Christian Pulisic’s enjoyable start to AC Milan’s season continued on Saturday in Udine.
Pulisic scored twice while also registering one assist in the Rossoneri’s 3-0 Serie A victory over Udinese. The U.S. men’s national team forward earned SBI Americans Abroad Player of the Week honors after delivering his best performance yet of the new league campaign.
The 26-year-old had a vital say in all three of AC Milan’s goals against Udinese, playing a key role in both halves.
Pulisic finished off a rebound in the box for the Rossoneri’s opening goal, six minutes before halftime. One minute into the second half, Pulisic was hauled down in the Udinese 18-yard box, and although a penalty kick was not called, the loose ball rolled to Youssouf Fofana ahead of his clinical finish.
Pulisic had his final say in the match just before the hour mark as his right-footed strike snuck past Razvan Sava for a 3-0 AC Milan lead. He would watch the final 20+ minutes from the bench, but earned Man of the Match honors after delivering the Rossoneri’s first three goal contribution performance in Serie A play since 2023.
His two-goal performance helped Pulisic surpass Clint Dempsey for the most goals by a USMNT player while playing in Europe’s top five leagues.
Pulisic now has four goals and one assist in five appearances this season, picking up where he left off last spring. If AC Milan wants to compete for the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia this season, an in-form Pulisic could be what puts them over the top.
Here is a closer look at this week’s top Americans Abroad performances:
Chris Richards
It was another productive week for Chris Richards and Crystal Palace.
Richards logged his first goal of the season in a midweek EFL Cup victory over Millwall before reclaiming his starting spot for Saturday’s Premier League win over West Ham United. The USMNT defender delivered a strong shift at the London Stadium, winning seven duels, completing four tackles, and making 12 clearances.
Crystal Palace remains unbeaten in the new campaign heading into next week’s showdown with Liverpool, who they defeated in the Community Shield in early-August.
Malik Tillman
Malik Tillman celebrated his first goal for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
Tillman scored Leverkusen’s opening tally in a 1-1 home draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach. The 23-year-old also won four duels, made three interceptions, and completed 92% of his passes in the result.
Tanner Tessmann
Lyon can thank Tanner Tessmann for helping them earn three points on Friday.
Tessmann delivered the winning goal for Paulo Fonseca’s men in a 1-0 home triumph over Angers. The USMNT midfielder delivered a confident finish inside of the box, showing off his shooting skills in fine fashion.
He now has two goals in 40 appearances for Lyon since his move from Venezia last summer.
Lindsey Heaps
U.S. women’s national team captain Lindsey Heaps hit the ground running in Lyon’s league opener on Saturday.
Heaps scored her first goal of the new campaign as Lyon defeated Saint-Etienne 2-0 away from home. The veteran midfielder was joined by summer acquisition Lily Yohannes on her club debut while Korbin Shrader also featured off of the bench.
It’s looking like it could be another productive season for Heaps and Lyon in all competitions.
What did you think of this weekend’s slate of Americans Abroad action? Is there anyone else deserving of a shout on this list?
Share your thoughts below.
Johnnyrazor,
You are too stat dependent. 🙂 Sands has earned the opportunity to be called in.
You may recall that I asked what passing stat(s) you were referencing for Sands. At the moment, I don’t recall what you shared, but at that time, I did look into the criteria that went into said passing stat that you referenced. That passing stat, and the criteria what rolled up to it, was too rudimentary and didn’t properly reflect his performances this season.
Having said that, for the St. Pauli vs Hamburger derby at the end of August, Sands was arguably the best player on the field, all while not having the best passing stats.
As already mentioned, when the USMNT is in possession, Poch’s preference is for one of the 6’s to drop in as a third CB and play out of the back. That suits Sands playing style and characteristics well.
As a side note, Cardoso has been injured, so he may not be deemed fully fit for Atletico’s upcoming game vs Real Madrid this coming weekend, so he may not feature for a third game in a row. As a result, he may not be fit in time to make the October roster, which lessens the competition for the DM spots by one.
It will be interesting to see if Sands gets the call. Either way, the competition for spots is intensifying, which is good for the USMNT.
If he can’t pass he’s not going to play for Poch. He still needs to pass to drop in between the CBs. As I said he’s a potential candidate as an Adams backup but he’s not going to play next to him. If Poch wants to stay with 3 CBs the need for a second defense first DM just isn’t there. It needs to be someone who can move the ball forward. I put out those passing stats because they explain why possession focus play out managers like Berhalter and Poch have passed on Sands. People see one match or a highlight and then they say things like maybe he could play LB because I saw him do it once. You can’t play some guy that you saw do it once. According to Transfermkt he’s played RB 4 times, all were matches in 2021 when NYCFC played with 4 traditional CBs as their backline. 4 times in 200 matches and Gary wants him to play LB that he maybe played for 14 minutes in 2021 against Haiti but there’s no positional record of it. Not to mention Poch wants FBs/WBs to get forward and be the width is that a skillset James Sands has ever shown.
Johnnyrazor,
That’s exactly the point…he has played well and he CAN pass, but the stats alone don’t properly reflect that. Per your own admission, you have not watched him play this season.
Having watched him play multiple times this season, he has played well, and on multiple occasions. As a result, he has earned the opportunity to get called in, as he has shown he can play as a double pivot and next to Adams, with Adams being the destroyer, and more active, while Sands holds his position more and helps build out of the back.
Saying that he only merits consideration as Adams backup, and doing so while basing it solely on the stats reviewed from a game sheet or Fotmob, all while not watching the game, is selling Sands, and any player for that matter, way short. Dare I say that is irresponsible? 🙂
To say that Sands is not YOUR preferred choice to play in that double 6 spot, now that would be more understandable.
To add more detail, Sands has not played well for only one game this season…he has played well on multiple occassions ( first DFB Pokal game, Hamburger, Augsburg ) and I have witnessed all three games. It is important to also share that he did not have his best showing last Friday vs Stuttgart, but St. Pauli as a whole got run over.
I’m speaking about Sands as a double pivot 6 next to Adams…I’m not talking crazy nonsense about him being a LB / RB / LWB / RWB. Having said that, you are referencing Transfermarkt info from 2021…who gives a shit about what position he played, or how he played, in 2021? I’m talking about his performances from this 25-26 season and how said performances merit his call up for the upcoming October international window.
There is one thing objectively clear, Sands has earned, and merits, a call up, but now it will be interesting to see if Poch calls him in.
I think you have a misunderstanding of what Poch wants in that position next to Adams. For lack of a better term let’s call Adams 6a and the other in the pivot 6b. Poch has played 6a a couple different ways in a 2CB set up. One was 6a dropping back into the backline to make a 3. This was fairly unsuccessful as Adams was a liability building out against a press. He also tried the RB staying back and 6a sitting in line or just slightly deeper than 6b. 6b became the main option in the middle of the field. The 6b then looked to either make the line breaking pass to one of the dual 10s or play in combination with the LB. This was Luca during the GC and Roldan against Japan although CR didn’t look to get forward as much. Sands does not play that role for StP, Fujita does and at NYCFC that was Parks role. Sands was a decent passing DM/CB in MLS and SPL but in his roughly 800 minutes in Bundesliga his accuracy and range has dropped significantly. Even though he has had a relatively light schedule so far 14th(4th Div), 2nd, 16th, 15th, and 8th. If you look at a guy like Tessmann who plays that 6b role with much better passing and has played well against mostly top half teams this season. If you want him to try that 6b role he’s probably 6th or 7th in line, if you want him to be a 6a, he’s maybe 2nd or 3rd at filling those attributes.
Johnnyrazor,
“I think you have a misunderstanding of what Poch wants in that position next to Adams.”
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Ha! Funny shit, and nice try, but I am certain that I understand exactly what Poch wants in that position, such that I have insight that you do not have, nor do you have access to.
Again, per your own admission, you have not seen Sands play this season and you are basing your opinion strictly on stats. Frankly, that is flawed.
If you have inside information of what Poch wants and Sands is that, we are about to look really bad against Ecuador and Australia.
Papi, you convinced me to watch some st Pauli, only had time to watch h about 45 minutes combined of Stuttgart and Augsburg matches. He did fine, but he played the role Adams has been playing I don’t see him replacing Luca’s role or Roldan.
Johnnyrazor,
If you have inside information of what Poch wants and Sands is that, we are about to look really bad against Ecuador and Australia.
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That is not what I posted, so don’t do that. It’s not becoming of you and up until now, you seem better than that. When you try and change my words and project things on me, you sound like Vacqui, and that guy is a clown.
You made reference to Poch’s tactics, my lack of understanding of said tactics, to which I replied that I very much understand his tactics and that Sands could fill that role. I said nothing about Sands BEING the player that WOULD fill that role.
Glad you had an opportunity to watch some of St. Pauli and Sands. We can agree to disagree about whether he can play the position next to Adams.
If Roldan or LDT play next to Adams vs Ecuador or Australia, that won’t make the USMNT exponentially better.
Another guy who’s playing well that Poch needs to take a look at and couldn’t earlier this year – because he was hurt – is James Sands, who has started every game this season for St. Pauli, who are presently 5th in the B1. Right now Tyler Adams is our one true destroyer; Sands doesn’t have Adams’ athleticism or range but he still works hard, he’s extremely disciplined, and he’s a better passer, and he’s exactly the sort of 5/6 hybrid who works well in Poch’s system as the deeper of the co-6’s. What Poch wants that guy to do is to play as a double pivot when defending, and then drop in between the CB’s almost like a third CB in possession while the shuttler progresses the ball. Sands suits all that to a “T”.
I’m extremely high on Tessmann long-term, but Tessmann’s got a crowded field ahead of him if he wants to be the shuttler for Poch – and he is NOT a destroyer or a 10. Several very good mids are not going to end up making the World Cup for us and I think we may be shocked who some of them end up being.
I remember, maybe before Poch was hired, A Robinson wasn’t available and Sands was put in at LB and I thought he did very well. I’ve thought for some time he has a lot of potential.
i think it’s worth pointing out that sands also has experience playing in a 3-back formation, so there would be less a transition for him if poch is looking to pursue that strategy. and yes, he’s looked good and solid, admittedly against a pretty easy schedule so far.
my view of sands has been pretty underwhelming so far. for the usmnt, he’s been…fine; not someone who would get us to the next level. but maybe “next level” is setting the bar too high at this point.
Tessman woukd allow Adams to be the destroyer and his passing range is much better than Musah, Mckennie, Adams, and Cardoso.
yeah, i’m thinking sands would be a backup to adams.
for me, musah’s not progressed in the last year or so, and i wouldn’t be surprised at all if he doesn’t make the cup. pretty disappointing, because he turned a lot of heads when he came on the scene. but an overachieving 19-year-old can turn into an underachieving 23-year-old in no time.
really hope poch hasn’t given up on cardoso yet. to my mind, he’s the highest combination of current level and potential that we have.
Q: first off I haven’t see. St. Pauli this year, but Sands passing stats don’t back up being there with the exception of maybe an Adams backup.
Passing Accuracy 77%
Accurate long balls 1
Long Ball accuracy 14% (1/7)
If you only hit two long balls a match and your percentage is still on 77% that is likely concerning for NT staff. His interceptions, tackles, recoveries, dribbles past are also in the bottom half of the league so other than aerial duals and duals his defensive stats aren’t great either. The season is new but his stats don’t standout, but sometimes stats don’t tell the whole story. Would he be a good candidate for Bob Bradley’s 2010 squad sure, but you can’t put both he and Tyler in midfield we’d never be able to pass out of it. As a backup for Tyler maybe, he definitely could drop into the backline in possession and then we wouldn’t need a third CB.
Wait, what? I though Tillman’s goal was called back.
Tillman’s goal was nice, a weird deflection pop up spinner that he adjusts to and hit first time, all in that moment, very nice. he almost had one earlier too on a nice control I traffic outside the 6, spin and hit with the left, but deflected
That was Tillmans second goal this season.