FC Groningen will need a few statement victories to move up the Eredivisie table this winter and Sunday’s showdown with league-leaders Feyenoord provides a strong opportunity for Ricardo Pepi and his teammates.
Pepi returned to league play with FC Groningen on Sunday and will be aiming to propel the hosts past Feyenoord on Sunday. The Augsburg loanee made an instant impact during the first half of the season, scoring seven goals in all competitions for the club. After not being included in the U.S. men’s national team World Cup squad, Pepi will be focused on helping FC Groningen avoid a relegation fight over the next five months.
FC Groningen has earned only 12 points through 15 league matches this season, a worrying sign to start the new year. However, with Pepi’s goalscoring abilities in the squad, FC Groningen could spark a surge up the table if it edges Feyenoord this weekend.
In Italy, Weston McKennie and Juventus face Napoli on Friday.
In England, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham visit Newcastle United on Sunday. Daryl Dike and Ethan Horvath square off in EFL Championship action.
In France, Tim Weah and Erik Palmer-Brown meet in Ligue 1 action.
In Scotland, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic take on Kilmarnock in League Cup play. Malik Tillman, James Sands and Rangers will face Aberdeen.
Here is a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad:
England
Premier League
Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham visit Newcastle United on Sunday.
Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Leeds United visit Aston Villa on Friday.
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace visit Chelsea on Sunday.
Matt Turner and Arsenal visit Tottenham on Sunday.
Christian Pulisic is OUT (Injury) for Chelsea.
Championship
Josh Sargent and Norwich City visit Preston North End on Saturday.
Zack Steffen, Matthew Hoppe and Middlesbrough host Millwall on Saturday.
Daryl Dike and West Bromwich Albion visit Ethan Horvath and Luton Town on Saturday.
Auston Trusty and Birmingham City visit Bristol City on Saturday.
Duane Holmes and Huddersfield visit Hull City on Saturday.
Lynden Gooch and Sunderland host Swansea City on Saturday.
Vaughn Covil is OUT (Injury) for Hull City.
Spain
La Liga
Luca De La Torre and Celta Vigo host Villarreal on Friday.
Yunus Musah and Valencia are off this weekend due to midweek SuperCup involvement.
Italy
Serie A
Weston McKennie and Juventus visit Napoli on Friday.
Sergino Dest and AC Milan visit Lecce on Saturday.
Serie B
Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessmann, Andrija Novakovich and Venezia visit Genoa on Monday.
Anthony Fontana and Ascoli visit Ternana on Sunday.
France
Ligue 1
Tim Weah and Lille host Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes on Sunday.
Folarin Balogun and Stade Reims host Nice on Sunday.
Germany
3. Liga
Johan Gomez and FSV Zwickau host VfB Oldenburg on Friday.
Scotland
Premiership
Ian Harkes and Dundee United visit Hibernian on Saturday.
Joe Efford is OUT (Injury) for Motherwell.
League Cup Semifinals
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic host Kilmarnock on Saturday.
Malik Tillman, James Sands and Rangers host Christian Ramirez, Dante Polvara and Aberdeen on Sunday.
Portugal
Liga Portugal
John Brooks and Benfica host Sporting Lisbon on Sunday.
Alex Mendez and Vizela host Maritimo on Saturday.
Reggie Cannon is SUSPENDED for Boavista.
Netherlands
Eredivisie
Djordje Mihailovic and AZ Alkmaar visit Heerenveen on Saturday.
Ricardo Pepi and FC Groningen host Feyenoord on Sunday.
Taylor Booth and FC Utrecht visit Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday.
Richie Ledezma and PSV visit Fortuna Sittard on Sunday.
Belgium
First Division A
Mark McKenzie and Genk host Zulte Waregem on Saturday.
Marlon Fossey and Standard Liege visit RFC Seraing on Saturday.
Bryan Reynolds is OUT (Injury) for Westerlo.
Sam Vines is OUT (Injury) for Royal Antwerp.
Turkey
Super Lig
Haji Wright and Antalyaspor host Giresunspor on Saturday.
Israel
Ligat HaAl
Josh Cohen and Maccabi Haifa host Hapoel Jerusalem FC on Sunday.
Haji Wright not in the 18 today for Antalayaspor. Could a transfer be imminent?
Weah not in the 18 for Lille. Perhaps he is on a transfer move too.
fwiw sounds like gressel finally got his passport and will be in january camp.
I don’t think it really matters who is in this camp when you don’t have a new coach in place.
Marsch back on the hot seat. Would you want Marsch as USMNT manager if he gets fired from Leeds?
As long as Leeds is within reach of the bottom three, Marsch will be on the hot seat. They still don’t have the players they need.
If they get relegated there’s a good chance Jesse gets axed. Hopefully, he doesn’t because , unless he actually wins the World Cup with the USMNT, that won’t get him back to a top job in Europe. If it’s his only “safety school ” then you do what you have to do but Jesse is too young and too early in his career to be a national team manager. It’s really a part time job and I doubt Jesse would be happy. He still has a lot to learn. I’m also not convinced he’s “one of the boys” enough to fit in with the USSF mafia.
If he does get the axe, I hope he stays in Europe and learns how to be a better club manager.
There are any number of other candidates who might do a good job replacing Gregg but another native born, MLS trained American manager in the EPL? It might be a very long time before we see that again.
It’s more important for American soccer to have Jesse as a manager in the EPL or failing that another top 5 league club.
I don’t know what the USSF whiteboard on the “exhaustive search” for the next USMNT manage looks like but it feels like it’s empty.
My guess is the Clown Car were originally planning on Gregg staying and they still might wait a bit for the scandal to blow over before rehiring him. Maybe they are waiting for Jesse but he’d be better off doing everything he can to keep his job at Leeds. If anyone thinks the Leeds organization is fucked up, wait until Jesse has to work with the USSF. I doubt he’d be happy there.
The Zidane thing was clearly a PR stunt because they knew he wasn’t going to go for it.
i think they should ask zidane or anyone they want, see what happens, and send the message we are that serious. i think it’s like a fanboy self loathing thing to act like we can’t possibly deserve an elite coach. this is a top 16 team easy — probably should have been quarters — loaded with talent and about to co-host a world cup.
“and send the message we are that serious.”
They blew that when they went through that “exhaustive. world wide search” and then hired Gregg. No one believed their bullshit cover story then and they have even less credibility today.
And then the Reynas made sure that the world was reminded of how unprofessional and amateurish the whole Clown Car is just in case anyone forgot.
Serious? Give me break..
Gregg could be a good club manager somewhere but you let us know when Real Madrid or Barca come calling for him.
” i think it’s like a fanboy self loathing thing to act like we can’t possibly deserve an elite coach.”
Deserve has got nothing to do with it.
“this is a top 16 team easy — probably should have been quarters — loaded with talent and about to co-host a world cup.”
Big Fucking Deal. Top 16 means you got out of the Group. Teams like Mexico and us have been doing that a long time. That is so 2010,2014 and 2022. It’s 2023 now and will be 2026 the next time we play a World Cup game..
Getting into the top 8 , that has proven very hard for us.
Zidane also turned down Portugal, a far more loaded and lethal team. You underestimate just how very different a national team job is from a club job.
Most likely that means Zizou doesn’t want to do the national team thing yet (unless France came open) and if he does manage any time soon it will probably be a club.
not a fan of the high press malarkey. it’s “play hard for 30′ then hold on” weak team tactics. if he wasn’t obsessed with that, i believe in the “flynn rule” — that a coach should have some hardware — which IMO makes him qualified — more so than even GB — but i doubt he’s the best coach we could get.
so Ricardo is the American who celebrated the Dutch win over the USMNT…is that correct?
His parents bought the 19-year-old a Dutch jersey after he wasn’t selected for the WC squad.
and???
Don’t think he celebrated it. He bet his Dutch teammates that the US would beat the Dutch and lost.