Pellegrino_matarazzo_-_asn_top_-_real_sociedad_wins_copa_del_rey_-_april_2026
Americans abroad

Yanks abroad week in review: Matarazzo's triumph, Haji promoted, but also many struggles

ASN's Brian Sciaretta walks you through the past week with Americans abroad with plenty of great highs and concerning lows. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
April 23, 2026
6:10 AM

IT HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY busy week in the world of Americans in Europe. We’ve seen one Yank earn promotion, a coach win a historic title, along with other players moving closer to accomplishments. But the news is also not great as several U.S. internationals are struggling.

Here is the breakdown of the past week.

 

Matarazzo wins Copa del Rey

 

Pellegrino Matarazzo has been a groundbreaking American manager for the past five years, dating back to his first head coaching job when he led VfB Stuttgart to promotion back to the Bundesliga. He also did a good job for Hoffenheim when he helped the club in a relegation battle and subsequently led them to European play.

Now he is in his first season in Spain with Real Sociedad. He inherited the job in a relegation battle and now in April, he has them just two points away from playing in Europe.

But his biggest triumph yet came on Sunday when he led Real Sociedad to a the Copa del Rey title following a shootout victory over Atletico Madrid (regulation ended 2-2).

 

There is always a lot of talk online about Matarazzo possibly becoming the U.S. national team head coach one day. It’s possible but it doesn’t seem like it will happen anytime soon. His stock has never been higher in the club circuit and walking away from that for four years to coach the national team would kill that momentum.

But Matarazzo also has a lot to prove. He’s don’t a great job in the first year to 18 months of his tenures at each club before eventually fading. Can he hold onto the Real Sociedad job for a long time and continue to be a mainstay?

Regardless, what he is doing is a great story in the world of American soccer. It is truly groundbreaking.

On another note, Johnny Cardoso played the last 15 minutes plus stoppage time. The biggest moment for him came when he missed a 1v1 with the keeper that would have won the title for Atletico Madrid.

 

Klinsmann suffers major injury

 

Jonathan Klinsmann was in the mix to be the U.S. national team’s backup goalkeeper but suffered a serious injury over the weekend in Cesena’s 2-0 loss to Palermo. He was stretchered off the field late in the game and it revealed a fracture in his spine. It is unclear how long he will miss, but his season is over. Klinsmann was in the mix for a World Cup roster spot although it seemed unlikely recently as his form in Italy had slumped and he was left off the roster for March.

 

The good news is that Klinsmann posted an encouraging message on his Instagram.

Cesena has stumbled in recent months and is clinging to the final promotional playoff position in Serie B.

 

Balogun continues run

 

Folarin Balogun converted a 59th minute equalizing penalty for Monaco in a 2-2 draw with Auxerre on Sunday. It helped Monaco earn a point after trailing 2-0 at halftime. Even more important is that Balogun drew the penalty when he was fouled in the box.

But it continued Balogun’s fantastic run of form. He now has scored in eight straight games and has 10 goals in his last 10 games for Monaco. The only time that streak was interrupted is when he failed to score for the United States national team in his two appearance during the March window.

That begs the question of whether Balogun can carry over his form to the U.S. team? It all comes down to chemistry with his teammates. He’s developed that at Monaco on a daily basis for a few seasons. With the U.S. team, he is still has a limited and infrequent history.

For Balogun and the U.S. team, the pre-World Cup camp is critical to developing that chemistry.

 

Aaronson impressive week. 

 

Brenden Aaronson had one of his best performances of the season for Leeds United over the weekend in a 3-0 win over a Wolves team that was already relegated. It was a critical win that moved Leeds eight points above the relegation line. Then a few days later, he started and played 84 minutes in a 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth. 

Aaronson’s best moment in the win over Wolves came in the 20th minute when he assisted on Noah Okafor’s goal for a 2-0 lead.

But beyond that, Aaronson was just solid on the day, playing 78 minutes, contributing on both sides of the ball, and bringing energy to the game. 



In the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, Aaronson didn't have any goal contributions, but he brought a lot of energy to the game as was made clear by his heatmap. 



Pochettino has never fully bought into Aaronson, but when Aaronson is on his game, he gives the team so much of what it typically lacks – intensity, and making life difficult on the opponent.

 

Scally scores for M’Gladbach

 

Joe Scally scored a rare goal for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 1-1 draw with Mainz on Sunday. It was a great strike with his left foot in the 7th minute. It seemed as if it would be the winner before Mainz equalized with nearly the last kick of the game.



It was a big moment for Scally at an important time. He is firmly on the bubble to make the World Cup team with Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, and Tim Weah also in the mix at right back. He could play left back, although Mauricio Pochettino has not shown much interest in that. He could also play central defense in a three-man backline.

The last few World Cup roster spots could come down whoever is playing best, and Scally helped his case.

Gio Reyna played the last 19 minutes, and what was interesting about his appearance is that it came when M’Gladbach was trying to hold onto a lead instead of chasing a goal. Reyna had a few nice clearances but overall did not do much.

Whether Reyna makes the World Cup team is one of the most interesting points of debate around the U.S. national team?

 

Haji promoted, then scores.

 

Haji Wright will be in the Premier League next year after Coventry City clinched promotion on Friday after a 1-1 draw away at Blackburn. The USMNT forward came into the game in the 62nd minute and it was another quiet performance.

Then in the following game on Tuesday, Wright scored the opening goal in a 5-1 win over Portsmouth. That win secured a first-place finish in the Championship.

 

It is an open question whether Wright is going to be able to contribute significantly at the Premier League level. It has historically been difficult for forwards of promoted teams to continue producing at a high rate. Will Coventry use its increase in funds for another forward, or will Wright be the main forward to start the Premier League season?

Wright is surely going to the World Cup, and he could play more minutes than anticipated with the injury to Patrick Agyemang. But this goal was important for Wright to build momentum heading into what will be the biggest few months of his career, the World Cup followed by the Premier League.  

 

Dike scores twice for West Brom

 

Daryl Dike has been having a great week as he has turned back the clock and reminded everyone why he was once seen as a top American forward. Over the weekend, he scored his first goal of the season for West Brom in a 2-0 win over Preston North End, coming into the game in the 70th minute.

Then on Tuesday, Dike scored again, this time in a 3-0 win over Watford.

It was a good story to see Dike taste a little bit of success as most of the last four seasons have seen him battling through serious injuries. He is in the final year of his contract and things are up in the air with regards to his future at the club.



Meanwhile, George Campbell went 90 minutes in central defense in each of the West Brom wins. He continues the line of players who have left MLS for the English Championship and have had near immediate success. Campbell will likely not be in the running for a World Cup roster spot (absent another injury or two) but he could be in the mix next cycle after players like Tim Ream, Miles Robinson, and Walker Zimmerman age out.

 

Other notes from abroad

 

Christian Pulisic’s 2026 slump continued as he did not produce much for AC Milan, despite the club winning 1-0 over Hellas Verona. I have said it before many times, but Pulisic’s form is the biggest story regarding the U.S. national team right now.

Weston McKennie assisted on Khephren Thuram’s 57th minute goal to give Juventus a 2-0 lead on Bologna. That was the final goal of the game as Juventus won its third game in a row and moved into the top four.



McKennie is surging into the World Cup and this is a great sign for the U.S. team. McKennie is often a bellwether for the team’s success. His form was poor heading into the 2024 Copa America and ultimately the team did not play well. Two years later, he is one of the top performing Americans in the game.

In a surprise to no one, Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy reported Yunus Musah will not have his purchase option on his loan picked up by Atalanta. This summer he will return to AC Milan, who seemingly don’t want him. It’s not a good situation and the report says that his $2 million salary makes landing spots for another loan (or a full transfer) trickier. One guess from the article is that heading to the Premier League as a backup option might make the most sense since more clubs can afford his salary.

Gianluca Busio played well for Venezia in a 3-0 win over Bari. With three games remaining in the regular season season in Serie B, Venezia has a three point lead atop the table (and for automatic promotion). Busio continues to have a great season and at 23 years old, he is one of the best players in Serie B. He isn’t in the World Cup picture for 2026, but he can easily be part of the team next cycle.

There is concern over a few U.S. national team regulars that have seen their minutes cut recently.

Malik Tillman has only been a late sub in recent weeks for Bayer Leverkusen and played just the final 10 minutes in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Augsburg. Tillman is expected to be one of the drivers of the U.S. team’s offense but that could be challenged in the pre-World Cup camp if he is rusty from not playing. The job could fall to Diego Luna, Brenden Aaronson, or maybe the team goes without a No. 10 if Pochettino opts for a three-man backline.

Tanner Tessmann also hasn’t been playing as much for Lyon and the former FC Dallas midfielder only came into Sunday’s enormous 2-1 upset over Paris St. Germain in the 79th minute with Lyon leading 2-0. He is a potential starting central midfielder at the World Cup along with Tyler Adams.

Also in Germany, Santiago Castaneda and Paderborn are clinging to a three point cushion for automatic promotion out of the 2.Bundesliga. The Tampa native went 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Hannover. Castaneda should be in the USMNT picture for next season.

 

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