Serie B side Venezia is continuing to fight for promotion back to the top flight and American midfielder Gianluca Busio stole the show on Saturday in a crucial comeback victory.
Busio scored his seventh goal of the campaign as Venezia rallied in the second half to defeat Lecco 2-1. The U.S. men’s national team midfielder earned SBI Americans Abroad Player of the Week honors after delivering a heroic performance.
Busio’s 60th minute goal boosted the visitors in front 2-1, a result that kept them three points back of the second automatic promotion spot. In addition to finding the back of the net, Busio won five duels, made 10 recoveries, and created two offensive opportunities.
Alongside fellow American Tanner Tessmann, Busio will hope to get Venezia over the line this spring.
Here is a look at some of the other top Americans Abroad performers from this past week:
Haji Wright
Haji Wright did everything he could to try and get Coventry City into the FA Cup Final.
Wright scored his 18th goal of the season across all competitions, forcing extra time on Sunday against Manchester United. Despite the Sky Blues falling 4-2 on spot kicks, Wright was one of the better performers in the match.
He also scored in the shootout and came close to delivering the game-winning assist, if not for VAR waving the goal away.
Griffin Yow
Westerlo earned one point in Saturday’s draw with Standard Liege with Griffin Yow starring for the hosts.
Yow scored once from the penalty spot while also assisting once in a 3-3 Belgian Pro League draw. The USYNT attacker also won six duels, completed three tackles, and made three recoveries.
He has recorded a goal or assist in each of his last two appearances.
Chris Richards
American defender Chris Richards made his return to the Crystal Palace squad on Sunday.
Richards logged 90 minutes as the Eagles defeated West Ham United 5-2, moving further away from the relegation zone. The USMNT centerback was the most accurate passer on the field (94% completion rate) while he also won five duels.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Celtic booked its return to the Scottish Cup Final with Cameron Carter-Vickers going the distance in Saturday’s shootout win over Aberdeen.
Carter-Vickers continued to play a vital role in Brendan Rodgers’ backline as Celtic defeated Aberdeen to set up a Glasgow Derby showdown vs. Rangers next month. The American defender will be seeking another trophy lift come season’s end.
What did you think of these individual performances this past week? Was there anyone left off the list that you would’ve added?
Share your thoughts below.