Yunus_musah_-_asn_top_-_valenca_vs._getafe_2022
Americans abroad analysis

Musah shines with Valencia, Sargent stays hot, Dual National Panic, & much more

ASN's Brian Sciaretta puts a wrap on the holiday weekend with a detailed breakdown and analysis on the weekend abroad - starting with Musah's standout performance and Sargent's continued run in Engalnd all the way through a hat trick in Hungary. You read this, you will be plugged into what's going on abroad. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
September 05, 2022
2:50 PM

WE HOPE EVERYONE had a great Labor Day weekend and enjoyed the unofficial end of summer. For the world of American Soccer, it was a very busy weekend and here is a very detailed look at the past three days among Americans abroad – which saw U.S. national team manager Gregg Berhalter take in three games in three different countries.

Let’s get right into it.

 

Dual National Panic: Balogun & Zendejas

 

We need to start this piece out with some discussion over two Amerian-born dual nationals who are making waves.

The first is most obvious: Folarin Balogun who has a similar background to Yunus Musah in that he was born in New York City but moved away when he was a young child. But unlike Musah, he grew up entirely in England (specifically London) whereas Musah spent years in Italy before moving to England.

Balogun is well known to U.S. Soccer. While he has been a regular with English youth national teams, he attended one U.S. U-19 camp in 2018 under Tab Ramos. Ramos subsequently offered him a spot on the U.S. U-20 World Cup team that year, but Balogun did not want to use his one-time switch.

Since then he has developed in the Arsenal system and made some first team appearances but looked green. His loan last year to Middlesbrough showed significant improvement but his current loan to Stade de Reims is showing himself to be close to the top prospect Arsenal had hoped he would be.

Berhalter reportedly met with Balogun this March but weeks later, he reported for camp with England’s U-21 team.

Balogun, 21, scored for Reims on Saturday in a 1-1 draw with Lens and it was his fifth goal in his sixth game of the season. The only two forwards in Ligue 1 who have scored more are Neymar and Mbappe.

He clearly wants to play for England as he has turned down the U.S. in the past and has continued to play for the United States. He spent almost all of his entire life in England at this point he doesn’t want to give up his dream. If he is willing to miss a World Cup with the USA to pursue playing for England, that is where his heart lies. The big takeaway is that he is playing at a level where England’s full national team could be a very real possibility sooner than later. If he does extremely well in France, he’ll be back with Arsenal and in a great position to contribute.

If he wants to play for England (and why wouldn’t he with his background?) he should stay with England. International soccer is all about passion. If you’re heart is not in it, you’re never going to be at your best.

This brings up now to Alejandro Zendejas who has blossomed into a very good winger at Club America. Zendejas is a product of FC Dallas and last played for the United States at the 2015 U-17 World Cup where he was on a team that included Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre, Brandon Vazquez, and Haji Wright. After that World Cup, he began playing for FC Dallas but in 2016 he was sold to Chivas, which has a policy of only employing players who are eligible and willing to play for Mexico. Zendejas agreed not to play for the United States and play for Mexico while at Chivas.

Since then, Zendejas has played for Mexican youth games (but never in an official competition), but in 2021 he started to play for Mexico’s full national team in friendlies. To date, he has done this twice.

But now it gets interesting. To play for a full national team in friendlies, it requires a one-time switch if the play had played officially for the youth national teams of another country. It was assumed he did so, but it turns out he did not. Not only that, but Zendejas is indicating that he doesn’t want to. This is according to Mexico boss Tata Martino who spoke to the media after a recent 1-0 loss to Paraguay.

"The player needed to sign a document and the player didn't want to sign it," Mexico's coach told TUDN after the defeat. "There is no problem with the federation, no problem with the manager, nothing."

This begs the questions, did Mexico violate the rules for playing Zendejas before he filed a one-time-switch? It’s probably not a major infraction given it was a friendly (it’s not like Paraguay would complain in a friendly it won). But it also raises the question of whether or not Zendejas wants to return to the United States. He still knows a lot of American players from his youth days and he is doing very well right now.

This is getting a little late for Qatar, but possibly next cycle? For now, it is interesting to see how this all comes together and if U.S. Soccer is speaking with Zendejas.

 

Musah stands out in Valencia win

 

With Gregg Berhalter in attendance, Yunus Musah had a terrific game for Valencia in its 5-1 win over Getafe. He had two assists (on the team’s second and fifth goal) and was very effective in controlling the midfield. His use of space and his movement was excellent.

The United States national team manager was no doubt very impressed with what he saw. Musah is, of course, a lock to make the U.S. World Cup team but part of the reason for Berhalter’s visit is to see the specific role Musah is playing in Valencia’s midfield now that he has been shifted centrally. Now Musah is playing centrally for both club and country (he had been on the wing in recent seasons for Valencia), what are the specific differences? With Musah almost a certain starter along with Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, what is the best way to get the most out of Musah?

These are some of the questions that Berhalter will be looking to discuss with his staff after his scouting trip. Since the start of preseason and into the start of the season, Musah has been the best American player in the game right now. He’s taken his offense to another level and is starting to be a real consistent threat for goals and assists.

 

Pulisic returns to Chelsea XI

 

After much languishing over Christian Pulisic’s role on Chelsea over the summer, the American winger started for Chelsea on Saturday in a 2-1 win over West Ham. Unfortunately, Pulisic was substituted out in the 60th minute with the score 0-0. After Michail Antonio scored first for West Ham, Chelsea got two goals from substitute in Chilwell and Havertz.

This doesn’t mean Pulisic was bad. He created two good chances and was 24/24 in passing. Still, it probably doesn’t change the fact that he is not a first-choice starter but he could still start on occasion as the schedules become more condensed at Chelsea with Champions League, FA Cup, and league cup games. The opportunities will be there, he just needs to have a run of good games.

 

Scally building his case

 

Joe Scally started for Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday in a tough 1-0 at home to Mainz. Scally played 82 minutes as M’Gladbach was reduced to 10 players in the 53rd minute (and Mainz scored on the ensuing free kick).

Scally, 19, played relatively well although the loss is likely not going to see any player boost their stock too much. The problem for Scally is that Stevie Lainer is expected to be back soon, and Lainer is the more experienced right back. If M’Gladbach is struggling, Lainer might have the edge.

As far as the World Cup roster, Scally is going to be a very close call with the backup right back spot. His ability to shift to the left side helps his case, but his experience with the U.S. team is very minimal. He’s probably still on the outside of the bubble, but his case to make the team is stronger now than ever before as he nears 35 Bundesliga appearances before his 20th birthday.

 

Vines & Antwerp remain perfect

 

Sam Vines was back in action on Sunday for Royal Antwerp which defeated Westerlo by a comfortable 3-0 score. With the win, Antwerp remained a perfect 21 points from seven games to start the season.

Vines was steady, he didn’t really show much – for good or for bad – but he is now a solid part of the equation for an Antwerp team that very much looks like the early season favorite to win the Belgian title.

With Robinson’s injury, Vines becomes very much one to watch to be in the U.S. national team mix. The question becomes his athleticism, which is not his strong suit, and how much Berhalter views that when trying to defend World Cup wingers. The experience he is getting in Belgium is clearly very good and he deserves to be in the mix.

Also in this game was Bryan Reynolds who made his first start for Westlo and played 76 minutes at right back. Athletically, he can dominate at this level and there were moments he played well. But he was at fault for Antwerp’s second goal where he lost his man for an easy tap-in.

Reynolds remains a long-term project as he has never played for an extended period at right back. The problem is whether or not Westerlo has the patience for his development as he is still a loan player.

 

McKenzie solid in Genk win

 

Mark McKenzie now has the starting job at Genk and he continues to do well. Sunday’s 0-0 draw with St. Truiden at home is disappointing but McKenzie was solid defensively.

 

He's in a good spot as Genk is off to a strong start to the season with 16 point from seven games (second place behind Royal Antwerp). Genk has had a very easy start to the season but the big test for McKenzie will be when he goes against the bigger Belgian teams. Those will test him. Thus far, he hasn’t really been tested this season.

As for the World Cup, he’s probably behind a list of other player including Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Erik Palmer-Brown and even Tim Ream. Even if he is behind those players, he’s likely still going to be very much in the mix next cycle.

 

Paredes subs into Wolfsburg loss

 

Two weeks ago, Kevin Paredes played very well off the bench for Wolfsburg in a 0-0 draw with Schalke. Last week, he was not able to continue that momentum as a knee injury ruled him out of a loss to RB Leipzig. Pardes, however, was back in action on Saturday as he played the final 29 minutes for Wolfsburg in its 4-2 loss to Cologne. The score was 2-1 in favor of Cologne when he subbed into the game in the 61st minute.

He remains an important player to watch. This World Cup is way too soon but he could be a breakout player next year at the U-20 World Cup and then heading into the next cycle. In this game he was lacking with his final ball but his defending and dribbling are very impressive. He’s done well now with Wolfsburg his past two outings and he should be continuing to get minutes at the club.

 

EPB & Troyes draw Lens

 

Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes drew Lens 1-1 on Sunday. Palmer-Brown played the full 90 and did well dealing with a relatively tough hand. The Kansas City native played in the middle of a five-man backline and was pressed into a lot of defending after his central defense partner, Yoann Salmier was given a red card in the 26th minute. The fact that Lens only scored once the remainder of the game is a god statement defensively. There was nothing much for Palmer-Brown to contribute in terms of possession and building the play from the back.

Palmer-Brown remains in the mix for the World Cup team but it’ll be close. It’s a neck and neck list of players such as Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Cameron Carter-Vickers, James Sands, Aaron Long, Matt Miazga, and Tim Ream.

 

Cannon and Boavista win

 

Gregg Berhalter concluded his weekend scouting tour with a visit to watch Reggie Cannon and Boavista hosts Pacos de Ferreira. The U.S. national team manager was likely pleased as he watched Cannon perform well in a tough 1-0 victory.

As many know, Cannon is a tough player for Berhalter to rate. Cannon has always been a right back for the Untied States team but starting last season at Boavista, he shifted to playing a right central defender in a three-man backline. It doesn’t translate to how the U.S. team plays but the fact that Berhalter is there shows that Cannon continues to be in the picture and Berhalter wants to make it work.

Cannon played well against Pacos de Ferreira although only one of his 79 touches came inside the attacking third of the field. Only 12 touches came inside the attacking half.

But Cannon still completed 64/70 of his passes and he had five passes that were played into the attacking third.

Berhalter’s visit to see Ferreira is a good sign for Cannon that his club position switch hasn’t hurt his chances. If you consider Sergino Dest to be the starting right back, the backup battle is between Cannon, DeAndre Yedlin, and Joe Scally. Cannon might have the edge in Berhalter’s trust.

 

 

Leeds drop ugly result

 

Leeds United traveled to Bentford on Saturday and were handed a very difficult 5-2 loss. The club’s two American players in Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams both went 90 minutes in the loss but strangely enough, the club’s American head coach, Jesse Marsch was not able to go all 90 minutes as he was sent off in the 64th minute for calling for a VAR review.

There is a lot to take away from this game.

First, Leeds United’s defense was terrible and this was a reminder why Marcelo Bielsa was fired last year as the team’s previous head coach. In the last five games with Bielsa in charge, the team conceded 24 goals. When Marsch came in, he stabilized it a bit but there is still the potential for the team to play shocking defense. That happened in this game.

Second, Tyler Adams was among the few bright spots in the game. He had 107 touches in this game and he won 7/11 of his ground duels. He was good on both sides of the ball – including creating chances. He ahead of schedule in terms of finding his way in the Premier League.

Third, Brenden Aaronson had a mixed game. He had too many turnovers and his dribbling wasn’t effective but he created a bunch of chances and worked hard defensively and in his duels.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank was quick to single out Aaronson for praise.

“I think they're really good,” said Frank."With a narrow front four combining and tricky players, good players. Aaronson - what a player, what a player, that's a top buy for Leeds. So, I think we defended that a little bit bad, but also credit to Leeds.”

Fourth, for Marsch the red card did not seem warranted. Marsch was not hot headed and the requests for a second look was more than justified based on replay.

Finally, Marsch is going to have to adapt. Opposing managers are scouting and planning specifically for Marsch’s style. Unlike in Austria, these teams can match Leeds on talent. But Marsch will need to adapt and show different looks in order to maximize his team’s best potential.

 

Pefok injured ahead of Bayern clash

 

It was expected to be a huge test for Jordan Pefok, and an opportunity to really boost his CV in a bid to make the World Cup team. Union Berlin hosted leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday and Pefok has been one of Union’s best players. But Pefok couldn’t play due to “muscle problems.”

This remains a story to watch and the diagnosis is too vague to analyze but with all the American forwards playing well, Pefok needs to continue his strong start given his poor showing during the March window. Starting well in the Bundesliga, however, has been huge and it’s not just because of his goals. His three assists have been very important in showing how he can help elevate teammates.

Heading into this weekend, he had an excellent chance of being ahead of other in-form players like Haji Wright and Brandon Vazquez, but the race is very tight and is changing on a weekly basis.

 

Robinson injured, Ream starts in Fulham loss

 

Fulham have had a tough schedule to start the season, and this continued on Saturday as the Cottagers travelled within London to visit Tottenham.

While many predicted a tough day for Fulham, it got even worse in the 29th minute when Antonee Robinson was forced out with a rolled ankle. At first, he tried to play through it but couldn’t and was quickly subbed out.

This changed everything for a Fulham team that is very reliant on its fullbacks.

Tottenham ended up scoring twice via Hojbjerg and Kane while Aleksandar Mitrovic pulled one back in the 83rd.

As of now, we do not know the condition of Robinson but the fact that he initially though he could play through it was positive. But until the diagnosis is made, it is a scary time for the U.S. national team because Robinson so important at a position that as been the Achilles’ Heel for the U.S. team for decades. While there are some other promising younger left backs, all are a big step behind Robinson. It could seriously change the way the U.S. team wants to play or it could force Sergino Dest to switch to the left side, where he is far less effective.

For Robinson, there is also the big concern over his place at Fulham. Just before the deadline, Fulham brought in PSG left back Layvin Kurzawa, 29, on a season-long loan. If Robinson has to miss time and Kurzawa impresses, the Yank might have a tough time getting his spot back.

As for Tim Ream, he was strong again and put up good numbers. Fulham was again tough to break down and yes, on the second goal Ream’s clearance fell to Tottenham and it resulted in Kane’s goal. But the fault is more on other Fulham players ball-watching after Ream’s clearance. Ream continues to have a strong start to the season and is one of the best stories in the world of Americans abroad.

Ream is very much on the bubble to make the team to Qatar and the longer other players like McKenzie, Carter-Vickers, and Palmer-Brown go without convincing Berhalter, or the longer it goes without Richards playing, the more a consistent Ream looks better. Plus Ream brings leadership and a stable mature presence to the locker room. 

 

Sargent scores 5th of the season

 

Josh Sargent got the start for Norwich on Saturday against Coventry City and continued his terrific start to the season. In first half stoppage time with Norwich up 1-0, Sargent bagged his fifth goal of the season to put Norwich up 2-0.

He ended up going 83 minutes in the 3-0 win and even though he was playing on the right wing, he was still managing to make a big impact. His crossing was effective and his hold up play and physicality have all been giving a big edge to Norwich.

 


Yes, he is getting more service in the Championship because he is not on a bottom-half team. But he is just so much more confident now and his body language is at a high point in his career. He’s doing things now that he was not doing before. His runs are better, he is separating himself from defenders better, and his passing is better.

Because of this, I think he’s on the inside of the bubble to go to Qatar even though many of the team’s strikers are hot. Sargent seems like a guy Berhalter will want on the team.

 

Celtic dominate Old Firm

 

United States national team manager Gregg Berhalter was at Saturday’s Old Firm as Celtic hosted bitter rivals Rangers. For the U.S. manager, it gave him the chance to view three players on the “bubble” of his World Cup roster in Cameron Carter-Vickers at Celtic and the Rangers duo of James Sands and Malik Tillman. Fortunately for Berhalter, all three started in this game, but it wasn’t great news for all of the players.

Celtic absolutely dominated this one at home in a convincing 4-0 win. Malik Tillman was very ineffective for Celtic and James Sands lost his marker on Celtic’s third goal.

Meanwhile, Carter-Vickers was solid although he was not too tested as Rangers failed to generate many serious chances.

Still, with Berhalter watching it was easy to imagine that Carter-Vickers helped his chances of being a central defender while Sands probably fell behind. It is hard to make a case for Sands over Carter-Vickers, Palmer-Brown, or Ream right now.

Tillman is a good player although still very new to first team minutes. He impressed early at Rangers but has also disappeared for long stretches. The fact Cristian Roldan is injured helps his case but performances like this won’t seal the deal on a trip to Qatar. For Tillman, it is going to be a very close call.

 

McKennie struggles in Juventus draw

 

Weston McKennie had a very good first two seasons with Juventus. Despite a few injuries, he was a very unique and effective midfielder. The start of his third season, however, is not going well and that continued on Saturday in the club’s 1-1 away draw with Fiorentina. McKennie earned the start but did do much.

Despite playing the entire 90 minutes, he had just 29 touches. He was fine on the defensive side and you could still see that he is a good passer from distance. But in terms of helping to generate offense, he was a nonfactor.

In the 28th minute, McKennie had a very good chance to shoot and decided to try to make a pass despite no real clear passing options.

For McKennie, he is not playing well at the start of September. The truth, however, is that all of the Juventus midfielders are not playing well, so McKennie is not alone. This could also come down to coaching and Max Allegri could be on the hot seat before too long. But even with a new coach, the decision making and execution needs to improve, and that is on the players.

It’s a good thing for the U.S. team that the World Cup is not starting now because aside from Musah, the Leeds duo, and the forwards, everything else is just a question mark. This includes McKennie.

 

Altidore Turns back the clock

 

On Thursday night, Jozy Altidore, 32, was on the bench for Puebla for its away game against Queretaro. With his team trailing 1-0, Altidore entered the game and delivered a very nice goal – his second in Liga MX.



It was a deceptively nice goal. The pass from Jordi Cortizo wasn’t great as it was to the other side of Altidore. The American forward adjusted and still controlled the pass with a good first touch. With his second touch he found a shooting lane and Queretaro goalkeeper Washington Aguerre was screened on the shot.

Altidore’s numbers in Puebla are limited but very strong. He has only played a total of 76 minutes over his five appearances, but he now has two big goals. Any talk of him going to Qatar is silly at this point but it is good to see Altidore having success in the later stages of his career. This last season in Toronto was not great and he struggled to revive his career in New England. But he has now looked promising in Liga MX.

The jokes on twitter about Liga MX being a retirement league for USMNT forwards is funny as it flips the scrip with Chicharito and Carlos Vela now in MLS. But there is such overlap between the two leagues right now that anything is possible.

It’s hard not to be happy for Altidore and it would be just nice to see him end his career on a successful note. On a side note, having just “Jozy” on the back of his jersey makes it even more fun.

 

Reyna subs into Dortmund win

 

Gio Reyna, 19, has played such little soccer this season as Borussia Dortmund is being overly cautious in how they handle his return from a lost season in 2021/22 where he suffered a seriously pulled hamstring and two subsequent reinjuries. He was held out of last weekend’s 1-0 win over Hertha BSC and the last time he played, two weeks ago, he was subbed into Dortmund’s epic 3-2 collapse against Werder Bremen where Dortmund held a 2-0 lead into the 89th minute.

The good news is that on Friday, Reyna subbed into Dortmund’s 1-0 home win over Hoffenheim in the 83rd minute and it was uneventful. Dortmund was up when he came into the game and nothing much of note happened when he was on the field. In this case, no news is good news. Reyna played, he wasn’t bad, and he didn’t get reinjured. He had just four touches and was 1/2 in passing.

Of course, things will have to pick-up over the next two months for Reyna. Otherwise, American fans will have justified reasons for being concerned. To date, Reyna has played in just 35 minutes this season.

Reyna is one of the most talented American players but is coming off a lost season and is being handled with kid gloves this season. He will go to Qatar if he is healthy, but if he is not starting games come October, he is most likely going to be a substitute.

 

Ikoba nets a hat trick in Hungary

 

American forward Eduvie Ikoba, 24, had a match to remember in Hungary’s top tier as he scored a hat trick for Zalaegerszegi TE in a 5-0 win over Mez?kövesdi SE. In the game, Zalaegerszegi was up a man from the 34th minute and Ikoba scored the first three goals of the game in the 40th, 49th, and 70th minutes before he was subbed out in the 89th.

For Ikoba, it was his fourth goal of the season after scoring in his previous game earlier this week. He now has made four appearances on the season for a total of 209 minutes.



Ikoba has an interesting story. He was born in Iowa but moved around as his father was a nuclear engineer. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College in 2019 and was drafted with the 63rd overall pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas but was released without being offered a contract.

After leaving Dallas, Ikoba has gone on to have a nice start to his career in Europe. He initially signed for Zalaegerszegi TE for one season and then moved to Slovakia’s top tier AS Trenchin for two seasons before returning to Zalaegerszegi TE.

Between both clubs, Ikoba has scored a very respectable 17 goals in 3491 minutes.

His brother, Tega Ikoba, 19, is currently in the first year of a homegrown contract with the Portland Timbers.

 

Mendez starts in Vizela loss to Benfica

 

It was a very difficult task for Vizela on Friday as they visited perennial Portuguese contender Benfica. Alex Mendez started for Vizela while U.S. U-20 midfielder Alejandro Alvarado was on the bench. For Benfica, John Brooks was not in uniform just one day after signing for the club.

Mendez started and played all 90 minutes in the upset bid. Alvarado was subbed into the game in the 67th minute. Vizela looked to get a surprise result after taking a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. But David Neres equalized in the 76th minute. Benfica were reduced to 10 players in the first minute of stoppage time after a second yellow to Goncalo Ramos. Vizela’s Diego Rosa was called for a handball in his own box in the ninth minute of stoppage time. Two minutes later, Benfica converted via Joao Mario for a 2-1 lead. Fittingly, the game ended Joao Mario getting sent off after converting his penalty.

Mendez played relatively well during his time on the field, but his lack of speed hurt him against a powerful club like Benfica. The same could be said for Alvarado, who is making positive strides this season as he builds towards next summer’s U-20 World Cup.

Mendez does look like a player who will probably earn U.S. national team call-ups next year (depending on who is the coach) to see if he could fit in with the team and system.

 

Americans in the Championship

 

Aside from Sargent, there was more to break down with regards to Americans in the Championship.

Auston Trusty went the distance for Birmingham City on Sunday in a big 1-0 away win over Preston North End. Trusty continues to be a very important player to the Blues as they look like they’ll be in a relegation battle all season long. Away wins such as this one will go a long way. Trusty, meanwhile, was sharp defensively.

It was a weird outing for Ethan Horvath who started in goal for Luton Town on Saturday in a 2-1 loss at home to Wigan Athletic. The Colorado-born goalkeeper did not make a single save, faced just one shot, and surrendered two goals. The first goal was an own goal and the second was an unstoppable curiling shot from Theo Aasgaard.

Duane Holmes played the final 17 minutes of Huddersfield’s 1-0 loss at home to Blackpool. Huddersfield had most of the possession and chances in this game but the could not find the back of the net. With the loss, Huddersfield fall to 23rd place in the 24-team league. It’s been a terrible reversal of fortunes after playing in the promotional playoff final four months ago.

On Monday, Middlesbrough defeated Sunderland 1-0. Zack Steffen missed his third straight game for Boro with an injury and this surely must be emerging concern for Berhalter as Steffen wasn’t necessarily playing well at the start of his loan to Boro. Matthew Hoppe was an unused substitute for Boro and his opportunities will likely come at some point but Hoppe will have to be patient. Lynden Gooch played 75 unevenful minutes in the loss.

 

Americans in the 2.Bundesliga

 

FC Heidenheim very much look like a promotional contender this season and German-American central defender Lennard Maloney looks very much like he will be part of that effort to get to the Bundesliga. Maloney, 22, is a regular starter for Heidenheim and he started and played 76 minutes in Friday’s 2-1 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf. He was taken out of the game for an attacker with the score 1-1 as Heidenheim successfully went for the win.

Maloney, 22, represented German’s youth national teams before accepting to U.S. U-20 call-ups in 2018 under Tab Ramos. Since then, he has said he wants to play for the United States moving forwards although it remains to be seen if he earns any U.S. call-ups.



Greuther Furth drew St. Pauli 2-2 on Saturday. Timothy Tillmann started and went the distance for Furth, but Julian Green did not get off the bench. Two seasons ago, Green was instrumental in Furth’s promotion, but his game has really trailed off since then.

Springfield College alum Ryan Malone started in central defense and went the distance for Hansa Rostock in a 1-0 loss at home to Hannover.

George Bello came off the bench in the 83rd minute for Arminia Bielefeld against Darmstadt with his team trailing 1-0. He was on the field for the equalizer although he was not a part of the goal. Arminia Bielefeld has just five points from seven games to start the season.

Terrence Boyd started and played 81 minutes for Kaiserslautern in a 0-0 away draw with Sandhausen. Kaiserslautern are in sixth place in the 2.Bundesliga after seven games.

 

 

Notes throughout Europe

 

 

In the Premier League, Matt Turner did not get off the bench for Arsenal in Sunday’s 3-1 loss away to Manchester United.

In Serie A, Sergino Dest was in uniform but did not get off the bench for AC Milan in its 3-2 win over Inter Milan.

In Spain, Luca de la Torre subbed into Celta Vigo’s comfortable 3-0 win over Cadiz in the 83rd minute after all the goals have been scored. The San Diego native had eight touches and was 5/6 in passing. At this point, it seems very likely that barring injuries to starters, de la Torre is set to be a backup at Celta Vigo with inconsistent or limited minutes. He will probably still go to Qatar, but he might only see a limited role there. If his role at Celta Vigo does not change, he could be vulnerable to being overtaken on the national team depth chart in 2023 during the next cycle. His club career to date has very much been up and down – rarely playing at Fulham, a decent start to his two-season run at Heracles but it eventually resulted in relegation, and now as a backup role at Celta Vigo.

In the Bundesliga, Timothy Chandler played the final four minutes for Eintracht Frankfurt in an impressive 4-0 win over RB Leipzig. The 2014 U.S. World Cup fullback came on shortly after the final goal was scored. Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart played Schalke to a 1-1 draw at home. Stuttgart’s American head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo watched from afar, however, as he was serving a suspension after last week’s red card in a scoreless draw with Cologne.

In the Eredivisie, Fortuna Sittard dropped a 3-4 decision at home to FC Utrecht. Cole Bassett came into the game for Fortuna Sittard in the 74th minute trailing 1-2. The former Colorado Rapid homegrown didn’t generate much offense in his time on the field. Meanwhile, Utah native and defensive midfielder Taylor Booth was an unused sub for FC Utrecht. Overall, it was a disappointing day at the office for both U.S. U-23 Olympic hopefuls for 2024.

On Saturday in the Eredivsie, Richard Ledezma was an unused substitute for PSV Eindhoven in a 2-1 surprise loss to Twente. It is his second straight time making the bench after he picked up an ankle injury on August 16. Both times he has gone as an unused sub. On a more positive note, Ledezma was not loaned out as the club believes there is a pathway for him to play meaningful first team minutes the first half of the season.

In Belgium, Owen Otasowie was not in uniform for Club Brugge in Friday’s 4-0 win over Cercle Brugge. It continues to be a difficult start to the season for Otasowie who spent most of last season away from the team dealing with personal issues. On Saturday, Otasowie made his second straight start for the reserve team in a 2-0 loss to Beerschot.

Two Americans made starts in the Greek Super League on Saturday. Former FC Cincinnati defensive midfielder Caleb Stanko started and played the full 90 minutes for Asteras Tripolis in a 0-0 away draw with Lamia. Meanwhile, Konrad de la Fuente started and played 75 minutes for Olympiacos in a 3-1 win over Ionikos. For de la Fuente, it was positive step as minutes are competitive within the club. In Greece, they are limited to five non-EU players on a 20-man gameday squad and Olympiacos has seven signed non-EU players. For de la Fuente to start in a win, despite no goals or assists, is still a very good thing. He is a distant long-shot for the roster in Qatar but is firmly in the mix for the U-23 Olympic team in 2024.

In Sweden’s Allsvenskan, Joe Gyau started played 90 minutes for Degerfors in a 2-2 draw with Haecken. The former FC Cincinnati winger assisted on his team’s first goal in the 58th minute to make the score 1-1.



On Sunday in Sweden, GIF Sundsvall fell on the road to AIK 4-0. Joe Corona started and played 65 minutes while Forrest Lasso went the distance in the loss. GIF Sundsvall continue to sit in last place in Sweden.

Kobe Herndandez Foster earned the start for HamKam on Sunday and scored his first goal in Norway’s top-flight in a 2-1 away loss over Sarpsborg.

While he is a normal starter for his club, Sam Rogers was no in uniform on Sunday for Rosenborg’s 4-1 to Viking.

In Turkey, Haji Wright was surprisingly very quiet as he went 90 minutes for Antalyaspor in a 0-2 loss at home to Kasimpasa. He had four shots but two were blocked, one missed the frame, and the other was saved. Staying in Turkey, Gbolyi Ariyibi played 76 for Ankaragucu in a 2-3 loss at home to Besiktas. Ankaragucu has just one point from four games this season. Meanwhile, Tyler Boyd did not dress for Besiktas in the win.

In Hungary, Henry Wingo played a full 90 at right back for Ferencvaros in a 6-0 away win over Ujpest.

In Portugal, Joel Sonora started for Maritimo and played 65 minutes in a 1-0 loss away at Santa Clara in the Azores. Sonora only joined the club last Wednesday from Banfield in Argentina. Maritimo now sit in last place in Portugal having lost each of their first five games.

In Argentina, Gimnasia La Plata defeated Independiente 3-1 and attacking midfielder Alan Sonora played 59 minutes in the loss.

In Brazil, Internacional played Corinthians to a 2-2 draw away. Fresh off a brace in his last game, Johnny Cardoso started and played 65 minutes for Internacional and left with his club trailing 2-1.

Finally in Canada’s Premier League, Osaze De Rosario started and played 82 minutes in York United’s 3-1 win over Pacific. He scored York United’s second goal of the game in the 57th minute. It was his 10th goal of the season (in about 1739 minutes). Considering this has been his first full season as a professional, he’s shown a lot of promise and it will be interesting to see if he has any options next season.

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