Chris_richards_-_asn_top_-_crystal_palace_goal_-_2-24-24
Americans Abroad

Historic weekend as Yanks score or assist in Europe's top 7 leagues

What a weekend it was for Americans abroad as 15 differet Yanks scored or assisted with many of the top performances coming in Europe's top seven leagues. ASN's Brian Sciaretta writes all about it with video.
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
February 26, 2024
8:45 AM

IT WAS A WEEKEND for the ages for Americans abroad as there was a wave of goals, assists, and big performances that were not just good individual efforts, but were efforts that helped their respective teams across the board. On top of that, Americans scored or assists in the Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and the Eredivisie for a complete sweep of Europe’s top six leagues.

But even just making a list, it is impressive.

  • Weston McKennie: two assists for Juventus
  • Johnny Cardoso: goal for Real Betis
  • Luca de la Torre: assist for Celta Vigo
  • Sergino Dest: assist for PSV
  • Ricardo Pepi: goal for PSV
  • Malik Tillman: assist for PSV
  • Jordan Pefok: goal for Borussia Monchengladbach
  • Timmy Chandler: assist for Eintracht Braunschweig
  • Paxten Aaronson: goal for Vitesse
  • Gianluca Busio: assist for Venezia
  • Chris Richards: goal for Crystal Palace
  • Folarin Balogun: goal for Monaco
  • Brandon Vazquez: goal for Monterrey
  • Cade Cowell: goal for Chivas
  • Danny Trejo: two assists for Korona Kielce

 

That is an impressive list of 15 players who either scored or assisted.

 

But let’s get into in detail with video.

 

McKennie lifts Juventus (but has a shoulder injury?)

 

Weston McKennie had a big, two assist performance for Juventus but left the game in the 87th with an apparent shoulder injury as Juventus found a dramatic later winner to defeat Frosinone 3-2 on Sunday.

McKennie connected with Duan Vlahovic in the 3rd minute opener and a 32nd minute equalizer to make a huge impact in the game.



It does raise the question about just how big of a season Weston McKennie has had. What's even more remarkable is that he doesn't even have a goal. But he is always creating, always playing defense, shifting positions and not dropping his level, and he is always hitting brilliant long balls to shift the point of attack.

Now, all we can do is hope his shoulder injury is not bad and that he won't miss any time for Juventus or for the U.S. team in March. 

 

Cardoso hits goalazo, named MOTM

 

Johnny Cardoso has been off to a great start since joining Real Betis but his performance on Sunday in a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao was his best since moving into LaLiga. The New Jersey-born midfielder went the distance and scored his team’s third goal in the 67th minute to complete the scoring.

On the goal, Cardoso took a pass near outside box and hit a powerful shot that curved inside the left post past the outstretched keeper. It was yet another big step he has taken in just his second month.



But it wasn’t just the goal. Cardoso was also strong with his passing, his defense, and his ball-winning and that was enough for him to win the Man of the Match in a victory over a top five club. The win also solidified Real Betis into sixth place.  



Gregg Berhalter has always liked Cardoso as a player. With his recent surge and with the continued absence of Tyler Adams, Cardoso is shaping up to have a big role with the USMNT in March. If he succeeds, he’ll be very present in the Copa America.

 

Richards impresses new Palace boss

 

Chris Richards found the perfect way to impress his new boss as new Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner named the U.S. national team central defender into his fist starting XI as Palace hosted Barnsley. Richards rewarded Glasner by breaking the scoreless deadlock with a opening goal in the 68th minute.

The defensive responsibilities for Palace were made easier in the 35th minute when Barnsley were reduced to 10 men. As a result, Palace ended up finishing the game with a 15-2 shot advantage which translated into a 3-0 win.

It was Richards' goal that opened the floodgates when he was left alone at the far post on a shot from distance.



Richards was not seriously tested defensively but his passing was solid throughout.

This goal could not have come at a better time for Richards as it made a positive first impression for Glasner and will give him a chance to play more in the weeks ahead to put himself into the new manager's plans. This is great news or everyone: Richards, Glasner, and especially Gregg Berhalter.

 

Ligue 1: Balogun scores, misses penalty
 

Folarin Balogun has had a tough run the past two months at Monaco and Sunday against Lens was game that saw him have some season high points, and low points.

The USMNT forward opened the scoring with a wonderful individual effort that was a combination of heart, skill, and strength. It was his fifth goal of the season but his first since November.



But then in the 83rd minute with the score 2-2, Balogun had a penalty saved for yet another miss from the spot this season. It has been a huge problem for him and it is puzzling why he was even allowed to take the kick. Fortunately for Balogun, Monaco found a winner stoppage time to remain third in Ligue 1.

Balogun has an issue of confidence right now and despite the penalty miss, it was just important for him to get on the scoreboard with a high-quality goal. Now he will need to get it to carry over to the U.S. national team as a number of other strikers are raising their game.

Also in Ligue 1, Le Havre dropped a 2-1 decision at home to Stade de Reims for its third loss in a row (and the club is winless in five). Le Havre is now just two points clear of the relegation playoff position. In the loss, winger Emmanuel Sabbi played 90 minutes for Le Havre. He created a big chance in the second half and had a close shot saved in the 81st minute that would have equalized the game. The 2017 U.S. U-20 World Cup forward is looking for his first USMNT call-up under Gregg Berhalter.

 

Premier League: Robinson's big win, Gio in limbo
 

Antonee Robinson put on a fine performance for Fulham in Saturday's 2-1 away win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was a big weekend for a lot of American players but it’s hard to think of a player who has had a better season in Europe’s top leagues than Robinson. He’s consistently been good week-in and week-out.

In this win over Manchester United, Robinson went the full 90 and had a goal line clearance when he headed a ball away to prevent a goal. He also should have picked up an assist in the 33rd minute but Rodrigo Muniz’s shot hit the post. He also played seven passes into the attacking third.

Robinson is like clockwork right now with his good performances.

Meanwhile, Tim Ream was an unused substitute and we will see if this becomes the norm in the weeks ahead.

On Saturday, Aston Villa defeated Nottingham Forest 4-2 and from an American perspective, the talk not about what American players did on the field. The talk was about limited minutes. Matthew Turner was an unused substitute while Gio Reyna only came on in the 81st minute after all the scoring had taken place.

For Turner, he wasn’t good for Forest, but the team has leaked goals when he’s been on the bench.

For Reyna, this is shaping up to be a lost season. He didn’t really do anything with his minutes, and he didn’t make the case he should be starting or playing more. It doesn’t even seem clear why he felt the need to make this move. Were things this bad at Borussia Dortmund?

The thing with Reyna is that as this season continues to progress and the  more he doesn’t play, the more pressure it puts on him for next season. Not only does he need to make a move – either back to Dortmund or somewhere else – he needs to get it right. He hasn’t had a 1000-minute season since 2020/21 (with a 2000-minute season being a full season). This is his third lost season either due to injury or just being benched. He’s talented enough that he’ll likely have a good career. But things need to start going his way soon for him to start hitting his potential.

As for Turner, it also could be an interesting offseason.

Finally in the Premier League, Auston Trusty had one of his better performances recently on Sunday for Sheffield United, but he could not prevent his club from dropping a 1-0 loss to Wolves. For Trusty, it is all about preparing for next year in the Championship as the club sits last with 13 points, a -44 goal differential, and 11 points from safety.

 

De la Torre assists in tough Celta draw

 

It was a huge game in the LaLiga relegation battle on Saturday when Cadiz hosted Celta Vigo. Cadiz entered the game sitting in the relegation zone, trailing Celta Vigo by three points with Celta occupying the first safe position. The game finished 2-2 and the standings remain unchanged.

Luca de la Torre, 25, played the full 90 for Celta and had a decidedly mixed outing. The best moment for him came in the 11th minute when he assisted Iago Aspas for the opening goal.



The bad news is that aside from the assist, it wasn’t a good outing for the U.S. international midfielder. He was just 6/14 in all his duels (ground and aerial), he was 0/4 in dribbles, completed only 19 passes, and committed four fouls.

Trailing 2-0, Cadiz fought back in the second half and equalized in the 10th minute of stoppage time. Celta failed to pull away in the relegation battle and now is just three points clear in safety.

 

Bundesliga: Pefok Scores, Chandler assists
 

In the Bundesliga on Saturday, Union Berlin and FC Heidenheim played to a 2-2 draw in a result that was acceptable to a pair of teams looking simply to stay afloat in the top tier this season. Brenden Aaronson got the start for Union Berlin a week after scoring a game-winner. Overall, it wasn’t a great game for Aaronson who was active, but who lost a lot of his duels. The biggest question came whether he was credited with Union’s second goal when Andres Schafer’s shot grazed off Aaronson’s back and into the net.

Meanwhile, Lennard Maloney went 83 minutes for Heidenheim and played his typical very defensive midfield role where he won his aerials, tackles, and ground duels to help protect the middle. Offensively, he did not do much but was not asked to do much either. He has a limited job at Hoffenheim, but he does it well.

Jordan Pefok scored his fifth Bundesliga goal of the season and his seven in all competitions on Saturday as his Borussia Monchengladbach team rolled over Bochum 5-2. Pefok’s 72nd minute goal gave Gladbach a 4-1 lead at the time. Joe Scally also started and went the full 90 at left back. Scally had a decent but unspectacular outing, and it was positive to see that head coach Gerardo Seoane found room for Scally in the starting lineup now that right back Stefan Lainer has finally returned from his bout with cancer.  

As for Pefok, he’s a master of ugly goals – but goals are goals and he has certainly been effective since January. He’s probably a ways off the national team given the solid form of the players in front of him, but he was struggling last year in his career and has found a way to be effective again.



Wolfsburg saw its winless run in the Bundesliga extend to eight games after conceding a stoppage time equalizer in a 2-2 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite the disappointing result, Kevin Paredes put in a quality shift for Wolfsburg where he was a menace defensively and in winning balls while also creating two good chances.

In the 71st minute, Paredes moved in on a counterattack and forced a save from the edge of the box with left-footed shot. He also drew four fouls and was 8/11 in his ground duels.

Eintracht’s equalizing goal was assisted by former USMNT fullback Timmy Chandler who rarely plays anymore but who came on in stoppage time and sent a header into the box for the assist on his second of two touches in the game.



Finally in the Bundesliga, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Hoffenheim travelled into Dortmund and came away with a surprising and impressive 3-2 win to move into seventh place. The American manager is looking to break into the top six and qualify a team for Europe for the first time.

John Brooks, 31, went the distance in the win for Hoffenheim and had an impressive eight clearances in the win. In terms of passing out of the back, he completed 6/10 long balls and had seven completed passes into the final third.

Pulisic and AC Milan draw

 

Christian Pulisic was busy, active, and close – but ultimately, he could not help AC Milan find a win on Sunday in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw with Atalanta. In the second half, he had a cross that nearly found the head of Giroud for a chance. He also nearly scored his eighth Serie A goal of the season here.

 

No matter what, it has been an excellent season for Pulisic. In all competitions, he has eight goals and seven assists and is a lock starter. He is on track for 20 goals + assists this season and he has four game winning goals in Serie A, so far.

 

2.Bundesliga: Hurzeler cruising to promotion
 

In the 2.Bundesliga on Saturday, Eintracht Braunschweig picked up another valuable point in its relegation battle after playing Hertha BSC to a 1-1 draw at home. U.S. U-23 forward Johan Gomez played 64 minutes for Eintracht. He had a good chance in the 40th minute but sent his header over the bar.

St Pauli remained at the top of the 2.Bundesliga table after a big 4-3 road win over fellow promotion contender Holstien Kiel. Houston-born Fabian Hurzeler continues to have a remarkable run as St. Pauli's manager since taking over in January 2023 at the age of 29.

After two straight losses, Greuther Furth got back into winning ways with a 2-1 win over a Nurnberg team that was reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute. Julian Green went 90 minutes in Furth’s midfield while U.S. U-23 central defender Maximillian Dietz also went 90 in the win. Greuther Furth moved into fourth with the result and is three points out of third place (promotional playoff).

 

Championship: Horvath settling in
 

In the Championship, Coventry dropped a 3-0 loss at home to Preston North End on Friday. It was a terrible loss for a club that is chasing promotion. Haji Wright started and played 73 minutes in the loss. He generally did not make much of an impact and his only shot came in the 45th minute. Meanwhile, Duane Holmes nears his return from injury for PNE but he did not make the squad for this game.

While in terrific form, Josh Sargent was kept off the board by Blackburn on Saturday in a 1-1 draw in Blackburn. Sargent had a decent game and had a right-footed shot inside the box in the 24th minute saved. But he was still overall solid in his hold-up play as Norwich had 59% possession and the better of chances. With the draw, Norwich remained in seventh place but is three points away from the top six (promotional playoffs). Sargent's health remains worth following as Norwich manager David Wagner said Sargent still has to manage pain in his ankle after he missed four months this season with ankle surgery.

Queens Park Rangers climbed out of the relegation zone on Saturday with a big 2-1 comeback win over last-place Rotherham United. Reggie Cannon, however, was an unused substitute for QPR as his move to England has been up and down.

Ethan Horvath continued his positive progress with Cardiff City since joining in January. On Saturday, he made five saves for Cardiff in a 2-1 win over Stoke City and the only time he was beaten was on a set piece. His best sequence came on a pair of saves early in the second half on Niall Ennis.

But overall, Horvath is in a great spot. Cardiff won't contend for promotion this year, but Horvath should be their keeper for years to come and the team can now focus elsewhere. For the national team, Horvath instantly helps his case given the difficult situation Matt Turner finds himself at Nottingham Forest and with Zack Steffen only now getting started again with Colorado.

Meanwhile, it was a nightmare for Stoke City which fell into the relegation zone with this loss and the QPR win. Lynden Gooch came on at halftime for Stoke and played well but he couldn't help changing the tough day for Stoke.

Also in the Championship, Matthew Hoppe was not in the squad for Middlesbrough in a 2-0 loss at home to Plymouth Argyle. He continues to be in a tough situation with no solution in sight.

In third tier League One, Donovan Pines made his first league start for Barnsley in a 2-1 win over Derby County. Pines enjoyed a good day in the back where he won 6/7 of his aerials and had seven clearances in a good performance. It was a big win over second place Derby County and Barnsely is now in the promotional hunt, sitting fourth (playoff positions) and just three points out of second.

 

Vazquez continues great Monterrey start
 

Brandon Vazquez continues to impress after making his move to Monterrey in January. He's still adjusting to Liga MX but he came off the bench on Friday night to start the second half away against Juarez and scored Monterrey's second goal of a 3-0 win. It was a very well-taken goal as he changed direction, cut inside to create space, and hit a great shot inside the post.

Vazquez now has four goals in 315 Liga MX minutes. He also has one goal in a single 85 minute appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup. But while there is always an adjustment when switching leagues, Vazquez is on a strong pace at Monterrey. 



Vazquez being in form raises the question over his ability to push into the USMNT. Gregg Berhalter has gone with Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi since returning as the manager in September. But since then, both Vazquez and Josh Sargent have raised their games.

There is also the option Vazquez emerges as an overage Olympic option at forward given that Monterrey is playing Leagues Cup and not Liga MX games during the Paris games.

 

Cowell Opens his Liga MX account
 

Cade Cowell hasn’t played poorly at all since joining Chivas since San Jose as he set up a few good chances, missed a few of his own, and his best moment came in the CONCACAF Champions Cup during a win over Canada’s Forge when he scored two goals. On Saturday, he finally had the performance he was looking for when he opened the scoring in a 3-0 win over Pumas. Afterward, Telemundo named him the MOTM.

Cowell was dangerous in his 88 minutes where he created four chances, had three shots – including this one that found the back of the net to sent Chivas off to its win. 



Cowell needed to get off to a strong start with Chivas given the nature of his background and the history of Chivas. He needed to set the narrative quickly that he can help this team. He hasn’t had a Vazquez-level impact yet in Liga MX, but Chivas should certainly feel encouraged by what they’ve seen from Cowell. Based on the modest numbers he had for San Jose last season, he’s showing growth.

 

Elsewhere in Liga MX
 

On Friday night in Liga MX, former U.S. U-20 midfielder Fernando Arce Jr. went 90 minutes for Necaxa in a 1-1 draw with Pachuca.

On Saturday night, Club America defeated Mexico City rivals Cruz Azul 1-0. Alejandro Zendejas played 77minutes in the win and forced a good save in the 15th minute with a shot from distance. During the game he completed 18/19 of his passes. Both teams are inside the top four of Liga MX and all are separated by just a point.

On Sunday in Liga MX, Joe Corona played the final 29 minutes for Club Tijuana in a 2-0 loss to Toluca. Tijuana has just four points from its first eight games this season. Also on Sunday, Ventura Alvarado played well playing the entire game in central defense for Mazatlan FC but he could not prevent his team falling to Santos Laguna 1-0. Mexican-American forward Santiago Munoz played 67 minutes for Santos Laguna in the win.

 

Belgium: McKenzie & Genk into Top 6
 

Mark McKenzie and Genk got the performance they needed on Friday in Belgium's First Division when they visited Sporting Charleroi and came away with a 1-0 win. After a five-game winless run to start 2024, Genk now has won two in a row to push inside the top six, the cutoff for the Championship playoffs.

McKenzie had a very good game in the win over Charleroi: 83/88 in passing, 4/7 in long balls, five clearances. He was good on the ball and handled everything defensively that came his way. It was his best performance in awhile.

McKenzie needs good outings to get back into the USMNT picture. He's on the bubble of the central defense pool (Ream, Richards, Robinson, Zimmerman, Carter-Vickers). With Zimmerman injured and Carter-Vickers only just returning from an injury, McKenzie could get back on the inside of the bubble in March. This was a good time to have a good outing, both for getting Genk back inside the top six, and taking another step towards the national team.

And then the next day, McKenzie turned 25.

Staying in Belgium, St. Truiden defeated Westerlo 1-0 on Saturday. The game saw three American players start the game, but none of them made a big impact on the game. For St. Truiden, Kahveh Zahiroleslam started at forward. The former Yale Bulldog has had a nice first professional season with four goals so far, but he was contained in this game as he didn’t have a shot and completed just 5/17 of his passes.

On the flip side, St. Trudien was able to contain the red-hot Griffin Yow who has six goals and five assists for Westerlo since November. Yow was simply not able to get anything goal. The best American in the game was Westerlo right back Bryan Reynolds who moved forward into the attack and defended well despite the loss.

With the loss, Westerlo remained in 10th place while St. Truiden also remained in ninth place with the win.

Despite being on the wrong end of a 2-0 loss, teenager American goalkeeper Gaga Slonina had a strong performance for Eupen in a defeat to Cercle Brugge. He was not at fault for either of Cercle’s goals and he made five big stops from shots inside the box. Eupen, however, remains sin a relegation battle sitting second to last and just three points ahead of cellar-dwellers Kortrijk.

Marlon Fossey, meanwhile, was out injured and did not take part in Standard Liege’s 2-1 loss to leaders Union SG.

 

Netherlands: Aaronson & Pepi score, Dest & Tillman assist
 

In the Eredivisie on Saturday, it was a bloodbath as PEC Zwolle were handed a 7-1 defeat at home playing against runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven. Of the American trio at PSV, only Sergino Dest got the start. And Dest continued his strong rebound season as he assisted on PSV’s opening goal in the 29th minute with a stunning left-footed cross that found the head of Johan Bakayoko.



From there, it was just a continued romp. Eventually the other two Americans at PSV got in on the fun. Malik Tillman came into the game in the 69th minute with the score 4-1 and Ricardo Pepi came into the game in the 72nd with the score 5-1.

In the 86th minute, Tillman and Pepi connected for the final goal when Tillman cut down the right side and sent in a low cross that Pepi was able to finish from close range.



Pepi now has six goals across just 336 Eredivisie minutes for PSV. That’s an amazing striker ratio but all of his league goals have come with a multigoal lead. At some point, PSV will have to give him minutes in important and meaningful moments as a chance to test him. He’s doing his part with what he’s been given.

Meanwhile, Tillman is having a very good season too and the next step is making his loan from Bayern Munich permanent.

On another note, Anthony Fontana did not get off the bench for PEC Zwolle despite the club only using three of its possible five subs.

Also in the Eredivisie, Taylor Booth missed Utrecht’s 1-0 win over Heracles on Friday with the injury he sustained last weekend. His younger brother, Zack Booth, played the full 90 for Volendam in a horrible 4-0 loss at home to Heerenveen on Sunday. Booth did not make much of a positive contribution and Volendam are dead last in the league with just 13 points from 23 games.

Paxten Aaronson gave his first very good performance for Vitesse in the Eredivisie on Sunday when he scored an equalizer for Vitesse in the 53rd minute. It was a heads-up goal as Aaronson sensed a deflection from his teammates shot and managed to get on the end of it for a close header. It was important to Vitesse as they would complete the comeback with a 2-1 away win over Excelsior to move out of the Eredivisie basement.



Beyond the goal, Aaronson was solid and regularly dangerous throughout this game both in being part of dangerous chances but also on the defensive end forcing turnovers and winning loose balls. Vitesse is still in a bad spot in the relegation zone. But if they’re going to climb out of it, Aaronson can be an important part of it, especially if he can play like this.

Meanwhile, Aaronson should still be expected to be a part of the U.S. U-23 Olympic team through the summer. But it will only be more beneficial if he can build confidence with a good half season fighting for Vitesse.

In the Dutch second tier Eerste Divisie, Justin Che played the final 22 minutes for ADO Den Haag in a 2-2 draw with MVV Maastricht. ADO fell to third in table but is still in a promotional race. Also in the second tier, Agustin Anello played the final 35 minutes for eighth place Cambuur in a 2-0 loss to FC Emmen.

 

Serie B: Busio helps in dramatic Venezia win
 

In Serie B, Venezia had a great day on Saturday in their push for promotion when the travelled to Pisa and came away with a huge 2-1 win. The win, combined with other results, put Venezia back into second place (automatic promotion). Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio both started for Venezia and both had very good games to help earn the three points. Tessmann played the full 90 while Busio was subbed out deep into stoppage time.

The big moment in the game came in the second minute of second half stoppage time when Busio forced a turnover on a Pisa counterattack. He received the ball back and sent a lob into the box that found Marco Olivieri who hit a scissor-kick into the net for a remarkable and dramatic victory.



Both Tessmann and Busio are having good seasons, and this was reflective of that. The duo should feature heavily for the U.S. Olympic team this summer in Paris. If the U.S. can benefit from their chemistry, it could be a nice benefit.

In Serie B, Kristoffer Lund did not play for Palermo on Friday in a massively disappointing 2-2 draw Cremonese. Palermo had a 2-0 lead at the half and Cremonese was down to 10 players from the 16th minute, but the game ended even. Palermo fell to fourth while Cremonese fell to third.

Lecco remained in the basement of Serie B after a 0-0 draw with Ternana on Saturday. Andrija Novakovich played 69 minutes for Lecco. Finally, Nicholas Gioacchini was an unused subsittute for Como in a 1-1 draw with first place Parma. Como fell to fifth but is still in the promotional race.

 

Poland: Trejo continues to make impact
 

Danny Trejo continues to make very positive contributions to Korona Kielce in Poland’s top flight after joining in January from the Phoenix Rising in USL. On Sunday against Legia Warsaw, Trejo entered the game to start the second half. With Korona Kielce down 3-1, Trejo picked up assists in the 69th minute and then in stoppage time to force a 3-3 draw.



This point pulled Korona Kielce out of the relegation zone on goal differential. But Trejo’s performance is not far removed from his stoppage time winner over LKS Lodz on February 12. He has been a big difference maker to the club as they try to climb to safety.

 

Scotland: CCV returns in Celtic win
 

Cameron Carter-Vickers returned from injury to play the final 29 minutes plus stoppage time for Celtic’s 3-1 away win over Motherwell on Sunday. The game was 1-1 heading into stoppage time but Celtic managed to score twice to avoid a costly draw and come away with a 3-1 win. Celic and Rangers are a competitive race for the title with Rangers having a one-point lead in the table.

Carter-Vickers did not have to do much but the fact he returned to the field gives him a good chance of being involved with the USMNT for the Nations League in March.

Also in the Scottish Premiership, Dante Polvara started and played 59 minutes for Aberdeen in a tough 2-0 loss to Kilmarnock. Aberdeen remained in eighth place with the loss. Scott Pittman was out for last-place Livingston's 3-2 loss away to Ross County.

 

Yanks Elsewhere
 

In the Greek Super League, Caleb Stanko was an unused substitute for Lamia in a 3-1 loss at home to AEK Athens.

In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello started for LASK in a 1-0 loss at home to Wolfsberger. The U-23 eligible left back was pulled at halftime as part of a tactical adjustment when LASK was reduced to 10 players in the 26th minute and Bello was on a yellow. Despite the loss, LASK remained in third place.

Also in Austria, Sebastian Soto was not in the squad for Austria Klagenfurt’s 2-0 win over BW Linz.

In the Danish Super Liga, winger Jonathan Amon played the final 27 minutes for Lyngby in a 1-0 loss away to Randers. Amon had 3 shots but was just 1/2 in passing.

In Spain’s Segunda, Konrad de la Fuente was an unused substitute for Eibar in a bad 3-2 loss at home to Espanyol. Eibar had a 2-0 lead at home into the 77th minute and a 2-1 lead into the sixth minute of stoppage time but still lost.

In Croatia's NB I, Hajduk Split suffered a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Varazdin that will see it loose ground in its title race behind leaders Rijeka. Rokas Pukstas played the full 90 for Hajduk in central midfield but didn't have much of an impact offensively. Most of his touches were in the attacking half and he pushed the ball forward, but this is a game Hajduk should have won given that Varazdin was reduced to 10 players in the 52nd minute.

One American who had a bad was Lucas Pos who got the start at right back for FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy away against St. Gallen. Pos conceded a penalty five minutes into second half stoppage time as Lausanne lost 1-0 and sits 10 points deep in last place of the Swiss Super League.

In Portugal’s top tier, Vizela and Estoril played to a 3-3 draw. Alex Mendez continues to have a bad season as he didn’t get of the bench for Vizela and his team remained in last place.

In Argentina, Huracan and San Lorenzo played to a 0-0 draw. Alan Sonora played all 90 minutes and created two chances for Huracan. He also was 3/3 in tackles, 5/5 in ground duels, and drew two fouls. Meanwhile, his older brother Joel Sonora, 27, was subbed into the match early in the 37th minute for Independiente Rivadavia but he could help his club avoid a 4-1 loss to Union.

In Uruguay’s Primara, Mattias Fracchia went the distance in central defense for Danubio in a 0-0 draw away with Boston River. Danubio now have four points in the first two games of the season.

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