Top Stories

Weston McKennie equalizer spurs Juventus to derby win

52 Shares

Weston McKennie opened his account on the season, netting the crucial equalizer in Juventus’s come from behind win against fierce rivals Torino on Saturday.

The U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder headed home with great aplomb, latching onto Juan Cuadrado’s inch-perfect cross.

Leonardo Bonucci completed the comeback in the dying embers of the game, firing home the winner past a helpless Salvatore Sirigu.

Juventus struggled in the early goings of the game, with Torino finding the opener inside 10 minutes. The Italian champions seemed destined to drop points until Andrea Pirlo’s double-substitution altered the complexion of the game entirely.

McKennie made an immediate impact shortly after his introduction, injecting some much-needed life in the middle of the park. The former Schalke man capped off his impressive performance with his first goal in a Juventus shirt and nearly doubled his tally before the final whistle. Paulo Dybala got in his way, however, firing his effort off a defender and out for a corner.

The 22-year-old has impressed in his cameo appearances since joining this summer and is slowly starting to stake his claim for a more prominent role in Andrea Pirlo’s setup. On a night where Juventus seemed well on its way to its first defeat of the season, McKennie stepped up.

“It was a tough match,” McKennie said post match. “We struggled to find our rhythm and strike the balance to get in behind their compact defensive line in the first half. I wanted to give my all for the team because I always think about the team above all.”

“As for my goal, I like to get into the box, which is what I did and it paid off. [Juan] Cuadrado and I aren’t that similar as players, but we have a fantastic understanding. We’re pumped for the Barcelona game, so we’ll do our research on them and try to understand how we can get the best possible result.”

The Italian champions will now shift their focus to Barcelona on matchday six of the Champions League. McKennie will be raring to go entering Tuesday’s affair fresh off a match-winning performance in his first ever Derby Della Mole.

Comments

  1. A trifecta of Americans today. McKennie, Pulisic, and Reyna all scored for Juve, Chelsea, and Dortmund.Even 4 years ago who could have seen this coming?

    Reply
  2. Even the Juve fans — who in my limited forum-browsing experience are remarkable for their snobbery, lack of patience, and judgmental attitudes — are coming round to admitting that McKennie adds something to the team that is otherwise lacking. He came on and changed the game and I think people are starting to recognize that he belongs.

    Reply

Leave a Comment