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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind (McKennie, Dest, and more)

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Weston McKennie didn’t register a goal or assist in the weekend’s most important match in Serie A, but his appearance in the starting lineup for the Juventus clash with Inter Milan is the latest evidence that he is gaining the trust of Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri.

McKennie turned in a solid shift in Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Sunday, delivering one of the weekend’s most encouraging performances among the Americans Abroad contingent.

McKennie started alongside Manuel Locatelli in the heart of Juventus’ midfield, playing 83 minutes in what was his third start out of the team’s past four matches in all competitions. The 23-year-old completed 88% (21/24) of his passes, while also adding three interceptions and three clearances.

Juventus sits in sixth place in Serie A, and has a quick turnaround this week, hosting Sassuolo on Wednesday in league play.

In other Americans Abroad action this weekend, Sergino Dest registered an assist despite missing a glorious goalscoring opportunity in Barcelona’s El Clasico loss to Real Madrid while Christian Ramirez continued his strong start with Scottish side Aberdeen. Tyler Adams appeared off the bench in RB Leipzig’s lopsided win over Greuther Furth. Gianluca Busio started for Venezia but left at halftime with an injury in a 3-1 loss to Sassuolo.

Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson both started in Fulham’s triumph over Nottingham Forest, keeping the club in the top two in the EFL Championship. Tim Weah went the distance for Lille in a league draw with Brest, as did Brenden Aaronson in an Austrian Bundesliga victory over Sturm Graz.

Here is a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad action:


England


PREMIER LEAGUE

Josh Sargent started and played 69 minutes in Norwich City’s 7-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

Zack Steffen dressed but did not play in Manchester City’s 4-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Christian Pulisic is OUT (Injury) for Chelsea.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Fulham’s 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Duane Holmes came off the bench and played 27 minutes in Huddersfield’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Ethan Horvath dressed but did not play for Nottingham Forest.

Matthew Olosunde is OUT (Achilles injury) for Preston North End’s trip to Blackpool on Saturday.

LEAGUE ONE

Lynden Gooch came off the bench and played 20 minutes in Sunderland’s 1-0 loss to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.


Germany


BUNDESLIGA

Joe Scally started and played 90 minutes in Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 1-0 loss to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Chris Richards started and played 90 minutes in Hoffenheim’s 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich on Saturday.

John Brooks started and played 89 minutes in Wolfsburg’s 2-0 loss to Freiburg on Saturday.

Tyler Adams came off the bench and played 26 minutes in RB Leipzig’s 4-1 win over Greuther Furth on Saturday.

Timothy Tillman came off the bench and played 18 minutes for Furth.

Pellegrino Matarazzo and Stuttgart tied Union Berlin 1-1 on Sunday.

Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt visit Bochum on Sunday.

Julian Green dressed but did not play for Furth.

Gio Reyna is OUT (hamstring injury) for Borussia Dortmund’s trip to Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

3. LIGA

Terrence Boyd started and played 90 minutes in Hallescher’s 0-0 draw with Osnabruck on Friday.

Johan Gomez started and played 63 minutes in FC Zwickau’s 1-1 draw with Waldhof Mannheim on Saturday.

Bryang Kayo came off the bench and played 11 minutes in Viktoria Berlin’s 1-0 loss to Magdeburg on Saturday.


Spain


LA LIGA

Sergino Dest started, registered ONE ASSIST, and played 90 minutes in Barcelona’s 2-1 loss to Real Madrid on Sunday.

Matt Miazga started and played 90 minutes in Alaves’ 2-0 win over Cadiz on Saturday.

Yunus Musah dressed but did not play in Valencia’s 2-2 draw with Mallorca on Saturday.

Matthew Hoppe did not dress for Mallorca.

SEGUNDA DIVISION

Shaq Moore started and played 76 minutes in Tenerife’s 2-1 win over Leganes on Saturday.

Samuel Shashoua started and played 63 minutes for Tenerife.


Italy


Serie A

Weston McKennie started and played 89 minutes in Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Sunday.

Gianluca Busio started and played 45 minutes in Venezia’s 3-1 loss to Sassuolo on Saturday. Busio left with an apparent injury.

Tanner Tessmann came off the bench and played 22 minutes for Venezia.

Bryan Reynolds dressed but did not play in AS Roma’s 0-0 draw with Napoli on Sunday.

Serie B

Andrija Novakovich came off the bench and played 29 minutes in Frosinone’s 2-1 win over Ascoli on Saturday.


France


LIGUE 1

Tim Weah started and played 90 minutes in Lille’s 1-1 draw with Brest on Saturday.

Nicholas Gioacchini came off the bench and played 25 minutes in Montpellier’s 3-1 loss to Monaco on Sunday.

Konrad De La Fuente came off the bench and played 19 minutes in Marseille’s 0-0 draw with PSG on Sunday.

Erik Palmer-Brown dressed but did not play in Troyes 2-1 win over Stade Reims on Sunday.


Portugal


PRIMEIRA LIGA

Reggie Cannon and Boavista host Belenenses on Monday.

Alex Mendez started and played 90 minutes in Vizela’s 1-0 loss to Benfica on Sunday.


Netherlands


Luca De La Torre started and played 90 minutes in Heracles 1-0 loss to PEC Zwolle on Saturday.


Turkey


DeAndre Yedlin and Galatasaray visit Besiktas on Monday.

Haji Wright came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Antalyaspor’s 2-1 loss to Istanbul Basaksehir on Sunday.

Tyler Boyd is OUT (Suspension) for Rizespor.


Austria


ADMIRAL Bundesliga

Brenden Aaronson started and played 90 minutes in Red Bull Salzburg’s 4-1 win over Sturm Graz on Sunday.

2. Liga

Ulysses Llanez started and played 75 minutes in SKN St. Polten’s 2-0 loss to Kapfenberger SV on Sunday.


Belgium

Chris Durkin started and played 90 minutes in Sint-Truiden’s 4-1 loss to OH Leuven on Sunday.

Sam Vines started and played 90 minutes in Royal Antwerp’s 1-1 draw with Club Brugge on Sunday.

Mark McKenzie dressed but did not play in Genk’s 3-0 loss to Gent on Sunday.

Owen Otasowie did not dress for Club Brugge.


Switzerland


SWISS SUPER LEAGUE

Jordan Pefok started and played 45 minutes in Young Boys 3-2 win over Lausanne on Saturday.


Denmark


Superliagen

Emmanuel Sabbi started, registered ONE ASSIST, and played 90 minutes in Odense’s 1-1 draw with Silkeborg on Sunday.

Christian Cappis dressed but did not play in Brondby’s 2-1 win over FC Kobenhaven on Sunday.

Jonathan Amon is OUT (knee injury) for Nordsjaelland’s visit to Vejle on Friday.


Scotland


PREMIERSHIP

Christian Ramirez started, scored a GOAL, and played 90 minutes in Aberdeen’s 1-0 win over Hibernian on Saturday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers started and played 90 minutes in Celtic’s 2-0 win over St. Johnstone on Saturday.

Ian Harkes started and played 90 minutes in Dundee United’s 2-1 win over Motherwell on Saturday.


Sweden


Allsvenskan

Jeffrey Gal and Degerfors visit Orebro on Monday.

Romain Gall did not dress in Malmo’s 1-1 draw with Varbergs Bols on Sunday.

Nebiyou Perry did not dress in Ostersunds 4-3 loss to Hammarby on Sunday.


Norway


OBOES-LIGAEN

Sam Rogers started, scored a GOAL, and played 90 minutes in Ham Kam’s 3-0 win over Ranheim on Sunday.

Mike Lansing started and played 90 minutes in Aalesund’s 2-2 draw with Sandnes on Sunday.


Hungary


NB 1

Henry Wingo started and played 90 minutes in Ferencvaros’ 0-0 draw with MTK Budapest on Sunday.


Mexico


Liga MX

Sebastian Saucedo started and played 57 minutes in Pumas’ 3-1 win over Club Tijuana on Sunday.


Argentina


Liga Profesional

Joel Sonora and Banfield visit Godoy Cruz on Sunday.

Alan Sonora and Independiente host Union on Monday.


Brazil


Serie A

Johnny Cardoso came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Internacional’s 2-2 draw with Corinthians on Sunday.

Comments

  1. As we near the final WCQ Window of 2021 and the pivotal home game against Mexico, I’m looking for positive takeaways for some of our critical players/positions from our abroad players:
    1) Consistent Club Minutes (Starts/>70 minutes)
    Defense: A. Robinson, Dest, Scally, Brooks, Miazga, Richards, Vines (off DL)
    Midfield: McKennie, Adams, Luca DLT,
    Attack: Weah, Aaronson, Sargent, Sabbi,
    2) Dangerous off the Bench/fighting for consistent minutes – Konrad, Cardoso, Pefok, Gioacchini, Busio, Moore,
    We’ve got a couple players still working their way back from injury that I hope can recover in time to be possible bench options (Reyna & Pulisic) or are fighting for minutes and therefore been in/out of line-ups (Musah).

    When paired with some of the MLS players (Turner, M. Robinson, Pepi) there should be enough talent available to get results from the 2 games in November IF Gregg doesn’t overthink/out coach himself again.

    Reply
    • Have you actually seen a match that Sabbi has played in the last four years? Not highlights an actual match? The Danish League is ranked 22nd in Europe. It might have been a good place for US players 10 years ago but not today.

      Reply
  2. Former LAG II CM Alejandro Alvarado Jr. made the bench for Vizela. You should check him out on SofaScore his profile pick appears to be from his U10 days.

    Reply
  3. McKennie was OK for Juve, not great but not bad. A couple of nice touches here and there. I guess it says something that Allegri started him against Inter.

    Sargent? Wow, Norwich were awful. Sargent barely touched the ball. Hard to say he played badly, he didn’t do anything terrible out there. But the whole team was outclassed. Has the look of a team going back to the Championship. They’ve still got a lot of time to turn it around, but they don’t look capable of it based on how overmatched they were against Chelsea. Problem for Sargent is that the coach who wanted him and signed him from Bremen may not be there for much longer, and who knows what the next coach will think of him.

    Reply
    • I didn’t watch a lot of the Chelsea v. Norwich game. However, one small moment I did see captured the gulf in class in both players and teams.

      In the first half, Norwich had a throw-in just over the midfield line. Sargent ran toward the touch line and was unmarked. The throw came directly to him, but too high for an easy trap with his foot and too low for a thigh or chest. He jumped to side foot the ball back to his teammate. The ball caromed off his foot about three feet away from the thrower and out for a throw-in for Chelsea. Chelsea’s throw mirrored the Norwich attempt, EXCEPT the Chelsea player (maybe Havirtz) easily controlled the ball to the thrower, the thrower made a simple pass down the line, Chelsea took off down the field as a unit and put in a dangerous cross and a shot on goal.

      Based on the season, it could have been any of the 10 Norwich field players, but it was Sargent and therefore stuck in my memory. It was a simple professional play that an EPL and national team player should make, and he simply did not. Its going to be a long season for Norwich and Sargent has some progress to make. I think this is an example of Sargent’s current ability and level, and even with his desire to hustle, he simply isn’t at an international level right now.

      Reply
      • That’s a nice example but I wouldn’t make too much of it.

        “International level” is lower than EPL level.

        It will be along time before the USMNT plays a team in Chelsea’s class or face players like Havertz.

        And if they did they would get similarly slaughtered.

    • The Chelsea-Norwich mismatch really shows the impact of having some EPL teams owned by Arab shieks, Russian oligarchs, and US billionaires, and the lack of competition between those teams and the rest. Chelsea was missing 3 key offensive players, any of whom would be a standout at Norwich, and still scored 7. It reflects why the Bundesliga and others are more interesting to watch. At some point EPL is going to have a day of reckoning.

      Reply

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