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Americans abroad

Downs, McKenzie enjoy standout performances, PSV surges, Banks makes bench in busy weekend abroad

Damion Downs scored his sixth of the season for Koln while Mark McKenzie helped lead Toulouse to its fourth cleansheet win in five games. Meanwhile, U.S. U-20 defender Noahkai Banks made a Bundesliga matchday roster for the first time.
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
December 02, 2024
12:00 AM

THE WEEKEND FOR Americans abroad lacked a lot of fireworks measured in goals and assists. Yes, there were a few nice moments and the best was Damion Downs scoring his sixth of the season for Koln. But overall, many of the best moments were simply competent outings that weren’t MOTM worthy but were still quietly solid. Christian Pulisic, Mark McKenzie, Malik Tillman, and Antonee Robinson all fall into this category.

With that said, let’s get right into it with a detailed analytical breakdown of the weekend.


Yanks in Italy

 

Both Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah started for AC Milan in a comfortable 3-0 win over Empoli on Sunday. Pulisic went all 90 minutes while Musah played 75. Overall, it was a good, not great outing for Pulisic while it was a decent shift for Musah. 

In the first half, Pulisic elected for a shot which he sent over the bar - but missed a pass to an open Tijjani Reijnders for an easy chance. 

Pulisic then assisted on the second goal with a header back to Reijnders for a shot. While an assist, it’s not clear if that was his intention. Overall, he was active and aggressive but not always effective. 

For Musah, he was smooth in some possessions while playing on the right side of the midfield but the final ball was lacking (which is a running theme for him). 

 

Tim Weah was almost completely invisible for Juventus on Sunday against 16th-place Lecce. Normally a winger or a right back, Weah was given a rare start as a center forward. It did not work well and the USMNT attacker barely saw any of the ball in a full 90 shift. He finished with just 20 touches. His only shot came in the 20th minute, it was from outside the box, and it was blocked. He only had one touch inside Lecce’s box and was 7/9 in passing. If this was an experiment to try Weah in this position, it failed. That’s not entirely on Weah as his teammates struggled as well. But Weah looked lost. 

As for Juventus, they tried to hold onto a 1-0 lead but conceded a stoppage time equalizer to settle for a draw that sunk them to sixth place. It was just a boring and poorly played game by Juventus. 

Venezia remained in last place of Serie A and is now 4 points from safety after a 3-0 away loss to Bologna. Gianluca Busio played all 90 minutes for Venezia. The former Sporting KC was decent despite the result. He is a capable player for Venezia and is the least of their problems. But unfortunately, he is not a solution either. In this game, he drew four fouls and completed 23 passes. In the 26th minute, Busio set up a chance for Joel Pohjanpalo who couldn’t get off a clean shot. 

There is a very real chance Venezia will be relegated after this season. Busio needs to be playing right now for a potential transfer and his next job. Another year in Serie B could be disheartening. 

In Serie B, Andrija Novakovich played 74 minutes for Bari on Saturday in a 1-1 away draw with Brescia. In the 44th minute Novakovich nearly gave Bari a lead, but his header hit the crossbar instead. in the second half, he sent a shot just wide of the frame. It was a tough result for Bari, which could have used the three points in what it hopes will be a promotion battle this season. Instead, they will take a point and remain in sixth place. 

 

After seeing his minutes dwindle over the past month for Palermo, Kristoffer Lund managed to see the field on Sunday when he played the final 29 minutes of a 2–0 win at home over Spezia. While he only had two completed passes and 15 touches in his outing, he did have a couple of positive moments. In stoppage time, he got open for a nice shot inside the box that forced a big save. 

With the win, Palermo moved into 7th place. Lund is a player who desperately needs to find a way to earn more playing time as he is also losing his spot on the national team. We will see if this helps him improve his situation. 

 

Yanks in the Bundesliga 

 

It was a milestone day for U.S U-20 central defender Noahkai Banks who made the matchday squad for Augsburg on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Bochum. While he did not get off the bench, this was a huge sign that Banks is getting close to making his first team debut. Banks has been earning rave reviews for his performances at the youth level, and this could also be seen with his top notch performances with the US  U – 20 team the past two windows. He is a top American prospect, and this was an important development for him.

United States youth teams have struggled to produce central defense prospects over the last five years (since the 2019 U-20 World Cup cycle). But this U– 20 cycle is reversing that drought with Banks, Josh Wynder, Matai Akinmboni, Noah Cobb and others. It’s good to see Banks take another step forward. 

Joe Scally returned to the starting lineup for Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday despite having to be removed from last weekend‘s game in the first half due to a head injury. That is the good news. The bad news is that M’Gladbach lost on the road to Freiburg 3-1. Scully played all 90 minutes at right back, but had a tough outing. Neither he, nor any of his teammates stood out in a positive way for M’Gladbach. 

Gio Reyna was a very late, 90th minute, sub for Borussia Dortmund in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich. After a 27th minute goal, it seemed as if Dortmund would pull off the big win. Borussia was defending for most of the second half but Bayern equalized in the 85th. Reyna was then brought into the game for a late offensive spark, but it was too late and the USMNT attacking mid didn’t even get a touch. He was rusty midweek off the bench in the 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Cole Campbell also was an unused sub for Dortmund which now sits in 5th place. 

For Reyna and Campbell, it’s going to take time for them to get regular minutes. It’s tough to read where Reyna stands these days at Dortmund. He’s playing, but is that just to hold some sort of value for a sale? We will know more soon. 

It was a tough game for Lennard Maloney who was subbed out of Heidenheim’s 4-0 loss at home to 2nd place Eintracht Frankfurt. Maloney did not play well by was far from Heidenheim’s only problem as the score was only 2-0 when he was subbed out in the 55th minute. In his usual defensive midfield position, Maloney didn’t win a single duel or tackle. His passing also was simple and didn’t help open the game up or move his team into an attacking position. Heidenheim fell into the bottom three (16th place) with the result and a relegation battle is ahead. 

Jordan Pefok was an unused substitute for Union Berlin in Saturday’s 2–1 loss at home to reigning champs Bayer Leverkusen. This demotion seemed like only a matter of time as the American forward has yet to score this season. Union fell to 11th place with the loss. 

Kevin Paredes had a setback in his recovery and will be out until January for Wolfsburg, which had a day to remember on Saturday in a 5-1 away win over RB Leipzig. Wolfsburg has continues to climb up the table and now sit in 7th place. 

 

Yanks in the 2.Bundesliga

 

Damion Downs, 20, continues to produce for Koln, as the German-American forward scored his sixth goal of the season as he came off the bench in the 71st minute and scored in the 81st minute to give his team a 2-1 lead on a Hannover team that was reduced to 10 men in the 55th. Unfortunately for Koln, Hannover equalized via an own goal in the 86th minute and the game ended 2-2. Koln end the weekend in 6th place. 

Downs is certainly a player to follow from a USMNT perspective. His six goals have come across just 694 minutes. Of course there are other players ahead of him in the USMNT depth chart at striker, but Downs has been consistently good for Koln’s first team since breaking in last season in the Bundesliga. He needs to be a consistent starter, which is yet to happen, but he’s done well with the minutes he’s gotten. 

Santiago Castaneda, 20, continued his streak of starting every game for Paderborn this season and Saturday’s 3-1 away win over Elversberg moved Paderborn four points clear atop the table. Castaneda played the entire game in defense midfield and he didn’t stand out but was consistently steady and made few mistakes. Paderborn looks like they will be a strong contender for promotion in the months ahead. Castaneda will start to get a lot of attention if he continues to play a big role for a Bundesliga-bound team. 

Julian Green converted a 16th minute penalty for Greuther Furth to open the scoring in a 1-1 away draw with SSV Ulm on Sunday. Green along with recent U.S Olympic team defender Max Dietz both went 90 minutes for Furth. Green had a solid game all around, completing 42/43 passes, creating multiple chances, drawing fouls and winning duels. He now has 5 goals on the season. Dietz had a tougher game as it was his fouls that conceded a penalty for Ulm on an equalizer just before halftime. It wasn’t a great result for Fürth against a team in the bottom three. Fürth currently sits just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Johann Gomez, 23, played 89 minutes for Eintracht Braunschweig in a 0-0 draw with last place Jahn Regensburg on Saturday. Gomez drew three fouls but did not do much. Braunschweig moved two points clear of the bottom of the relegation zone with the result. 

John Brooks was not in the squad for 8th place Hertha BSC in a 3-1 win over Magdeburg. Brooks is still working his way back from a hip injury and is yet to play this season. 

 

Yanks in the Premier League

 

Tyler Adams continues to take big steps in his return from injuries as he managed to play all 90 minutes for AFC Bournemouth in a 4-2 away win over relegation battling Wolves on Saturday. Adams managed just 23 completed passes, but he worked hard defensively with 4 interceptions and 3/3 tackles won. He also was involved in the physical side of the game, committing 4 fouls. 

He had one nice moment in the first half nutmegging a defender off the dribble but there were some moments when he was too slow to close down on Wolves players, which conceded chances (one on the second goal). He is clearly working off the rust in some areas of his game, which should be expected. It will take time. 

On a rare tidbit, Justin Kluivert scored a staggering 3 goals from the penalty spot for Bournemouth. 

With the result, Bournemouth sits 11th to end the weekend. 

Antonee Robinson, 27, had a nice performance for Fulham on Sunday in a 1-1 away draw with Tottenham in a London Derby. In addition to his play on the field, Robinson also wore the armband for the Cottagers to reflect the respect he has on the team. 

 

The USMNT left back was strong with his passing, worked hard on both sides of the ball, won his duels, and helped Fulham to actually be on the front foot in Tottenham’s stadium. It was yet another complete performance from one of the most consistently good American players. 

Fulham moved up one spot into 10th place with the draw. 

Houston-born manager Fabian Hurzeler saw his Brighton & Hove Albion squad play to a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton. 

Both Chris Richards and Matt Turner were unused substitutes for Crystal Palace, which scored a stoppage time equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday. The draw moved Palace out of the bottom three on goal differential. 

 

Yanks in the Championship

 

Brenden Aaronson played 69 minutes for Leeds United in a tough 1-0 away loss to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. Like for most of his teammates, it was a tough day for Aaronson who covered a lot of ground on the field, but was unable to create much danger in the attacking end. On the positive side for the New Jersey native, he did well to get into dangerous positions several times, but his teammates either failed to notice him, or they failed to connect with him. Leeds fell to third with the loss. 

 

Aidan Morris is still out with the injury he picked up during the last international window. The former Columbus Crew midfielder missed Middlesbrough‘s 3–1 win over Hull City on Saturday. Boro sit fifth place with the win. 

Duane Holmes, 30, played the final 5 minutes plus stoppage time for Preston North End in a 1-1 draw with West Brom Albion. Holmes had an energetic performance in his limited minutes but the result held. Daryl Dike remains out for 7th place West Brom. PNE sits in 18th place. 

Josh Sargent will be out for a few more weeks due to groin surgery but his Norwich City team moved into 9th place with a 4-2 win over Luton Town on Saturday. 

Lynden Gooch was back on Stoke City’s matchday squad for the first time in two months after his knee injury. While the Santa Cruz native went as an unused sub, it was a positive sign to see him in uniform again. Unfortunately, 14th place Stoke City fell at home to Burnely 2-0. 

Coventry City and Cardiff City played to a 2–2 draw on Saturday. Ethan Horvath remained on the bench as the backup keeper for Cardiff while Haji Wright will continue to miss time with his ankle injury. Cardiff sits in 20th place, two points above the relegation zone. Coventry is in 16th place to end the weekend.

 

Yanks in Ligue 1

 

Mark McKenzie, 25, had a nice game on Sunday for Toulouse in a 2-0 home win over Auxerre to climb to 10th place. McKenzie was sharp with his passing, 49/52 in total with 6/6 in long balls. That passing allowed Toulouse to help control the game. 

McKenzie is having a good season and he is having an important role with the team. The club has 4 clean sheet wins in their last five games. McKenzie has a consistent starting job in a three-man backline that is at the heart of that success. 

It was a very ineffective performance from Folarin Balogun on Sunday when he started for Monaco in a 2-1 loss away to Marseille.  Balogun played 68 minutes but had only 15 touches and was only 4/8 in passing. His one shot came in the 57th minute and it was blocked from close range. He was 0/2 in his dribbles, didn’t attempt an aerial, was 0/5 in ground duels, and was dispossessed twice. His best moment came in the 4th minute when he set up Eliesse Ben Seghir for a great chance inside the box that was saved. Besides that, it was just a bad day at the office for Balogun who is still rusty from missing six weeks due to a separated shoulder. 

With the result, Marseille leapfrogged Monaco into second place by goal differential. Both teams are seven points behind leaders PSG. 

 

Le Havre fell back into the bottom three of Ligue 1 after a 1-0 loss at home to Angers. Emmanuel Sabbi, 26, started at right wing for Le Havre and played 61 minutes. Sabbi had 22 touches and was 7/8 in passing. As is his role with Le Havre, Sabbi has important responsibilities on both sides of the ball. Offensively, his best moment came in just the first minute when he set up Josue Casimir for a chance in the box (the shot was missed). He also won duels and defended well before being subbed out with the score 0-0. A relegation battle lies ahead for Sabbi and La Havre, the American will be an important player in that.

After missing nearly two months due to knee tendinitis, Caleb Wiley’s return for Strasbourg did not last long as he was pulled last weekend at halftime due to a shoulder injury. That injury kept him out of this Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Brest. It’s been a tough three month run for the former Atlanta United left back as injuries continue to prevent him from getting into a prolonged rhythm. 

With the loss, Strasbourg fell to 13th place in France’s top tier. 

Tanner Tessmann was an unused sub for Lyon in a 4-1 win over Nice on Sunday. The USMNT central midfielder started on Sunday for Lyons’s 4-1 Europa League win over Qarabag in Azerbaijan. He is still in a very good position with a big club at clubs like this, there will be squad rotation, and such was the case for this game. For the recent Olympic team captain, the goal is to be on the field for the big games.

 

Yanks in La Liga

 

Luca de la Torre continues to miss time with an injury for Celta Vigo and is yet to make a matchday roster this season. Celta fell on the road to Espanyol 3-1 on Saturday to end the day in 11th place. In addition to being injured, it’s unclear how much he is rated at the club and a move in January seems likely. 

Johnny Cardoso also was out injured this week for Real Betis in their 2-0 loss to Real Sociedad. The midfielder picked up his thigh injury while with the national team in November. Real Betis now sits 10th in La Liga. 

 

Yanks in the Netherlands

 

Sunday’s Eredivisie game between first place PSV Eindhoven and second place FC Utrecht failed to live up to expectations as PSV rolled to a convincing 5-2 win on the road. From an American perspective, the highlight came in the second half when for one minute five U.S players were on the field at one time. 

For PSV, Malik Tillman played all 90 minutes, Richard Ledezma started at right back and was subbed out in the 78th minute  with the score 4-1. Ricardo Pepi came into the game a minute earlier to see the win out. 

For Utrecht, Paxten Aaronson played all 90 minutes while Taylor Booth was subbed into the game to start the second half with the score 1-1. 

None of the Americans contributed to any of the seven goals. 

Aaronson didn’t create much offensively but fought incredibly hard and he was successful with 8/11 of his tackles and won 14/19 of his ground duels. 

Tillman was his usual smooth with the ball to help PSV remain in control. In the 43rd minute, he set up a great chance for Noa Lang with a good through ball. 

Ledezma might not be a permanent right back, but he’s good in a pinch as his passing is on point. He completed 52/57 of his passes including 5/6 of his long balls. 

Booth, meanwhile, had a tough outing as he was on the field as PSV ran away with it in the second half. 

Pepi was just there to see the game out. 

Overall, it was a good showing for the USMNT players. Aaronson might be gaining ground to get a callup under Pochettino. He continues to have a great season. 

Tillman’s numbers are solid, but translating his success to the USMNT has always been tough. 

In the second tier Eerste Divisor, Zach Booth played the final seven minutes for leaders Excelsior in a 2-0 win over Jong Ajax. It was booth’s first appearance since retuning from an injury. 

Also in the second tier, Dordrecht defeated Den Bosch 3-2 away to move into 6th place. The American duo of winger Korede Osundina and left back John Hilton both started for Dordrecht, who actually trailed 2–0 at halftime before rallying for the win. Hilton played all 90 minutes while Osundina was subbed out in the 64th minute. Neither American stood out for good or for bad in this game.

 

Yanks in Belgium

 

Both Bryan Reynolds and Griffin Yow started for Westerlo in a 2-2 draw at home with 6th place Gent on Sunday. Yow played 61 minutes but had only 12 touches and was 3/6 in passing. Just before he was subbed out, he had a free kick from the edge of the box that was saved. Yow also had three touches in the Gent box. While he did not get on the ball a lot, and didn’t have a big footprint on the game, when he did get the ball, he looked to be dangerous.

Reynolds went the distance at right back and was good throughout. In the 32nd minute, Reynolds sent a cross that found Allahyar Sayyadmanesh for a shot inside the box that was wide. He also sent a cross just before halftime that set up Tuur Rommens for a header that was wide. Defensively, Reynolds patrolled his side of the field well. 

Both Reynolds and Yow are looking to make inroads with the national team depth chart heading into 2025. It is about consistency and helping Westerlo climb the table. Right now, they sit eighth in Belgium.

Marlon Fossey played 90 minutes for Standard Liege in a 1-1 draw with Sporting Charleroi. Standard appeared headed for a win in this game but conceded a late equalizer in stoppage time. 

Fossey, 26, was active in this game and played in a very advanced role as a right wingback. He didn’t create much, but he won loose balls and won 7/8 of his aerials (impressive despite not being very tall). He also had six clearances defensively. 

For Fossey, his athleticism and intensity pay big dividends in this league in winning balls and throwing opponents off their game. 

Standard remains in 7th place with the result. 

After picking up an injury in last weekend‘s blowout loss, Kahveh Zahiroleslam was not in the squad for 12th place St. Truiden in a 2-2 home draw with leaders Genk. 

 

Yanks in the Danish Superliga

 

On Friday, 5th place Brondby defeated 9th place Aalborg BK 1-0. Justin Che was an unused sub for Brondby while former NYCFC attacking mid Andres Jasson came into the game in the 65th minute for AaB. Jasson, 22, had a few nice moments but Brondby was able to see the game out. 

Jonathan Amon started and played 73 minutes for Lyngby in a 2-0 loss at home to SonderjyskE (who were without Jose Gallegos). Amon was ineffective in this game as he created no dangerous chances and did not help to break the game open with his dribbling. Lyngby is falling fast into a relegation battle and they now sit in 11th place in the 12-team league and are just 3 points clear of the bottom. SonderjyskE sits in 10th place but is 6 points clear of Lyngby. 

 

Yanks in Liga MX

 

The second legs of the Liga MX Apertura quarterfinals took place over the weekend as the eight remaining teams were cut down to four. 

Club America defeated Toluca 2-0 on Saturday night at home for a 4-0 aggregate win to earn a spot in the semifinal. 

For Club America, Alex Zendejas, 26, played 74 minutes in the win after playing 88 minutes in the first leg. It was a good performance from the USMNT winger playing on the right side. He was 22/27 in passing and was a solid 4/6 with his dribbles. In the 72nd minute, he had a shot from just inside the middle of the box that was saved. Most times, he would bury such an attempt. But he will have more chances in the games ahead with Club America pushing for a title.

 

Former New York Red Bull midfielder Frankie Amaya, 24, came into the game in the 76th minute for Toluca after the series was out of reach. He was 14/15 in passing, but the intensity of the game was dialed down by that point. 

Joe Corona did not get off the bench for Tijuana on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to Cruz Azul. It was a heartbreaking result as Tijuana won the first leg 3-0. With a 3-3 aggregate, Cruz Azul won by virtue of a better record in the regular season. Corona, 34, played the final 16 minutes in the first leg win. 

Brandon Vazquez played the final 7 minutes for Monterrey in a 5-3 away win over Pumas on Sunday. After a 1-0 win in the first leg, Monterrey advanced to the semifinal with a 6-3 aggregate win. Vazquez had just 5 touches and was 2/3 in passing. He also had a yellow as the game became heated late. 

Vazquez also played 25 minutes in the first leg. 

Zendejas and Club America will next face arch-rival Cruz Azul in the semifinal. With Estadio Azteca under renovation, both teams play at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes which is normally the home of Cruz Azul. Cruz Azul will host leg one on Wednesday. 

Monterrey will fact the winner of Tigres and Atletico San Luis (with San Luis holding a 3-0 edge from the first leg). 

 

Yanks Elsewhere

 

In Scotland’s Premiership, Cameron Carter-Vickers played all 90 minutes for undefeated Celtic in a comprehensive 5-0 blowout win over Ross County on Saturday. All goals were scored in the first half to drain the intensity of the game. CCV completed 108 passes (all were short range, under 35 yards) and was a perfect 4/4 winning his aerials and 2/2 in winning his ground duels. He was rarely tested defensively by an overmatched Ross County that had 22% possession and was outshot 25-2. 

Staying in Scotland, Aberdeen has suddenly hit a rough patch. After starting the season undefeated, and even on points with Celtic, Aberdeen lost last weekend to Celtic and this weekend they drew 1-1 away to Hearts. In his return from ACL surgery, Dante Polvara made the bench for a second straight week with Aberdeen, but went as an unused substitute and his season debut still awaits.

In Croatia’s HNL, this weekend saw the latest edition of the Eternal Derby between the country’s two biggest teams as Hajduk Split defeated Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 at home to remain three points clear atop the table. Rokas Pukstas, 20, came into the game in the 71st minute to hold onto the 1-0 lead. It was a quiet 19 minutes plus stoppage time for the Oklahoma native. He only had 8 touches and was 2/3 in passing. Pukstas is approaching a January where he could be on the move. Hajduk wanted to sell him in August, but the market was not as strong as the club anticipated for the midfielder. But they might sell for less this January.

In the Austrian Bundesliga, Quincy Butler, 23, started for WSG Tirol in a 3-0 away win over Austria Klagenfurt to move into 9th place. The news was far from positive, however, for the former Sacramento Republic winger as he was forced out of the game in the 37th minute due to an injury. At the time the score was 1-0. Butler has been having a nice season, but we will see how long this keeps him out. 

Also in the Austrian Bundesliga, LASK lost at home to 2nd place Austria Vienna 3-1. LASK fell to sixth place with the loss. George Bello played all 90 minutes in the defeat. The former Atlanta United left back was on the ball a lot with 96 touches. But he didn’t create much in terms of chances, he struggled with his duels, and he was dispossessed three times. He has been trending upwards in recent weeks, so this was probably just off game for him. Also, no one on LASK stood out, so that made it harder to have a good games 

In the Swiss Super League, Konrad de la Fuente was an unused sub for 6th place Lausanne in a 1-1 away draw with leaders Basel. It’s been frustrating for de la Fuente recently as he has nice outings here and there, and then eventually returns to being a sporadically used substitute. He just cannot find a way to keep good form going. It’s been the story of his career, unfortunately. 

In Poland’s Ekstraklassa, Ian Hoffmann was an unused sub for leaders Lech Poznan in a 0-0 away draw with Piast Gliwice. Adam Basse, 16, was not part of the matchday squad for last-place Slask Wroclaw in a 1-0 loss at home to Puszcza Niepolomice Saturday. Finally in Poland, Danny Trejo remained out injured for 15th place Korona Kielce in a 4-2 loss at home to Gornik Zabrze. Korona Kielce is only a point out of the relegation zone. 

It was a tough day for Christian Cappis and his Viking team in the last round of games in the Norwegian Eliteserien season. Viking could have leapfrogged over Brann with a win on Sunday but we’re unable to do so after conceding a 76th minute equalizing and instead had to settle for a 1-1 draw and a third place finish. Cappis started and played 78 minutes in a decent performance in central midfield. He handled the physical side of the game well and he had had his team in contention for a win in a tough road game. In the end, they came up just short of playing in Champions League qualifiers next year. They will, however, play in Europa qualifiers next summer.

Adam Saldana was an unused substitute for 8th place KFUM Oslo on Sunday in a 2-0 win over HamKam. It was a poor season from the former defender for the LA Galaxy reserve team. He made just 2 appearances for a total of 14 minutes. He went as an unused substitute 24 times.

In the Greek Super League, left back Jonathan Gomez was not in the squad for 4th place PAOK in a 2-2 draw with Athens Kallithea. Also in Greece, Erik Palmer-Brown was an unused sub for Panathinaikos in a 1-1 draw at home against Atromitos. The former Sporting KC homegrown central defender is yet to make an appearance this season after missing the previous season due to injury.

In Slovakia’s Super Liga, American forward and Iowa native Eduvie Ikoba started but was pulled at the half for 5th place Zemplin Michalovce in a 4-2 win over Ruzomberok. His team trailed 1-0 at half when he came out as part of a double sub. Also in Slovakia, winger Zyen Jones played 69 minutes for 6th place FC Kosice in a 1-1 away draw with 10th place Komarno. 

In Slovenia’s Superliga, Steven Juncaj started and played 69 minutes for 7th place NS Mura in a 1-0 away loss to 6th place Primorje. 

In Uruguay’s Primera, it was a frustrating game for American winger Agustin Anello and Boston River who faced on of the county’s two big clubs in Nacional away on Sunday. Anello, 22, started for Boston River and was subbed out in the 61st minute with his team up 1-0 and looking to pull off the upset over the 2nd place team. But Nacional rallied late with goals in the 86th, 87th, and stoppage time for a 3-1 win. Boston River fell to fourth with the loss. As for Anello, this career stop comes on the heels of a couple of disappointing stints with European teams in Belgium, Croatia, and the Netherlands. He is likely looking to establish some success in Uruguay and look for better deals elsewhere. MLS could be an option if he does well. 

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