Weston McKennie marked his Juventus return with a confidence-boosting UEFA Champions League goal.
McKennie iced the Bianconeri’s 2-0 league phase victory over Manchester City by scoring his third goal of the season in all competitions. The U.S. men’s national team midfielder came off the bench and volleyed home Tim Weah’s cross to give Thiago Motta’s squad an insurance tally in Turin.
“It was a big moment for the team with the situation we have been in,” McKennie said. “We wanted to come out and do the best we could. We knew Man City could punish us with one action and we knew what type of game it was going to be and we wanted to win this game to boost our confidence.”
Dusan Vlahovic propelled Juventus in front in the 53rd minute, giving them a 1-0 advantage after halftime.
Both McKennie and Weah came off the bench in the 69th minute and wasted little time in getting in on the action. Weah’s cross from the right wing was volleyed home by a wide-open McKennie for a 2-0 Juventus lead.
Juventus would hang on for a crucial three points in its quest to advance to the knockout round.
McKennie, who missed Juventus’ last three matches due to muscle fatigue, logged 21 minutes in his return. Weah also played out the final 21 minutes.
“McKennie, for example, has played a great game, he has an unusual physicality and technical qualities that allow him to be dangerous in insertions,” Motta said postmatch about McKennie’s performance. “It’s lucky to have players like that.”
Juventus will continue Serie A play on Saturday against Gianluca Busio and Venezia.
It amazes me that to the whole of England, he’s still that guy who “couldn’t cut it in the Prem,” as if an entire career can be defined by six months in Leeds on an imploding team bound for relegation.
Part of me has perked up every time I’ve heard a McKennie to Aston Villa rumor (which has been going on since he was at Schalke) but I think I would like to see him continue to perform at Juventus as long as possible. Motta will bring the club around and I don’t want McKennie to be associated with “the down years.”
“It amazes me that to the whole of England, he’s still that guy who “couldn’t cut it in the Prem,”
You are easily amazed.
I doubt anyone in England outside of Leeds knows Weston is or gives a fuck what Weston does.
The fact that he is doing well in Italy means to the English that he’s dropped down a level and is doing well in an inferior league. BFD.
“as if an entire career can be defined by six months in Leeds on an imploding team bound for relegation.”
For Leeds fans it it can.
As Americans we don’t know a thing about how horrific relegation is and thus don’t understand the trauma. It doesn’t matter if Jesse wins the 2026 World Cup with Canada. There are lots of Leeds fans who will still think of him as a poser, a bullshitter and a wanker.
Weston, in their minds, did not have one ounce of respect for them, being very half ass, not bothering to even really try so why should they ever have any respect for him?
Leeds fans have zero reason to like or respect Weston. He got out of his Leeds adventure exactly what he put into it.
Exactly!!!
as far as the goal:
– The way McKennie hits Weah IN TRIDE DOWN THE WING!!!
– Weah lifting his head up to pick up McKennie in motion (hand in the air)
– The SPIN Weah put on the ball that aided in the power of McKennie’s
volley
– The technique of McKennie’s shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCz2Zp_4j0
…….on the same field as Haaland, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealis .etc and he has the calm and composure to come in off the bench and DO THAT!!!! Indeed impressive.
That goal was fuego 🔥 ⚽️ 🥅 👍
Freaking beautiful. That goal had me soooo hyped.
I jumped out of my seat and nearly hurt myself, hahaha. I think I re-watched it like 10 times…..
NOT TO MENTION THE ASSIST CAME FROM TIM WEAH….and they were subbed on AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!! Absolutely love it.
Great goal and assist. Proud of those two showing out like that against the likes of Manchester City. Keep it up guys. Juventus look a much better side when Wes is healthy and firing on all cylinders. Weah is growing into the talent we all saw and hoped he would reach when he was 18.
So proud of the resilience of this kid. The way he was originally treated by Juventus to where he is now.
“I didn’t have my locker, I didn’t have a room in the hotel, I didn’t have a parking space, I changed in the locker rooms with the academy kids, even when you had players in the main locker room who had never played a game for Juventus because they’d always been out on loan. And I’m thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I’ve only been gone for six months. I come back and I am treated like this.”….. by Weston McKennie
Now he’s is back, fighting week in week out………and scored a GOLAZO LIKE THAT against a team like Manchester City. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant Congrats kid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnW1WiaxOZo
It’s fitting Dempsey was there because exactly like Deuce, McKennie’s very much that guy that every new manager wants to seem to want to be rid of because of some obvious flaws and boxes not checked and no obvious position…and then ends up having The Epiphany over, that hey, you know, I actually can’t do without you, so come back, and, err…sorry ’bout that, there, sport. Mind, I still don’t know where I’m going to play you exactly, at least not week-to-week, but it’s going to be somewherein either that starting 11, or at least the first guy off the bench I turn to when I really, really need some juice. And it frankly really doesn’t seem to much matter where so long as you’re out there, you’ll make it work. So, uh…bygones, right?
McKennie kind of reminds me of Deuce in another way too: he’s got swag. He’s audacious. Guy just tries stuff, and in the big moments. He’s getting himself quite the highlight reel.
Of course, Timothy Weah’s got a bit of that too. I think he gets more the benefit of the doubt because the guy is an obvious Ferrari out on the field, just looks like that kind of elite burner you want as a winger (or WR in football), so he gets the eye-test Seal of Approval in a way McKennie does not, plus his last name is Weah. But exactly like McKennie, Timo seems to do better when he feels he has something to prove and is being doubted a bit himself.
Bravo, fellas. That was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen Americans do on a soccer field.
Exactly!!!
as far as the goal:
– The way McKennie hits Weah IN TRIDE DOWN THE WING!!!
– Weah lifting his head up to pick up McKennie in motion (hand in the air)
– The SPIN Weah put on the ball that aided in the power of McKennie’s
volley
– The technique of McKennie’s shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCz2Zp_4j0
…….on the same field as Haaland, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealis .etc and he has the calm and composure to come in off the bench and DO THAT!!!! Indeed impressive.
“exactly like Deuce, McKennie’s very much that guy that every new manager wants to seem to want to be rid of because of some obvious flaws and boxes not checked and no obvious position…and then ends up having The Epiphany over, that hey, you know, I actually can’t do without you,”
I sincerely doubt that.
That narrative is misleading and assumes Fulham’s managers were stupider than they were.
Clints spent seven seasons in England, six with Fulham and one with Spurs.
A January window transfer, his first season was only 12 games and should be considered as his “orientation” season. He only scored one goal but that goal, vs Liverpool guaranteed that Fulham avoided relegation. That earns you a lot of good will.
Weston had a chance to “orient” in the BL before he got to Juve.
And CP had that same “orientation” with BVB and Chelsea before he finally broke out in Milan.
In comparison, Clint came straight from the Revs and MLS yet, in his first season he made a very positive impression by saving Fulham from relegation.
So, we really don’t need to hear about how the Brits were too stupid or anti -American to know what they had or how hard “poor” Weston has had it. He is only now beginning to be as consistent as he needs to be. And no one at Fulham ever questioned Clint’s professionalism or his body fat ratio like they have Weston’s.
As for the managers doubting Clint? He had a lot of managers: Coleman, Sanchez (interim), Hodgson, Hughes and Jol at Fulham and Vilas-Boas at Spurs. That is six managers over seven seasons. When you have that many managers you are always proving yourself to a manager.
After that first half season, for the remainder of his time at Fulham and Spurs, he averaged 42 appearances across all competitions and 12 goals every season. If you research the other regular players on those teams like Dembele and Houston’s Hangeland, this proved that Clint was a regular player. Managers may have had their doubts about Clint, but the numbers prove they made up their minds about him quick.
Fans and managers like to pigeonhole people and Clint is not easily classifiable. He has never had an “obvious” position. Back in 2012 he was voted by the fans on club’s website as being their all-time Premier League best outside left midfielder in a classic 4-4-2.
If you just have to classify him, he’s the guy who can play about four different spots more or less equally well and score clutch goals.
If he is not more notorious it’s because he played for a humble, low profile club and never got to show off in Europe on a regular basis or in the Champion’s League. Think of Mike Trout a near-great baseball player stuck on the LA Angels, a shit team.
In that regard, CP and Weston have long surpassed Clint. If Clint had gotten a chance with Chelsea, Milan or Juve , he might be even more highly regarded than he is now.
His other problem is that he first got to Fulham when he was 23.
Nowadays SBI fans would have already given up on him the way they have given up on washed up old man Gio (now 22 years old as of November) who apparently, right now, has a retirement slot waiting for him in LA.
And when he had his best season in 2012 Clint was around 27-28 and from humble Fulham, “too old” and too unproven for a Champions league club to spend big money on him (he also was having contract issues with Fulham), which is how Seattle got him.
Clint’s career is a one-off. Clint is a one-off. As far as I’m concerned he’s the most focused and driven American player ever.
On CBSSN they had a match day wrap up and had a pretty long interview with McKennie. It was interesting and, at times, pretty funny as they exchanged quips. I don’t know if it is somewhere on the internet, but it is worth a look if you can find it. The people in the studio included Dempsey, Thierry Henry, and Jamie Carragher. With Wes in Turin were Micah Richards and Alessandro del Piero.
https://youtu.be/YnW1WiaxOZo?si=UGaDhV_8UK1Iklk6
Since Ives works for CBS Golazo I can link this right.
Thanks!
Thanks for posting that link to the post match interview with Weston McKennie and the crew at Paramount / CBS. Great interview! Good fun!
I love McKennie’s attitude, his sense of humor, and his calm demeanor. He carries himself, communicates clearly, with a sharp wit, and represents his team and the USMNT like a captain.
Bravo! Bravo Tim Weah! Bravo Weston McKennie!
Golazo! Animo, forza Juventus!
Sweet!