Paxten_aaronson_-_asn_top_-_vitesse_celebration_4-28-24
Americans Abroad

Aaronson, Busio, Paredes, and Sargent enjoy strong weekends abroad

ASN's Brian Sciaretta writes up his thoughts on the weekend for Americans abroad covering the good and the bad. This weekend saw the younger Aaronson brother impress along with the Venezia duo, Josh Sargent, Kevin Paredes, Brandon Vazquez, and even Emmanuel Sabbi vs. PSG. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
April 29, 2024
6:10 AM

THE WEEKEND FOR Americans abroad was a good one for many of the young players in Europe. Buiso, Tessmann, Paxten Aaronson, Cardoso, Paredes, and Pukstas were among the many young players who stood out. But the news wasn’t all good, as a few USMNT players had rough outings and the absence of Tyler Adams continues to loom.

Anyway, let’s get right into it.

 

Busio & Tessmann lift Venezia

 

Both U.S. U-23 midfielders Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann had big games on Friday as Venezia came back from a 1-0 deficit at halftime to win 2-1.

With the score 1-1 in the 76th minute, it was Busio who then set up the winning goal with a cleaver through-ball for Bjarki Bjarkason who scored to put Venezia up top. He now has seven goals and four assists in an impressive 2725 minutes this season (he played 88 minutes in this game). One issue to watch with Busio heading into the summer and the Olympics is fatigue.

Meanwhile, Tanner Tessmann continues to put up rock-solid numbers on a near weekly basis. What is important for him is that he does a lot of heavy lifting in addition to goals and assists. In this game, Tessmann was very active in defense and in lose ball situations.

  • 4/4 in tackles
  • 11/16 in ground duels
  • 2/2 in aerials
  • 6 times fouled
  • 2 fouls
  • 5 clearances

That is a lot of physical play in a league that is very physical and intense. After the Olympics, it seems very likely that Tessmann will be sold and my early guess is that it is to a bigger Italian team who have watched him and know what he can do.

Meanwhile, Venezia continues to put pressure on second-place Como for the final automatic promotion spot. With Como drawing over the weekend, Venezia are just one point back with three to play.

 

Aaronson MOTM in Vitesse win

 

Paxten Aaronson, 20, had a very big game on Sunday for Vitesse as he scored twice and helped set up the third as his team defeated Fortuna Sittard 3-2. The win showed a lot of character from Vitesse as the club were docked 18 points for violating the sanctions on Roman Abramovich. The club was already in trouble, but the 18 point deduction brought it to -1 points on the season.

But Vitesse came out and played with heart, and Aaronson was the team's best player. He scored the opening goal in the 22nd mintue on a play that showed really nice ball control in tight spaces and good reaction speed.



Then with Fortuna Sittard up 2-1, Aaronson helped set up an equalizer with a "chip" that was a hockey assist.

In the 76th minute, Aaronson scored the winner with a really nice move in the box to get on the end of a low cross and a clear shot.

This was a very good outing for Aaronson who has done well on this this loan to raise his profile enough to either return to Eintracht and be in a position to help, or get another loan to a much better team that Vitesse.

On the international stage, it should be widely expected that Aaronson will be with the U.S. team this summer at the Olympics where he should be a key offensive player.

 

Juve and Milan lifeless in draw

 

There was a lot of anticipation among American fans for Saturday's Serie A match between Juventus and AC Milan in Turin. The game featured three American starters with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah for Milan. For Juventus, Tim Weah started at right wingback and Weston McKennie was on the bench, likely for squad rotation.

But this game really turned out to be a disappointment with no one showing particularly well in a boring 0-0 draw.

Musah was strangely tried again at right back despite the fact earlier attempts to play him at the position this season have been disappointments. This game was no exception. He was beaten a bunch of times in defense and his final ball, which has rarely been good even in midfield, continued to let him down. But this wasn't his fault. He's not a right back.

Pulisic, like most of the attackers on Milan, had no real chances to do much of anything.

Weah went 71 minutes for Juve before being replaced by McKennie. Weah had a few decent moments and in a dull game, that seemed like it would have been enough to keep him on. But it wasn't. Meanwhile, Mckennie came into the game for the final 19 minutes plus stoppage time but didn't really do anything to bring life into Juventus.

All four players are going to the Copa and none of them had much on the line. The one concern is whether this effort was due to fatigue. If so, they need to rest for June.

 

Sabbi helps Le Havre draw PSG

 

Normally, Le Havre travelling to Paris and playing PSG to a draw would be seen as a great result for the newly promoted side. But Saturday's 3-3 draw is likely going to be viewed as a disappointment as the club is in a tight relegation battle and had a 3-1 lead into the 75th minute and a 3-2 lead deep into stoppage time. As a result, the Le Havre failed to gain much ground in the intense relegation battle.

One bit of good news for Le Havre is that American winger Emmanuel Sabbi had another good game and even assisted on the team's opening goal in the 19th minute for a 1-0 lead.



This past season has seen Sabbi really show his value on the defensive side with the team's coach, Luka Elsner, stating as much. He can score and assist, but defensively he really help his often undermanned team in a very athletic league.

In addition to the assist, Sabbi was continuously breaking up plays. He was winning his duels and he also had five interceptions. He was subbed out just before PSG's late equalizer.

There are a lot of questions about Sabbi. The first is that if Le Havre go down, does he have interest to remain in a top league. That remains to be seen. If he goes down with Le Havre, does he have the firepower to get them promoted again? Finally, is he in the USMNT picture? That is a little bleaker given the depth of the team right now.

But there is still a good chance Le Havre stay up. They are currently out of the relegation zone on goal differential.

 

Robinson & Richards impress in EPL draw

 

Fulham and Crystal Palace played to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in a London Derby and the game saw two U.S. national team players perform well. Chris Richards went 90 minutes for Crystal Palace, who continue to be in terrific form. The Alabama native played in a three-man backline and he stood out defensively, making seven clearances, winning 5/6 aerials, winning 3/4 of his ground duels and going 2/2 with tackles.

On the other side, Antonee Robinson was busy at left back for Fulham where he had 70 touches and was aggressive on both sides of the ball. He had six clearances and six passes into the final third.

Richards and Robinson are likely starters for the Copa America and shouldn’t face much adversity the rest of the season with no chance of Europe and no threat of relegation. Fulham sit 13th and Palace sits 14th. It seems likely that both clubs could start to rotate lineups down the stretch and that could open the door for Tim Ream, who was unused again.

 

Sargent and Norwich inch towards playoffs

 

Norwich City hosted Swansea on Saturday and the teams played to a 2-2 draw. The result did not formally clinch a playoff spot for Norwich, but they have a three-point cushion and a +7 goal differential edge on Hull City for the spot. They are also one point clear of West Brom.

In this game, Josh Sargent scored his 16th goal of the season to give Norwich a 2-1 lead just before halftime. Sargent now has 16 goals and two assists in 1782 minutes in the Championship. This is also coming from a player who missed nearly four months with a serious ankle injury. If Sargent was healthy the entire season, he could likely have had elite Championship numbers.  



Right now, Norwich are heading into the playoffs and no one will want to face them – and a lot of that is because of Sargent. With the St. Louis forward, they are one of the better teams in the league and they’re better than their sixth place indicates.

Sargent is also looking at a busy summer too with the U.S. national team at the Copa. Even with Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, and Folarin Balogun all pushing for a roster spot in the No. 9 position, it’s probably impossible to leave Sargent off with his 116 minutes per goal ratio this season.

 

Paredes aids Wolfsburg comeback win

 

Kevin Paredes played the second half for Wolfsburg and was on the field for his team's 2-1 comeback win over Freiburg on Saturday. Paredes came into the game with Wolfsburg down 1-0 at the break and was very good the rest of the way.

The U.S. U-23 winger was playing more of a left wingback position and his first big moment came in the 64th minute when he drew a red card from Freiburg's Kiliann Sildillia. Paredes drew the harsh foul after a nifty bit of dribbling and it initially looked as if he was significantly injured. But after medical treatment, he was able to continue.

Overall, it was a very active and lively performance from Paredes who had been in a rough patch the past two months. He still needs to learn how to be an effecitve starter on a consistent basis, but he is a handful off the bench in going at tired defenders.

While Paredes is in the USMNT pool, he is best suited for the Olympic team. It will be interesting to see if Wolfsburg lets him go.

With the win, Wolfsburg moved further into safety at 12th place, seven points clear of the relegation playoff position.

 

Pukstas scores a brace for Hajduk Split

 

With reports indicating that he will leave the club for greener pastures this summer, Rokas Pukstas had a good day for Hajduk Split on Saturday in a 5-1 romp over terrible Rudes team that is in last place, has sealed relegation, had just seven points from 32 games, and boasts a -60 goal differential. Even with Hajduk Split underperforming this season and not in contention for the title – sitting third, Rudes was not able to make this game competitive.

Pukstas, 19, had three goals in this game. Two he scored for Hajduk via headers, and one he redirected into his own goal, also a header.



But aside from the goals, Pukstas was busy throughout. The Oklahoma native and former U.S. U-20 World Cup midfielder had seven shots and he had nine touches in the Rudes box.

This is going to be a busy summer for Pukstas. He's in the mix for the Olympic team but making that team will be tough given he has not played with the team yet in any of the camps (just one more before the Olympics).

Then there is the transfer window. Pukstas has done well for Hajduk the past two years, but it remains to be seen what his value is. He can score, but he still does not get on the ball a lot. Still, there should be no shortage of suitors. It just depends on his price.

 

Booth returns for Vitesse

 

Taylor Booth, 22, made his return to Utrecht on Sunday in the club's 2-2 away draw with RKC Waalwijk. It was Booth's first appearance since February 18th when he was subbed out in the first half. The draw kept Utrecht in seventh place of the Eredivisie and in the playoff positions for a Conference League spot.

Booth entered the game in the 73rd minute and was on the field for Utrecht's 84th minute equalizer to earn a point. For Booth, it was a quiet outing and he had just 13 touches and was 6/7 in passing. He wasn't part of any dangerous chances but for Utrecht, it was a big boost to have him back as he was in tremendous form in the weeks leading up to his injury.

For Booth, his return also boosts his chances of making the U.S. Olympic team after missing the March window. He's not a lock and competition remains tight (he's up against Griffin Yow, Paxten Aaronson, and Cade Cowell) but he'll now have an opportunity to showcase himself in the final three games of the season - and likely the playoffs after that. If he is back to where he was in early February, he should be in a great position.

 

Balogun struggles continue

 

Folarin Balogun had another tough outing for Monaco on Sunday in a 3-2 loss away to Lyon. Oddly enough, the USMNT forward was credited with an assist in the first minute on an early Monaco goal but it was unclear what his intentions were when he stuck his leg out for a cross. It ended up falling to Ben Yedder for a goal that was eventually allowed by VAR.



But Balogun was pulled at halftime. The one touch for the technical assist was his only touch in Lyon's box. He only had 16 touches, no shots, and was only 5/9 in passing.

He's not in a good position right now and is in a real slump. It comes at a terrible time as Breel Embolo, 27, is returning from his ACL injury and looks set for more minutes. Balogun was initially brought in as a Embolo replacement this season. But if Embolo gets his form back, Balogun could see his minutes deiminish. Embolo played the entire second half.

For the national team, Balogun has been a regular now with the team for over a year, but he is now facing more competition. My guess is that he will probably make the Copa America team, but runs the risk of getting dropped later in the year if he doesn't improve.

 

Vazquez scores 10th Monterrey goal

 

Monterrey defeated Necaxa 5-2 away on Sunday night to remain in fourth place of Liga MX after 17 rounds. Brandon Vazquez came into the game in the 62nd minute and was on the field for his team's final three goals. He only had 10 touches, but one of them was the team's final goal.

Vazquez has played 1212 minutes in all competitions since joining Monterrey and he now has 10 goals. He doesn't always start, but he's still growing into a nice role for Monterrey and is in a good position to take a bigger role next season.



Meanwhile, former U.S. U-20 midfielder Fernando Arce Jr. went 83 minutes for Necaxa in the loss.

 

Cardoso sharp in Betis draw

 

Johnny Cardoso had a strong performance for Real Betis on Sunday in a 1-1 draw with Sevilla. The New Jersey-born, Brazil-raised, midfielder went the distnace and had 52 touches. It wasn't flashy, but it was very effective. He had a shot from distance in the 30th minute that forced a save and then missed a header in the 82nd.

But he was 28/32 in passing. At one point, he nearly had an assist after he forced a turnover with a tackle and fed it to a teammate whose shot was saved from close range.

 

It was a disappointing draw for Betis because they had more chances (and had a goal called back for VAR) but Cardoso was once again a rock in midfield.

With the questions about Adams right now and Musah not playing well, Cardoso could be in line for a lot of minutes at the Copa America.

With five games left, Real Betis sit seventh in LaLiga and are just two points behind Real Sociedad for the league’s Conference League spot.  

 

Yanks in Germany

 

In the Bundesliga on Friday, Bochum upset Hoffenheim 3-2 to move further into the league’s safe position. This puts more pressure on Union Berlin. John Brooks continues to see his role under American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo decrease and the 2014 U.S. World Cup defender was unused in this game. Hoffenheim fell to ninth place and Brooks is entering a summer where he could be sold.

On Sunday, Borussia Monchengladbach hosted Union Berlin and the two teams played to a 0-0 draw. For Union Berlin, they are only two points ahead of the relegation playoff position while M’Gladbach is two points ahead of them.

Three Americans played in this game. Brenden Aaronson had a decent game and went 74 minutes for Union Berlin. He forced two good saves on shots from distance (the 38th minute and the 54th minute) and overall has been playing much more positively since he was initially dropped from the Nations League roster in March.  As for whether Union Berlin wants to purchase Aaronson from Leeds after the loan is over, his recent trend upward helps but he will really need to finish the season strong.

There are a lot more eyes on Joe Scally among American fans given the injury to Sergino Dest. The Long Island native went the distance playing at left wingback before eventually moving to the right. Overall, Scally was quiet and didn’t have a big impact on the game. On the flip side, he didn’t make any bad mistakes either. Finally, Jordan Pefok returned from injury with a cameo in the 88th minute against his parent club, Union Berlin. At this point, it seems unlikely M’Gladbach will want to exercise the option to purchase on his loan.  

Timothy Chandler made a late cameo in the 88th minute for Eintracht Frankfurt but he was unable to help his team find a late equalizer in a 2-1 away loss to Bayern Munich.

Werder Bremen defeated Augsburg 3-0 to move into 10th place in the Bundesliga. American teenager forward Joel Imasuen, 19, did not make the bench for this game. The Atlanta native made his Bundesliga debut in March in a late cameo.

FC Heidenheim defeated Darmstadt 1-0 away on Sunday. Lennard Maloney was injured but the club moved into 10th place with the win. It’s astonishing given their size that they are comfortably surviving in the Bundesliga.

Damion Downs was subbed into FC Koln’s 1-1 draw against Mainz on Sunday in the 63rd minute. He was on the field for Koln’s stoppage time equalizer from the penalty spot, but he was not part of the goal. Overall, he struggled to get involved and had only 11 touches with no shots. With three games remaining, Koln is five points from the relegation playoff and seven points form automatic safety. Relegation would be bad for Koln, although not necessarily for Downs – who needs to move to a lower level for more minutes.

In the 2.Bundesliga, St. Pauli posted an important 1-0 win over Hansa Rostock and the team managed by Houston-born Fabian Hurzeler can clinch promotion as soon as next week. At 31, Hurzeler has become one of the fastest rising young managers in Germany.

Staying in the 2.Bundesliga, U.S. U-23 forward Johan Gomez started and played 76 ineffective minutes for Eintracht Braunschweig in an ugly 4-0 loss at home to Hamburg. With the defeat, Braunschweig is just two points clear of the relegation playoff position with three games remaining.

On Sunday, Greuther Furth defeated Wehen Wiesbaden 5-3 on the road to end its five game winless skid. Julian Green remained out with an ankle injury, but Maximillian Dietz went 90 minutes in central defense for Furth. Dietz is in a competition to make the U.S. Olympic team and the central defense positions are up for grabs. Dietz didn’t really stand out in this game defensively, and was 0/3 in ground duels, was 0/0 in aerials, and was 0/0 in tackles. He did have 92 touches and was 82/87 in passing.

 

Yanks in England

 

In the Premier League on Saturday, Sheffield United were formally relegated after a dismal 5-1 defeat away to Newcastle. Auston Trusty played all 90 for Sheffield United and like most of his teammates, had a good half where it was 1-1. But everything came unglued in the last 45. Trusty has been part of some tough performances from Sheffield United but hopefully he can help the team have a soft landing in the Championship next season. Shifting down to that league should be good for him.

Bronx-born teenager Wesley Okoduwa is just 15 and is knocking on the door for his Premier League debut but again went unused for Wolves in a 2-1 win over Luton Town. If he does make his debut, it could be an interesting time for the tri-national who can play for England, Nigeria (who his father played for), and the United States. He’s already represented England’s U-16 team but would not need to file a one-time switch to play to represent the USA or Nigeria.

Gio Reyna was subbed into Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City in the 74th minute after all the goals were scored. Man City was dominating the possession game and Reyna had just 11 touches and was 5/7 in passing. Reyna had some decent moments and he advanced the ball into the final third twice and he attempted two crosses.

But this was an uphill climb for Reyna and all of Forest who are now just one point clear of Luton Town for relegation. They were always unlikely to get a result. In their three remaining games they visit Sheffield United and Burnley. They need at least four points from those games. Reyna should have a real opportunity to contribute. That’s not the case for Matt Turner who remains on the bench.

Meanwhile, Tyler Adams missed Bournemouth’s 3-0 win over Brighton on Sunday. There are a lot of questions about Adams right now and few public answers. One question is whether he will be able to play in the Copa America and if yes, is it smart to bring him? What can he offer? Will he be able to play enough to benefit the team?

In the Championship, Queens Park Rangers clinched survival after a long midseason period in the relegation zone. The team improved in the past two months to remain in the Championship. But Reggie Cannon has not played much of a role and he went unused again in this game for QPR. He’s facing an important preseason or else he could be looking at another season with very limited minutes.

It has been a great season for Haji Wright at Coventry as he has 18 goals in 48 games across all competitions and 15 alone in the Championship. But the USMNT forward will not make the promotional playoffs as Saturday’s 0-0 draw away to Blackburn ensured that Coventry will be in the Championship next season. Coventry was down to 10 players starting in the 63rd minute and Wright played 86 minutes. He looked fatigued in this game, and he has played a lot of soccer this season. But he managed three shots in 40 touches, but nothing was too dangerous.

For Wright, he has just one more game remaining this season for Coventry. Then he will rest up and hope he earns a Copa America invite this summer.

Ethan Horvath was hung out to dry on Saturday by his Cardiff teammates in a 4-1 loss at home to Middlesbrough. Horvath made three saves (two of them were very good) but there was nothing he could do about the goals. Cardiff sit midtable in 12th and are preparing for next year, and Horvath is a big part of the club’s promotional ambitions in the years ahead. It was a tough game, but things are looking up for Horvath. Meanwhile, Matthew Hoppe did not make the bench for Middlesbrough after going unused midweek. He is in a bad place right now and needs to find a new club that believes in him soon.

Lynden Gooch was still out injured for Stoke but his team came away with a big 1-0 win at Southampton to clinch survival in the Championship.

 

 Yanks in Italy

 

Andrija Novakovich, 27, started and played 68 minutes for Lecco in a 4-0 loss to Parma. With the result, Parma were crowned champions of Serie B while Lecco were relegated to Serie C. Novakovich has been at the club on loan from Venezia but his contract is set to expire in June. He will likely be looking for a new club very soon.  

With just three games remaining until the promotional playoffs, Palermo are in poor form and have not won in five games. Palermo still has a seven-point cushion on a playoff berth, but are running the risk of not being in good form once they get there. The latest poor result came on Saturday in a 2-1 loss at home to Reggiana – dropping Palermo to sixth in Serie B.

Kristoffer Lund, 21, went the distance for Palermo and played fairly well despite the loss. Playing left back, he had four shots with 81 touches. He was solid in his duels (5/7 in aerials, 5/9 in ground duels) while drawing two fouls. He was aggressive going forward, but he could not help his team earn a result.  Lund has had an above average season, but probably not one that will attract transfer interest yet. If Palermo fail to go up, Lund will probably stick around.

Nicholas Gioacchini played the final four minutes plus stoppage time for Como, who outplayed Sampdoria but were not able to find a win, settling for a 1-1 draw instead. That result, saw Como’s grip on second place (the final automatic promotion place in Serie B) reduced from three points to just one over Venezia. Gioacchini continues to only play a minimal role with this team and that seems unlikely to change for the rest of this season. No matter what league Como are in next year, Gioacchini will get important chances in preseason this summer.  

 

Yanks in Spain

 

Luca de la Torre came off the bench in the 54th minute for Celta Vigo immediately after Deportivo Alaves scored two goals in quick succession to take a 2-0 lead. The USMNT midfielder had 25 touches in his 36-minute shift and was tidy in possession, but was unable to create or be part of any dangerous scoring chances as Deportivo Alaves found another goal for a 3-0 win.

Celta Vigo have a difficult schedule over its remaining five games (including games against Villarreal, Valencia, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao). They need to play better than this to remain clear of the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, de la Torre is probably not a lock for the Copa America this summer if Tyler Adams makes the team. He is also under pressure to play better as well.

In the Segunda, Konrad de la Fuente and Eibar fell out of second place (automatic promotion) and into third place (promotion playoffs) after a 2-1 loss away to Albacete. Eibar had most of the possession and chances but could not capitalize. De la Fuente played the final 13 minutes as Eibar pushed for promotion. He was aggressive and had two touches in the Albacete box, but was not able to affect the outcome. It will be a close call if Eibar move to purchase de la Fuente after this season. It could come down to whether they are promoted. Individually, it looks like de la Fuente will probably not be included on the U.S. Olympic team (he is still age eligible).

 

Yanks in the Netherlands

 

In the Eredivisie on Sunday, Anthony Fontana was an unused substitute for PEC Zwolle in a 3-1  win over Heracles. PEC sit 11th in the Eredivisie after the win.

FC Volendam sunk to six points deep in the Eredivisie relegation zone after a 1-0 loss on Sunday to Sparta Rotterdam. Zach Booth went all 90 minutes for Volendam playing right wing. He had four shots, with two as good chances. He forced a save in the 62nd minute with a shot hit right at the keeper. He then saw an 86th minute chance blocked.

For the younger Booth brother, he seems likely to be playing for another loan as minutes back at his parent club, Leicester, will be tough to earn next season. It remains an open question if his performances this year will garner interest from another club in the Eredivisie or something equivalent. He's still young, having just turned 20, but needs to find a place where he can contribute as a winger.

In the second tier Eerste Divisie, FC Dordrecht played Cambuur to a 3-3 away draw. John Hilton, 22, played 82 minutes at left back for Dordrecht while his fellow American teammate Korede Osudina came on at the half with Dordrecht trailing 3-1 and assisted on the 79th minute equalizer. Agustin Anello was not in action for Cambuur. Dordrecht moved into fourth with the win and are likely to be part of the promotional playoffs.

Staying in the second tier, Gedion Zelalem played all 90 minutes for Den Bosch in a 3-2 away win over VVV-Venlo. Despite the win, Den Bosch sits in 18th place out of 20 teams.

 

Yanks in Belgium

 

On Sunday in the Championship playoff round Genk dropped a  3-0 decision at home to Club Brugge. After a strong start to the playoff round, Genk has dropped two straight, both to club Brugge, by a combined 7-0 scoreline.

It wasn’t a great day for Mark McKenzie on Sunday who made a mistake on the opening goal when he failed to head away a cross from Brugge’s Kyriani Sabbe and it went into the goal. From there, Genk was playing catchup. It wasn’t a good time for McKenzie who is trying to have a busy summer where he pushes for a spot on the USMNT Copa America roster and finds a transfer in the window. Despite the rough day, it’s been a good season for the former Philadelphia Union homegrown.

On Friday in the First Division relegation playoff, Eupen dropped a 2-1 decision at home to Sporting Charleroi and Gaga Slonina was not able to come up with any game-changing saves. Eupen was spared sealing relegation this weekend thanks to Kortrijk’s surprise win over Molenbeek, but that is just putting off the inevitable. This season for Slonina has been up and down, which is to be expected of such a young goalkeeper. But it will be tricky for Chelsea to find him another club who is willing to take on a starter who is so young.

In the playoffs for the Conference League spot, Westerlo is out of the race and has started rotating its squad. This was obvious on Saturday in the 3-2 loss away to Gent. Bryan Reynolds was held out for precautionary reasons and Griffin Yow came off the bench for the last 25 minutes. Yow has had a breakout season and despite having just nine touches in this game, he created two chances from 5/5 passing.

Also, in the playoff for the Conference League spot, Standard Liege played St. Truiden to a 1-1 draw that hurt both teams. Kahveh Zahiroleslam has found himself in a bit of a slump lately for St. Truiden and was held ineffective for his 67-minute shift. He had just one shot (from long distance), was 1/4 in dribbles, was 1/9 in ground duels, 2/5 in aerials, drew no fouls, and committed three. Any talk of him making the Olympic roster for the June camp is probably quieting. St. Truiden is 11 points behind Gent for the Conference League spot.  

Meanwhile, Marlon Fossey returned form injury and played the final 12 minute plus stoppage time for Standard, which is now 17 points behind Gent for the Conference League spot.

 

Yanks Elsewhere

 

In the Austrian Bundesliga's Championship playoff round on Sunday, George Bello and everyone on LASK had a nice day in a 5-0 romp at home over Rapid Vienna. Bello played 83 minutes at left back. His highlight was winning 7/10 of his ground duels, winning 2/2 of his tackles, and drawing five fouls. He wasn't flashy, but it was a nice steady performance. LASK remains glued to third place.

Sebastian Soto was only a late cameo stoppage time sub (90+1) for Austria Klagenfurt in a 3-2 loss to Hartberg. Klagenfurt seem headed for a sixth-place finish (last in the Championship group). For Soto, it is about staying healthy and trying to build a case in the preseason.

In Hungary’s NB I, Ferencvaros have already clinched the title but Herny Wingo went 90 minutes on Saturday in the club’s 2-1 away win over MTK Budapest. Wingo is rumored to be heading to Austin FC in MLS after the season. If so, he would leave Europe with four Hungarian title and one Norwegian title.

In the Danish Superliga, Lyngby played Vejle Boldklub to a 1-1 draw in an important relegation contest between the team occupying the last safe position, Lyngby, and the first team in the relegation zone in Vejle Boldclub. The result was disappointing for Lyngby playing at home and failing to put distance between itself and relegation. Jonathan Amon played 69 minutes for Lyngby and actually had his best performance in years – since before his wave of injuries. He had two shots that both forced saves. He created two chances. The Charleston native was also 12/13 in passing. What’s interesting is that he is earning more minutes in important situations.

In Portugal’s top tier, Vizela played Rio Ave to a 1-1 draw at home on Saturday, but Alex Mendez continues to remain glued to the bench for Vizela. With just three games remaining in the season, Vizela are in last place and can clinch relegation as soon as next weekend. It seems likely Mendez will be looking for a new club soon after the season.

In the Scottish Premiership’s Championship phase, Celtic remained three points clear of second place Rangers after a 2-1 away win over Dundee FC. Celtic wasn’t great in this game but still controlled possession. Cameron Carter-Vickers was rarely tested defensively but was active with the ball – playing 11 balls into the attacking third and creating a pair of chances. Celtic has four games remaining, including a game at home on May 11th vs. Rangers. Carter-Vickers is also trying to clinch a spot on the Copa America team and right now, it would seem that he is in the driver’s seat to beat out Mark McKenzie.

In Scotland’s Premiership relegation playoff, Dante Polvara had a very good shift for Aberdeen on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Motherwell to move eight points clear of the relegation playoff position with four games remaining. The former Georgetown Hoya did a lot of dirty work, winning 9/15 ground duels, 4/6 aerials, drawing four fouls, and committing two. He also created two good chances in what was one of his better performances of the season.

It is probably too little, too late but Scott Pittman also had a nice full-90 performance on Saturday for last-place Livingston in a 2-0 win over Ross County. Despite the win, Livingston is still nine points deep in last and away from the relegation playoff position with three games remaining. They will likely be relegated next weekend. Pittman, 31, is Livingston’s all-time leader in appearances but it will be interesting if he remains with the club when they drop to the second tier.

In Norway’s Eliteserien, Alan Saldana is still awaiting his debut for KFUM Oslo after going again as an unused substitute on Sunday in a 0-0 draw with Brann.  The news was slightly better for Sam Rogers who played the final 29 minutes for Hamkam in a 1-1 draw with his parent club Lillestrom. Rogers is at Hamkam on loan from Lillestrom and earned positive reviews for his performance on Sunday.

In Norway’s second tier, Bob Bradley’s Stabaek needed a stoppage time equalizer to escape Saturday’s game away at Aasane with a 2-2 draw. Stabaek still have eight points from four games to start the season. In the 2-2 draw, Stabaek opened the scoring in the 16th minute on a goal that was assisted by former FC Dallas homegrown Thomas Roberts.

Bohemians FC won their first three games since Aboubacar Keita moved into the starting lineup, but their fourth game with the 2019 U.S. U-20 World Cup central defender was a setback as Bohemians dropped a 2-0 decision on the road to Dundalk. With the result, Bohemians fell to fourth in Ireland’s Premier Division.

In Finland’s Veikkausliiga, Justin Rennicks entered into this weekend with goals in his last two games for AC Oulu. The former New England Revolution forward was not able to find the back of the net on Saturday in 2-1 loss at home to VPS. AC Oulu have just two points from their first four games.

In Lavia’s top tier, FK Metta dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Auda. Metta fell to eighth in the 10-team league. American midfielder Jordan Bender started for Metta but was pulled at halftime.

In Slovakia’s Super Liga, Zyen Jones, 23, started and played 79 minutes for FC Kosice in a 2-0 loss at home to Zlate Moravce – who have already clinched relegation. Jones and FC Kosice are even on points for the relegation playoff position.  

In the Greek Super League, Caleb Stanko did not play for Lamia in a 4-1 loss to Olympiacos on Sunday.

In the middle of the CONCACAF Cup, Club America rotated its squad for Friday’s away game at Puebla and still came away with a 2-1 victory to remain atop Liga MX. Alejandro Zendejas was an unused sub in this game as he is rested for America’s second leg in CONCACAF away at Pachuca.

In Uruguay’s Primera, Mattias Fracchia played the final 16 minutes plus stoppage time for Danubio in a 5-3 away win over Miramar Misiones. Danubio sit 10th in the in 16-team league.

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