Two-and-a-half-years since his last PSV goal, right back Richie Ledezma finally got to celebrate that feeling again on Friday.
Ledezma scored his first goal of the season as PSV rolled to a 6-1 Eredivisie victory over FC Twente. The 24-year-old earned SBI Americans Abroad Player of the Week honors for his impactful showing in PSV’s latest win.
Ledezma had been mainly used as a substitute in recent weeks despite fighting to make the No. 1 right back job his in the early stages of the season. Peter Bosz rewarded Ledezma with a start on Friday and the U.S. men’s national team attacker did not let his manager down.
His top-shelf finish extended PSV’s lead to 5-1 at the time before the hosts eventually added a sixth and final goal later in the second half. Ledezma also won three duels, drew two fouls, and made two interceptions, logging a strong two-way shift in front of the home supporters.
Ledezma remains an option for the USMNT heading into 2025, but first will aim to continue racking up starts as PSV continues through multiple competitions.
“Amazing,” Ledezma said postmatch about scoring his first home goal for PSV. “Like I said, in front of the fans, I’ve been here so long, six years. It was an amazing feeling, and the atmosphere is always great here. We keep going and now we focus on the Champions League.”
Here is a look at some of the other top Americans Abroad performers from this past week:
Antonee Robinson
Four points out of an available six helped Fulham remain in the Premier League’s Top-10.
Antonee Robinson was one of the top performers over the past week, logging 180 minutes in Marco Silva’s starting lineup. The USMNT left back has been influential on both ends of the field this season, something Silva will hope continues as Fulham’s busy league schedule continues.
Auston Trusty
Celtic’s quest to repeat as Scottish Premiership winners received another major boost following a pair of wins this week.
Auston Trusty started in a pair of victories against Aberdeen and Hibernian, moving Celtic nine points clear at the top of the table. Trusty hasn’t disappointed following his move from Sheffield United last summer, keeping a smile on Brendan Rodgers’ face this month.
Tyler Adams
Although he did not feature on Sunday, Tyler Adams did help Bournemouth to a crucial three points midweek.
Adams logged his best 90 minutes yet for the Cherries as Bournemouth defeated Tottenham 1-0. He won 10 of 18 duels, drew two fouls, made three interceptions, and six defensive recoveries.
Andoni Iraola will hope Adams can stay healthy as Bournemouth continues its impressive run in league play.
Ricardo Pepi
Another week, another goal for Ricardo Pepi.
Pepi scored his 11th goal of the season as PSV routed FC Twente 3-1 in Eredivisie play on Friday. The USMNT forward is likely set to head back to the bench for PSV’s Champions League trip to Stade Brest, but remains a top scoring threat going forward for the Dutch leaders.
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.