias Fraccia made his club debut for Monetvideo Wanderers in Uruguay’s Primera on Saturday when he came off the bench in the 70th minute in a 1-0 win over Defensa.

In Bolivia top tier, American-born manager Daniel Farrar saw his Real Santa Cruz team drop a 2-1 decision to The Strongest.

 

Elsewhere in Europe

 

Cole Bassett made his second appearance for Feyenoord in a 2-1 loss to AZ Alkmaar. The Colorado Rapids homegrown played just the final two minutes in the loss. This summer’s preseason was always going to be key for Bassett, 20, and any minutes he gets now is a bonus.

It has been a tough season for Tyler Boyd in Turkey, but the New Zealand-born American winger scored a delightful goal for relegation battling Rizespor in a 4-2 loss to Galatasaray.

Also in Turkey, Haji Wright played the final three minutes for Antalyaspor in a 0-0 draw at Adana Demirspor.

In Austria, Brenden Aaronson and Salzburg did not have a game. Thomas Roberts went unused for Austria Klagenfurt in 1-1 draw with Ried. In the second tier. Uly Llanez started for St. Poelten and went 90 in 1-1 draw with Linz

In the Swiss Super League, it was a rare goalless game for Jordan Pefok who went the full 90 for BSC Young Boys in a 3-1 win over Sion.

In Denmark, Emmanuel Sabbi played 66 minutes of OB Odens in a 2-2 draw with Midtjylland. On Monday in the Super Liga, Christian Cappis played seven minutes for Brondby in a 1-0 win over SonderjyskE. Jose Gallegos played the final eight minutes in the loss.

It was relatively uneventful in Spain aside from Dest and Musah. Matt Miazga was an unused sub for Deportivo Alaves in a 2-2 away draw vs. Getafe. In the second tier Segunda, Jonathan Gomez played 90 minutes for Real Sociedad B in a 1-0 win over Real Oviedo and Shaq Moore was an unused sub for Tenerife in a 2-1 away loss to Mirandes.

 

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