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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Desevio Payne FC Groningen 14

While several U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team players are looking to impress Jurgen Klinsmann in the current annual winter camp, there is already one youngster abroad who is surely garnering attention.

Desevio Payne received another start in the Eredivisie on Saturday, as he got the nod and went the distance in FC Groningen’s 3-1 win over PEC Zwolle. The versatile Payne, 20, was deployed at left back in the match, and helped Groningen pick up three more points to move closer to a UEFA Europa League spot. He has now been in Groningen’s lineup in three of its last four matches, and is likely to be counted on when the young Americans take on Colombia in March’s Olympic playoff should he be able to continue to see the field with such regularity.

Another youth U.S. player with a noteworthy performance this weekend was Christian Pulisic. Having made the bench for Borussia Dortmund in recent weeks, 17-year-old Pulisic achieved another accomplishment by making his professional debut for the club on Saturday. Pulisic was inserted into Dortmund’s clash with Ingolstadt when the result still hung in the balance in the 68th minute, but he was able to come out victorious, 2-0, in his first match after talented teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bagged a brace.

One American did find the back of the net this weekend, and he did so in a win. Danny Williams scored his sixth goal across all competitions this season and first in the FA Cup, as he netted the third tally in Reading’s 4-0 romp of Walsall. Williams netted on an individual effort in the 75th minute, pouncing on a ball near midfield and dribbling freely towards goal before slotting a shot home.

Here are how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard dressed but did not play in Everton’s 3-0 win vs. Carlisle United in the FA Cup on Sunday.
  • Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes, and made five saves in Aston Villa’s 4-0 loss vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Geoff Cameron did not dress in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss vs. Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Saturday. He is recovering from an ankle injury.
  • DeAndre Yedlin and Sunderland did not play this weekend.

Championship

  • Jonathan Spector dressed but did not play in Birmingham City’s 0-0 draw vs. Bristol City on Saturday.
  • Eric Lichaj started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 loss vs. Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Danny Williams started, played 90 minutes, and scored a GOAL in Reading’s 4-0 win vs. Walsall in the FA Cup on Saturday.

  • Tim Ream and Fulham did not play this weekend.
  • Emerson Hyndman and Fulham did not play this weekend.
  • Cody Cropper dressed but did not play in Milton Keynes Dons’ 5-1 loss vs. Chelsea in the FA Cup on Sunday.
  • Duane Holmes dressed but did not play in Huddersfield Town’s 3-2 loss vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.

League One

  • Lynden Gooch and Doncaster Rovers did not play this weekend.

SCOTLAND

  • Gedion Zelalem came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Rangers’ 1-0 win vs. Falkirk on Saturday.

GERMANY

  • Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 1-0 loss vs. Mainz on Friday.
  • Timmy Chandler dressed but did not play in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday.
  • John Brooks started and played 90 minutes in Hertha Berlin’s 3-3 draw vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday
  • Alfredo Morales started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 2-0 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
  • Aron Johannsson did not dress in Werder Bremen’s 3-3 draw vs. Hertha Berlin on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.
  • Christian Pulisic came off the bench and played 22 minutes in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win vs. FC Ingolstadt 04 on Saturday.

FRANCE

  • Alejandro Bedoya started and played 90 minutes in FC Nantes’ 1-0 win vs. Troyes on Saturday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Rubio Rubin did not dress in FC Utrecht’s 3-1 loss vs. FC Twente on Sunday.
  • Desevio Payne started and played 90 minutes in FC Groningen’s 3-1 win vs. PEC Zwolle on Saturday.

MEXICO

  • Paul Arriola came off the bench and played 21 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 2-2 draw vs. Veracruz on Friday.
  • Michael Orozco did not dress for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza did not dress for Club Tijuana.
  • Alejandro Guido did not dress for Club Tijuana. He is recovering from an injury.
  • Edgar Castillo came off the bench and played 25 minutes in Monterrey’s 3-1 loss vs. Pachuca on Saturday.
  • Jose Torres dressed but did not play in Tigres UANL’s 3-1 win vs. Club Leon on Saturday.
  • Luis Silva did not dress for Tigres UANL.
  • Sonny Guadarrama started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in Dorados de Sinaloa’s 3-0 loss vs. Club America on Saturday.
  • Joe Corona dressed dressed but did not play for Dorados de Sinaloa.
  • Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America’s 3-0 win vs. Dorados de Sinaloa on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein started and played 90 minutes in Queretaro’s 2-0 loss vs. Santos Laguna on Friday.
  • Luis Gil started and played 64 minutes for Queretaro.
  • William Yarbrough started, played 90 minutes, and made nine saves in Club Leon’s 3-1 loss vs. Tigres UANL on Saturday.
  • Miguel Ibarra did not dress for Club Leon.
  • Omar Gonzalez started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in Pachuca’s 3-1 win vs. Monterrey on Saturday.
  • Jorge Villafana started and played 90 minutes in Santos Laguna’s 2-0 win vs. Queretaro on Friday.
  • Gabriel Farfan did not dress in Jaguares de Chiapas’ 2-1 loss vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.

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What do you think of these performances? Do you see Payne continuing to get a heavy dose of minutes? What are you expecting from Pulisic during the remainder of the German Bundesliga’s campaign?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I think Payne is the future right back and this isn’t hyperbole based on this article. I watched him shine at the U-20 WC and he is the perfect balance of going forward in attack but still being responsible as a defender. He’s much more polished than Yedlin as a complete RB.

    Reply
  2. not only was it great to see Pulisic get his debut, but Morales was a beast for Ingolstadt. he frustrated them all game and despite it ending 2-0, anyone who watched the game will tell you it was a dog fight with Morales proving to be a big part of that.

    with him and Williams playing well, it goes to show why anyone complaining about Dax and/or Kljestan not getting called up needs to relax (cough, benny, cough). Morales is also versatile and while he hasn’t had a stand out game with the US, he plays at a high club-level and should continue to get his chance to integrate with the US.

    to take it even further, when you have Lee and Nagbe moving in, and with Bradley not going anywhere, there is no room for Dax or Kljestan (or Mix).

    Reply
  3. What’s up with Ventura Alverado? Wasn’t he supposed to be the cure for what ails our backline? If yesterday was any indication the USMNT needs all the cure it can get.

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    • what about him? he’s played 90 almost every game so far but was got called into the US camp so he missed this game. my guess is he plays on Friday because Orozco was only called up for the Iceland game.

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    • Both. I think January is when he could start training again after his surgery, so it’ll take him some time to get back uto match fit, as well as work himself back into the first team. At least it wasn’t a knee issue.

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  4. Looking at that list…the USMNT may be beginning to develop depth to its player pool like we have never seen. With so many paths to the pros in the US that lead to leagues at home and abroad, the future is bright.

    Reply
  5. Overall a good weekend for the US players. Pulisic made his debut, Miazga signed, Brooks re-signed and even though it was a cup weekend a fair number of our players saw the field and made positive contributions.

    Reply

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