German Bundesliga action continues this weekend with a pair of U.S. men’s national team players aiming to further increase their chances of making the upcoming FIFA World Cup roster.
Joe Scally and Borussia Moenchengladbach visit first place Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin on Sunday afternoon. Scally has remained a consistent starter at right back for Gladbach, making 11 appearances to date in Daniel Farke’s backline. The 19-year-old has continued to play every week for the current ninth-place side, as he hopes to crack Gregg Berhalter’s 26-player roster this November.
Pefok has scored three goals and added three assists in 10 league appearances for Union Berlin, remaining a focal point of the team’s attack. The 26-year-old forward is also pushing to lock down his place in Qatar despite not featuring for the USMNT since March. Pefok’s partnership with Sheraldo Becker has helped Urs Fischer’s side remain top of the league table, but with Bayern Munich and Freiburg right on its tail, Union Berlin cannot afford a second-straight league defeat.
In England, Christian Pulisic and Chelsea visit Brighton & Hove Albion. Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham host Everton.
In Italy, Weston McKennie and Juventus visit Lecce. Five American players will do battle in Serie B action.
In Spain, Yunus Musah is suspended for Valencia due to yellow card accumulation.
Elsewhere, Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes host PSG in Ligue 1 action. James Sands, Malik Tillman and Rangers will face Aberdeen in SPFL play. Sam Rogers and Rosenborg take on Bodo/Glimt. Reggie Cannon and Alex Mendez will face off in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Here is a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad:
England
Premier League
Christian Pulisic and Chelsea visit Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham host Everton on Saturday.
Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Leeds United visit Liverpool on Saturday.
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Southampton on Saturday.
Championship
Josh Sargent and Norwich City host Stoke City on Saturday.
Auston Trusty and Birmingham City host QPR on Friday.
Ethan Horvath and Luton Town host Lynden Gooch and Sunderland on Saturday.
Duane Holmes and Huddersfield host Millwall on Saturday.
Zack Steffen and Middlesbrough visit Preston North End on Saturday.
Daryl Dike is OUT (Injury) for West Brom.
Vaughn Covil is OUT (Injury) for Hull City.
PL2
Jonathan Tomkinson and Norwich City
Matthew Hoppe and Middlesbrough
Germany
Bundesliga
Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin host Joe Scally and Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday.
Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund visit Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg host Bochum on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
Julian Green, Timothy Tillman and Greuther Furth host George Bello and Arminia Bielefeld on Friday.
Terrence Boyd and Kaiserslautern host Nuremberg on Saturday.
Nico Carrera and Holstein Kiel host Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.
3. Liga
Johan Gomez and FSV Zwickau visit Essen on Saturday.
Spain
La Liga
Yunus Musah and Valencia host Barcelona on Saturday.
Luca De La Torre and Celta Vigo visit Almeria on Saturday.
Segunda Liga
Samuel Shashoua and Tenerife host Real Zaragoza on Friday.
Italy
Serie A
Weston McKennie and Juventus visit Lecce on Saturday.
Sergino Dest and AC Milan visit Torino on Sunday.
Serie B
Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessmann, Andrija Novakovich, Jack DeVries and Venezia host Anthony Fontana and Ascoli on Saturday.
France
Ligue 1
Tim Weah and Lille visit Lyon on Sunday.
Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes visit PSG on Saturday.
Folarin Balogun and Stade Reims visit Brest on Sunday.
Netherlands
Eredivisie
Ricardo Pepi and FC Groningen visit FC Emmen on Sunday.
Richie Ledezma and PSV host NEC Nijmegen on Sunday.
Taylor Booth and FC Utrecht visit Heerenveen on Saturday.
Cole Bassett and Fortuna Sittard visit Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday.
Portugal
League
John Brooks and Benfica host Chaves on Saturday.
Reggie Cannon and Boavista host Alex Mendez and Vizela on Sunday.
Joel Sonora and Maritimo visit Pacos de Ferreira on Friday.
Scotland
Premiership
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic visit Livingston on Sunday.
Malik Tillman, James Sands and Rangers host Christian Ramirez, Dante Polvara and Aberdeen on Saturday.
Joe Efford and Motherwell visit Ian Harkes and Dundee United on Saturday.
Belgium
Pro League
Sam Vines and Royal Antwerp visit Sporting Charleroi on Sunday.
Mark McKenzie and Genk host Mechelen on Friday.
Marlon Fossey and Standard Liege visit Zulte Waregem on Saturday.
Bryan Reynolds and Westerlo host St. Truiden on Saturday.
Owen Otasowie and Club Brugge host Oostende on Saturday.
Greece
Super League
Konrad de la Fuente and Olympiakos host Lamia on Sunday.
Turkey
Super Lig
Haji Wright and Antalyaspor visit Sivasspor on Monday.
Tyler Boyd and Besiktas host Umraniyespor on Sunday.
Denmark
Superliagen
Christian Cappis and Brondby host Aalborg on Sunday.
Emmanuel Sabbi and Odense visit Midtjylland on Monday.
Austria
Bundesliga
Sebastian Soto and Austria Klagenfurt host WSG Tirol on Saturday.
2. Liga
Ulysses Llanez and SKN St. Poelten host Austria Vienna II on Friday.
Hungary
NB 1
Henry Wingo and Ferencvaros host Zalaegerszeg on Sunday.
Norway
Eliteserien
Sam Rogers and Rosenborg host Bodo/Glimt on Sunday.
Kobe Hernandez-Foster and HamKam visit Sandefjord on Sunday.
Sweden
Allsvenskan
Forrest Lasso, Joe Corona and Sundsvall host Sirius on Sunday.
Jeffrey Gal, Joe Gyau and Degerfors host IFK Varnamo on Saturday.
Romain Gall and Malmo visit Varbergs Bols FC on Sunday.
Israel
Ligat HaAL
Josh Cohen and Maccabi Haifa host FC Ashdod on Saturday.
Argentina
** The Premeira Liga season has concluded.
Brazil
Serie A
Johnny Cardoso and Internacional are off until Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Word out on McKennie injury. Out at least 2 weeks, and will likely miss 3 games. The upside is he has enough time to recover before the first WC match.
As for Richards injury, it’s almost certainly wait until 2026. He’s likely out for a few more weeks, and has played minimal minutes this fall season.
You get the feeling that Pulisic does not enjoy playing with Raheem Sterling. He’s gesturing at him more than Gio Reyna at Pefok.
So let’s hope Roldan is not Berhalters preferred replacement for De La Torre even though Acosta is still playing. Hell I would have Johnny Cardoso ahead of Roldan. Can’t bring to many center mids.
I rather have the equipment manager instead of Roldan
Fans of most national teams get pissed off about players being left out.
American exceptionalism means USMNT fans are terrified of players being allowed in.
JK had Wondo , Bob had Jony Bornstein and he who shall not be named had Villafana but Gregg outstrips them in terms of nightmare caps.
Long, Ariolla, Roldan and before them, Lletget, Yueill, and of course, Lovitz, Trapp and Zardes are the modern Baba Yaga’s.
A few more injuries and it could get really interesting in terms of the nightmares caps (it’s Halloween after all) that Gregg might resurrect from the grave.
What does it say about American fans that their biggest complaint is a guy who played 75 total minutes in 14 possible qualifying matches.
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Under Berhalter
Morris 6g 7a 24 caps
Zardes 8g 2a 28caps
Arriola 8g 6a 31 caps
It’s not like they were completely a waste. They’ve been more productive than Weah 2g 1a 15 app, similar rate to Reyna 4g 1a 14 app.
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I understand the next argument will be why did those 3 play so much more than Tim and Gio. Largely do to injury and Euro players not being called to 2021 GC and Dec/Jan friendlies. Fun fact Trapp played more minutes under Dave Sarachan than Berhalter.
JR.
“What does it say about American fans that their biggest complaint is a guy who played 75 total minutes in 14 possible qualifying matches.”
Among other things, it says that USMNT Berball stats are very deceptive.
The USMNT plays a lot of friendlies.
And, being in CONCACAF , it plays a lot of minor league level teams either in friendlies or in allegedly competitive games.
That’s a lot of time where there is either little or no competitive pressure . Which makes the actual significance of “75 minutes in 14 possible qualifying matches” very difficult to determine.
It’s like Ferreira’s goal haul vs. Grenada., a very Wondo-ish stat ( Wondo put up 3 on Belize in the 2013 Gold Cup and wound up with 5 in the tournament. As did Landon)
Most of the stats involving Gregg’s team are nearly irrelevant because they have played no particularly difficult or demanding opponents in meaningful games.
The Nations League and the Gold Cup are sub MLS level competitions (maybe sub USL for the most part). Useful scrimmages maybe but not helpful gauges for the USMNT World Cup effort.
Bob, for example, at least had a nice run in the 2009 Confederations Cup before he took Edson Buddle to South Africa in 2010.
Gregg has grown as a manager but one thing he has yet to show is inspired in game adjustments to pull out a good result from an adverse situation.
Those of you who constantly criticize Gregg’s critics, consider placing that anger and negativity where it belongs, on Gregg’s shoulders, for giving his critics so much ammo.
Bearing in mind that playing for the USMNT is a rare privilege for most, ask yourselves, if you were an American international would you want him as your manager? Or would you think that the USMNT deserved better?
This team has not been tested on the field but it soon will be, so stay tuned.
If you believe in Gregg you’ll be anticipating late November.
If you don’t like him, you’ll be dreading late November.
Vacqui, I rip GB plenty…but also recognize the positive things he’s done.
that’s where we differ greatly. at least he hasn’t played CP as a wingback like some euro geniuses out there 😉
And…….
that’s a wide brush you’re using labelling all “USMNT fans are terrified etc.” All of us? Got it.
American exceptionalism…in soccer? Arena’s counter attacking system was anything but American made. The locker room was American, but the playing sryle…dude!
and every four years (except in the aborted euro Klinsmann’s leadership) we show the world and ourselves where we stack…and GB’s system is a direct hack of Klopp! the euro
come on man
Hope to see Paredes continue to get starts and minutes. Will be fun to watch his continued growth. Been some time since the US has had a good left footed attacker.
Paredes: Out this week with injury.