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.