Haji_wright_-_asn_top_-_antalyaspor_-_8-29-22
Americans abroad analysis

Wright, Sargent, and Pefok remain hot in very busy weekend for Americans abroad

What happend this weekend among Americans abroad? A lot. ASN's Brian Sciaretta wrote about it all, from the surging American strikers, to the mounting injury concerns, and all the good in between. Plus, he also gives added emphasis on how it relates to the U.S. national team with the midseason World Cup fast approaching. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
August 29, 2022
2:10 AM

It was a busy weekend for Americans abroad and it was full of good news and bad news. With a midseason World Cup fast approaching, the news becomes even more critical as players are seeing their standings change with each passing game.

With that said, let’s get right into it.

 

Wright remains hot but Antalyaspor falls

 

Haji Wright remains on an absolutely incredible run right now in Turkey. The 24-year-old Californian  scored two goals on Friday for Antalyaspor. The bad news for Wright and company is that Antalyaspor collapsed in the second half in a 5-2 loss to Gaziantepe.

Despite the loss, Haji’s run deserves some context. This season, he has five goals in his first four Super Lig games. If you go back to last season, he has 13 goals in his last 12 Super Lig games and 14 goals in his last 14 league games.

The quality of his two finishes in the loss to Gaziantepe was impressive. Haji is showing that he can finish a variety of different chances.





The obvious question right now is what does this mean for Haji Wright and his chances to go to Qatar? The problem for Wright is that a lot of other American forwards are also in form – Jordan Pefok, Josh Sargent, Jesus Ferreira, and Brandon Vazquez are all scoring goals in droves the past several months. Ferreira is more of a false No. 9 and offers something different. In terms of traditional No. 9 forwards, Wright is competing with others.

It's still a coin flip and perhaps things will get decided in September and maybe Berhalter calls up all the forwards to see how they each fit in. None of the forwards has spent a lot of time with the team the past year.

The concern over Wright is that the June camp did not seem to go well for him. Berhalter was not pleased with his performance in his start against El Salvador. That might still tilt the edge for Sargent or a return for Pefok – who is the only one scoring in the top five European leagues.

Wright has done all he can, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he is behind others in the race to go to Qatar.

 

Sargent hits winner

 

Josh Sargent has been immense at the start of the Championship season, and he is in the process of overtaking Teemu Pukki as the club’s No. 1 striker. That is impressive as Pukki has been the team’s starter for the past five seasons and has been instrumental in their last two successful promotions to the Premier League.

On Saturday, Sargent scored the winner for Norwich in the 76th minute when he got on the end of an Aaron Ramsey cross on a counter for a close finish.



But aside from the goal, Sargent is playing well. He is physically winning battles, he is moving well and separating himself from defenders (historically a weaker part of his game), passing well, finishing well, and even defending well.

This is surely not lost on Gregg Berhalter. Sargent has been the top forward for the U.S. team for most of the cycle and he’s now doing well. His success could realistically put him back ahead of the also inform Wright and Pefok as Sargent probably has better and a more long-standing chemistry with the team.

On a separate note, Lynden Gooch played the full 90 for Sunderland in the loss. The loss was unfortunate for Sunderland – which hit the post twice. Gooch continues to play relatively well this season an created two of Sunderland’s best chances of the game.

 

Injury concerns mounting

 

For American fans, injury fears are continuing to be a serious problem,  especially since several players who are injured are key players for the U.S. team.

Gio Reyna might not have suffered a new injury but Borussia Dortmund show that they are going to continue to handle the American player with the utmost precaution. Reyna did not even travel with Dortmund for its 1-0 road win over Hertha BSC on Saturday. He appeared for about 20 minutes last weekend as BvB collapsed in its epic 3-2 collapse to Werder Bremen last weekend.

It is easy to understand why BvB wants to exercise precaution as Reyna is coming off a lost season last year. But how far is he from being 100%? And what will his level be at for the World Cup? Will he be able to start multiple group stage games? At this point, you can’t be too confident he will be.

In the Championship, Middlesbrough announced prior to kickoff that Zack Steffen would miss Saturday’s game with Swansea due to an injury. Given his history with injuries and his decision to serve mostly as a backup the past two seasons, Steffen latest injury is a big concern.



As was expected, Tim Weah missed out on Lille’s 3-1 away win over Ajaccio on Saturday and he is expected to miss the next several weeks.

For Venezia, Gianluca Busio was ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Cittadella with an unspecified injury.

 

Even at the youth level, it is still a concern. U.S. U-20 winger Kevin Paredes was listed with a knee injury and therefore was not in the lineup for Wolfsburg on Saturday for its 2-0 loss to Leipzig. It is unfortunate timing as Paredes was sharp off the bench last week in Wolfsburg’s 0-0 draw with Schalke. This would have been a good chance for him to gain momentum, but instead it is a lost opportunity.

U.S. U-20 hopeful Vaughn Covil got the start for Hull City but was forced out of the game in the 25th minute with an injury. He missed out on his team’s 3-2 win over Coventry.

 

Dest in the doghouse

 

By now, we all know the problems with Sergino Dest. For one, there are registration issues surrounding the club given the high wages of the new signings. But Dest is being linked with some clubs and is not wanted by Barcelona manager Xavi, who made it very clear with his recent statements to the media.

“Seeing the trajectory of [Alejandro] Balde we have the position of left-back well covered,” Xavi said. “At right-back we have Sergi and Dest, but he knows the situation of the club and my stance towards him.”

As expected, Dest was not in the lineup for Barcelona in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Real Valladolid.

Dest remains a lock to go to the World Cup, but he has to get out of Barcelona ASAP and it doesn’t really matter where – through at least November. Anywhere is a step up. He’s been linked to Manchester United, who wants to bring in a right back. But even if it is not to the Red Devils, he needs to go to where he will play games.

This is an enormous week for Dest.

 

Fulham fight, but fall to Arsenal



It was a tough task for Fulham on Saturday when they traveled within London to the north part of the city to visit an impressive Arsenal team this year.

As expected, Arsenal controlled the game, but Fulham played very hard and even took a 1-0 lead via Aleksandar Mitrovic off a woeful Arsenal error inside their own third. Arsenal, however, rallied with an\ Odegaard equalizer in the 64th and a Gabriel winner in the 85th.

Ream was once again excellent, and Robinson was very strong at left back on the defensive side. In total Arsenal only had two decent chances and those came from errors from other Fulham players.  

The start of this season has been the most impressive soccer of Ream’s career. We’ve all known he’s great in the Championship, but at 34, he is playing in the Premier League at another level. Robinson hasn’t been able to get forward as much this season but his defense is excellent.

Robinson is a lock to go to Qatar, but Ream’s chances are increasing. Berhalter likes Zimmerman but there are questions throughout the rest of the central defense depth chart. He rates Richards but Richards isn’t getting regular minutes. McKenzie, Palmer-Brown, and Carter-Vickers have never played with the U.S. team in big games before. Ream might be in a better position that we think. This doesn’t mean he starts in Qatar, but Berhalter might feel very comfortable having Ream on the bench as a backup if there is an injury, suspension, or a poor run of form with a starter. Ream could be the right person to settle everything down.

 

McKenzie and Genk roll

 

Like we mentioned last week, with Genk finally selling Jhon Lucumi to Bologna, Mark McKenzie now has the chance to finally be a regular starter for KRC Genk. The club has wanted to sell Lucumi for three windows but was never able to get the deal it wanted, and this has severely limited McKenzie.

On Saturday, McKenzie got the start for Genk against RFC Seraing and played well – like he did last week. In this game Genk posted a comfortable 4-0 win and McKenzie put up good numbers (as did everyone on Genk).

  • 92 touches
  • 71/79 passing
  • 6/12 long balls
  • 8 passes into the final third
  • 2/3 tackles
  • 5 clearances
  • 3/3 grould duels
  • 3/3 aerials
  • 0 fouls

 

This is the second straight game after Lucumi’s departure where McKenzie has put up solid numbers. Now, like last week against Cercle Brugge is one of the weakest teams in Belgium’s First Division. That run will continue next week when they host St. Truiden. After that, two tough opponents await with Union SG and Gent.

Genk has had an easy schedule but for now, they’re in first place and McKenzie is a starter. He’s in a solid position and is one American probably more under the radar than he should be.

Once again, we need to look at the national team picture given the World Cup and it’s peculiar timing. The way I see it, Berhalter will likely bring four central defenders to Qatar. Walker Zimmerman seems like the strongest lock. Chris Richards seems like the next-safest bet (even if his minutes aren’t great).

That leaves McKenzie, Palmer-Brown, Carter-Vickers, Ream, Sands, Long, Brooks, and then further now the list Miazga and Trusty all competing for the final two spots. Brooks is still without a club and has crippled his already slim chances.

It’s winnable for McKenzie but it’ll be tough.

 

Rangers continue strong form

 

Just days after defeating PSV in dramatic fashion to qualify for the Champions League, it seemed like Saturday’s game vs. Ross County at Ibrox had all the makings for a letdown. But it wasn’t for Rangers who scored two goals in the first half and two in the second half for a 4-0 win.

Both James Sands and Malik Tillman started for Rangers after starting against PSV on Wednesday. Sands played just the first half but was pulled due to a yellow card and Malik Tillman came out in the 63rd minute, shortly after Rangers had a 3-0 lead.

Sands and Tillman both played well and Rangers was simply too much for Ross County. Tillman had two close shots that were blocked, and he worked hard to win his duels. Sands passed well out of the back (although he was rarely under pressure) but was a perfect 4/4 in his aerials.

Tillman’s chances of making the World Cup are increasing by the game – both because he is playing well and also because of injuries and inconsistent minutes to other players. His versatility to play in the middle or on the wings gives him options to cover. The injuries to Weah, Roldan, and the inconsistent minutes to de la Torre give him several outs to make the team. His chances seem pretty strong.

As for Sands, it’s virtually the same story as McKenzie above. He’s playing well but there is a long line of competition. He has the advantage of the Champions League games but unless Rangers is playing Celtic, the Premiership isn’t going to challenge him much.

 

Richards subs into Palace collapse

 

Crystal Palace had a lot of people scoreboard watching when they traveled to Manchester City and took a 2-0 lead into the second half. Chris Richards did not start the game but came into the game in the 57th minute to try to help Palace hold onto a 2-1 lead. He played as a defensive right back.

What happened? Erling Haaland happened. He showed once against why he is one of the best forwards in the world. The Norwegian scored in the 62nd, the 70th, and the 81st minute to complete the comeback and seal a 4-2 win for Man City.



The performance from Haaland was incredible. Richards was only partially at fault for Haaland’s second goal but no one was going to stop the Norwegian on this day.

It’s a good thing for Richards to get these minutes and while his prospects of making the World Cup team are good, he needs to play minutes to increase his chances of success in Qatar. Clearly Patrick Viera believes in Richards and the club wants to develop him, but Richards has to make the most of these games, even if he is playing out of position. Despite the tough loss, learning to try to defend the best players in the world is a valuable learning experience.

 

McKennie subs into Juve draw

 

Weston McKennie was on the bench for Juventus as it hosted Roma on Saturday in a 1-1 draw. Max Allegri instead opted to start teenager Fabio Miretti. While McKennie returned quickly from his shoulder injury, it still limited his preseason. As a result, the Texan seems slow getting going this season.

With the score 1-1, McKennie came into the game in the 77th minute and did nothing to change the outcome. He had just nine touches and was mostly invisible. It’s also hard to see him earning his starting spot back very soon as Miretti was strong as were the two central midfielders behind him, Adrien Rabiot and Manuel Locatelli.

McKennie is in a position where he must fight for his minutes. It the toughest things have looked for him since he arrived in Italy. Unfortunately, it comes also during a World Cup year. He will make the World Cup team, but what will his confidence level be in Qatar and will he be rusty?

 

Pefok & Union crush Schalke

 

Union Berlin posted one of the most impressive results in Germany on Saturday when it defeated Schalke 6-1 away. Jordan Pefok has been one of their best players to start the season and while he didn’t score in this one, he was very influential and picked up assists on the team’s second and fourth goals. He was subbed out in the 71st minute with Union up 4-1. 

The first assist was impressive as a very hard pass was sent into the box and it required Pefok to finesse the shot with a delicate touch to set up Sheraldo Becker’s shot. His second assist is debatable because he seemed to lose control on his run into the box. But it still doesn’t happen without him getting into a dangerous position to begin with.



Pefok is part of the best story in American soccer right now – four strikers scoring non-stop in an effort to make the World Cup team. Pefok, Sargent, Vazquez, and Wright are all raising their games in impressive fashion.

Pefok is doing the most. His goals are coming in a “Big Five” European league and in recent weeks, it scoring in different ways (more than he was in Switzerland) and he is setting up goals too. While his last time with the U.S. team in March didn’t go well, he still might have an edge on the other players.

 

Scally & M’Gladbach hold Bayern

 

Borussia Monchengladbach played Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw on Saturday and it marked the first time this season Bayern had failed to win. Joe Scally started and played the full 90 minutes at right back. Gladbach scored first in the 43rd minute when Marcus Thuram got behind Bayern’s backline with a great run and a cool finish.

Bayern continued to push the rest of the game and it wasn’t until the 83rd minute when they equalized. The attack came down Scally’s side but it was hard to stop as Bayern had too many options in the box as M’Gladbach was pushed deep.  

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Scally did not have much to do offensively given that Bayern had 69% possession. Bayern also completed 543 passes compared with M’Gladbach’s 196. Scally completed just nine passes in the game but defensively, he won all four of his ground duels and was disciplined and made few mistakes. He also had six clearances.

The bottom line is that Scally was one of the better M’Gladbach players on a day it went into Munich and walked out with a result against Bayern. That’s a good day at the office.

This was a great test for Scally against one of the world’s best teams and he did well on the defensive edge. With Sergino Dest in the abyss, and both Reggie Cannon and DeAndre Yedlin hot and cold, Scally is certainly one of the more interesting players to watch.

 

Leeds United fall to Brighton & Hove

 

On Saturday, Leeds United dropped a 1-0 decision to Brighton & Hove Albion. Jesse Marsch, as usual, started Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams along with former New York City FC winger Jack Harrison. It was the first loss of the season for Marsch’s team.

Tyler Adams played well and is growing (or regrowing) into Marsch’s system and into the demands of the Premier League. His defense was in top form and he covered a ton of ground to help limit Brighton & Hove up the middle.

After a standout performance against Chelsea, Aaronson was a bit more anonymous on Saturday and did not stand out. He’s had a good start to the season but, as expected, it is a long season that will be full of peaks and valleys.

Aaronson remains one of the most important American players right now given the questions faced by many American attacking midfielders and wingers right now. More than anyone else, Aaronson is in the most stable club situation and the most healthy and inform attacking midfielder in the U.S. national team player pool.

 

Trusty steady for BCFC despite loss

 

Birmingham City dropped a 2-0 decision to Rotherham on Saturday and Auston Trusty continued to start for the Blues. Trusty continues to be one of the best players on Birmingham City, which is both good and bad. It’s good for him and he will remain in the lineup, but it also means that Birmingham City is going to really struggle.

In the 2-0 loss, both of Rotherham’s goals were from within the first few passes off a corner kick and neither involved Trusty.



Birmingham City looks again like it will be in a relegation battle, but that is not a bad place for a young central defender getting adjusted into Europe. Cameron Carter-Vickers really began his rise when he went to Luton Town on loan during its relegation battle.

Trusty won’t be heading to Qatar but he’s in a good position to potentially earn his first U.S. national team cap next cycle, which starts in just a few months.

 

Pepi earns first 2022/23 start

 

Ricardo Pepi earned his first start of the season for Augsburg on Saturday when it travelled to Hoffenheim and dropped a 1-0 decision. Pepi played 56 minutes, created a half-decent chance, and had a few effective moments of hold-up play, but overall, it was more of the same. His struggles continue and it still seems like starts will continue to be few and far between. Augsburg only has three points from four games (its win over Leverkusen).

The best thing that can be said about Augsuburg is that the bottom half of the Bundesliga is off to an extremely poor start as well. In the 18-team league, teams in 11th place and below all are below a point per game. Augsburg could really use a win next weekend when it hosts Hertha BSC.

As for Pepi, it’s still rough. He hasn’t yet proven he can score goals and there are still options better than him at Augsburg. But he must be seriously lacking in confidence and there doesn’t seem to be any quick fixes. He isn’t going to go on loan this window, and his minutes are going to continue to be limited until he can show he can score.

As for the national team, Pepi’s World Cup hopes are very slim at the moment given the improvement and form of several other forwards. If he is still struggling into 2023, perhaps the U.S. U-20 team becomes an option to reset everything?

 

Cannon & Boavista fall to Benfica



It was a tough test on Saturday for Reggie Cannon who got the start for Boavista at home against Benfica. The U.S. international got the start at right central defense in a three-man backline.

As expected, Benfica controlled this game, despite being on the road. They had 59% possession, outshot Boavista 16-4, and were credited with five big chances while Boavista didn’t have one. The final score ended up 3-0 in favor of Benfica, which has a perfect nine points from three games.

Cannon was simply pinned back in this game and there was little he could do, but he still played relatively well. He played the full 90 minutes and had 52 touches, was 30/38 in passing. He had four passes into the attacking third (one resulted in a shot) but was 1/7 in long balls. He did have five clearances and four interceptions.

Will Cannon make the World Cup team? It’ll be close. If Dest goes, Berhalter needs a reliable backup right back and there is an argument for Joe Scally (regularly M’Gladbach starter, and can play on the left) and DeAndre Yedlin (one of the most experienced U.S. players). 

 

Palmer-Brown sharp for Troyes

 

After dropping its first three games of the season, Troyes notched his first victory on Sunday in a 3-1 win over Angers. The win was made easier by the fact Angers was reduced to 10 men in the 21st minute when Batista Mendy picked up his second yellow card. Troyes was up 1-0 when Mendy was sent off.

Palmer-Brown played well in the middle of a five-man backline. He completed 29/32 of his passes, won 4/5 of his aerials, had six clearances, and two blocked shots. All that is very good for Palmer-Brown on many fronts.

For one, Troyes could be in a relegation battle this season and every point counts. They received a break with an opportunity to play up a man for nearly 70 minutes and took advantage of it.

For the U.S. team, Palmer-Brown has an uphill climb to make the national team, but he is playing in one of Europe’s top leagues when his primary competitors (McKenzie, Carter-Vickers, and Sands) are not. If he can continue to play noticeably well, his chances should improve substantially.

 

Vines starts, Antwerp remains perfect

 

It’s been a mixed time for Royal Antwerp. On one hand, the club was bounced from the Europa Conference League after falling to Istanbul Basaksehir in the final qualifying round. On the other hand, the club defeated Gent, 2-1 away, on Sunday to remain perfect in the Belgian First Division A with 15 points from five games.

Sam Vines continues to be a regular starter for Antwerp and is showing a lot of growth since last season. In his first season with Antwerp, he missed the start of the season with a broken collarbone and from there was an inconsistent starter. On the national team front, he was behind George Bello for the backup left-back spot.

Now Vines is a regular starter for a better Antwerp team, and he could be gaining momentum for a spot in Qatar.

In the win over Gent, it was a tough beginning for Vines as a Sven Kums free kick in the 10th minute deflected off Vines for the opening goal. But Antwerp responded quickly with a 15th minute equalizer and a 27th minute goal that proved to be the winner.

Vines was steady in this game and his consistency has been noticeable. He regularly produces competent outings and, in this game, his passing and long-range passing (which has always been his strength dating back to Colorado) was spot on.

 

Tough weekend in the Eredivisie

 

It was a tough weekend for the American players in the Eredivisie.

On Saturday, Cole Bassett earned his first start for Fortuna Sittard since arriving on loan (from Colorado but with Feyenoord owning the option to buy) when he got the nod in the attacking midfield away at Heerenveen. Bassett, 21, didn’t make any noticeable errors but was one of two tactical substitutions the team made at half-time when the club trailed 2-0. The ended up losing 2-1.

On Sunday, Taylor Booth played the final 31 minutes for FC Utrecht in a 2-0 loss at home to reigning champions Ajax. For Booth, he helped Utrecht stop the bleeding but wasn’t able to help mount a comeback as Ajax was up 2-0 when he came on. It’s been a tough start to the season for Booth who was subbed out at half-time of the first two games of the season, and then was subbed into a tied game in which Utrecht ended up losing. While this wasn’t a great performance, it was still his best outing so far for Utrecht and perhaps something that he can build from.

Both Bassett and Booth are players who are looking to feature with the United States U-23 Olympic team and that team will probably start assembling next year. It will be a tough team to make but how these players perform this season could set the tone for their involvement in Paris 2024.

Elsewhere in Holland, Richard Ledezma remains out injured for PSV and he was not part of the club’s 6-1 blowout over Excelsior on the road on Saturday.

 

Elsewhere in England

 

In the Premier League, Alex Mighten did not get off the bench for Nottingham Forest in a 2-0 loss at home to Tottenham on Sunday. This will be an interesting week for the Connecticut-born winger who could head elsewhere on loan to get more playing time. He had been linked to Standard Liege in the past. A final decision will come down to whether Nottingham Forest (led by American CEO Dane Cook) is comfortable with the other wing options should Mighten depart for the season.

In the Championship, Ethan Horvath got the start for Luton Town on Friday and oversaw a 1-1 with Sheffield United. The Colorado native was not at fault for the goal that got past him but also was not required to make any difficult save either.

Duane Holmes played the final 31 minutes for Huddersfield Town in a 2-2 draw with West Brom on Saturday. It was an uneventful time for the Georgia native as all the goals were scored prior to him coming on the field. Huddersfield is off to a poor start in the Championship, sitting in 23rd place in the 24-team league and a relegation battle looming. It shows how quick things can change in the Championship as last year Huddersfield was in the promotional playoff final.

Middlesbrough defeated Swansea City 2-1. As mentioned, Zack Steffen was injured for Boro and Matthew Hoppe was no in the squad. Hoppe played for the club’s U-21 team on Friday and scored two goals against Stoke City as he looks to build his case to be a first-team regular.

 

Elsewhere in Germany

 

In the Bundesliga, there was a strange twist during Sunday’s 0-0 draw between VfB Stuttgart and FC Koln, American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo was sent off in the 72nd minute for protesting decisions made by the officials as the game gradually grew out of control during the second half. Stuttgart was reduced to 10 players in the 56th minute when striker Luca Pfeiffer was sent off.

Timothy Chandler came on in the 77th minute for Eintracht Frankfurt away against Werder Bremen. When the former U.S. international came on the field, the score was 4-2 for Eintracht and he oversaw an effort where Eintracht prevailed 4-3. 

In the 2.Bundesliga, Hannover defeated Greuther Furth 2-1 on Sunday. Timothy Tillman played the final 22 minutes while Julian Green was an unused substitute.

Lennard Maloney started and played 77 minutes for Heidenheim in a 2-2 away draw with Darmstadt on Saturday. Maloney was subbed out just after Darmstadt took a 2-1 lead as the team shifted to a more offensive formation in the successful effort to push for a draw.

Ryan Malone played the full game in central defense for Hansa Rostock in a 2-0 loss to Karlsruher. The Springfield College alum also picked up a yellow card in the defeat.

George Bello played just the final three minutes for Arminia Bielefeld in a 4-1 win over Eintrach Braunchweig. All the scoring had taken place by the time the former Atlanta United left back entered the game.

Finally in the 2.Bundesliga, Kaiserslautern played Magdeburg to a thrilling 4-4 draw which featured end-to-end action as both teams held leads at various times. Terrence Boyd scored the opening goal of the game when he deflected home a Marlon Ritter free kick. It was Boyd’s third goal of the season.

 

Elsewhere in Scotland

 

In the Scottish Premiership, Celtic embarrassed Dundee United in Dundee by a 9-0 score. Cameron Carter-Vickers played all 90 minutes for Celtic while Ian Harkes started but was taken out in the 58th minute with the score 6-0. Carter-Vickers was not tested in this game and it’s not wise to read too much into it. Dundee United simply did not show up to play in its own stadium and it was a rough game for Harkes and everyone else at the club. For Jack Ross, the new Dundee United manager hired in June, there is already serious skepticism growing among the supporters that he is the man for the job.

Aberdeen defeated Livingston 5-0. Scott Pittman played the full 90 in the loss. Dante Polvara was an unused substitute for Aberdeen while Christian Ramirez was not on the bench for Aberdeen.

Also in the Premiership, Joe Efford played the final 31 minutes for Motherwell in a 2-1 loss on the road to Kilmarnock. Efford came into the game with Motherwell up 1-0 and was on the field for both Kilmarnock goals.

 

Elsewhere in Scandinavia

 

In Sweden's Allsvenskan, Degerfors defeated last-place GIF Sundsvall 3-1. Joe Corona started and played 65 minutes in the loss and Forest Lasso was not in the lineup. Joe Gyau was not in the lineup for Degerfors while backup goalkeeper Jeff Gal did not get off the bench.

In Norway’s Tippeligaen, Rosenborg lost a wild game on the road at Tromso 4-3. Sam Rogers played all 90 minutes for Rosenborg on the left side of a three-man backline. Tromso scored two early goals, but Rosenborg rallied, and Rogers scored his fifth goal of the season in the 35th minute to give Rosenborg a 3-2 lead. Tromso however responded well and evened the game in the 48th before finding a stoppage time winner. Rosenborg remained in fourth place in Norway.

Also, in Norway on Sunday, Kobe Hernandez-Foster started for 10th place HamKam in central midfield and played 90 minutes en route to a 1-0 win over FK Haugesund.

In the Danish Superliga on Monday, Christian Cappis and Brondby host Midtjylland.

 

Elsewhere in Europe

 

In Italy’s Serie B, three Americans featured for Venezia in its 1-1 away draw with Cittadella on Sunday. Tanner Tessmann started and played 62 minutes. Jack DeVries played the second half and Andrija Novakovich played the final six minutes. Patrick Leal was an unused substitute for Venezia and Gianluca Busio was ruled out with an injury. Venezia has four points from its first three games.

Also in Serie B, Anthony Fontana was an unused substitute for Ascoli Calcio on Saturday as it defeated Palermo 3-2.

In La Liga,Luca de la Torre was an unused substitute for Celta Vigo on Friday as it posted a strong 1-0 away win over Giorna. De la Torre has played just three minutes from the club’s first three games this season and should he continue to struggle to see the field, it could jeopardize his chances for the World Cup team or the likelihood he sees minutes in Qatar should he make the team.

Also in La Liga, Yunus Musah and Valencia host Atletico Madrid on Monday.

In the Turkish Super Lig, Gbolyi Ariyibi played the final 17 minutes for Ankaragucu in a 4-1 loss to Fatih Karagumruk. Ankaragucu are still looking for their first win of the season. Elsewhere, Tyler Boyd and Besiktas host Sivasspor on Monday (Boyd spent a season on loan with Sivasspor in 2020/21).

In the Belgian First Division, Club Brugge defeated Sporting Charleroi 3-1 on Friday, but Owen Otasowie went as an unused substitute in the win. Also, in Belgium's top-flight, St. Truiden defeated Mechelen 3-1. Midfielder Jorge Hernandez played the final nine minutes for Mechelen in the loss. The score was 2-1 when he entered. Bryan Reynolds was an unused substitute and Griffin Yow was not in the squad for Westerlo in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Eupen.

In Portugal, Alex Mendez, U.S. U-20 midfielder Alonso Alvarado and Vizela host Gil Vicente on Monday. Meanwhile, Maritimo has lost all four of its games so far this season when fell to Portimonense on Saturday. 2015 U.S. U-20 World Cup midfielder Joel Sonora signed for Maritimo last week (from Banfield in Argentina) but was not in the squad for this game.

In the Israeli Premier League, Josh Cohen started in goal for Maccabi Haifa in a 4-1 win over Maccabi Netanya.

In Azerbaijan's top tier, Kenny Saief started for Neftchi Baku in a 2-1 win over Zira.

 

In South America

 

Alan Sonora played the entire 90 minutes and scored the lone goal for Independiente in a 1-1 draw with Velez Sarsfield in Argentina’s Primera. The New Jersey-born attacking midfielder scored in the 10th minute for a 1-0 lead and was strong throughout the entire game, winning the MOTM.

On Monday in Brazil’s Serie A, Internacional host Juventude with 2024 U.S. Olympic hopeful Johnny Cardoso will be looking for another start for Internacional.

In Uruguay’s Primera on Saturday, former North Carolina State Wolfpack defender Mattias Fracchia played the final 37 minutes for Montevideo Wanderers in a 0-0 draw with Albion.

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