Luton Town’s recent surge up the English Football League Championship table has been due to several key players, and one that continues to shine bright is American goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.
Ethan Horvath registered back-to-back clean sheets over the past week, helping the Hatters move to fourth place on 48 points. The 27-year-old’s stellar week in goal helped him earn SBI Americans Abroad Player of the Week honors as he continued an impressive loan spell from Nottingham Forest.
Horvath made five combined saves in his past 180 minutes of action, helping Luton Town defeat both Cardiff City and Stoke City over a five-day period.
His 12 clean sheets are tied for the second-most in the Championship this season, with Rob Edwards’ squad moving closer and closer to sealing a top-six finish and a spot in the promotion playoffs.
Here is a closer look at all of the other top Americans Abroad performances:
Malik Tillman
Malik Tillman scored twice over the past week, helping Rangers earn back-to-back victories against Hearts and Ross County. The Bayern Munich loanee boosted his goal tally to eight goals for the Glasgow-based club this season.
The 21-year-old got the nod in a midweek trip to TyneCastle Park on Wednesday and delivered the second goal in a shutout victory against an in-form Hearts squad. He came off the bench early in Saturday’s showdown with Ross County and delivered the opening goal. Todd Cantwell’s pass in the 45th minute was headed home by Tillman, giving Rangers a lead at home.
Luca De La Torre
Luca De La Torre followed up a strong performance last weekend vs. Athletic Bilbao by assisting in his second-consecutive start for Celta Vigo.
De La Torre registered one assist in Saturday’s 4-3 road win over Real Betis, continuing a positive run of form in Carlos Carvahal’s squad. The USMNT midfielder has logged 160 minutes over his past two starts for the club, rising to the occasions as Celta Vigo fights to move away from the relegation zone.
Auston Trusty
Auston Trusty’s week began with a tough moment against Blackburn Rovers but ended with the American centerback playing the hero for John Eustace’s squad.
Trusty scored the winning goal in a thrilling 4-3 road victory over Swansea City, helping the 24-year-old rebound in a big way. Trusty conceded an own goal in a midweek 1-0 FA Cup replay loss to Blackburn Rovers, but headed home his fourth goal in Saturday’s league victory.
Trusty has been one of the top players for the Blues this season and he will hope that trend continues over the next three months.
Jordan Pefok
Union Berlin not only advanced in the German Cup midweek, but also stayed well in the hunt for the Bundesliga title.
Jordan Pefok started in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Wolfsburg before delivering an instant impact in Saturday’s 2-1 league victory over Mainz. Pefok scored the winning goal for Urs Fischer’s squad on Saturday, which was his first goal since mid-September for the club.
Five-consecutive wins in all competitions has Union Berlin riding high on confidence and Pefok will fight to keep playing a key role during February’s busy schedule.
What did you think of the top Americans Abroad performances this past week? Who impressed you the most? Who didn’t make the list that you feel deserved a mention?
Share your thoughts below.