Christian_pulisic_-_asn_top_-_milan_celebration_-_10-19-24
Americans Abroad

Pulisic's "Incredible" outing, Weah returns, Sargent assists off his face, and more

ASN's Brian Sciaretta writes about the weekend for Americans abroad, led by yet another "incredible" outing from Christian Pulisic. After that, it was a mixed bag. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
October 21, 2024
9:05 AM

THE WEEKEND FOR Americans abroad lacked a lot of fireworks. Sure, Christian Pulisic turned in another outstanding performance for AC Milan, but for the most part there weren’t many performances that jumped out. On the other side, however, you had a lot of quietly competent performance where several players did well to help their clubs.

These types of performances came from players who typically aren’t key contributors. Joe Scally enjoyed one of the strongest weekend performances from Americans in the top leagues as he was important to Borussia Monchengladbach’s win over Heidenheim. Tim Weah returned from injury and was also sharp for Juventus in a win over Lazio. Paxten Aaronson continues to be an important part of Utrecht this season as the win over the weekend ensured they remain second. His older brother Brenden Aaronson also has his Leeds United team in second in the Championship. Aaronson isn’t a top scorer, but he has brought a lot of energy to the squad. Johnny Cardoso had a workmanlike outing for Real Betis in a win over Osasuna.

Other good news wasn’t on the field but rather in making lineups. Cole Campbell continues to make the bench for Borussia Dortmund and his debut is coming sooner than later. Tyler Adams was an unused substitute but made the bench for Bournemouth for the first time this season.

If you were looking for lots of goals and assists, it was disappointing. But having Americans continue to contribute to wins is still a nice alternative.

With that said, here are the specifics in a lot of detail.

 

Yanks in Italy

 

It was an impressive day at the office for Christian Pulisic, which is a running theme of this season as he is consistently good. On Saturday, his effort took a lot of grit and hard work as Milan was reduced to 10 men. in just the 29th minutes when Tijjani Reijnders was sent off for a foul. Despite being shorthanded, Milan was able to prevail with a 1-0 win over Udinese.

Pulisic assisted the game’s only goal in the 13th minute when he set up Samuel Chukwueze. But this game also showed how complete a player Pulisic is. He defended well, he won his duels, he still managed to create chances, and he was threatening with counterattacks 



Milan manager Paulo Fonseca said it best: “Christian is incredible; I saw him in defense and in midfield. I think we need to appreciate his performance. especially in defense. I’m happy for him."

Yunus Musah played the second half for Milan and had some good moments with his dribbling to spark Milan. He made one big mistake where he tried to dribble too much Got caught, turning it over. The ensuing shot from Udinese was off target, but Musah gifted them a great chance. Aside from that, it was a good outing from the US international. He might find his way into the starting lineup next week due to the suspension for Reijnders. 

Juventus defeated Lazio 1-0 on Saturday in an ugly game that was decided in the 85th minute when Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic hit a cross that was misplayed by Lazio for an own goal. Tim Weah returned from his hamstring injury and played the last 36 minutes for Juventus. 

The good news is that the USMNT winger played well and was active on the right side of the field. He hit a couple of good crosses and was actively looking to get the ball into dangerous places. It was one of the more encouraging performances among Americans abroad this weekend given the amount of time he missed.

On the flip side, Weston McKennie was out injured after leaving the USMNT camp early. He is not expected to miss much time, however, due to his injury.

Venezia remained last in Serie A after its 2-0 loss at home to Atalanta on Sunday. Gianluca Busio played the second half for Venezia but was unable to spark the team's offense. He had a shot in the 85th that forced a routine save. Possession-wise, he was okay with 19/23 pass completion, but he lost most of his duels as the physical side of the game was tough for him.

In Serie B, Wisconsin forward Andrija Novakovich played the final 8 minutes for Bari in a 1-1 draw with Catanzaro on Friday. Bari sits 7th after the result. 

Kristoffer Lund returned from international duty, but was on the bench for Palermo on Saturday when they went to visit Modena. Palermo had a 2-0 lead at halftime, but had to settle for a disappointing 2-2 draw. Lund came off the bench in the 84th minute with his team clinging to a one goal lead. He was on the field for the late equalizer. He then picked up a yellow card in the 89 minute. Palermo end the weekend in sixth place in Serie B. 

 

Yanks in the Premier League

 

Tyler Adams is nearing a return for Bournemouth and he made the match day squad for the first time this season on Saturday in a big 2–0 win over Arsenal. Even though he went as an unused substitute, the fact he was on the match day squad in the Premier League was very welcome news. But given how much time he has missed, even once he returns, he will need to stay healthy for a long time to inspire confidence that he is truly back.

Antonee Robinson played all 90 minutes for Fulham on Saturday, but the Cottages fell to Aston Villa 3–1 at home. Robinson, playing his normal left back position, had a few nice moments in the first half but overall it was not a memorable performance for him or anybody else on the team. Fulham fell to 9th place in the defeat.

 

Yanks in the Championship

 

After a busy week with the U.S national team where he made two starts, Brenden Aaronson started for Leeds United on Friday against Sheffield United. Aaronson, 23, played 67 minutes and was subbed out with the game still scoreless. Leeds went on to win 2-0 to move into 2nd place of the Championship. The New Jersey product and former Philadelphia Union midfielder had a very good chance to score just before he left but he could not get the shot on frame. It was an impressive showing for Aaronson given that he only just returned from playing in Mexico on Tuesday. He did what he normally does - won duels, pressed hard, and drew fouls. He also created a pair of chances throughout the game.

Cardiff City has completely turned around their horrific start to the season. On Saturday they posted a 5-0 blowout win over Plymouth Argyle. That doesn’t bode well for Ethan Horvath to play, as he has been glued to the team’s bench behind Jak Alnwick during their turnaround. Cardiff is now nearly out of the relegation zone, with only gold differential keeping them below the line. 

It was a tough 1-0 loss for Coventry on Saturday away to Preston North End. Two Americans played in this game off the bench, one for each team. Haji Wright returned from international duty and came into the game in the 64th minute for Coventry. Duane Holmes entered the game for PNE in the 68th minute. PNE broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute.

Wright thought he had the equalizer in the 802nd minute with an outstanding finish, but the goal was disallowed after they determined there was a hand ball from Wright in the buildup. Aside from that, it was a quiet outing from Wright who only had seven touches and two completed passes.

Holmes, who will soon celebrate his 30th birthday, was only a little bit more active than Wright. But he was on the winning end and will be able to enjoy his weekend a little bit more. PNE are now comfortably in mid-table.

It’s been a disastrous start to the season for Coventry, after there were initial hopes of a promotional race this year. Right now, the only thing keeping the team out of the relegation zone is goal differential.

Aidan Morris had a pretty good outing for Middlesbrough but he was unable to prevent a bad 2-0 loss at home to Bristol City. He completed 69/76 passes including 4/5 in long balls. He also won most of his duels, was never dispossessed, and created a couple of chances. But this was a bad loss at home, and it hurts for a team in a promotional race where there is not much room for error. They will probably look back on this game later in the season and wish they did more. They fell to ninth with the result.

Norwich City played Stoke City to a 1–1 draw on Saturday. Josh Sargent got the start for Norwich after starting both games for the USMNT during the international window. 

Sargent had a very interesting moment in this game just before the halftime whistle. He assisted on the opening goal for Norwich when a deflected shot hit him in the face but took a favorable bounce to Ante Crnac, who finished from close range. Stoke City equalized just a minute later, and neither team scored in the second half. 

Aside from that one odd moment, it was a very quiet day for Sargent, who was not involved in anything significant offensively. It was overall a lethargic game from Norwich, which ends the weekend in 7th place. 

 

Yanks in the Bundesliga

 

Joe Scally enjoyed a solid 89 minute performance for Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday at left back (as opposed to his normal right back role) where he helped his team to a 3-2 win at home over Lennard Maloney and Heidenheim. 

Scally’s numbers were solid across the board, but his best moment came in the 26th minute when he set up Robin Hack for a great chance inside the box with a pass via a header. Hack’s shot was subsequently saved. Scally had 71 touches in the game and completed an impressive 5/6 of his long passes. most importantly, he shut down Heidenheim’s attack on the right side.

As for Maloney, it was a typical performance from him. He sat deep and tried to break up, plays and cover a lot of ground. Offensively he didn’t contribute much of anything. 

Heidenheim fell to 9th place in the Bundesliga while Monchengladbach climbed to 10th. 

It still to be determined how much time Jordan Pefok will miss for Union Berlin as he came into Sunday’s game against Holstein Kiel in the 75th minute but was subbed out in the 87th minute due to an injury. Union Berlin won the game 2-0 but Pefok was not on the field for either goal. He only had three touches in his 12 minutes. Pefok has been unable to get going this season. While he’s had a few positive outings, he is still yet to score a goal for a Union Berlin team that is much improved from last season – now sitting in fifth place.

Kevin Paredes is still out injured for 13th-place Wolfsburg and did not take part in Sunday’s 4-2 loss at home to Werder Bremen.

Cole Campbell, 18, made the bench again for Borussia Dortmund but his debut will have to wait as he went as an unused substitute in 2-1 loss to St Pauli on Friday. Campbell is a top winger with the U.S U-20 team but stayed in Dortmund this past international window. That is a signal that his debut is coming sooner than later.

Timothy Chandler was not in the squad for Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to reigning champs Bayer Leverkusen. Eintracht end the weekend in 5th place. 

After a really tough stretch of games, including a heartbreaking pair of results before the international window, Hoffenheim got a needed 3-1 win over Bochum on Saturday to climb out of the relegation zone. This was a very important win for American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo to reset his club and get them back on the upswing after qualifying for European play last season.

 

Yanks in the 2.Bundesliga

 

It was a tough day for Damian Downs, and Cologne on Friday. The American forward went 76 minutes in a very ugly 5-1 loss to Darmstadt which sent Cologne out of the top 10 of the 2.Bundesliga. Downs, 19, had three shots in the game, two of which were very dangerous. His first opportunity came in the third minute when he sent a header from close range just wide. Then a minute before he subbed out, he had his best chance but saw a close shot from the middle of the box hit right at the goalkeeper. The blowout loss has seen criticism of Cologne’s head coach, Gerhard Struber (formerly of the New York Red Bulls), increase among local media. 

Downs is undecided on his international future these days. After playing for the US U-23 team earlier in the summer, he played with Germany’s U-20 team this past window. 

Johan Gomez, 23, played all 90 minutes for Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday in a 3-1 loss to Hertha BSC. Instead of playing forward, Gomez played in an attacking midfield role, but was generally quiet in this game. Eintracht sits in the relegation zone to end of the weekend at 17th place in the 18-team league. John Brooks remains out injured for 7th place Hertha. 

Santiago Castaneda continues to start for Paderborn but the club suffered its first loss of the season in an ugly 3-0 loss to Kaiserslautern. For Castaneda, 19, it was his first tough outing of the season as he struggled on both sides of the ball. It will be very interesting to see how the young defensive midfielder responds next week. With the loss, Paderborn fell to fifth place.

The news was just as bad for midfielder Julian Green and recent U.S. Olympic team defender/midfielder Max Dietz who both went 90 minutes for Greuther Furth in a 4-0 blowout loss to Nurnberg on Sunday. No player on Furth earned positive reviews from the local attending media in this game, and Dietz was also said to have struggled. Furth is now winless in its last five games and has fallen to 12th place in the 2.Bundesliga.

American head coach Joe Enochs is almost certainly on the hot seat for Jahn Regensburg after another loss, this time a 3-0 defeat at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf. After a season opening win, Jahn Regensburg have just one point from the last eight games and are deep in last place of the 2.Bundesliga. 

 

Yanks in Ligue 1

 

Lyon pounded Le Havre 4-0 on Sunday on the road. Tanner Tessmann returned from international duty but was an unused substitute for Lyon. Emmanuel Sabbi came into the game in the 65th minute for Le Havre with the score 2-0, but he couldn't stop the bleeding. Sabbi, 26, did not contribute much playing left wing and Le Havre sits inside the bottom three at 16th place in the 18-team league (six points from eight games). Lyon, meanwhile, rose to seventh place.

Folarin Balogun will be sidelined for Monaco until December with a separated shoulder and the US national team forward was missed on Friday in Monaco’s 0-0 draw at home to Lille. Balogun is the team’s leading scorer as they continue to sit among the top of the Ligue 1 table. 

Similarly in Ligue 1, the recent US Olympic team left back Caleb Wiley remains out for Stroudsburg with knee tendinitis. He missed his club’4-2 loss away to Paris Saint Germain on Saturday.

Despite being forced out of the starting lineup for the USMNT on Tuesday due to an injury in warm-up, Mark McKenzie played the entire game for Toulouse on Sunday in a 1-1 draw with Angers. The result was enough to pull Toulouse out of the bottom three of Ligue 1. McKenzie had one bad moment where he conceded a penalty but was bailed out by his goalkeeper who made the big save. Aside from that, it was a standard outing with some decent passing out of the back, one which created an unsuccessful chance for Toulouse to win it late.

 

Yanks in La Liga

 

Johnny Cardoso withdrew from the USMNT camp despite playing 90 minutes for Real Betis in the last game before the international window. Whatever injury he had appears minor as he was also able to go 90 minutes for Real Betis in a 2-1 away win over Osasuna on Saturday. The New Jersey-born central midfielder had a solid but unspectacular shift on both sides of the ball. He was steady with his passing but also forced turnovers and won duels as Real Betis defended well down the stretch to ensure the win which moved them into seventh place of La Liga.

Luca de la Torre continues to be sidelined  for Celta Vigo and was not part of his teams 2-1 loss at home to Real Madrid. It is a tough situation to read regarding the San Diego native. He is listed as injured, but he doesn’t seem to be in the clans for Celta Vigo either. There isn’t an indication yet when he will return.

 

Yanks in the Eredivisie

 

For the first time all season, no Americans were in the starting lineup for PSV Eindhoven on Saturday as the club posted a 2-1 away win over AZ Alkmaar. After an easy schedule to start the season, this was the first true test for PSV this season in the Eredivisie. But any hopes for this to have been a true test for PSV were dashed after AZ was reduced to 10 men when left back David Wolfe was sent off. PSV would then score two goals in the following 12 minutes to get a comfortable lead which they were able to see out.

Malik Tillman came into the game in the 63rd minute while Ricardo Pepi entered in the 78th, both came in with a 2-0 lead. For Tillman, it was simply a matter of possession to ease the AZ pressure facilitated while playing up a man. Tillman did his job in that regard. Pepi had a similar job to almost help in the press furth up the field (and he also completed 6/6 of his passing). Both Tillman and Pepi are offensive players but were given a different role in this game due to the circumstances. It worked out.

FC Utrecht remained in second place of the Eredivisie following a 1-0 away win over Groningen on Sunday. Paxten Aaronson continued his important role within Utrecht as he played well again, going the full 90. The younger Aaronson brother was 25/27 with his passing with one shot and one chance created, but he also had a game-high five interceptions. His best moment came in the 37th minute when a cross following a corner found Ole Romney, who then missed the target with a close range header.

After weeks of hardly playing, Taylor Booth was subbed into the game in the 63rd minute to help see out the win. It was a positive showing off the bench for Booth who won 4/5 ground duels to keep possession and he drew a offensive free kick in the 86th when his dribbling drew a foul.

 

Yanks in Belgium

In Belgium, neither Griffin Yow nor Bryan Reynolds were part of Westerlo’s squad in a 2-1 loss at home to Club Brugge. Yow has been injured since last month with a knee injury. Westerlo fell to 7th place in Belgium’s top tier while Club Brugge sits third.

St. Truiden fell to Genk 3-2 on the road on Sunday. American forward Kahveh Zahiroleslam started for St. Truiden but was taken off in the 24th minute for a tactical shift after his teammate was sent off in the 15th minute to reduce St. Truiden for 10 men. St. Truiden still managed to score two goals with 10 men, but couldn’t hold up defensively against the league leaders. St. Truiden end the weekend in 14th place.

Marlon Fossey played the final 33 minutes for Standard Liege in a 2-1 win over Sporting Charleroi on Sunday. Fossey was 4/9 in passing but worked hard defensively to see out the win, despite a late goal from Charleroi to make it close. Standard Liege now sits ninth in Belgium’s Pro League.

 

Yanks in Denmark

 

In the Danish Superliga, Andres Jasson played the last 11 minutes plus stoppage time for Aalborg BK in a 2-0 loss at home to Randers. It was an eventful shift for Jasson, however, as he drew a penalty in the 85th minute when his cross forced a handball from Randers with the score 1-0 at the time. The ensuing penalty was missed. Randers would then score again late with a penalty and take all three points. AaB now sits ninth in the Superliga.

Jonathan Amon played 69 minutes for Lyngby in a 0-0 draw at home to Viborg. Amon struggled in this game as he didn't create much offensively and lost all of his duels. Lyngby sits 11th in the 12-team league.

Jose Gallegos was an unused substitute for SonderjyskE in its big 3-2 win over Midtjylland.

Milan Iloski came into the game in the 74th minute for Nordsjaelland in a 1-1 draw with Silkeborg. Nordsjaelland was down 1-0 when the California attacking mid came into the game but the equalizer was scored in the 75th via an own goal. Iloski was active and dangerous in his brief shift, but hit his only shot over the goal. Nordsjaelland now sits fifth.

 

Yanks in Liga MX

In Liga MX on Friday, Joe Corona had a very nice full 90 shift as the veteran midfielder helped Club Tijuana to a 2-1 away win over Necaxa. Corona was sharp on both sides of the ball in helping in possession, breaking up plays, and winning duels. Former U.S U-20 midfielder Fernando Arce Jr. played 78 minutes for Necaxa. Tijuana rose to 4th place while Necaxa fell to 11th. 

Cade Cowell made his return from injury and played the final 26 minutes for Chivas in an impressive 2-0 away win over Pachuca. It was a quiet shift from Cowell who came into the game after both goals were scored, but it was positive to see him back on the field after over a month away. Chivas now sits in 8th place after 12 rounds.

Alex Zendejas played 63 minutes for Club America on Saturday in a 3-0 win over Santos Laguna. He was on the right side of the midfield and had three shots, all from outside the box and all missing the target. Still, he did threaten and created a dangerous chance in the first half. But all goals were scored after he left (and after Santos Laguna was reduced to 10 men). Club America now sits 10th in Liga MX.

Brandon Vazquez played the final 14 minutes for 4th place Monterrey in a 4-2 win over 3rd place Tigres on Saturday in a big local derby. Vazquez returned from international duty and was given only a limited role. He had just four touches and was 2/2 passing with no shots.

Alex Mendez made a rare appearance for Club Juarez when he played the final four minutes plus stoppage time in a 3-2 loss at home to Leon. He was on the field for Leon's winner deep into stoppage time. Despite only having four touches, he did have a dangerous cross that set up a half-chance. Juarez now sits in 14th place.

 

Yanks Elsewhere

 

In Scotland’s Premiership, Celtic and Aberdeen entered the day both with perfect records of 21 points from 7 games. First place was on the line and Auston Trusty got the start for Celtic after returning from international duty with the US team in Mexico. Cameron Carter-Vickers remained out for Celtic, and his presence was sorely missed as Celtic blew a 2-0 lead and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. The second Aberdeen goal took a big deflection off Trusty for the equalizer. For Trusty, he was OK, but probably will be on the bench when CCV recovers from his toe injury.

In Poland’s Ekstraklassa, Danny Trejo played the last 33 minutes for Korona Kielce in a 2-0 loss at home to Piast Gliwice. Despite the loss, it was an active shift for Trejo who set up Korona Kielce’s best chance late in the game. With the loss, Korona Kielce fell to 13th place. 

Staying in Poland, Ian Hoffmann was an unused substitute for league leading Lech Poznan in a 2-0 win over Cracovia.

In Slovakia’s Super Liga, American attacker Zyen Jones played the final 12 minutes for FC Kosice in a 2-1 away loss to Zemplin Michalovce on Saturday. Kosice end the weekend in 6th place. 

In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello had a surprisingly very strong game for LASK in a 2-1 away win over WSG Tirol on Sunday. Bello played the entire game, won all duels, passed well, and helped his team to its best win of the season. Meanwhile, Quincy Butler went 90 minutes for WSG Tirol but did not make much of a contribution. After a tough start to the season, LASK is steadily climbing and is now in seventh while Tirol sits 10th in the 12-team league.

In Ireland’s Premier Division, Patrick Hickey went 90 minutes and Vincent Borden played 87 minutes for Galway United in a 2-1 loss away to St Patrick’s Athletic. Galway, managed by Bronx-born John Caulfield, fell to 5th place with the loss as the Irish season enters its final weeks. 

Brighton & Hove Albion moved to 5th place in the Premier League after a 1-0 away win over Newcastle. Led by new Houston-born manager Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton has 15 points from eight games. 

Markus Ferkranus will have to wait to make his A-League debut as a knee injury kept him out of the opening game for the Brisbane Roar on Saturday in a 2-0 loss away to the newly formed Auckland FC. 

In Finland’s Veikkausliiga, it was a very costly 3-2 loss for IF Gnistan away to Inter Turku on Saturday as they were leapfrogged and fell out of the playoff spot for the Conference League next year. Goalkeeper AJ Maucci (on loan from the New York Red Bulls) made 5 saves in the loss, three of which were diving stops. 

Meanwhile, Justin Rennicks continues to miss time for AC Oulu, this time a 2-1 loss at home to Marriehamn. Oulu is now in a dangerous relegation battle in the final weeks of the season in Finland. 

In the Greek Super League, Jonathan Gomez was not in the squad for PAOK in a 1-1 draw with AEK Athens. Erik Palmer-Brown was also out for Panathinaikos is a 1-0 win over OFI Crete.

In Norway's Eliteserien, Viking got a stoppage time equalizer to earn a 3-3 draw with Odds Ballklubb on Sunday. American midfielder Christian Cappis came off the bench in the 88th minute and sent in a perfect cross that was headed home by Nicholas D'Agostino in the fifth minute of stoppage time.



With the draw, Viking end the weekend in fourth place in Norway's top flight.

In Uruguay's Primera, Matias Fracchia started at left back for Danubio but was taken out at halftime of a 0-0 draw away to Cerro Largo. Danubio was reduced to 10-men in the 39th and had to adjust tactically. After a very strong start to the season, Danubio is winless in five (but with four draws) and has fallen to fourth in the Primera.

Staying in Uruguay's Primera, Agustin Anello started and played 71 minutes at forward for third place Boston River in a 2-0 loss away to leaders Penerol.

In Argentina's Primera, Matko Miljevic played the entire game for Newell's Old Boys in a 2-0 loss away to Godoy Cruz. Miljevic was very active and had four shots, five chances created, and 16 passes into the final third for Newell's Old Boys as his career revival continues following the disastrous run at Montreal. Newell’s Old Boys sits 24th in the 28-team Primera.

 

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