Gianluca_busio_-_asn_top_-_venezia_goal_-_4-20-24
Americans Abroad

Dest injured, Sargent nears playoffs, Busio scores big winner, and much more

This weekend was very eventful for Americans abroad - for reasons both good and bad. ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks it all down for you from every corner of the globe. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
April 22, 2024
10:10 AM

THE WEEKEND FOR AMERICANS Abroad was a wild ride and there is a lot to unpack – both good and bad. But the injury to Sergino Dest puts a dark cloud over everything as he was in the midst of a great season and had a very important role with the national team heading into this summer.

After the Dest news, there was plenty of good news to talk about too. Some highlights.

  • Chris Richards and Crystal Palace with a terrific win
  • Ethan Horvath made several saves in a Cardiff win
  • Griffin Yow continues to rise for Westerlo
  • Joe Scally came off the bench to pick up an assist
  • Josh Sargent assisted as Norwich near playoff berth
  • Gianluca Busio scored a winner for Venezia in a promotion race
  • Luca de la Torre returned from injury
  • Konrad de la Fuente returned for Eibar and drew a penalty
  • Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic moved into the Scottish Cup final
  • Haji Wright scored and equalizer in the FA Cup semifinal

 

But there were also some areas of concern and we get into all of that heavily.

 

Dest injures knee

 

The big news for this weekend was not good as PSV revealed that Sergino Dest suffered an injury in training and is likely out for an extended period. The subsequent indications are that it is a knee injury and the “extended period” seems to be a way of bracing for the worst.



This is bad timing for Dest. He is wrapping up a great season for PSV where he successfully reset his career after a bad loan to AC Milan last year. PSV will win the title and Dest will be a huge part of that. But a serious knee injury complicates his situation at PSV given that he was at the club on loan. There reportedly are still negotiations for PSV to buy him, but this clearly affects his price. But what else can Barcelona expect for Dest? How much of a drawback would it be if he returns there?

Then there is the topic of the national team. I’ll get more into that Tuesday for ASN as part of a USMNT and Olympic roster piece. Hopefully by then there will be more information about Dest and his timeline for return. But if he is indeed out for the Copa America, the four most likely options on the right side are Tim Weah, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, and Bryan Reynolds.



All the options have holes right now. Weah seems most likely, but he typically plays in a right wingback position and has never had meaningful time at right back for the USMNT. Putting him at right back seems like a potential short-term solution but it then opens up a hole on the wings – where the U.S. team is not deep. Scally is coming off a tough season at M’Gladbach. It seems like the team has moved on from Yedlin (who will turn 31 at the Copa America) but he’s playing well for Cincinnati, and he boasts experience of 110 Premier League games and two World Cups. That’s still not bad for a backup option. Meanwhile, Reynolds is an Olympic option right now. Another option could be DeJuan Jones who is typically a left back but is right footed and can play on that side.

At this time, it would be helpful if the USMNT had a three-man backline with wingbacks. That would provide defensive cover for the fullbacks but that also highlights another problem in that the team’s central defense pool is not deep either.  

There is lots to break down for this, none of it is good, but all of it is necessary.

 

Yanks in England

Wright scores, Sargent nears playoffs, Richards wins
 

Coventry lost in heartbreaking fashion in the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester United in a game that was decided by penalties after a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes.

Haji Wright played all 120 minutes and converted a dramatic equalizing penalty in the 90th minute to force extra time. He then converted his penalty in the shootout.



But the game had a controversial moment at the end of extra time when Coventry’s Victor Torp scored what many thought was the winning goal on an assist from Wright. But VAR disallowed after a review showed Wright to offside by a fraction of an inch.

It was a crushing defeat for Coventry who are also fading out of hope for the promotion race. It’s been a great season for Wright, no matter what, and the USMNT forward could be in line for an interesting summer.

Fulham dropped a 3-1 decision to Liverpool at Craven Cottage on Sunday. Antonee Robinson played the whole game for Fulham and had a hand in an equalizing goal just before halftime when his cross into the box saw an initial blocked shot followed by a goal from Timothy Castagne.

Overall, it was a good (not great) game for Robinson, despite the loss. Still, he continues to deliver at a high level consistently.

Also of note, Tim Ream again went unused for Fulham. It seems as if he is transitioning into a backup role at Fulham while being under contract for another season.

Chris Richards got the start on a banner day for Crystal Palace who pounded West Ham at home 5-2 in a London Derby. This game was a combination where everything went wrong for West Ham and everything went right for Palace. It was 4-0 at the 30 minute mark and it was essentially over at that point.

One week after missing Palace's shocking 1-0 win over Liverpool, Richards returned to the lineup and was part of this big effort. Richards completed 48/50 of his passes and was decent. He didn't standout in this game, but the good news for him is that he didn't have to.

Gio Reyna got the start on Sunday for the second straight week but he couldn’t do much to stop what was a dreadful performance from Nottingham Forest in a 2-0 away loss to Nottingham Forest. It was a blown opportunity for Forest to pull away from the relegation zone, but instead they are just one point clear of Luton Town, who are in the relegation zone.

Reyna had a few good moments, and he should have drawn a penalty that was not given. He created a pair of chances in the first half, but was pulled in the 53rd after a tough start to the second half. Up and down games are to be expected for Reyna as he starts to finally increase his playing time. He also needs to be consistently aggressive with defense.

Meanwhile, Matt Turner watched from the bench.

It was a tough day at the office for both Auston Trusty and everyone on Sheffield United who dropped a 4-1 loss at home to Burnley. The former Philadelphia Union homegrown had a tough game but wasn’t helped by his team either. For him right  now, it is about getting ready for the Championship season next year and being in position to contend for promotion.

As for the national team, Trusty is playing in the Premier League but is probably behind others. Although there is the possibility he could get selected for the U.S. Olympic team as an overage player.

Tyler Adams was still not 100% and Bournemouth opted to take a cautious approach and leave him off the squad for Sunday’s match against Aston Villa, which Bournemouth lost 3-1.

In the Championship, Cardiff City defeated Southampton 2-1 in Wales and it was a very good performance from Ethan Horvath who made six saves, all of them inside the box, in the win. It was Horvath’s best performance for Cardiff since joining the club in January. Cardiff won’t contend for promotion, but with their goalkeeping position now settled, Cardiff is in a good position moving forward. They should contend next year and Horvath will be a big reason for it.  



Josh Sargent continued his strong season and the USMNT forward played 90 minutes for Norwich in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City. His best moment came in the 58th minute, just two minutes after Bristol City took a 1-0 lead. On the play, Sargent got behind the Bristol backline and had a 1v1 with the goalkeeper. Instead of shooting, Sargent laid the ball off for Borja Sainz for an easy finish for the equalizer.



The draw kept Norwich in sixth place in the Championship. The Canaries haven’t clinched yet. They have a six-point lead on Hull and a nine-point lead on Coventry. Norwich has two games remaining, Hull has three, Coventry has four.

Sargent has arguably been the best player in the Championship since Boxing Day. In his 1692 minutes, he has 15 goals and two assists. Nearly every game he is making an impact. He has made it almost impossible to leave him off the Copa America roster this summer.

Lynden Gooch is still out with a knock but Stoke City’s up and down season should end with it avoiding relegation following Saturday’s 3-0 win over Plymouth Argyle. With two games remaining, Stoke City is six points clear.

Queens Park Rangers defeated Preston North End 1-0 in a result that ended PNE’s hope for the promotion playoffs and it almost sealed QPR’s survival. Duane Holmes played the final 11 minutes for PNE while Reggie Cannon was an unused substitute for QPR.

 

Yanks in Germany

Scally assists, Hurzeler nears promotion



On Friday, Timothy Chandler was an unused substitute for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 3-1 win over Augsburg. Eintracht maintained its spot in sixth place in the Bundesliga and if they hold, that would qualify them for Europe. Also of note, Chandler extended his contract with the club through the end of the 2024/25 season.



On Saturday, Lennard Maloney started for Heidenheim against RB Leipzig but was forced out of the game in the 50th minute with what looked like an ugly shoulder separation. More details should come on Monday or Tuesday but Maloney was playing well defensively prior to the injury. Leipzig ended up winning 2-1 with Heidenheim remaining in 10th place.

This injury should put a massive dent in his hopes to play in the Copa America but Heidenheim has exceeded all expectations and should remain in the Bundesliga next season. Playing in Germany’s top tier will continue to give Maloney a platform to keep somewhere on the USMNT depth chart.


Saturday’s Bundesliga game between Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach began with John Brooks on the bench for hosts, Hoffenheim, and Joe Scally on the bench for Monchengladbach (Jordan Pefok was injured with his thigh injury suffered last weekend). With Hoffenheim up 3-1, Scally came into the game in the 69th while Brooks entered in the 71st.

It didn’t take long for Scally to get involved as he assisted on Robin Hack’s 78th minute goal to make it 3-2. After an initial cross was unsuccessful, Scally got the ball on the right side and crossed it to a wide-open, unmarked Hack for a header from close range.

The game had a wild ending with M’Gladbach equalizing in the 89th and Hoffenheim finding a winner in stoppage time. Both teams are ending the season in midtable position with no chance of qualifying for Europe and also facing no threat of relegation. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team currently sits eighth and the American manager is having a decent season with more ups than down.

For Scally, this was an important game. It has not been a good season for him and there have been questions in the German media about his development and whether he should remain as a core starter. He hasn’t answered these questions yet, but an assist off the bench certainly helps him as he needs to end the season strong.

Scally will also be under the spotlight more for the USMNT given the injury to Dest. He will need to show that he is ready to take on more minutes at the Copa America.

As for Brooks, his starting job is no longer automatic at Hoffenheim. It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on him with his contract nearing its end.

It was a very tough day at the office for Union Berlin which was thrashed 5-1 at home by an angry Bayern Munich team that was finally dethroned last weekend by Bayer Leverkusen. Brenden Aaronson went the distance for Union in the tough loss and was on the right side. His primary job was to keep Alphonso Davies in check, and he mostly accomplished that.

Actually, for the first 30 minutes and mostly up to halftime, this game was competitive, and Aaronson was lively and aggressive. It was in the second half when the wheels came off for Union, who simply didn't have the talent to keep up with a Bayern team that was playing up to its potential for the day.

It's not saying much, but Aaronson was one of the best players for Union in this game. What was encouraging is that he physically held up and won 8/15 ground duels and was 2/4 in tackles. He didn't have many significant errors.

The loss is concerning because Union now sits just two points clear of the relegation playoff position with four games remaining. From an individual perspective, Aaronson is playing better than earlier in the season. That raises two important questions. Will he return to Leeds next season? And will he make the USMNT Copa America roster? The good news for him is that the way he's been playing, he's probably convincing Union that he's worth it. With the USMNT, while he was left off the team initially in March, he has raised his game to probably sneak back inside the bubble for this summer.

Also in the Bundesliga, Kevin Paredes played the final 25 minutes plus stoppage time for Wolfsburg in its 1-0 win over Bochum. The U.S. U-23 winger missed a great chance in the 88th minute when his left-footed shot from inside the box went wide. Paredes has been up and down this season and this outing showed why. There were some things he did well, he won his ground duels, he fought for shots, but he didn't connect the dots. He's getting there, slowly, but he's getting there.

Damion Downs did not get off the bench for FC Koln in a devastating 2-0 loss at home to last place Darmstadt. This was a chance for Koln to make a climb towards to survival and now relegation seems most likely. For Downs, the 2.Bundesliga could be a great opportunity to make an impact but Koln will be looking to bounce back quickly, and they might not have that level of trust in Downs yet.

American forward Joel Imasuen, 19, played with Werder Bremen's second team to help them clinch the Bremen State league title on Saturday, scoring twice in a 5-0 win over Leher. Imasuen was not part of the first team's squad on Sunday in a 2-1 win over Stuttgart. Werder Bremen are now sitting comfortably in 11th place with four games remaining.

In the 2.Bundesliga, Greuther Furth dropped a 1-0 decision away to a surging Fortuna Dusseldorf. The loss ends any realistic hope for Furth to make a late push for the promotional playoffs. Maximillian Dietz went 90 minutes in the loss but put up big passing numbers out of the back, 123/128 in total passing with 11 passes going into the final third, and 4/5 in completed long balls. On the upcoming U.S. Olympic team, 2/3 of the overage spots could go to central defenders. Dietz remains in competition to be an age-eligible pick. But his passing out of the back was very strong in this game and that helps his case.

Staying in the 2.Bundesliga, Johan Gomez started and scored Eintracht Braunschweig’s final goal of a 3-0 win over last-place Osnabruck. This win temporarily moved Braunschweig out of the relegation playoff position and into safety. Gomez was subbed out two minutes after this goal in the 59th minute.

Gomez is in a tight race to make the U.S. Olympic team where he is competing against Duncan McGuire and perhaps an overage option as the center forwards. This was his second goal of the season. That’s not a lot of production, but if he can get hot at the end of the season, it could really boost his case.



Finally in the 2.Bundesliga, St. Paul remained five points clear in the automatic promotion zone with four games remaining following a 2-1 away win over Hannover. The win snapped a two-game skid for a St. Pauli team coached by Houston-born and former U.S. U-20 midfielder Fabian Hurzeler.

 

Yanks in Italy

Busio scores big winner
 

In Serie A on Friday, Juventus traveled to Sardinia to take on Cagliari and walked away with a point from a 2-2 draw. It was not a bad result for Juve considering it conceded two first half goals and were down 2-0 past the hour mark. With the Coppa Italia semifinal away against Lazio set for Tuesday, Max Allegri rotated his squad slightly. As a result, Tim Weah was given what is now considered a rare start while Weston McKennie was on the bench. McKennie replaced Weah in the 68th minute with Juve trailing 2-1 at the time.

Weah was tentative in this game and that comes with him not playing much (he is still just shy of 1000 minutes on the season). When McKennie came into the game, he helped a sputtering midfield but wasn’t massively influential either.

For McKennie, he’s fine and he’s had a terrific season. Weah still is searching for a club where he’s an automatic starter. It will be worth keeping an eye on him in the offseason of how much the club sees him in the plans next season or if there is a path for him to start – and perhaps earn his first 2000-minute season.

In Serie B on Friday, Palermo played first place Parma to a 0-0 draw in Sicily. USMNT left back Kristoffer Lund went the distance for Palermo, who are safely in the promotional playoff positions. Lund was steady in this game. While not flashy, he helped keep the promotion contenders off the board.

Como remained in second place of Serie B by three points on Saturday after their convincing 5-2 away win over FeralpiSalo. There are now four games remaining and Como has a good chance of finishing in the top two for automatic promotion. Nicholas Gioacchini came off the bench in the 68th minute with Como up 4-2 and he finished with 16 touches and 4/7 passing. With the team surging, it doesn’t seem like regular starts are in the cards for Gioacchini the rest of this season, but he will have a real opportunity in the preseason this summer – likely when the club is in Serie A.

It was a huge day at the office for Venezia and their American duo of Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann who both went the distance for Venezia in a 2-1 away win over Lecco played on a beautiful day on the banks of Lake Como. American forward and former Venezia striker Andrija Novakovich started and played 75 minutes for a Lecco team that is in last and certain to be relegated.

The win didn’t change the standings as they remain three points behind Como for second place and automatic promotion. But the win avoided what would have been a catastrophic loss that likely would have meant the playoffs.

Busio and Tessmann have been a big part of Venezia’s success this season and in this game they were both very good. Busio was the MOTM for his 60th minute goal that broke a 1-1 tie and gave his team the win. Tessmann was very good and was part of the buildup to Busio’s goal.

It was a good game for Busio beyond the goal. He had four shots, all on goal. He also had 10 ball recoveries, was 45/56 in passing and created two chances.

When watching this game, it is apparent the two have a good chemistry and that will be exciting to watch this summer when they likely pair together again in France for the Olympics.

 

Yanks in France

 

In France's Ligue 1, Le Havre dropped a 1-0 loss at home to Metz. It was a crushing defeat for a Le Havre team that has just one win from its last 12 league games and has one point from its last five. With this loss, Metz leapfrogged Le Havre - who fell into the relegation playoff position as a result.

Emmanuel Sabbi, 26, played the whole game for Le Havre and it continues to be an interesting season for him. His offense is inconsistent - somtimes it is great, sometimes he disappears. But his real strength is that he has turned into a very good defensive winger who excells in a very athletic league. He wins balls, defends well, and he thrives in a physical game. He has been signled out by his coach, Luka Elsner, for this.

In this game, he was 4/4 in tackles, 8/14 in ground duels, 3/4 in aerials, and he drew two fouls. Offensively, he had his moments but was contained.

Moving forward, Sabbi is going to need to step up for Le Havre to have any chance to survive. They have four games remaining with three being against PSG, Nice, and Marseille. That's tough.

As for Sabbi, this season has shown he can play at a level higher than Denmark. The question then becomes whether he will get offers in Ligue 1 should Le Havre go down. That's likely, but what will Le Havre's asking price be? Second, will Sabbi get a USMNT call-up? It seems very possible if he stays in Ligue 1. It will probably have to come after the Copa America, but the player pool could shift a bit in the fall and Sabbi could benefit.

Staying in France, Monaco defeated Brest 2-0 away in a battle of teams in the Champions League positions. With the win, Monaco leapfrogged Brest and into second place by two points. Monaco is now unbeaten in seven games and has won three in a row.

Folarin Balogun played 85 minutes for Monaco and saw his only shot, a very good opportunity in the 75th minute save with a left-footed shot that was hit at the goalkeeper for a save. Balogun was involved in the build-up to the second Monaco goal, scored by Takumi Minamino, in the 48th minute but it was not a good outing for the USMNT forward who has had more downs than ups this season.

In total, Balogun failed to convert his only shot, was 1/4 on dribbles, was 3/11 on ground duels, and was 0/2 in aerials. He was also dispossessed three times.

For Monaco, Balogun has competition in that he was purchased in August because starting forward Breel Embolo tore his ACL. But Embolo is back to training and wants to play before the end of the season. Then in preseason, Balogun and Embolo should be in open competition.

For the USMNT, last year it seemed as if Balogun was going to be an automatic starter for the U.S. team. It's still possible he starts, but the competition is gaining on him. If he doesn't improve, he runs the risk of not getting selected if Sargent, Wright, Pepi, and others continue to play well.

 

Yanks in Spain

LDLT returns, KDLF draws penalty
 

Luca de la Torre returned from injury on Saturday, when he played the final 12 minutes for Celta Vigo in its 4-1 win over Las Palmas. This win was huge as it pulled the club six points clear of the relegation line with six games remaining. Overall, it was a quiet outing for de la Torre who entered the game after all the goals were scored. But it was good for him to start getting back into a rhythm after missing more than a month.



Johnny Cardoso had another solid match for Betis as he played a large role in helping his team win its second in a row after four game losing streak on Saturday in a 2-1 away win over  Valencia. Cardoso, 22, was in central midfield and was good on both sides of the ball.

He wasn't terribly busy on the ball with 38 touches and 15 completed passes over 89 minutes, but he created a good chance late in the first half and drew two fouls. He won 6/10 of his ground duels and 5/7 of his aerials and was 2/3 in his tackles. He didn't make any game-changing plays, but he was quietly steady, made few mistakes, and put in the performance full of dirty work that is required to win a road game in La Liga.

From the perspective of the USMNT, Cardoso is growing in importance with the injuries to Tyler Adams and Lennard Maloney, the struggles of Yunus Musah, and the separate core of Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris, and Obed Vargas still with youth national teams. The tournament is still two months away, but Cardoso looks as if he is going to play a lot at the Copa America.

In the Segunda, Konrad de la Fuente returned to Eibar's matchday squad after a two week absence for Sunday's match at home against 17th-place Alcorcon. In his last game, he enjoyed his best game as a professional and it came at a time when he needed to show that he can positively influence a game at a first-team level. In that game he scored two goals off the bench in an Eibar win.

In this game, de La Fuente entered the game in the 68th minute with Eibar up 1-0. The promptly drew a penalty in the 72nd minute that was converted by Jose Corpas. He's definitely on an upswing right now and it has come at a great time for Eibar which is even on points (ahead on goal differential) for the final automatic promotion spot. De la Fuente is not a key player for this team, but he is a useful option off the bench. For a player who has never had much by way of first team success, it's a positive that he can impact a promotion race.
Internationally, de la Fuente is eligible for the U.S. Olympic team this summer, but unless he takes his game to a ridiculous level over the last six games, he will probably come up short.

Staying in the Segunda, Jonnathan Gomez went the distance and played well for Mirandes in a 2-1 win over Burgos CF. The win was very important for Mirandes as it moved them out of the relegation zone by two points. Gomez was steady and he didn't stand out too much, but he didn't make any mistakes and he defended his side of the field well.

 

Yanks in the Netherlands

 

In the second tier Eerste Divisie on Friday, Gedion Zelalem and FC Den Bosch played to a 2-2 draw with NAC Breda. Zelalem went 83 minutes as Den Bosch remains in 19th place out of 20 teams.

Als in the second tier, FC Dordrecht defeated TOP Oss 3-1 to remain in fourth place and in a good standing to make the promotional playoffs. For the second consecutive game, American forward Korde Osundina, 19, came off the bench and scored in stoppage time to seal his team’s win. He put four shots on frame in his 30-minute shift. Also in the win for Dordrecht, John Hilton, 22, played the whole game at left back.

 

Justin Che is still injured for ADO den Haag and missed their 1-1 draw with FC Eindhoven on Saturday. ADO Den Haag remained in fifth place.

 

Yanks in Belgium


McKenzie & Genk roll, Yow continues rise 


Mark McKenzie continues to be one of the best American players in Europe over the past month. Since the start of the Belgian First Division Championship Round, Genk has four wins and a draw to accumulate 10 of 12 possible points. The latest of this round came on Saturday when Genk downed Anderlecht 2-1 away.

McKenzie started on the left side of the three-man backline against Anderlecht and was solid defensively and in his passing to help Genk in possession. He's in really good form right now.

This coincides with what could and should be a very interesting summer for him. He has one more year left on his contract and Genk will either need to break the bank to keep him (he's reportedly turned down some offers), or they'll sell him. Most likely they will sell him. He's picked the right time and the right platform in the Championship round to get hot.

 

Internationally, McKenzie is in a good place. He's playing better than Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream is fading out at Fulham, and he's ahead of Auston Trusty. He should make the Copa America team. But if he doesn't, he should get an offer to be an overage player on the Olympic team (if his club will let him go).

At both the club and international levels, McKenzie is opening doors lately.

Griffin Yow was once again the MOTM for Westerlo as he had a goal and an assist in the club's 3-3 draw with Standard Liege on Saturday. Neither team has much to play for as they are both way behind Gent in the Conference League playoff round.

In the 48th minute, Yow forced a turnover in the Standard box and fed Luke Stassin for a goal. Then in the 58th minute, Yow converted a penalty that was drawn by Stassin. He's a very aggressive player and he likes to shoot, dribble towards goal, or make a dangerous pass very quickly after he receives it. Thus far it is working



Since Yow was able to start his season in November after a preseason injury, he now has seven goals and six assists in just under 1750 First Division minutes. Then combine that with his fantastic camp with the U.S. U-23 team in March, he is going places.

He has likely forced his way onto the Olympic team this summer - and that is something no one saw coming. Then after that, it's hard to see Westerlo not having offers after the numbers he has put up.

Also in this game, Bryan Reynolds went 90 for Westerlo but didn't stand out. Marlon Fossey was injury and did not suit up for Standard.

On Saturday in the playoff for a Conference League qualifying spot, Oud-Heverlee Leuven defeated St. Truiden 1-0. Kahveh Zahiroleslam played the final 18 minutes for St. Truiden and entered the game with the score 0-0. With the loss, St. Truiden failed to cut into their three-point deficit behind Gent for the Conference League spot up for grabs. It was a very quiet shift for Zahiroleslam who only had 13 touches and was 7/8 in passing. He had no shots and wasn’t part of any scoring chances.

Gaga Slonina and AS Eupen are in a terrible position after a 1-0 loss to Sporting Charleroi on Sunday. The young American goalkeeper made six saves, three of them were difficult, in this loss but Eupen were outplayed significantly by Charleroi.

Now with three games remaining, Eupen are five points deep in the automatic relegation zone. They can be relegated as soon as next week.

As for Slonina, he will likely be looking for a different loan next year and it is always difficult to find teams who are willing to start a 20-year-old in goal. Slonina will hope that this summer's Olympic tournament opens the doors for him although he is not yet the clear starter for the U.S. team in Paris as it looks like a close competition with him and Patrick Schulte.

 

 

Yanks Elsewhere

 

Celtic are into the Scottish Cup final after defeating Aberdeen on penalties following an exciting 3-3 draw that saw Aberdeen equalize in the 90th minute and then in the 119th minute. Cameron Carter-Vickers started and played all 120 minutes but did not take a penalty. Former Georgetown Hoya and New York native Dante Polvara started in the midfield for Aberdeen and went 79 minutes.

On Saturday in Croatia’s HNL, Hajduk Split ended its four-game losing streak with a 1-0 away ninth place Slaven. U.S. Olympic hopeful Rokas Pukstas, 19, went 90 minutes for Hajduk but did not make a significant impact in the game. There are reports that that he will be transferred this summer.

Finland’s top tier Veikkausliiga is in its second weekend of games and former 2019 U.S. U-20 World Cup forward Justin Rennicks has goals in AC Oulu’s first two games, which h ave both been draws. On Sunday, Rennicks scored in the 75th minute to equalize for Oulu against EIF. It was a nice finish that his former club, the New England Revolution, seems like they could be using this season.



In Poland’s top tier, the Ekstraklasa, Korona Kielce moved out of the relegation zone with a 4-0 thumping of Radomiak Radom. Former Cal State Northridge Matador Danny Trejo started and scored the team’s second goal. He was subbed out in the 65th minute with his team up 3-0.

Trejo, 25, moved to Korona Kielce in January after an excellent season with the Phoenix Rising in USL where he scored 19 goals and added nine assists in 3128 minutes. Prior to that, he was struggling for minutes at LAFC.

But this is an important story as it shows that there is good value in the USL Championship and Trejo has played well since arriving. He missed a month due to injury, but he now has two goals and two assists in just over 400 minutes.

More importantly, this win pulled Korona Kielce out of the relegation zone. But even if Korona Kielce go down, Trejo has impressed in the Ekstraklasa and should be in demand there. 

In the Slovakian Super Liga, FC Kosice won an important game to pull out of the relegation playoff position. The 2-1 away win over Trencin on Friday moved Kosice three points clear and it came in dramatic fashion. The winning goal came in stoppage time with the last kick and the play was made by former USYNT winger Zyen Jones who made a move down the right side and assisted Lukas Fabis. Jones, 23, now has two goals and two assists on the season.

 

In Iceland’s top tier, Aron Johannson went all 90 minutes in central midfield (after being converted from center forward last year) for Valur in a 1-0 loss away to Stjarnan. Valur was reduced to 10 players in the 38th minute.

In Hungary, Henry Wingo was an unused sub for Ferencvaros in a 0-0 draw with Kisvarda FC. With that win, Ferencvaros won yet another NB1 title. Henry Wingo now has won four NB1 championships, one Norwegian title, and a Magyar Cup.

In Portugal, Vizela continued to sink closer to relegation after its 2-1 loss to Braga on Saturday. Alex Mendez did not get off the bench for Vizela and he will face questions about where to go next season.

In the Swiss Super League, Lucas Pos went 90 minutes at left back for last place FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy in a 3-0 loss to Yverdon.

In the Danish Superliga, Jonathan Amon made his second straight start (which is a good accomplishment for him given his injury history) on Sunday for Lyngby in a 2-1 loss away to Viborg. With six games left, Lyngby is just two points clear of the relegation zone. It would be great for the club if Amon can channel some of his former magic to lead the club to survival.

In Latvia's Virsliga, Jordan Bender played the first half for struggling Metta in a 2-1 loss at home to leaders Riga.

In Ireland, Aboubacar Keita continues to be on a great role since earning a starting job at Bohemian FC. On Friday, the 2019 U.S. U-20 World Cup central defender went the distance in a 1-0 win over Drogheda. It is the club’s second straight 1-0 win and Bohemian has earned all nine points from the three games since Keita began starting. Keita has just brought strength and athleticism that are unique to the Irish topflight (he is at the club on loan from the Colorado Rapids). The win lifted Bohemian temporarily into second place.

 

In Norway’s Eliteserien, Sam Rogers was an unused sub for HamKam in a 1-0 loss at home to Stromgodset. The same was the case for Adam Saldana who watched his KFUM Oslo defeat Sarpsborg 08.

In the Greek Super League, Caleb Stanko played 28 minutes for Lamia in a 5-0 loss at home to Panathinaikos. Stanko came into the game after all the goals were scored in a hopeless assignment. At least he stopped the bleeding.

In Austria’s Bundesliga, George Bello, 22, didn’t quite match the level he showed last weekend in the win over Salzburg. On Sunday, the former Atlanta United homegrown played 90 minutes for LASK in a 3-1 loss at home to Hartberg. Despite the loss, LASK remained in third place with five games remaining. It was a letdown performance from everyone on LASK. Bello simply did not connect with his final balls.

Also in the Austrian Bundesliga, Sebastian Soto returned from injury and played the last 17 minutes for Austria Klagenfurt in a 4-2 loss to leaders Salzburg. The 2019 U.S. U-20 World Cup forward had five touches and was 1/2 in passing. He had a shot in the 90th minute from the right side of the box that forced a save.

In Uruguay’s Primera, Danubio played Cerro Largo to a 1-1 draw at home. Former NC State Wolfpack central defender Matias Fracchia went the distance for Danubio.  

In Liga MX on Friday, Ventura Alvarado was injured for Mazatlan in a 2-0 loss at home to FC Juarez. Joe Corona did not get off the bench for Tijuana in a 3-1 win over Puebla. On Saturday, U.S. U-23 winger Cade Cowell was unused for Chivas in a 2-0 win over Queretaro.

Staying in Mexico’s top flight among those who did play, Fernando Arce Jr. played all 90 minutes for Necaxa on Saturday in a 5-2 loss to Tigres. Brandon Vazquez had a quiet 28 minutes for Monterrey in a 2-0 away loss to Leon. Monterrey will now shift focus to the Champions Cup against the Columbus Crew. Alejandro Zendejas played 81 minutes for leaders Club America in a surprising 2-1 loss away to Pumas.

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