Chris_richards_and_matt_turner_-_asn_top_-_celebrate_fa_cup_-_5-17-25
Americans abroad

Silverware! Richards wins FA Cup! PSV-America wins Eredivisie, Downs wins 2.Bundesliga! & More

Players play this game to win silverware and over the weekend we saw just that as Americans lifted trophies for the FA Cup, the Eredivisie, and the 2.Bundesliga. But unfortunately, not all news was great over the weekend for Yanks abroad. ASN's Brian Sciarettta reports
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
May 19, 2025
1:05 PM

THE WEEKEND for Americans abroad finally saw a few Americans awarded some big pieces of silverware in prestigious competitions – while there were other Yanks who were on the wrong end of tough decisions.

There is always a lot to talk about it, so lets get right into it.

 

Richards wins FA Cup

 

Chris Richards is now a champion. The FA Cup is the most known and prestigious domestic cup competition, and the Alabama native played a huge role in helping Crystal Palace bring home the trophy with an impressive 1-0 win over favored Manchester City on Saturday.

Richards, 25, played all 90 minutes and was a large part of why Erling Haaland was contained at Wembley Stadium.

In doing so, he became the second American to play in a final for the winning team – behind only Tim Howard who started for Manchester United in its 2004 FA Cup triumph.



“I mean, I think growing up, I never watched the FA Cup,” Richards said. “I’m from Alabama, so we definitely didn’t have that on TV. So being able to not just do it for Americans, but also do for the kids back home who have a dream of playing over here. I think it means the world to me.”

For the USMNT, this was a very positive sign that Richards will be in good form heading into the Gold Cup. Central defense is among the weakest areas of the player pool in terms of number of options and the form of key players. Richards is a big exception.

 

PSV crowned Eredivisie champs

 

One month ago, it seemed as if Ajax was a lock to win the Eredivisie as PSV stumbled in the middle part of the season, largely due to injuries, while Ajax played well. But a brutal four game run from Ajax starting in late April opened the door for PSV, and the Eindhoven-based club took full advantage.

PSV won the final seven games of the season and Sunday’s 3-1 away win over Sparta Rotterdam clinched the title. Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman both started and Tilman had yet another good game – scoring the final goal of the game to seal the victory and the Eredivisie title. While last year PSV won the title going away, this was a thrilling comeback that was completed on the last day.

 

It’s well known that PSV has a huge American footprint and with Ricardo Pepi injured, the return of Tilman and Dest from their injuries was largely responsible for the club’s rise down the stretch run.

As for the Americans, Dest will likely return. Tillman could see offers, and Richard Ledezma will be a free agent. He played a lot this season and had some great games, but his goal is to play in the midfield, not right back. He might feel he has to move to achieve that, although PSV has reportedly made an offer for him to stay.

In terms of the USMNT, Dest should be expected to rejoin the U.S. team this summer. Tillman should as well, although he has pressure to carry his club form over to the USMNT – something that is yet to happen. Ledezma has a chance, but it is probably unlikely.

That is talk for another day. How about the celebrations in Eindhoven?

 

 

2.Bundesliga: Downs & Cologne promoted

 

Damion Downs and Cologne were promoted to the Bundesliga following a 4-0 win over Kaiserslautern. That win also clinched the 2.Bundesliga title for Cologne.

Downs, 20, started and assisted on the team’s second goal. He finished the season with 10 goals. He has already emerged as a top American prospect and his return to the Bundesliga (where he scored his first two professional goals last season) only helps his profile. He should be expected to play a lot next season in the top flight as he has the athleticism and strength to play at that level.

 

Santiago Castaneda and Paderborn fell short of the promotional playoff spot after a 3-0 loss to Karlsruher. Castaneda, 20, played 2297 minutes this season and made a very positive impression. Another season in the 2.Bundesliga should be great for his development. It was a very good season for the Tampa native who was largely unknown before this season.

Johan Gomez and Eintracht Braunschweig lost to Nuremberg 4-1 and will now go to the relegation playoff against the third-place finisher of the 3.Liga. Gomez was an unused sub and has had a tough year.

Julian Green and Max Dietz secured survival on the final day with a 3-2 win over Hamburg. Dietz when the full 90. Green played last 30 minutes. Green turns 30 next month and is generally a dependable, hard-working midfielder at the 2.Bundesliga level. Dietz, a U.S. Olympian last summer, is a strong defender/defensive midfielder who still looks at the right level in this league.

 

Terrible weekend for Venezia

 

The weekend could not have gone any worse for Gianluca Busio and Venezia who lost 3-0 to Cagliari. That loss, combined with other results in the league, saw the club fall into the Serie A relegation zone. The odds are now not in Venezia’s favor as they will need to defeat Juventus on the final day of the season while needing Empoli or Lecce to not win.

 

Busio was involved but couldn’t create much in the 3-0 loss. It has been an up and down season for the former Sporting Kansas City homegrown but he will need to be at his best against Juve.

 

Yanks crash out in Serie B playoffs

 

Two American players were part of teams that qualified for the Serie B promotional finals but both Yanks were eliminated in the first round, which is a one game playoff held at the home of the higher seed.

Kristoffer Lund did not get off the bench as his Palermo team dropped a 1-0 decision to Juve Stabia. Overall, it was a disappointing season for Lund who faded as the season progressed and ultimately saw his minutes decline. The fact he didn’t play in the playoff best summed up where he stands now.

Jonathan Klinsmann was beaten on a header for the only goal of the game as his Cesena team fell to Catanzaro 1-0. Overall, it was a good season for Klinsmann who cut back on the mistakes that cost him during his time with the LA Galaxy. At times he helped rescue points for Cesena. It was certainly a season for him to build on moving forward.

 

Notes from elsewhere

 

The Bundesliga season concluded over the weekend with several Americans in action. Unfortunately, there was no significant news to report.

Borussia Dortmund finished in fourth place after a 3-0 win over Holstein Kiel, who have already been relegated. Gio Reyna played the final 11 minutes for BVB while John Tolkin went the distance in the loss.

Borussia Monchengladbach lost at home to Wolfsburg 1-0 with Joe Scally going the final 22 minutes at right back for M’Gladbach.

Mainz finished in sixth place for the Conference League spot with a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. Lennard Maloney came in as a stoppage time-wasting sub for Mainz.

In the Premier League, Antonee Robinson had a terrific outing for Fulham in a 3-2 win over Brentford as he won 12/15 of his duels and 4/5 of his tackles.

France’s Ligue 1 wrapped up with little drama.

Folarin Balogun did not play for Monaco in a 4-0 loss to Lens. Monaco finished third and qualified for the Champions League.

Jordan Pefok played 69 minutes for Reims in a 2-1 loss to Lille. It’s been a tough season for Pefok and now Reims will be forced to play in the promotion/relegation playoff final (along with the Coupe de France final)

Toulouse finished 10th in Ligue 1 following a 3-2 win over a relegated St. Etienne. Mark McKenzie played the entire game for Toulouse and finished the season with a busy 2498 minutes in the league. Overall, it was a positive first season despite a few rocky patches.

Lyon and Tanner Tessmann finished in 6th place (Conference League) following a 2-0 win over Angers on Saturday with Tessmann playing 69 minutes. Tessmann finished with 1228 minutes in Ligue 1 this season along with 90 minutes in the Coupe de France and 521 minutes in the Europa League.

In Spain’s La Liga, Real Betis lost to Atletico Madrid 4-1 on the road with Johnny Cardoso going a full 90 minutes in a tough day. Even with one more game remaining, Real Betis will finish in 6th place and a spot in the Europa League.

In Spain’s Segunda, Nick Markanich scored an important goal for Castellon in a 1-1 draw with CD Eldense. That draw inched Castellon closer to survival as they have a six point gap on the relegation zone with just two games remaining. For Markanich, 25, it was his second goal for Castellon since arriving from the Charleston Batter, where he was the USL Golden Boot winner last year.



In Serie A, Juventus defeated Udinese to remain in fourth place (the final Champions League position) by one point with one game remaining – against a desperate Venezia team with Gianluca Busio. In the win for Juve, Weston McKennie started and played 81 minutes while Tim Weah entered the game in the 72nd minute. McKennie had a great effort in this game where he was useful in holding the ball and winning aerials. This was the type of gut-busting performance that has been missing for the USMNT since the World Cup. As for Weah, he did his part to help see out the win.

AC Milan’s hopes of European play mathematically ended with a 3-1 loss to Roma. Christian Pulisic started and played 89 minutes in a decent but forgettable outing. Yunus Musah got a rare start and passed well, but didn’t do enough to make an impression he should be a starter for this club next season.  

In Scotland, champions Celtic ended its Premiership season with a lackluster 1-1 draw with St. Mirren. Cameron Carter-Vickers went 90 minutes and Auston Trusty did not get off the bench for Celtic. Celtic still has the Scottish Cup final remaining against Aberdeen.

Speaking of Aberdeen, it was a disappointing end to the Premiership season as they lost to Dundee United 2-1 to fall out of European play on the final day of the season. Dante Polvara played the final 27 minutes for Aberdeen. They lost the final four games of the season and enter the cup final in miserable form.

Jonathan Tomkinson played the final eight minutes for Ross County in a 1-1 draw with Motherwell to finish in the relegation/promotion playoff where they will face a Livingston team that features American Scott Pittman. Livingston is looking for promotion one year after being relegated.

In the second to last game of the season in Belgium, Westerlo defeated OH Leuven 2-0. Westerlo has nothing to play for anymore as European play is out of reach. Griffin Yow played 62 decent minutes while local media said Bryan Reynolds was strong at right back over his 90 minutes.

Standard Liege also has nothing more to play for and settled for a 0-0 draw with Dender on Saturday. USMNT hopeful Marlon Fossey went 90 minutes.

The lone American in Belgium who had something to play for was Kahveh Zahiroleslam who played the final nine minutes for St. Truiden in a 2-2 draw with Kortrijk. That result was enough to ensure St. Truiden will not be relegated this season. Zahiroleslam only scored three goals and lost his starting job this season. His contract expires next month and he could be on the move.

In the final round of games in Portugal's top tier, Boavista was relegated after a 4-1 loss to Arouca. Former U.S. U-23 winger Gbolyi Ariyibi played the second half for Boavista.

Casa Pia finished ninth after a 2-1 loss to Famalicao. Forward Korede Osundina did not play for Casa Pia and he ended his loan with club (from Feyenoord) with seven appearances and no goals.

In the Eredivisie, Utrecht finished fourth following a 0-0 away draw with Fortuna Sittard. Paxten Aaronson played the final 18 minutes in his final game for Utrecht. He will now return to his parent club, Eintracht Frankfurt, after possibly playing for the USMNT at the Gold Cup. This was a great loan for the younger Aaronson who showed a lot of growth as a player. We will now see if he is ready to take on a role with an Eintracht team headed for the Champions League.

In Liga MX, the final is set as Club America will face Toluca. Club America defeated Cruz Azul 2-1 in the second leg of its semifinal with USMNT hopeful Alejandro Zendejas putting forth a solid full-90 shift.

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