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Americans Abroad

Pulisic, Busio, Balogun, & Aaronson highlight busy weekend for Yanks abroad

ASN's Brian Sciaretta provides a comprehensive breakdown of all Americans aborad where there was plenty to report that was good, bad, and somewhere in-between. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
September 23, 2024
7:00 AM

THE WEEKEND FOR AMERICANS abroad was back to the normal curve after a mostly quiet September. For the first time, we had plenty of highs to report as well as struggles, injuries, and benchings to report on the negative end. Then, as you’d expect, there was also plenty of middle ground as well.

From a broad perspective, the high point was Christian Pulisic, who is the best American player in the game and the American in the best form. What he has done over the past two weeks has been remarkable. This run now includes goals against world-class teams Inter Milan and Liverpool.

Other top performers were Gianluca Busio, who has been sharp in his first two games since returning from injury. Malik Tillman has been impossible to defend among the bottom half Eredivisie teams as his PSV team plows through a very easy schedule to start the season. Folarin Balogun also finally opened his scoring account for Monaco after weeks of being dangerous, but failing to hit the back of the net. This then raises the question whether this will start the positive side of a streak? Also, Brenden Aaronson helped propel Leeds to a 4-1 win over Watford, and he assisted on the game’s final goal. Chris Richards was also solid defensively for Crystal Palace in a 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

On the flip side, there was a longer list of Americans who had bad weekends. Haji Wright has not been in good form for Coventry City and this continued in a 2-1 loss to Swansea. Goalkeepers Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath aren’t playing, and aren’t even close to pushing for starting positions. Ricardo Pepi continued to only see mop-up duty for PSV. Yunus Musah is not in a great spot for Paulo Fonseca at AC Milan right now. Luca de la Torre is in a worse spot with Celta Vigo as he can’t even make the matchday squad.  

For the rest of the more noteworthy American players in the broader USMNT player pool, it was a combination of injuries and uneventful outings.

Let’s get into detail.

 

Yanks in the Premier League

 

Chris Richards put on a good shift playing in a three-man backline to help Crystal Palace play Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at home at Selhurst Park. He had five clearances, two interceptions, won 3/5 tackles, and 5/7 of his ground duels. Overall, it was a steady and quietly solid outing from Richards. His passing wasn’t great, but he got the job done defensively.

In that game, Matt Turner watched from the bench for Crystal Palace. By the looks of it, he doesn't seem close. 

 

Antonee Robinson was his normal steady and solid self on Saturday as Fulham cruised to a 3-1 win over Newcastle. The game wasn’t that close and Fulham took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute and then a 2-0 lead in the 22nd minute. From there, Newcastle was chasing the game. It was just an overall solid and competent performance from Fulham.

Robinson occasionally got forward but wasn’t required to put in the gut-busting level of effort he typically displays. He only had one touch in Newcastle’s box. Defensively, he shut down his side of the field very effectively. Fulham moved into eighth place while Newcastle fell to sixth.

Houston-born Fabian Hurzeler is the reigning Premier League Manager of the Month, despite only being 31. On Friday his Brighton & Hove Albion team played Nottingham Forest to a 2-2 draw.

 

Yanks in the Championship

 

Aidan Morris was solid again with his passing, but he was on the wrong side of the result as his Middlesbrough team fell on the road to Sunderland 1-0. This was a big test for Middlesbrough against a Sunderland team that sits second in the Championship table early and looks like a strong contender for promotion.

Morris was 79/83 passing and completed 6/6 of his long balls. Unlike previous games since arriving in England, he was on the wrong end of duels – losing 3/9 of his ground duels and 0/2 of his aerials. In the 38th minute, his tight angle shot was saved and then in the 69th minute, he had a good chance from inside the box but sent it off-frame.

The teams weren’t far apart in quality and Boro could compete for a playoff spot if it plays at this level most days. Morris is very good at this level when it comes to possession and running a midfield with the ball. Physicality, it is a challenge as the Championship is one of the most physical leagues in the world. Morris was dispossessed three times, mostly through physical play.

Josh Sargent didn’t score or assist, but he played all 90 minutes for Norwich in a comfortable 4-1 win over Watford. The Canaries now have two wins over their past three, but this was perhaps their best effort of the early season.

Sargent, 24, was busy and had five shots in the game. His best chance came in just the second minute when his close range shot was hit right at Watford keeper Joel Bachmann. Despite not getting on the match sheet, Sargent still made a positive impact on the game in his shots and his hold up play which included 11/13 in passing. On most days, he would end up on the score sheet playing like this. But even when he doesn’t get a goal or an assist, this game showed he can still help his team win.

Norwich now has eight points from six games (with six points from its last three games).

Brenden Aaronson got the start and went the distance for Leeds United in a 2-0 away win over last-place Cardiff City on Saturday. The game was mostly a foregone conclusion when Cardiff was reduced to 10 men in the 23rd minute after a straight red card to Joel Bagan.

Aaronson then helped put the game away in the 87th minute when he assisted on Joel Piroe's goal to make it 2-0. Aaronson could have had a goal of his own in the 48th minute but he missed a close shot wide with his left foot.

But Aaronson was useful in this game as he brought energy to the game for Leeds United and was pressing hard whenever an outmanned Cardiff had the ball. That was largely how he helped create the second goal when he picked up the assist.



On another note, Ethan Horvath was once again left on the bench for Cardiff City and it looks like he is now the No. 2 for Cardiff – which sits dead last with one point from six games. They’ve only scored one goal while conceding 13.

Perhaps of bit of good news for Horvath is that head coach Erol Bulut was fired following the game. That will give a clean slate to players, although no one has been arguing for a goalkeeper change in the local media.

The news was also bad for Haji Wright who started but was pulled at the half for Coventry in a 2-1 loss at home to Swansea. All the goals were scored in the first half.

Wright's hard numbers reflected a performance that was also not good to the eye test. He had 15 touches, 1 shot, 1/5 ground duels, 5/6 passing, 0 dribbles, and was dispossessed twice. He didn't draw any fouls but committed two. Coventry have been disappointing this season with just five points from six games. They’ve only scored six goals, and that is a concern for the club in the early stages of the season.

On Sunday, Duane Holmes played the final 27 minutes for Preston North End and, despite being normally an attacking midfielder, put in a strong defensive shift to help his team finish 0-0 with Blackburn. Preston North End was reduced to 10 men in the 42nd minute. Preston North End have just five points from their first six games while Blackburn sit fourth and have 12 points.

Lynden Gooch is injured and missed Stoke City’s 3-1 loss at home to Hull City.

 

Yanks in the Bundesliga

 

It was a tough day for Lennard Maloney who went 71 minutes for Heidenheim in a 3-0 loss at home to Freiburg. All the goals were scored when the American defensive midfielder was subbed out. Maloney had a chance to open the scoring just before halftime when he got his head on a corner but sent his ball over the crossbar. Overall, he gave Heidenheim a physical presence up the spine, which helped into the second half when the team became unraveled. But his passing did not help Heidenheim out either in possession or chance creation.

After a very strong start, Heidenheim has now lost two games in a row with six points from four games.

Jordan Pefok only played the first half for Union Berlin on Saturday, but it was a good shift from the big center forward in a 2-1 win over Hoffenheim, who are managed by American Pellegrino Matarazzo. Pefok, 28, was created with an assist on the opening goal from Tom Rothe although it looked more like a shanked shot.

But Pefok was good in his 45 minutes with his hold up play created multiple chances. He also drew four fouls to give Union good opportunities of set pieces. His 23rd minute yellow card might have played a role in why he was subbed out. Plus the option was to then go with a defensive approach with a 2-0 lead.

Union moved into fourth place with eight points from four games, while Hoffenheim lost its third straight after a season-opening win.

Gio Reyna was out injured, but was still the big winner for Borussia Dortmund as he got to miss his team's 5-1 loss to Stuttgart on Saturday. 

Joe Scally didn’t have a noteworthy performance for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 2-0 loss on the road to Eintracht Frankfurt. The USMNT right back played all 90 minutes and had 54 touches with 35/39 in passing. He was successful in his duels (6/8 ground duels) but didn’t create any real opportunities. It’s been a poor overall start to the league for M’Gladbach as they have just three points from four games. On the balance of the season, Scally hasn’t’ stood out for good or for bad and this game represented that.

U.S. Olympic team winger Kevin Paredes remains out injured for Wolfsburg and missed Sunday’s 4-3 loss on the road to Bayer Leverkusen.

 

Yanks in the 2.Bundesliga

 

Both Julian Green and Max Dietz started for Greuther Furth in an very bad 2-0 loss to an Eintracht Braunschweig team that had just one point from its first five games. With Furth aiming to be in a promotional race, dropping points against a relegation favorite is not good. Julian Green worked hard in a full 90 effort where he drew a game-high five fouls and won 9/12 ground duels. He also had a good shot in the 47th minute. Max Dietz also went 90 minutes in a tough outing.

Green, 29, has changed his game over the year into a gritty two-way midfielder who can hit shots from distance. He’s very effective in the second tier. For Dietz, any hope that he could use the Olympics to push for a USMNT spot doesn’t appear close to materializing.

On another note, Johann Gomez went the final 12 minutes to help see out the win for Braunschweig.

Santiago Castaneda went 90 minutes for Paderborn in an important 2-1 win over Hannover. Castaneda didn’t stand out much, but he was quietly competent in central midfield both in possession and on defense. This was a great win for Paderborn, which is undefeated in the 2.Bundesliga. But this win snaps a three-game stretch of only draws. For Castaneda, this continues to be a great experience for him this season as still a teenager. He has started every game for a club with a shot at promotion. This game was between two top 2.Bundesliga teams and Castaneda is up for the task.

After goals in his last two games for FC Koln, teenager American center forward Damion Downs was held in check on Saturday in a 2-2 draw away at Fortuna Dusseldorf. Downs, 19, went 63 minutes and had just 14 touches and was 5/7 in passing. But he still managed two good shots early in the second half in the 53rd and 56th minutes with his left foot. Both attempts were saved.

He also helped in the air, where he won 4/6 of his aerials. He has talent to be a useful forward and every game he has some positive moments. But sometimes he drifts out of games for too long.

This wasn’t a bad result for Koln to earn a draw against the team at the top of the table. But if Koln wants to push for promotion, they have to start climbing soon. It’s been an uneven start and they have eight points from six games to sit ninth.

John Brooks is still injured and missed Hertha BSC’s 2-0 away win over FC Nurnburg.

Head coach Joe Enochs and Jahn Regensburg are in a tough spot after winning the season opener in August. Since then, they have lost every game and Saturday’s 3-0 loss at home to Preussen Munster dropped them into last place. The longer it appears his club will be heading into a relegation battle, the more likely he will be on the hot seat.

 

Yanks in Ligue 1

 

Folarin Balogun scored his first goal of the season for Monaco in a 3-1 win over Le Havre. The USMNT forward earned the start and played the entire game in what was an encouraging sign.

In the 70th minute, Balogun scored his team's final goal for a 3-1 lead on a play that began with a poor Le Havre turnover it its own third. Monaco pounced and it quickly fell to George Ilenikhena outside the box. The French midfielder then found Balogun in the box for the goal.

 

Balogun had stats that reflected how active he was. He had five shots, seven touches inside the Le Havre box, and played three passes into the attacking third.

This is consistent with how he has been playing all season. He's always been very aggressive, very direct, and eager to shoot. The goals just haven't come, until now. Balogun is probably a streaky forward who scores goals in bunches because he is always close to scoring.

This goal wasn't much on its own. But will it spark a hot-streak for Balogun? We will find out.

Also in this game, Emmanuel Sabbi had one shot and 2/2 passing after coming into the game in the 79th minute.

The rest of the news for Americans in Ligue 1 was nonexistent.

Caleb Wiley missed Strasbourg’s 3-3 away draw with Lille on Saturday. On Friday, Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior issued this statement: "Caleb Wiley is out for this weekend. He has tendinitis in his knee. It's a disappointment because he's started the season very well."

Tanner Tessmann was an unused substitute for Lyon in a very tough 3-2 loss at home to Marseille. The guests scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time. This came after only 90 seconds after Lyon scored and equalizer. Lyon has just four points from its first five games.

Mark McKenzie was not in the squad due to injury, and he watched his Toulouse team drop a 2-0 loss on the road to Brest on Sunday. Local media reports suggests the injury is not major.

 

Yanks in Italy

 

In the Milan Derby on Sunday, Christian Pulisic made a statement with an exclamation point as he scored an inspirational goal to help boost AC Milan to an upset win over reigning champs Inter Milan.

Pulisic opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he stripped Henrikh Mkhitaryan following a throw in and then proceeded to dribble through the Inter Milan midfield and defense before firing a shot past Yann Sommer for a 1-0 lead. It was a goal that reflected both will-power and quality.

Pulisic continues to be in great form over the past two weeks, starting with his goal for the USMNT against New Zealand then continuing with a goal in his Serie A return against Venezia, a goal against Liverpool in the Champions League, and now a goal against Inter Milan in an emotional derby.

 

For AC Milan, the game ended on a big note when Matteo Gabbia scored the winning goal in the 89th minute. The 2-1 victory saw Milan continue to climb after a poor start. They now moved into seventh place with eight points from five games. After much concern over new manager Paulo Fonseca, a derby win will probably cool the hot-seat, at least for a little bit.

On another note, Yunus Musah did not get off the bench for AC Milan and his benching coming at a time of the team's improved performances (and with a new USMNT manager watching) potentially puts him in a bad spot at a bad time.

Weston McKennie started and played 80 minutes while Tim Weah played the second half for Juventus in what was a dreadfully boring 0-0 draw with Napoli in Turin. There were hopes that this would be a good game, but this game saw each team finish with one shot on goal, and neither team generating anything particularly dangerous.

McKennie had a few positive moments, but otherwise didn’t stand out. Weah had a slightly improved performance off the bench compared with last weekend in the 0-0 draw with Empoli. He seems locked into his sub role at this point in the season.

Gianluca Busio, 23, had a big day on Saturday when he played into stoppage time for Venezia in a big 2-0 win over Genoa in Venice. The recent U.S. Olympic team forward returned from injury last week for his season debut in a 4-0 loss to AC Milan. Despite the loss, Busio played well and had an assist called back by VAR.

In this game, Busio would contribute to a win. He drew a penalty in the 58th minute which his teammate, the normally reliable Joel Pohjanpalo, saw his attempt saved. But then minutes later, Busio scored the opening goal.

Yes, it was a lucky goal that was more of a cross. But Busio has been playing well enough to deserve luck to go his way.



In total, Busio was good in possession, effective with creating chances, and scrappy in defense where he won 4/5 of his ground duels to help keep a clean sheet.

This was Venezia’s first win of the season in Serie A and the newly promoted club now has four points from five games.

Busio certainly is helping his case to be in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans to start his tenure as the national team coach. Busio stands to benefit a lot from a clean slate.

On another note, this was his 100th appearance for the club and he was recognized for the accomplishment. 

 

Playing just one day after his 28th birthday, Andrija Novakovich got the start for Bari against his former club, Frosinone. It turned out to be a nice homecoming for the Wisconsin center forward who went 58 minutes in a 3-0 away win. The score was 2-0 when he left, and he created two dangerous chances during his shift.

USMNT left back Kristoffer Lund was out injured for Palermo on Saturday in a disappointing 0-0 draw at home with Cesena FC. Palermo has eight points from six games to sit 11th in Serie B.

 

Yanks in La Liga

 

Luca de la Torre continues to not be in the plans for Celta Vigo and wasn’t even in the squad for Sunday’s 3-1 away loss to Athletic Bilbao. The USMNT midfielder is likely counting the days until January when he can seek a move that will allow him to play. With Pochettino just arriving to lead the USMNT, he picked a bad time to be stuck to a club with little prospects of playing time.

 

Yanks in the Netherlands

 

Malik Tillman had a huge performance for PSV in a 3-1 away win over Fortuna Sittard. PSV continued its perfect start in the Eredivise and continues to take advantage of a very easy schedule to start the season. The team showed now letdown after a tough loss to Juventus midweek in the Champions League.

Tillman, 22, was terrific as he continued to feast on the league's lower half teams. In the 16th minute he opened the scoring after a scramble following a corner kick fell to his feet on the edge of the six-yard box. He was then able to slam it home from close range.

Then in the 68th minute, he hit a wonderful free kick into the top corner from 25 yards out.



He is in terrific form right now. It will be very interesting to follow in the coming Champions League games and once PSV gets to play harder Eredivisie games.

Tillman will be one of the most important early projects for Mauricio Pochettino with the USMNT. Tillman is yet to see his club form translate over to the USMNT. There is an opening too with Gio Reyna out injured. Will Pochettino be able to get it to work with Tillman?

Also in this game, Ricardo Pepi made his usual late shift in the 80th minute after the game became less intense, giving him little chance to get involved (10 minutes, six touches, 0 shots, 4/6 passing).

It's important to point out that with Junior's return and Rick Karsdorp finally now match fit, Richard Ledezma did not make the matchday squad for PSV. The midweek loss to Juventus was a clear sign that Ledezma is not a right back in big games and is instead a serviceable option for PSV against overmatched opponents.

The months ahead will be an important time for Ledezma and PSV as he is in the final year of his contract and the high minimum salary for non-EU players in the Eredivisie makes him expensive to sign in this league.

PSV remains a perfect 18 points from six games in the Eredivisie but is only two points ahead of a very good AZ Alkmaar team.

It was a bit of a letdown when Utrecht hosted Willem II in the Eredivisie on Saturday. Utrecht won 3-2 but Paxten Aaronson only came into the game in stoppage time (2/2 passing, 2 touches, 1 pass into the attacking third) but Taylor Booth went as an unused substitute. Booth has dealt with injuries/illnesses to start the year and hasn’t really been able to get going. This was puzzling for Aaronson.

Anthony Fontana was not in the lineup for PEC Zwolle in a 2-1 loss at home to AZ Alkmaar. PEC Zwolle sits 15th in the 18-team Eredivisie.

In the second-tier Eerste Divisie, FC Dordrecht played Excelsior to a 2-2 draw. John Hilton went the full 90 for Dordrecht while Korede Osudina started and played 62 minutes.

 

Yanks in the Belgium First Division

 

Westerlo dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 loss at home to second-place Royal Antwerp on Sunday, conceding two goals off set pieces with Antwerp’s winner coming in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Bryan Reynolds started and left the game in the 80th minute with the score 0-0. Griffin Yow was carrying an injury and was ruled out midweek.

In the 10th minute, Reynolds hit a cross to Matija Frigan that forced a big save. In the 74th minute, he picked up a yellow card after a tough foul. Overall, it was a decent performance from Reynolds and perhaps he shouldn’t have been subbed out as he was handling the physical side of the game well and might have been in a good position to defend Antwerp’s winning set-piece goal.

With the loss, Westerlo fell to eighth place in the 16-team league. It seems like a long time ago when their strong start saw them win their first three games.

Marlon Fossey made his first appearance for Standard Liege since earning his first cap for the USMNT earlier this month. He ended up playing 74 minutes at right wingback in a 0-0 draw against Union SG. It’s been a good start to the season for Standard, which is now in fifth place.

Fossey worked hard in this game, as he always does. He had 41 touches, was very aggressive getting forward, and he drew two fouls in dangerous positions. He also forced three turnovers to spring counterattacks. If Mauricio Pochettino is looking at recent tapes, Fossey could be in the mix for another call-up, this time in Pochettino’s first camp.

Kahveh Zahiroleslam, 22, started and played 65 minutes for St. Truiden in a 3-0 win over last-place Beerschot on Saturday. It was the club’s second straight win and it has now moved away from the bottom of the table after a poor start. The former Yale University center forward had a quiet day with one shot, 11/18 passing, and a tough day with his duels. But he still required a lot of effort to defend, before leaving with his club up 1-0.

 

 

Yanks in the Danish Superliga

 

Milan Iloski played the second half for Nordsjaelland in a 3-2 away loss to Viborg. The former UCLA attacking midfielder entered the game for Nordsjaelland had a terrible first half, down 3-1. It was Iloski’s longest Superliga outing since joining the club. Nordsjaelland sits eighth in the 12-team league with 12 points from nine games.

Jonathan Amon played just the first half for Lyngby before being pulled in a 0-0 draw with AGF Aarhus. Lyngby sits 11th in the 12-team league while AGF are in second.

Jose Gallegos started and played 67 minutes for SonderjyskE in a 2-1 win over last-place Vejle. The former San Antonio FC playmaker left the game with the score 1-1 and watched his team rally for a win in the seventh minute of stoppage time. SonderjyskE moved to 10th place with eight points from nine games while Vejle is in terrible shape, losing all nine of their games so far. 

 

Yanks in Liga MX

 

In Liga MX, several Yanks featured in games this weekend although there was nothing significant to report.

Club America scored a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Necaxa on Saturday night. Former U.S. U-20 midfielder Fernando Arce Jr. went the distance for Necaxa. Alejandro Zendejas started and played 68 minutes for Club America. Per local media reports, Arce played well defensively in the midfield while Zendejas was active offensively creating chances for Club America.

Cade Cowell was injured for Chivas and missed his team's 1-0 loss away to Cruz Azul.

Brandon Vazquez started for Monterrey against Mazatlán on Saturday but his hope of being active in the attack took a big hit in the sixth minute when his teammate Sebastian Vegas was sent off. Vazquez was subbed out in the 54th minute and the game ended 0-0.

Joe Corona was an unused substitute for Club Tijuana on Saturday in a 1-0 away loss to Pumas UNAM.

Alex Mendez was not in the squad for Juarez in a 1-0 loss at home to Tigres.

Frankie Amaya played the last 23 minutes for Toluca in a 2-0 loss away to Santos Laguna.

 

Yanks in South America

 

In Argentina’s Primera, Matko Miljevic was not in the squad for Newell’s Old Boys against Tigre. The Miami-born Miljevic had been starting for most of the past month and is now injured.

Staying in Argentina's Primera, Huracan moved into second place with a convincing 3-0 win over Lanus on Sunday. 2023 USMNT Gold Cup veteran Alan Sonora got the start for Huracan (just his first league start since March) and delivered a very nice goal to open the scoring in the sixth minute. On the play, the New Jersey-born Sonora, 26, finished off a very impressive passing sequence. 



Sonora played just the first half, but had a positive shift where he created a few chances and had two shots, one of which was the goal. Now it will be up to him to build off this and perhaps help them in a push for the title. They now currently trail Valez Sarsfield by three points (with Velez Sarsfield also having a game in hand).

In Uruguay’s Primera, Agustin Anello was not in the squad for Boston River in a 3-1 win over River Plate. Boston River is off to a good start with nine points from four games.  

Staying in Uruguay’s Primera, Danubio FC are off to a surprising start to the season and Sunday’s 1-0 win over Liverpool FC saw Danubio continue its perfect start with 12 points from four games. The reason behind their surge is the team’s defense which is yet to concede a goal. American defender Matias Fracchia celebrated his 29th birthday on Saturday and then on Sunday he went a full 90 in the win over Liverpool. He has been a regular starter with the club, floating between central defense and left back. Against Liverpool, he played left back.



Next week Danubio will be looking to increase the size of its lead atop the Primera when they visit Fracchia’s former club, the Montevideo Wanderers.

 

Yanks Elsewhere

 

In the Polish Ekstraklasa, Radomiak Radom posted a 4-0 win over Korona Kielce. Former Phoenix rising midfielder Danny Trejo entered the game in the 70th minute for Korona Kielce, which sits 12th in the 18-team league.

Staying in Poland’s top tier, Lech Poznan remains in first after a 1-0 win over Slask Wroclaw on Sunday. Former Houston Dynamo right back/winger Ian Hoffmann was an unused substitute for Lech Poznan.

In Ireland’s Premier Division, Galway United defeated Shelbourne 2-1 on Friday. Patrick Hickey went the full 90 for Galway while his fellow American teammate Vincent Borden was subbed out in the 70th minute. Coached by Bronx-born John Caulfield, Galway United moved into fourth place with the win.

In Croatia’s HNL, Rokas Pukstas wasn’t in the squad for Hajduk Split, which defeated HNK Gorica. The 2023 U.S. U-20 World Cup midfielder was serving a suspension for yellow cards.

In the Austrian Bundesliga, LASK showed signs of turning around after a terrible start to the season and defeated Grazer AK 4-2 on Saturday. George Bello played all 90 minutes for LASK and drew a penalty in the 22nd minute which was converted by a teammate for a 2-0 lead. Bello completed 25/28 passing.

Staying in the Austrian Bundesliga, Quincy Butler also put on a nice defensive effort, while playing the wing for WSG Tirol. The former Sacramento Republic player went 81 minutes in a 0-0 draw with leaders Salzburg. He was just 3/7 in passing and 1/6 in dribbles, but he won 8/18 of his ground duels, drew two fouls, and was 3/5 in his tackles to help his team earn a point.

In the Scottish Cup, Auston Trusty started for Celtic in a 5-2 win over second tier Falkirk. Local media reported Trusty as being off his game as he still is getting adjusted to his new club.

In the Swiss Super League, Konrad de la Fuente went the last 15 minutes for Lausanne in a 3-1 win over Yverdon. The score was 3-0 when he entered. Lausanne sits eighth in the 12-team league.

In Norway’s Eliteserien, Christian Cappis started and played 65 minutes for Viking in a 3-2 loss away to Fredrikstad. His team was down 3-0 when he was removed. It was a bad loss as Viking dropped to fourth place with the loss.

In the relegation round robin of Finland’s Veikkausliiga, EIF defeated IF Gnistan 3-1 on Sunday. American goalkeeper AJ Marucci, on loan from the New York Red Bulls, saw three goals get past him in the loss.

 

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