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Weekend recap

LAFC shines while McKennie, Gioacchini, & Siebatcheu stand out abroad

Aside from a few players here and there, it wasn't a great weekend for Americans abroad compared with recent weekends this season. ASN's Brian Sciaretta walks you through it while looking at the real fireworks - in Orlando. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
December 21, 2020
9:00 AM

THE WEEKEND ABROAD lacked a lot of fireworks and standouts. The lone exceptions were scores from Niko Gioacchini and Jordan Siebatcheu along with another solid shift from Weston McKennie. The real fireworks, however, were in Orlando in the CONCACAF Champions League.

 

Here were the top stories and my thoughts on it all:

 

LAFC in the CCL final

 

By now everyone who follows the various levels of American soccer knows that Los Angeles FC is into the CONCACAF Champions League final following a 3-1 win over Club America in the semifinal. The win saw LAFC become the first MLS team to defeat three Mexican teams in one tournament. If it is to win the title, it will have to win a fourth – against Tigres in Tuesday’s final.

The game against Club America was extraordinary for both typical CONCACAF behavior, the USA-Mexico flair, and LAFC’s gut check to rally.

 

Just before halftime, Eduard Atuesta was denied a penalty but was issued a red card when Guillermo Ochoa started to trash talk him. When Atuesta stood up, Ochoa acted as if he was headbutted and Atuesta was set off.

Then at halftime, LAFC assistant and former U.S. national team forward Ante Razov and Club America head coach Miguel Herrera engaged in an altercation that came to blows.

 

Down 1-0 at halftime and down a man and following the theatrics, LAFC rallied for two goals just after the restart. When Club America was also reduced to 10 players, Latif Blessing scored a third in stoppage time to round out a 3-1 win.

 

This has been a remarkable tournament for LAFC who has defeated three of the biggest clubs in Mexico. It highlights that the levels between the leagues have narrowed substantially.

 

MLS teams have shown they can win against Liga MX teams but winning four games in a row against the best Liga MX teams is hard for anyone. Most Liga MX teams can’t even do that. If LAFC can do this, it will be the worthy champion of CONCACAF.

For Bob Bradley, he has been the first American manager to do so many things. Now he has a chance to lead LAFC to a level no other American team has reached. 

 

Gioacchini lifts SM Caen

 

The weekend for Americans in Europe got off to a strong start France where U.S. national team forward Nicholas Gioacchini, 20, had a big day as his SM Caen team notched a big 3-2 away win over Dunkerque to move from 8th place to 6th place in the title. The club expects to be a promotional contender this season and this keeps it within striking distance of a promotional playoff spot.

While Dunkerque struck first in the 16th minute, SM Caen equalized just two minutes later and Gioacchini was heavily involved. On a long ball up field, Gioacchini headed the ball out wide to Caleb Zady. Zady then sent in a low cross that found Gioacchini close to the goal but at a tight angle. Gioacchini fired a shot that was saved – but the rebound fell to Yoann Court who finished from close range.

Then just before halftime, Gioacchini gave Caen a 2-1 lead when Zady again made an excellent play on a combination move that played him into the box. Zady, who was the most dangerous player in the game, then hit a perfect pass to a rushing Gioacchini at the far post. The U.S. international finished from close ranger with this first touch.

The goal was Gioacchini’s fourth of the year and he moved into a center forward role in this one after having played mostly at right wing in recent games. Gioacchini has had a very good year and it has seen him break through at Caen and with the U.S. national team – after never having been called up at any level. Now he has to focus on promotion and securing a spot within the U.S. team in 2021.

 

Musah injured vs Dest & Barca

 

On Saturday, it was the first La Liga matchup in history to feature two U.S. national team players (at least for now) as Yunus Musah started for Valencia which hosted a Barcelona team with Sergino Dest starting at right back.

The game was exciting for American fans but didn’t live up to the billing. Musah was subbed out in the 43rd minute with an injury – at least did not appear to be serious but was still awaiting a formal diagnosis and prognosis from the club.

As for Dest, he went the distance in a 2-2 draw. With 64 touches and a 95% passing percentage, he didn’t make any noticeable errors but was pretty invisible offensively and the equalizing goal came from a cross on his side of the field.

Barcelona is truly an uninspired team at the moment and while it has enough firepower to win big games here and there, this is far from one of the best teams in the world right now. Dest will be part of that rebuild but the squad will need a lot of work post-Messi in the years ahead.

 

Siebatcheu notches brace

 

American-born forward Jordan Siebatcheu, 24, had his best game in years when he scored both goals for BSC Young Boys in a 2-2 draw with Lugano in Switzerland’s top flight. This was Siebatcheu’s third start of the season and his first goal in league competition since 2018 when he scored for Rennes.

Siebatcheu is finally being used the way he should. He is an athletic forward that can clean up in the box. Technically he isn’t great and he doesn’t beat many defenders in 1v1 situations. But if he can be provided service to finish in the air, with a touch, or a with a simple move, he can be lethal. Young Boys seems to understand this now.

After Young Boys fell behind to Lugano, Siebatcheu equalized in the 19th minute with a header from a cross delivered from the right wing.

 

Then in the 37th minute, Young Boys were awarded a penalty after a handball on a Lugano defender. Siebatcheu was uninvolved in the drawing of the penalty, but he stepped up an converted the penalty.

 

Lugano ended up equalizing in the second half, but with the 2-2 draw, Young Boys remained in first place in Switzerland with a five-point cushion on Basel.

Siebatcheu seems to be turning a corner in that the team seems to be playing to his strengths. His numbers in this one were solid.

 

Can he work his way into in the U.S. team? It’s more possible now that he’s playing better and if he continues to play well, he has a shot. His style is pretty redundant right now to Gyasi Zardes and possibly emerging options like Haji Wright and Daryl Dike. He’s probably not close at the moment but he is someone that shouldn’t be ignored.

 

Otasowie makes first Wolves start

 

Owen Otasowie, 19, made his first career Premier League start for Wolves on Monday against Burnley and it was hardly a surprise after his first-rate performance last week in a 2-1 win over Chelsea when he played the entire second half.

In this game, Otasowie had a much more difficult time and left around the hour mark with Wolves down 2-0 to a poor Burnley team. He showed a lot of energy and was good in the air and in handling the physical game. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get anything going with the ball and help on the offensive side of the game.

  • 59 minutes
  • 26 touches
  • 0 shots
  • 0 key passes
  • 87.5% passing (14/16)
  • 0 dribbles
  • 2x fouled
  • 0 tackles
  • 0 interceptions
  • 2 clearances
  • 4 aerials won (team high)
  • 0 long balls & crosses



When Wolves has all of their players healthy and the schedule becomes less congested, it might be harder for Otasowie to play regularly. A loan might still be in the cards – and that might be the best thing for him. The enormous upside is there for anyone to see but it will take some time for him to reach it.

 

Reyna’s off game in BVB loss

 

On Friday, Borussia Dortmund dropped a 2-1 decision on the road to Union Berlin. Gio Reyna earned the start and played 90 minutes in what was probably his toughest game of the season.

Most of Borussia Dortmund struggled in this one – except for Youssoufa Moukoko who score the team’s only goal and is still just 16 years old. The team obviously misses Erling Haaland who is out injured, but in this game, they couldn’t get anything going.

Reyna, 18, had a few nice moments but clearly looked tired and overworked. He’s been playing at a heavy rate this season and could use the upcoming break (Dortmund has a cup game on Wednesday and then won’t play until January 3). Over the course of the game, Reyna wasn’t able to generate much and his aggressive and effective dribbling wasn’t working.

It is a tough time for Borussia Dortmund as Lucien Favre has been fired and Edin Terzic is the interim manager. This year it will be a tough haul to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Reyna will have his ups and downs, and coming into this game he has been remarkably consistent. This was a blip – most likely due to fatigue. Rest, the return of Haaland, and growth under Terzic will likely help Reyna sooner than later.

 

Miazga returns in Anderlecht loss

 

Last weekend, Matt Miazga had his best game of 2020 in Anderlecht’s 1-0 win over a Genk team that was leading Belgium’s top flight at the time. Miazga was dominant in all facets of the game as Genk came into that game having won seven straight and scored 19 goals over its previous five games. Miazga was the biggest reason why Anderlecht shut down Genk.

Miazga was ill midweek and missed Anderlecht’s 2-1 win over Oostende on Tuesday. On Friday, he returned to the starting lineup for a tough visit to Sporting Charleroi. The game turned out to be a heartbreaking 1-0 loss for Miazga and Company as Sporting Charleroi scored in the third minute of second half stoppage time. Miazga was not at fault for the goal as his teammate turned the ball over trying to dribble it out of the back and Sporting Charleroi capitalized.

 

For Miazga, he was quiet and did not standout nearly as much as he did in the win over Genk – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a central defender. His numbers were decent.

  • 90 minutes
  • 75 touches
  • 1 shot
  • 0 key passes
  • 92.9% passing (65/70)
  • 0 tackles
  • 2 interceptions
  • 2 clearances
  • 4/6 long balls

 

Miazga has done well for Anderlecht this season and it is easy to see why the club would want him back after this season. This game was a setback but Miazga is the type of player they could use as they rebuild from a difficult period due to poor finances and attempt to return to being one of the best teams in Belgium.

 

Sargent quiet in Werder win

 

This game was a big test for Werder Bremen, which plays an ugly style that is reluctant to attack. Sargent generally doesn’t see much of the ball but there was hope coming into this one that it might be different for Sargent as Mainz is one of the weakest teams in the Bundesliga.

The good news for Werder is that it was able to snag a late winner for a 1-0 victory. The goal was scored by promising teenage forward Eren Dinkci who was making his Bundesliga debut. This win goes a long ways towards avoiding a relegation battle later in the season.

The bad news for Sargent, is that he was once again quiet and uninvolved. He had a good chance via a header in the first half but missed it. He isn’t nearly as consistent as he could be. His performance last month in the draw with Bayern Munich was excellent, even if he didn’t score. That type of Sargent needs to be on display far more often.

 

 

Adams returns to Leipzig XI

 

After coming off the bench in recent games for Leipzig in the Bundesliga and the Champions League where the team played well, Tyler Adams returned to Leipzig’s starting XI on Saturday when it hosted Koln.

From the begging of the game, Leipzig had control of possession and it continued this throughout. Koln defended well, however, and Leizpig was unable to find a goal. Adams was not tested much defensively and offensively, his had a key pass late that could have been a winning assist if not for a great save from Koln’s Timo Horn.

 

Adams was decent in this game and should continue to get regular minutes. Starting at Leipzig will always be a competitive battle – but that is the norm among true Bundesliga contenders and Champions League knockout level clubs.

 

McKennie starts in Parma rout 


Weston McKennie has been playing terrific soccer lately for Juventus and has been in the best run of his career. In this game, Juventus simply overmatched Parma and, once again, Weston looked so comfortable at this level and truly belongs to be playing at one of the best teams in the world. He played 75 minutes and left with the score 3-0. It would later end at 4-0.

In this game, he played center-right midfield. His defensive numbers weren’t at his typical high numbers but that was for the simple reason that Juventus did not have to play much defense. McKennie completed almost all of his passes and was directly involved in a goal that was called-back for narrow offside.

In every game, he is always good for at least 2-3 passes that result in big opportunities.

  • 75 minutes
  • 30 touches
  • 1 shot
  • 2 key passes
  • 95.5% passing (21/22)
  • 1 dribble
  • 0 interceptions, tackles, aerials
  • 2 clearances

 

McKennie clearly deserves his U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year. The strides he has made this year have been remarkable and he never let the poor times at Schalke last season drag him down.

 

Yedlin draws Robinson

 

On Sunday, two Americans squared off against each other when Newcastle and Fulham played to a 1-1 draw in Newcastle. It wasn’t much of a surprise to see Antonee Robinson starting at left back for Fulham as he has been one of their best players in recent weeks and recent months. It was, however, a big surprise to see DeAndre Yedlin starting for Newcastle United as this was his first start of the season.

The game was hard on Fulham after going down to 10 players in the 62nd minute on a controversial penalty call. Fulham was ahead 1-0 at the time but Newcastle scored the ensuing penalty. Fulham managed to hang on for the draw.

Antonee Robinson was once again solid in this one and he covered a ton of ground to both push forward and track back and defend. In the final 30 minutes with Fulham down a man, it was even more apparent.

His crossing wasn’t sharp in the game but he offers a lot to Fulham on the left side of the field and is seemingly always involved on that side.

  • 90 minutes
  • 81 touches
  • 0 shots
  • 1 key pass
  • 74.1% passing (40/54)
  • 2 dribbles
  • 1 aerial won
  • 0 tackles
  • 0 interceptions
  • 3 clearances
  • 5 crossses
  • 3/8 accurate long balls

As for Yedlin, it was a good game considering he was just his second outing of the year (and his first was only for four minutes). He nearly had a winning assist in the end

  • 90 minutes
  • 60 touches
  • 0 shots
  • 1 key pass
  • 80.5% passing (33/41)
  • 1 aerial won
  • 0 dribbles
  • 0 tackles
  • 3 interceptions
  • 3 clearances
  • 5 crosses
  • 3/5 accurate long balls



Yedlin made few mistakes and should be able to continue to get opportunities when the schedule gets very congested in England around the holidays. From then, it will be up to him to respond.

 

Cannon starts in Boavista draw

 

Reggie Cannon, 22, has continued to play every single minute for Boavista this season and the Texan again when the distance on Sunday in a 1-1 draw with Pacos de Ferreira. Boavista continues to play like a club that will be in a relegation battle later this season as it simply struggles to create chances and score goals. In particular, it has blown several points at several times this season after allowing late goals.

This game was the same. After former Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis gave Boavista a lead, Pacos de Ferreira scored in the 90th minute for a draw. That goal came after Boavista was unable to clear a free kick from the right side and Pacos de Ferreira scored on the ensuing melee. Boavista is just one point clear of the relegation zone.

Cannon was defensively strong but generally uninvolved offensively.

  • 90 minutes
  • 54 touches
  • 0 shots
  • 0 key passes
  • 64.3% passing (18/28)
  • 2 aerials won
  • 0 dribbles
  • 1x fouled
  • 2 tackles
  • 0 interceptions
  • 3 clearances
  • 2 crosses
  • 0/2 accurate long balls

Next weekend, Boavista will have a touch matchup at home against SC Braga.

 

South American report

 

It was a big weekend in South America for a trio of yanks in big games.

In the Copa Diego Maradona, Joel Sonora came on in the 53rd minute for Talleres de Cordoba with his team trailing Atletico Tucuman on Saturday. In the 74th minute, Sonora was given space on the left wing to hit a cross, and the Dallas-born midfielder hit a very nice ball to Mateo Retegui for the equalizer.

 

It was a tough game for Alan Sonora and Independiente against Boca Juniors. New Jersey-born Sonora, 22, came on for Independiente to start the second half with his team up 1-0. Unfortunately for Sonora, he was on the field for both of Boca’s late goals which saw it win 2-1.

In Ecuador, team captain Michael Hoyos, 29, scored the opening goal for Guayaquil City in a 2-1 win over Deportivo Cuenca.

Meanwhile, Johnny Carodoso is still injured for Internacional in Brazil and missed the 2-0 win over Palmeiras on Saturday.

 

Coaching report

Jesse Marsch and Salzburg were luck to remain in first place after a 3-2 home loss to Wolfsberger on Saturday. The fact that LASK was unable to defeat Austria Vienna on Saturday saved them. Sturm Graz is also just a point behind Salzburg and has played one fewer game.

Pellegrino Matarazzo and VfB Stuttgart dropped a 1-0 decision to Wolfsburg in a game where it had plenty of good opportunities but simply couldn’t finish. His team continues to play attacking soccer in the Bundesliga and hover safely midtable.

Joe Enochs and FSV Zwickau dropped a 2-0 decision to Hansa Rostock to remain in the relegation zone of the 3.Liga.

 

Elsewhere in Europe

 

John Brooks came off the bench and played the final 15 minutes for Wolfburg in a 1-0 win over VfB Stuttgart.

Chris Richards was an unused substitute for Bayern Munich in its dramatic 2-1 win to overtake Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table.

In a matchup of two of Ligue 1’s best teams this season, Tim Weah played the final 16 minutes against his former club PSG in a 0-0 draw.

In the 2.Budesliga, Julian Green started and played 62 minutes for Greuther Furth in a 3-0 away win over Eintracht Braunschweig. Alfredo Morales played very well for Fortuna Dusseldorf in a 3-0 win over St. Pauli on Sunday while Kevin Lankford played 29 minutes in the loss and U.S. U-20 mid Leon Flach did not get off the bench.

In the Danish Superliga, Emmanuel Sabbi played well over 90 minutes for OB in a 1-1 draw with Copenhagen and was part of the build-up to the team’s only goal. Haji Wright meanwhile picked up the first red card of his career when he was sent off in the 42nd minute of SonderjyskE’s 1-0 loss to Randers.

In Scotland, both Ian Harkes and Dillon Powers were unused subs for Dundee United in a 1-1 draw with Hibernian.

In Belgium’s top flight, Ethan Horvath was the unused backup goalkeeper for Club Brugge in a 1-0 loss to Gent. Joe Efford played the entire second half for Waasland-Beveren in a 3-0 loss to Royal Antwerp. Chris Durkin played the final five minutes for St. Truiden in a 2-0 win over Zlute Waregem. Brenden Hines-Ike played entire game in central defense for Kortrijk in a 2-0 lead on Genk.

In the Eredivisie, Heracles defeated Heerenveen 2-1 on Saturday. Luca de la Torre played the final 16 minutes in the win while Uly Llanez played the final 30 minutes in the win.

In Austria’s Bundesliga, Erik Palmer-Brown had a big outing for Austria Vienna in a 1-1 draw with second place LASK. The result prevented LASK from moving to the top of the table. He was named to the league's team of the week for the second time this season.

 

In Turkey’s top flight, Eric Lichaj was injured and did not play for Fatih Karagumruk in a 2-1 upset win over Galatasaray.

In Serie B, Andrija Novakovich tested positive for COVID recently and Frosinone clearly missed the surging Wisconsin forward on Friday during a 0-0 draw with Salernitana. American midfielder Giuseppe Barone did not make the bench for Salernitana.

In Germany’s 2.Bundesliga, German American attacking midfielder Jan George played the second half for Jahn Regensburg in a 0-0 home draw with Hannover on Friday.

In the Eredivisie, Desevio Payne is still out injured for FC Emmen and missed the club’s 0-0 draw with PEC Zwolle on Friday.

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