Aston Villa had targeted Weston McKennie for parts of two seasons and the American will now have his chance to feature against his former suitors this week in European play.
McKennie and Juventus make the midweek trip to Villa Park as UEFA Champions League action rolls on. The U.S. men’s national team midfielder logged 80 minutes in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with AC Milan after playing a large role during the international break.
Despite being linked with Aston Villa again last summer, McKennie stayed in Turin and has been a key figure in Thiago Motta’s squad. With Juventus seeking to leapfrog the Villains in the UCL table, McKennie will certainly want to deliver a strong shift in Birmingham.
Elsewhere in Europe, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan visit Slovan Bratislava. Malik Tillman and PSV host Shakhtar Donetsk. Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso continue their European campaigns.
In England, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Luton Town in EFL Championship play.
In Mexico, Alex Zendejas, Frankie Amaya, and Brandon Vazquez continue the Liga MX playoffs.
Here is a closer look at this week’s Americans Abroad
Europe
UEFA Champions League
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus visit Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, Richie Ledezma and PSV host Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan visit Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Celtic host Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell and Borussia Dortmund visit Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.
Folarin Balogun is OUT (Injury) for AS Monaco.
UEFA Europa League
Tanner Tessmann and Lyon visit FK Qarabag on Thursday.
Jonathan Gomez and PAOK Salonika visit Rigas FS on Thursday.
Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt visit Midtjylland on Thursday.
UEFA Conference League
Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis visit Mlada Boleslav on Thursday.
Lennard Maloney and FC Heidenheim host Chelsea on Thursday.
George Bello and LASK visit Borac on Thursday.
Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos host HJK Helsinki on Thursday.
Matt Olosunde and The New Saints host Djurgarden on Thursday.
England
Championship
Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Luton Town on Wednesday.
Haji Wright and Coventry City visit Luca Koleosho and Burnley on Tuesday.
Duane Holmes and Preston North End visit Stoke City on Tuesday.
Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City host QPR on Wednesday.
Aidan Morris is OUT (Ankle Injury) for Middlesbrough.
Josh Sargent is OUT (Groin Injury for Norwich City.
Daryl Dike is OUT (Injury) for West Bromwich Albion.
Lynden Gooch is OUT (Injury) for Stoke City.
League One
Donovan Pines and Barnsley host Reading on Tuesday.
Gabriel Slonina is OUT (Hand Injury) for Barnsley.
Mexico
Liga MX
Alex Zendejas and Club América host Frankie Amaya and Toluca on Wednesday.
Brandon Vazquez and Monterrey host Pumas on Wednesday.
Find the last 5 minutes of PSV vs Shaktar if you can. Great finish by the Americans, thwarting a Tim Howard vs Portugal type performance from the Shaktar keeper.
McKennie out with injury today.
Cole Campbell played for Dortmund’s U19 in the Youth Champions League this morning, he subbed out at half for fellow American Mathis Albert. Tyler Meiser a dual nat played the whole match at CB
Campbell did dress for the first team, what a feet that would be if he’d played in both matches. Brandt went out with injury, not sure the severity but could open up more minutes for Gio. Sahin is giving Gio minutes, the situation perhaps not so bleak.
Tottenham has first rights to Cordoso, Don’t they?
Picking up rumors that Diego “el Cholo” Simeone wants Johnny Cardoso brought over to Atletico de Madrid to be Koke’s understudy and support in the midfield. Any real substance to this? Anyone?
pata,
Spurs have a 33 million option on him for “sometime in the future” but I’m sure if Atletico are willing, they can work out a deal with all relevant parties.
I suppose Johnny might prefer to stay in Spain, I don’t know.
So I did some digging and apparently Tottenham has the right to Cardoso for $26.4 million, and also has the right to block Johnny’s next move. The caveat to that – that clause only kicks in at the end of the year. If Cardoso makes a move to Atletico now, in the January transfer window, Atletico can apparently short-circuit that clause and steal Cardoso right out from under Spurs. Which is all in all fairly wild.
All of which sort of leaves me shaking my head. Is Cardoso really that good? Obviously some top soccer minds think so but I’ve never really seen it with the USMNT. Then again, I’ve never really seen it translate with Malik Tillman yet either and the talent is clearly there too, so…..
yes they do, we did a story on it
Thank you Vacqui.
I imagine Simeone has more than one item on his Christmas wish list, and Cardoso is not his only desire.
But, being a lifetime Atleti fan, (grandfather played on their youth development teams until the age of 18 in the 1920s), and as well, being that I bleed Red, White and Blue, in Spanish and English and loves me my USMNT / USWNT boys and girls, it tickles me to think of what Simeone could do with Cardoso at Atleti. The polishing of a diamond in the rough, we should hope. Time will tell. Bread’s in the oven.
And thank you quozzel for the deep dive on the contractual details.
Intriguing!
quozzel,
“Is Cardoso really that good? Obviously some top soccer minds think so, but I’ve never really seen it with the USMNT.”
Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
The key word is “option”.
Spurs like what they think Johnny MIGHT become. But they are hedging their bets and waiting until the summer, which gives them about half a season more to observe him. Naturally, Spurs being a high profile club, that attracts attention from others much to the delight of Real Betis.
Long story short, clubs probably have better information than any of us do but they also have a different perspective than a USMNT fan does.
Spurs are looking at him as a club player not a national team player.
National team guys have to be good a couple of times a year.
Club guys? They need you all season long. National team guys just visit
you, club guys live with you. It’s bit of an extreme analogy but you get
the point.
One of the advantages of playing at a club in Europe is that it is easier for clubs like Spurs and Atletico to spot you.
Most likely, such clubs have a good scouting network in Spain.
Johnny’s USMNT performance, which is the primary and, sometimes, the only metric most of us on SBI have, is only part of the evaluation for a club.
Clubs can get information direct from real people. I don’t know about you but most of us can only evaluate USMNT talent indirectly, taking data from various websites, watching what games we can get, etc.
One can learn a lot about a guy like Johnny the SBI way but it only goes so far.
pata,
For what it’s worth, I hope he winds up with Simeone.
If Koke is the model, the USMNT can use more guys with that kind of mindset and Pochettino would appreciate it.