Weston McKennie got the nod at right wing back on Sunday for Juventus and excelled in the absence of his fellow international and club teammate.
McKennie delivered a strong shift in Juventus’ 1-0 road victory over Fiorentina, starting in the place of Timothy Weah. The 25-year-old had previously featured as a wing back in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad earlier this season and returned there for the trip to Florence.
Weah remains sidelined due to a thigh injury he suffered in a 1-0 win over Hellas Verona on Oct. 28.
Fabio Miretti’s 10th minute goal was all the Old Lady needed to claim three points, moving Juventus into second place in the Serie A table.
McKennie was impressive all over the field, winning eight of his 15 duels, making three interceptions, and eight clearances. He also created a key goalscoring chance in second-half stoppage time as the Old Lady tried to capture an insurance goal.
Juventus has now won four-consecutive matches and are unbeaten in its last six overall in Serie A play.
A home clash with Cagliari is next for the Old Lady on Nov. 11 before the FIFA international break. McKennie will aim to stay injury-free with crucial U.S. men’s national team duty coming against Trinidad & Tobago later this month.
Weston MAY be the most durable and complete USMNT player. You can play him anywhere on the field effectively and he is not injury prone.
Owen, I don’t consider him to be a competent 6. His performances as a 6 have left a lot to be desired. In his defense, that is not his position. He was supposed to be defending as a 6 against Holland in the WC and against Germany in the recent friendly. Luckily for me, I think Gregg thinks the same thing and I don’t think we will see him as a 6 again.
I don’t care what you co sister him, name a more durable player that can line up across the field in multiple positions
Musah. Mckennie was coming back from injury at the WC, was about 60 minutes fit, and was subbed out of all 4 games. If you don’t care what I think, why did you bother responding?
He did not play wingback he played RWM. I saw the game on Paramount +and the starting lineup (even Google had it right) had him too at RWM. They dont play him at RWB anymore after Weston dad complained to coach.
When asked about how their roles for club differ than role for country at their presser in September, Wes pointed at Tim and said “you’re looking at the starting right wing back and backup right wing back for Juventus …” call it whatever you want he gets forward he gets back.
Per what I watched and the formation provided by Serie A, it was RWB due to the formation.
been telling some of y’all but there is apparently no memory of his schalke days
Are you saying you’re the only person who knew that Weston showed he could be durable and versatile at a high level at Schalke?
You think so very little of everyone who is not you.
You are wrong. People have not forgotten that. Least of all Allegri and Weston.
Weston still has not nailed down ONE position, per se. At this point that has worked in his favor because in the modern game, at a club like Juve with a lot of game commitments, Weston’s durability and versatility allows him to keep playing and prove his worth. If he keeps up his levels eventually he will settle in one “role”. Not to mention that in the modern game, traditional positional roles have blurred a bit.
Or maybe those semantics don’t really matter. After all, Clint Dempsey for the bulk of his career could technically speaking, have lined up in 4 positions. But that didn’t matter. What did matter was that he always played somewhere regularly and produced.
Weston can take heart from Clint’s example and just remember what really matters, playing regularly and producing.
Since I’ve been “enjoying” SBI Imperative has taken on this aura of “smartest one in the room”. I’m not a big fan of it, but everyone is entitled to their opinions
Ronniet,
You mean the opinion that he knows everything before every else does and that only he knows it?
Sure, he’s entitled to that.
But making stuff up just to fit a narrative is not okay.
He played in central midfield for Schalke 71 of 91 (also CF, CB, RB, RM) and centrally for Juve about 60% of the time (RM or LM). This isn’t a surprise to anyone, he’d sub in for Cuardado when he wasn’t available in the past. This year whenever Weah isn’t on the field he’s played on the right. Juve literally has no other right sided players on their roster besides Weah and Di Sciglia both who are injured.
—————————
The position isn’t exactly what Weah plays for the US though either. I’d have no problem playing Wes as RW against Trinidad but then I’d be fine with Arriola or Corey Baird against Trinidad that’s level needed to dominate them.
JR,
“The position isn’t exactly what Weah plays for the US though either. ”
Does Juve play like the USMNT? If not then there is no reason to suspect either Weston or Timo have positions with Juve that are exactly like what they play for the USMNT.
All USMNT fans can hope for is that Weston and Weah stay healthy and get regular playing time. Anything else is gravy.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ariolla played vs TNT at Couva in 2017. He played like an overflowing clogged portapotty. And was about as mobile.
It was his worst USMNT performance ever and in a USMNT career filled with mediocre to crap games, that’s saying a lot.
Do I believe in second chances and that players get better ?
100%, but in this case, I would make an exception. Just for the sake of general principles and superstition.
If he ever wears the USMNT shirt again it shouldn’t ever be against TNT. Bad juju.
V: Arriola had 2g 1a Feb of ‘21 against TnT. Those demons have been erased.
——————-
IV has been promoting playing Wes as a RW or even CF, because “see he plays wide for Juve” that was the point of my comment about it not being the same.
JR, I would rather see McKennie as the right wing ahead of anyone in the current pool except Weah, Pulisic, Reyna, and Balogan. If they play a 4231 against TandT, I expect him to be the starting right winger (assuming Weah is out) but I think it will be a 433 with McKennie and Reyna as 8s to get both MCkennie and Reyna on the field with McKennie at his best position.