Christian_pulisic_-_asn_top_-_milan_vs._genoa_-_2024
Americans Abroad

Pulisic, Richards, and Aaronson brothers standout in a tough weekend for Yanks

By the numbers, it wasn't a great weeekend for Yanks in Europe. There were supbar outings, benchings, relegations and ongoing injuries. But that doesn't mean a few players didn't rise above the rest. ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks it all down. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
May 06, 2024
2:10 PM

THE WEEKEND FOR AMERICANS abroad was mostly lackluster. Yes, there were some good performances but there wasn’t anyone who was particularly great. Meanwhile some players saw their seasons end, and others suffered relegation.

If we are going to talk about highlights form the weekend, Christian Pulisic takes the cake as he was sharp for Milan playing the No. 10.  From an individual standpoint, some players had good performances at important times in their career.

Specifically, it was a good weekend for Joe Scally, Griffin Yow, and Kevin Paredes who are heading into important summers. Yow has been part of a meteoric rise and he now is opening all sorts of doors. Meanwhile, Joe Scally needs to convince both his club and USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter that he is ready for important times ahead (the USMNT now has questions at right back with the absence of Sergino Dest). Paredes is still searching for that consistent starting job.

Also, it was a good weekend for the two Aaronson brothers who both were their team’s best player despite losses. Brenden Aaronson is doing avoid being dropped again from a USMNT roster.

On the flip side, there more concerns over players like Folarin Balogun, Jordan Pefok,  Mark McKenzie, and Tyler Adams.

 

But lets start this

 

Richards shines in rout over Man U

 

USMNT central defender Chris Richards had one of his best performances of the season for Crystal Palace in a 4-0 rout over Manchester United in London on Monday.

It was a performance that showed that while Richards might have started off the season slowly and rarely playing, he has a big upside. In fact, the Alabama native picked up an assist on Jean-Philippe Mateta 40th minute goal to give Palace a 2-0 lead.



It was a game where Richards did everything right. He passed well, he won his aerials well, he defended well, and he didn’t let much behind him.

Richards is a first team choice USMNT player and, so long as he can stay healthy, he will continue to be a likely starter for years. Next season, he should far exceed 2500 minutes in the Premier League.

 

Scally solid, Pefok questions

 

Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday as both teams moved towards a midtable finish. Any threats of a M’Gladbach relegation battle are not really realistic as now with two games left, M’Gladbach is now five points clear.

In this game, Joe Scally went 90 minutes in a left wingback position. There is a lot of focus on him now from a national team perspective with Sergino Dest out long-term. But Scally has been shifting positions throughout the season and this time he went from the right to the left.

Scally had a good game. It helped him he was in a wingback role with more defensive cover, and he was pushed further up the field. Most of his 51 touches were in an attacking area of the field. It’s been an up and down season for Scally, but it would be huge for him to end on a high note heading into the Copa America followed by a preseason where he could face more competition as M’Gladbach might acquire fullbacks in the summer.

Also, in this game, Jordan Pefok played the last 11 minutes for M’Gladbach and he is heading into an offseason where it seems exceedingly rare where the club will exercise the option to buy on its loan from Union Berlin. That raises questions whether Union wants him back, and if not, what is the possibility to move him. Right now, there are more questions than answers.

Finally in this game, Joel Imasuen did not make the bench for Werder Bremen. The American teenage forward made his debut in March but has only made cameo performances so far.

 

Aaronson can’t save Union Berlin

 

Brenden Aaronson was the best player on the field when his Union Berlin team hosted Bochum in a battle of teams just north of the relegation zone in the Bundesliga. Aaronson came into the game to start the second half and had a terrific 45-minute shift. Unfortunately it was not enough as Union Berlin dropped a 4-3 decision that left them just one point ahead of Mainz for the relegation playoff position.

In fact, Aaronson had a hand in all three Union goals as their comeback from a 3-0 deficit at halftime came up just short. On the first goal, Aaronson had a hockey assist on a goalazo from Yorbe Vertessen On the second goal, it was Aaronson who forced a turnover from Bochum’s goalkeeper that started the play for Union.

Then on the third goal, Aaronson brilliantly controlled a ball in the box, created space for a short cross to Benedict Hollerbach for a close-range goal.

Aaronson has been playing well since he was initially left off the USMNT Nations League roster in March (later making it due to an injury to Luca de la Torre). That bodes well for his chances of making the Copa America team. But he’s in club limbo soon. Does Leeds want him back? Has he done enough for Union to make an offer? This of course assumes Union are going to stay up, which isn’t clear.

All Aaronson can do is play well, and he is.

 

Paredes impresses at left back

 

U.S. Olympic team left wing/left back Kevin Paredes had a good day on Saturday as his Wolfsburg defeated a Darmstadt team that was already relegated. Paredes started the game at left back before switching to the wing position around the hour mark before being subbed out in the 82nd minute with Wolfsburg up 2-0. They went onto win 3-0.

Paredes was smart in this game and helped to contribute to the build-up to the opening goal. Abut this game showed what Paredes can do well. He was feisty, he won his duels, he drew fouls, he played balls into the final third.

Paredes has spent this season drifting in and out of the starting lineup. A good performance against the worst team in the league doesn’t say a whole lot, but perhaps this will continue to build his momentum heading into the summer.

Meanwhile, it will be a big question if Paredes is released for the Olympics.

 

Yow remains red hot

 

Griffin Yow remains red hot and he picked up a big assist for Westerlo on Friday in a 2-2 draw with St. Truiden. Both teams are cruising for a midtable finish, in the Conference League playoff round.

Both Yow and Bryan Reynolds started for Westerlo and made up the team’s right side with Reynolds at right back and Yow at right wing. Yow’s assist came in the 47th minute to put Westerlo up 2-1. He now has seven goals and seven assists in 1900 minutes since returning from injury.

Reynolds also had a productive outing after returning from missing last week’s game with a precautionary hamstring concern.

Both Yow and Reynolds are coasting into the summer where it is likely both will be on the move due to attracting interest this season from strong performances. It will be interesting to see if both move before or after the Olympics.

Meanwhile, former Yale Bulldog Kehveh Zahiroleslam has gone cold for St. Truiden but still managed to play 90 minutes.

 

Yanks in Ligue 1

 

USMNT forward Folarin Balogun is in a tough spot as he has not impressed consistently this season for Monaco after a big year with Stade de Reims last season. But it’s about to get harder for Balogun as Breel Embolo is now healthy enough to start. When Embolo tore his ACL last August, Monaco stepped up its pursuit for Balogun. But Embolo is now able to start, and this will only hurt Balogun’s minutes. To make it worse, in Monaco’s 4-1 win over Cleremont Foot on Saturday, Embolo scored in this game before Balogun replaced him in the 66th minute. Balogun was active in his 24 minutes, but Embolo was better.

For U.S. fans, it’s a concern as Balogun is not in a good place for club or country right now. He’s probably behind Sargent and Wright at the moment. But it’s tough to see when it will get better and what he has to offer the USMNT at the Copa America. It’s a tricky situation.

At the other end of the table, Le Havre posted an enormous 3-1 win over Strasbourg and it could very well be enough to keep them up. Emmanuel Sabbi went 89 minutes at right wing for Le Havre. With the win, Le Havre are now three points clear of the relegation playoff position with two games remaining. Le Havre also has a huge edge in goal differential. In other words, it looks promising that the newly promoted club will survive.

Sabbi continued to show that his strength is that he is so good on the defensive side while playing wing. Yes, in this game he created three chances but only completed 12 passes. But he won 7/8 of his ground duels. He had four tackles, and was big in terms of breaking up Strasbourg chances. When he was in Denmark, he’d score goals that got attention. And while he has scored in France, his strength on defense has blossomed.

 

Yanks in Spain

 

In LaLiga, Luca de la Torre played the second half for Celta Vigo in a 3-2 win over Villarreal at home. It was a result that likely ensures survival in the relegation battle it has been dealing with for most of this year.  De la Torre entered the game with Celta up 2-1 and Villarreal down a man starting in the 17th minute.

De la Torre had a good shift and playing up a man fit his strength as a possession-oriented player. In the 60th minute, his right-footed shot hit the post. But overall, de la Torre was solid in moving the ball and helping Celta Vigo control the game. Right now, LDLT is in a push to make the USMNT Copa America roster and he is not a lock. But with Tyler Adams still out, these last few weeks of the season can help prove his worth.

Staying in LaLiga, Johnny Cardoso enjoyed a solid 74 minute start for Real Betis in a 2-0 win on the road over an Osasuna team that was reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute and then saw their coach dismissed in the 41st minute.

Like de la Torre, Cardoso was useful in possession against a shorthanded opponent, and he completed 27/32 passes and wasn’t dispossessed once. He didn’t contribute much in the offense, but he helped Real Betis apply pressure to ensure a comfortable win. Cardoso continues to be in an excellent position to contribute to the USMNT at the Copa America.

In Spain’s Segunda, Konrad de la Fuente continues to show a spark in his career for the first time in over two years as he has emerged an effective substitute option for Eibar in their promotion hopes.

His run began on March 30 when he scored two goals for Eibar in a 5-1 win over Eldense. Then the next week, he drew a penalty in the club's 2-0 win over Alcorcon.

Now on Sunday, de la Fuente entered the game for Eibar in the 66th minute against Amorebieta with his team up 3-0. He then scored and added an assist in what turned out to be a 5-0 win.

Things are trending upward for de la Fuente for the first time in over two seasons. The question is what happens after this season as he's at Eibar on loan from Marseille. Is he in the plans for Marseille? Probably not. Would Eibar be interested in buying him? The answer yes, but only if they're promoted and they currently sit third in the Segunda with four games remaining.

But the longer he continues to play well, the more doors that will be open to him. He just needs to continue to work hard (something that plagued him in Marseille according to local reports), and be effective. Being part of a promotional effort is a good thing.

Also in the Segunda, Jonathan Gomez was out for Mirandes in a 1-0 loss at home to Real Valladolid. Mirandes is still three points clear of the relegation zone.

 

Yanks in Belgium

 

Aside from Yow notching an assist for Westerlo in a loss, the weekend was a disaster for Americans in Belgium.

Things have gone from good to bad very quickly for Mark Mckenzie and Genk. After a very good first three games of the Championship playoff in Belgium’s First Division, Genk have now lost three straight following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Cercle Brugge on the road, with Mckenzie going 90 minutes for Genk. Over the three-game skid, Genk conceded 11 goals. McKenzie has not been sharp during this run, and it comes at a bad time as he’s looking at three important things – 1) to help Genk qualify for Europe, 2) to earn a spot on the USMNT for the Copa America, and 3) to earn a transfer this summer.

With the loss, Genk has fallen into fourth place – which would put them in the Conference League playoffs. But there are still three games remaining.

McKenzie was probably among Genk’s better defenders on the day, but he had a misplaced pass which sprung the counter for Cercle Brugge’s third goal. Still, it’s a tough way to end the season.

Without much on the line, Marlon Fossey returned to the starting lineup for Standard Liege in a 3-1 loss away to Oud-Heverlee Leuven. Fossey has been dealing with injuries in recent months. But right now, he needs to think about how to get out of Standard as the ownership group is plagued with problems.



Finally in Belgium, last-place Eupen were officially relegated on Sunday after a 1-0 loss to Kortrijk. Gaga Slonina started in goal for Eupen and there was nothing he could have done about the goal. While Slonina has had good moments this season, it has been a tough go as Eupen has been under fire from just about every opponent. He let in some goals he shouldn’t have, but relegation was far from his fault. He will now look for another loan from Chelsea this summer. But finding another starting job isn’t easy.

 

Yanks in Scotland

 

In the Scottish Premiership, Cameron Carter-Vickers went the distance for Celtic in a convincing 3-0 win at home over Hearts. They will now carry a clear edge heading into next weekend's Old Firm derby with Rangers which they will host. The only way Rangers can swing it back into their favor is to win big at Celtic Park.

In the win over Hearts, Carter-Vickers was solid defensively but wasn't every significantly tested as Celtic dominated with a 17-5 edge in shots. Carter-Vickers will hope that ending a season with another title will boost his confidence heading into the Copa America.

Also in Scotland, Dante Polvara was sharp with a start and 79 minute outing in a 1-0 win over St. Johnstone on Saturday. The win ensured Aberdeen will remain the Premiership as they are now 10 points clear of the playoff position with three games remaining. Polvara has gone in and out of the starting lineup but will look for more next year. The next three games could help improve his standing heading into preseason.

Finally, it was coming but Livingston were relegated out of the Premiership on Saturday after a 4-1 loss to Motherwell. Midfielder Scott Pittmann is the club's all-time leader in appearances (a rarity for an American) and went 90 minutes in the loss. We will see if he stays with the club as they head into the second tier.

 

Mixed performances in Serie A

 

Serie A has had a nice American presence this season and three USMNT players took part in games on Sunday.

First was when Juventus traveled to the Olympic stadium and played Roma to a 1-1 draw. Weston McKennie played all 90 minutes for Juventus and Tim Weah started at right back and was pulled in the 61st minute.

The first point to make is that Tim Weah didn’t have a good game and his season has been frustrating because it’s been so up and down. He’s had some wonderful high points, but hasn’t hit the level of consistency that Max Allegri has likely been looking for.

Weston McKennie didn’t have a great game but was still at what has become a very high floor the team can depend on. He created three chances but only had 20 completed passes over 40 touches. Still, he was accurate with his long-range passing to switch the point of possession.

Also in Serie A, Christian Pulisic was sharp for AC Milan in a 3-3 draw with Genoa. The USMNT attacker moved back to the No. 10 position where he has occasionally filled in. His highlight came in the 75th minute when he assisted Olivier Giroud’s goal to give Milan a 3-2 edge.



Overall, there is a lot to like about Pulisic and the way he plays the No. 10. It probably will never replace his best position on the wing, but he can play the No. 10 at a very high level and will continue to get minutes there. 

In Serie A, Pulisic has 10 goals and seven assists in 2351 minutes and 33 appearances. Across all competitions, Pulisic has 13 goals and nine assists across 3343 minutes and 47 appearances.

With Stefano Pioli on his way out, Pulisic will have to endure yet another managerial change. With that always comes a risk as to whether or not it will be a good fit.

On another note, Yunus Musah did not play in this game as he served his yellow card suspension.

 

Yanks feature in Serie B promotion race

 

On Sunday, there was a full slate of games in Serie B in what was the second to last round of the regular season. For three Yanks, it sets up what could be a dramatic finale next weekend.

Entering Sunday, Como had a four-point lead over Venezia for second place and the final automatic promotion spot. A win against Modena would have clinched promotion but instead Como played them to a 0-0 draw. In that game, American forward Nicholas Gioacchini went as an unused substitute. Thus far, Gioacchini has only seen limited minutes since joining the club from St. Louis in January.  Preseason this summer is going to be important for him.

That then brings up to Venezia, which entered Sunday in third. They ended up defeating FeralpiSalo 2-1 to gain two points on Como. Now they enter the final round of the season trailing Como by two points but also having a significant edge in goal differential should the teams remain tied. They now need to win the final game away at Spezia while hoping Como fail to defeat Cosenza at home.

In the win over FeralpiSalo, Tanner Tessmann played the second half while Gianluca Busio started and played 73 minutes.

Tessmann did particularly well as a sub off the bench and helped raise Venezia’s level of play. Venezia began to create more chances and were eventually able to score the opener in the 60th minute and then the dramatic winning goal at 90+3. As for Busio, he enjoyed a decent outing and should start the decisive game next weekend.

Elsewhere, Palermo drew Ascoli 2-2 on Sunday to extend their winless streak to six games. Palermo sits sixth and has clinched a playoff spot, but they still could finish anywhere from 6-8 in the table. Kristoffer Lund played the entire game at left back for Palermo. Palermo continues to squander a lot of leads this season and is not in good position heading to the playoffs. Lund has had a good season although probably not enough to force another transfer.

Finally in Serie B, Andrija Novakovich played the second half for Lecco in a 4-1 loss to Brescia. Lecco has already sealed relegation and sit last.

 

Yanks in Germany

 

In the Bundesliga on Friday, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig played to a 1-1 draw. John Brooks doesn’t appear to be in the plans anymore for Hoffenheim’s American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo as Brooks went as an unused substitute. Over the past two months, he has mostly been coming off the bench. Hoffenheim sits ninth place under Matarazzo and Brooks will see his contract expire next month. He will have decisions to make this summer. He’ll have offers but Brooks will need to balance playing time and wages.

On Sunday, Timothy Chandler was an unused substitute for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 5-1 loss at home to new champions Bayer Leverkusen. Also, Lennard Maloney remained out with a shoulder injury and missed his club’s 1-1 draw with Mainz. That was a huge boost for Brenden Aaronson and Union who would have fallen into the relegation playoff position with a Mainz win.

In the 2.Bundesliga promotion race, Hamburg defeated Fabian Hurzeler’s St. Pauli on Friday. Despite the loss, St. Pauli still has a four point cushion for automatic promotion and needs only to win one of its remaining two games.44

There is a bit of concern in the Olympic pool as U.S. U-23 central defender Maximillian Dietz was forced out of Greuther Furth’s 3-3 draw with Eintracht Braunschweig in just the sixth minute due to an injury. The pool of U-23 centerbacks is very thin and Dietz had a real chance to make the Olympic team. For Furth, Julian Green also continued to miss time due to an injury.

Johan Gomez started for Eintracht Braunschweig and assisted in the 15th to make in 2-0 at the time.  Gomez was subbed out in the 64th. Braunschweig is still in a relegation battle and is just two points above the relegation playoff position. 

FC Koln took another step closer to relegation after a 0-0 draw with Freiburg on Saturday. With the result, Koln is four points deep in relegation with just two remaining. German-American forward Damion Downs was an unused substitute but the teenager should have better luck playing next year in the 2.Bundesliga.

 

 Yanks in the Premier League

 

After this weekend’s games, most Premier League teams have just two games remaining. For American players, most are on teams with little to play for at this point.

Tyler Adams was once again not on the matchday squad for AFC Bournemouth as they got outplayed by Arsenal 3-0 in London. With each passing week, it seems less likely Tyler Adams will be with the USMNT at the Copa America. He really needs to be at 100% for preseason. That is the most important thing for his career right now.

Three Americans were on the matchday squad when Sheffield United were defeated byNottingham Forest at home 3-1 on Saturday. Unfortunately, none of the news was positive. For Forest, both Gio Reyna and Matt Turner were unused subs. It has become the norm for Matt Turner and it’s a concern because he might just continue to be the backup next season. For Reyna, he almost certainly won’t stay with Forest after his loan expires this summer, but he really needs to find a place he can play. In November he will turn 22 and he’s no longer a young player. He needs to be healthy and play.

Forest is still in a tight race for relegation but is still likely to survive. 

The other American in this game was Auston Trusty who went a full 90 for Sheffield United, who have already sealed relegation deep in last place. With this result, Sheffield United have become the first Premier League team in a 38 game season to concede over 100 goals in a season. Trusty will now take the lessons he learned this season with him as the club looks to reset in the Championship next season.

Nothing was on the line for either team as 12th place Fulham played 16th place Brentford to a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage on Saturday. Antonee Robinson went 90 minutes at left back for Fulham while Tim Ream was an unused sub as he has shifted to a backup role since January.

Robinson was effective getting forward and defending well. Unfortunately, his crossing let him down too often.

Wesley Okoduwa is still awaiting his Premier League debut for Wolves as he went as an unused yet again for Wolves in an ugly 5-1 loss to Manchester City. Okoduwa was born in the Bronx but raised in England. He has appeared for England’s U-16 team before. The young right back is considered a good prospect, and his debut could come this season, but it’s about finding the right moment. An ugly loss is not the right stage.

 

Championship’s finale

 

The Championship had the final round of the regular season on Saturday and nothing really surprising happened.

Managed by former USMNT forward David Wagner, Norwich qualified for the playoffs with a sixth-place finish where they will face Leeds United in the first round. Unfortunately for Wagner, the club did not end the season on a strong note as they fell to Birmingham City 1-0. Birmingham City was relegated to League One, despite the win.

Overall, it was a bad performance from Norwich. USMNT forward Josh Sargent only had 16 touches in 82 minutes of work.

Nothing was on the line when Coventry hosted Queens Park Rangers and it was QPR who pulled of a 2-1 road win. It concluded with a dreadful end to the season for Coventry who earned just one point from their last six Championship games. Haji Wright played all 90 minutes and assisted on Coventry’s only goal. He had a good season, and, in all competitions, he finished the season with 19 goals, 8 assists, 50 appearances, in 3397 minutes for Coventry. He will now get a rest before starting Copa America preparations next month.

Meanwhile, Reggie Cannon went a full 90 for QPR in a good performance from the former FC Dallas right back. Cannon has a lot of questions heading into the offseason. His playing time fell off the past three months – at a time when QPR climbed out of the relegation zone. It remains to be seen how much he will be in the plans next season.

It was also a tough end to the season for Cardiff City who dropped a terrible 5-2 decision at last-place Rotherham (who scored 13% of their season’s goals in this game).  But over the last two games, Cardiff conceded nine goals. Ethan Horvath was in goal for Cardiff during this tough stretch. He could have done better, but he was far from the team’s biggest problem. They still need a lot of work if they want to push for the playoffs next season.

West Brom is cruising into the playoffs after a 3-0 win over a Preston North End team that skidded out of the playoff race, ending the season with five straight losses. Duane Holmes went 72 minutes for PNE and finished the season with 35 appearances (2118 minutes) while adding four goals and five assists. Meanwhile, West Brom is alive for a spot in the Premier League with Daryl Dike hoping to return in 2025.

Stoke City concluded its season with a 4-0 win over Bristol City. It was its third straight win to safely end a season that saw it hovering around the relegation zone for long stretches. Lynden Gooch returned form injury but was an unused sub.

Meanwhile, Matthew Hoppe was not even on the bench again for Middlesbrough in a 3-1 win over Watford. It’s been a frustrating time for him after San Jose declined to extend his loan and he didn’t make an appearance for Boro.

 

Yanks in the Netherlands

 

In the Eredivisie, the declared champions PSV defeated Sparta Rotterdam 4-2 on Sunday. Malik Tillman went the distance for PSV while Ricardo Pepi played the last 13 minutes. Richard Ledezma went unused as he still is looking for his first appearance since rejoining the team in January from his loan to New York City.

What was noteworthy about this game is that Pepi came into the game in the 77th minute and it appeared as if Luuk de Jong was injured. The last two PSV games are meaningless and perhaps this gives Pepi the chance to play down the stretch. He actually earned the assist on the team’s final goal, a minute after he came on – although goal scorer Jordan Teze did most of the heavy lifting.

Tillman’s shift didn’t particularly stand out either way. He’s not entering into an offseason where his loan from Bayen will expire and decisions have to be made. The same thing with Ledezma who needs to find a place he can play. Then you have the injured Dest who is on loan from Barcelona and won’t return until 2025.

Staying in the Eredivisie, Utrecht defeated last-place Vitesse 1-0 in a dull game. Taylor Booth started for Utrecht but had a tough first half and was pulled at the break with the game scoreless. This was his second game back from a knee injury and he needs to play well down the stretch to earn a spot on the Olympic team. The good news is that Utrecht will like play in the playoffs for the Eredivisie Conference qualifying round berth and that should give him more time. But he needs to improve from the level he showed on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Paxten Aaronson is mostly a lock for the Olympic team now and he played the whole game for Vitesse. Despite the loss and the team’s dismal season, he continues to be the team’s best player. He had four shots and three chances created. He should have scored in the 36th minute but saw his right-footed shot from point-blank range close to goal saved. Despite that, anything good that happened for Vitesse generally was the result of Aaronson being involved.

Staying in the bottom half of the league, Volendam sealed its relegation on Sunday with a 4-1 loss to Ajax at home. The redeeming note for Volendam is that Zach Booth, 20, had a good shift for Volendam and assisted on the team’s only goal in the 80th minute down 4-0. The younger Booth brother was Volendam’s best player on the day.

Zach Booth has a lot on his plate right now. He won’t stick around at Volendam after his loan expires next month. With his parent club, Leicester, earning promotion to the Premier League, he will likely need to find another loan or a full transfer. He’s had some positive glimpses, but Volendam has been a tough place for him to stand out. He should be able to find a better loan next season – which is good. Unfortunately, the Olympic team looks unlikely.

Finally in the Eredivisie, Anthony Fontana was mercifully unused as his PEC Zwolle team was run off the field by Feyenoord in a 5-0 loss.

In the second tier Eerste Divisie, several Americans were in action.

FC Dordrecht is set for the promotional playoffs after Friday’s 1-1 draw with first place Willem II who have secured promotion. Dordrecht sits fourth with just one game remaining. In the draw with Willem II, John Hilton went 90 minutes at left back and has had a nice season that could be rewarded with promotion. Meanwhile, Korede Osundina played 82 minutes for Dordrecht at forward and his minutes have increased lately on his loan from Feyenoord.

ADO Den Haag sits in fifth place and looks set for the playoffs after Friday’s 2-2 road draw with NAC Breda. Justin Che continues to be out for ADO Den Haag.

Rickson van Hess went 90 minutes at right back for a struggling Jong Utrecht team in a 2-2 away draw with De Graafschap.

Gedion Zelalem went 89 minutes for Den Bosch in a 2-1 loss at home to FC Emmen. It’s been a brutal season for Den Bosch, which sits 18th out of 20 teams.

Agustin Anello was still out for Cambuur in a 2-0 loss on the road to Roda JC Kerkrade. Anello is at Cambuur on loan from Sparta Rotterdam.

 

Yanks Elsewhere

                                                                 

Hajduk Split continued its lackluster end to the season with a 1-0 loss at home to NK Varazdin. Rokas Pukstas, 19, will likely leave Hajduk Split this summer and he went 90 minutes in the loss. He has a knack for scoring goals but his issue is always involvement. As a midfielder, he only had 37 touches in this game with 15/26 passing. He won his duels and handled the physical side of the game well (he's always good in the air) and it will be interesting to see what the next step for him is.

In the Austrian Bundesliga, LASK defeated Austria Klagenfurt 2-0 on the road to clinch at least a third-place finish with two games to go. This will put them into Europa League qualification. With the result, they only trail Salzburg by three points for second.

George Bello played 87 minutes for LASK, and he is approaching 2000 minutes for the season. While not flashy, he continues to be a steady presence at left back and has looked the part as his team pushes for another return to the Europa League. It’s been a great season to see him return to regular action after a tough move at Armenia Bielefeld. The big question is if he can get back into contention for the U.S. Olympic team, which is strong at left back (John Tolkin, Caleb Wiley, and Jonathan Gomez).

Meanwhile, Sebastian Soto was unused for Austria Klagenfurt as he nears the end of another tough season plagued by limited playing time and injuries. 

In Slovakia, Zyen Jones and FC Kosice are on the edge of the relegation playoff position (only safe by goal differential) following a 2-1 loss to Duka Banska Bystrica. Jones played the last 11 minutes in the loss.

In the Uruguayan Premiera, former NC State defender Mattias Fracchia started for Danubio in a 1-1 draw with Rampla Juniors at home. Fracchia left in the 77th with Danubio down 1-0. With the draw, Danubio sit in eighth place.

In Ireland, Bohemian FC drew Shamrock Rovers 1-1 on Friday with 2019 U.S. U-20 World Cup central defender Aboubacar Keita going 90 minutes for Bohemians, which moved to fourth with the result against second place Shamrock.

In Portugal, Vizela dropped a 1-0 result on the road to Moreirense. Alex Mendez was unused for Vizela and has only played 350 minutes this season. Vizela sits last and will likely be relegated next weekend. Mendez is looking at a move this summer.

Justin Rennicks is red hot, but his club AC Oulu is ice cold – winless in five games to start the season. On Saturday, Oulu fell to Ilves 3-2 on the road. Rennicks had a goal and an assist. Over his last four games, the former New England Revolution product has three goals and an assist.



In the Swiss Super League, Lucas Pos went 89 minutes for FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy in a 3-2 loss on the road to Grasshopper. With four games remaining, FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy is 10 points deep in last place.

In Poland’s Ekstraklasa, Danny Trejo played 84 minutes for Korona Kielce in a 1-1 draw with Plast Gilwice. With three games remaining, Korona Kielce are one point deep in the relegation zone.

In Norway’s Eliteserien, former LA Galaxy II defender Adam Saldana was unused for KFUM Oslo in a 1-0 away win over FK Haugesund. Meanwhile, Sam Rogers played the final five minutes for HamKam in a 1-1 draw on the road against Kristiansund BK.

In Hungary’s NB I, Ferencvaros has already clinched the title and pounded Debrecen 5-1 on Sunday. Henry Wingo was an unused sub for Ferencvaros and there are rumors he is returning to the states to play for Austin FC this summer.

In the Danish Superliga, Lyngby defeated a Randers team that that was reduced to 10-men in the 38th minute. The 2-1 victory was huge for Lyngby as it ended a four-game winless skid and it moved them five points clear of the relegation zone with four games remaining. Jonathan Amon had his best game in at least three years as he assisted on the opening goal in the 59th minute and created several chances. Over the past month, the winger form South Carolina has finally begun getting his form back after years of injuries.

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