Last week was full of memorable moments for U.S. Men’s National Team players plying their trade abroad.
In Holland, Taylor Booth enjoyed a game of a lifetime with three goals for Utrecht. In Spain, Luca de la Torre continued to throw Celta Vigo a lifeline in its relegation battle.
In England, Josh Sargent is continuing an enjoyable run of form with Norwich City since returning from a tough injury, Antonee Robinson set up a goal with a spectacular assist for Fulham, and Gio Reyna made his Nottingham Forest debut.
TAYLOR-MADE HAT-TRICK
Taylor Booth entered Utrecht's match without a goal in 10 league appearances this season. By the time he was subbed in the 89th minute, the 22-year-old midfielder had ripped the Volendam nets for three goals to record his first professional hat-trick in a 4-2 home triumph in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday, Feb. 4.
What made his showcase even more special was that it was Booth's first confrontation with his brother Zach in the league. After Zach lifted the visitors into a ninth-minute lead, Taylor started his virtuoso performance by scoring an equalizing goal off a Sam Lammers pass in the 38th minute. Booth connected for his second goal past goalkeeper Mio Backhaus for a 3-2 lead, off a Jens Toornstra feed, in the 57th minute. He put a bow on the win, burying a shot with his left foot in the 84th minute, thanks to Victor Jensen's assist.
Utrecht (5-7-8, 23 points), which is in 11th place, snapped a five-game winless streak across all competitions, recording its first league win since. Dec. 10.
THIRD TIME IS A CHARM
There is little doubt that Josh Sargent has found his form again, after missing four months with an ankle injury. The striker tallied for the third time in five matches since returning to play, helping Norwich City to a 2-1 comeback victory past 10-man Coventry City in the English Championship on Saturday, Feb. 3. Sargent struck for the equalizing goal on the hour, slotting home a rebound of an Ashley Barnes shot. Norwich City (13-12-5, 44) is in eighth place.
COOL HAND LUCA
Luca de la Torre ensured Celta Vigo remained several points ahead of the La Liga relegation zone, scoring one goal and setting up another in a 3-0 win at Osasuna on Sunday, Feb. 4. He assisted on Jorgen Strand Larsen's 24th-minute score. Only a minute later, Strand Larsen returned the favor as de la Torre found the net past keeper Sergio Herrera for his first league goal of the season and a 2-0 advantage. De la Torre recently tallied twice in Copa Del Rey. Celta Vigo (4-11-8, 20) sits in 16th place in the 20-team Spanish first division.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME ASSIST
Left back Antonee Robinson produced one of the most unusual and spectacular assists we'll ever see in Fulham's 2-2 draw at Burnley on Saturday, Feb. 3. Battling for the ball at midfield and with his back to the Cottagers' attacking play, Robinson won the ball and flicked it ahead to Rodrigo Muniz. The ball took one bounce before Muniz chipped it over from the top of the box past goalkeeper James Trafford to give Fulham a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute. Fulham (7-11-5,26) is in 13th place.
SECOND-HALF DEBUT
Only days after joining the club on loan, midfielder Gio Reyna made his Nottingham Forest debut in its 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League on Sunday, Feb. 4. He came on in the 78th minute for Anthony Elanga. Reyna, who hadn't seen much playing time with Borussia Dortmund, was loaned to Forest until the end of the season. He also signed a contract extension with the Bundesliga club through the 2025-26 season.
HELPING OUT
Jordan Pefok set up Borussia Mönchengladbach's goal in a 3-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in Bundesliga action on Saturday, Feb. 3. Nico Elvedi started the scoring sequence by intercepting a pass from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. He then played a one-two with Pefok before finishing into the lower right corner to boost the visitors into a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute. Borussia (5-9-6, 21) sits in 13th place.
MEXICAN STANDOFF
The first Liga MX Clausura confrontation between Club America's Alejandro Zendejas and Monterrey's Brandon Vazquez ended in a 1-1 draw at the former's venue. Both players started and were subbed out late in the second half. Zendejas played 78 minutes, while Vazquez competed for 83 minutes. Both teams are tied atop the league with 3-0-2 records and 11 points apiece.
INTO THE NEXT ROUND
An injury has kept defender Erik Palmer-Brown sidelined for months. He missed Panathinaikos' 2-0 away win over Atromitos in the second leg of the Greek Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Panathinaikos won the home-and-home series, 4-1. The team will visit PAOK in the first leg on Feb. 14 and will host its foes on Feb. 21.
ON THE MOVE
Nottingham Forest transferred goalkeeper Ethan Horvath to Cardiff City in the English Championship on Thursday, Feb. 1. Horvath signed a 3 1/2-year deal with City that runs through June 2027.
ON LOAN
Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Paxten Aaronson sent to Vitesse on loan until the end of the Dutch Eredivisie season on Friday, Feb. 2.
FULL RUNDOWN
- Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 15 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at RB Leipzig (Feb. 4)
- Paxten Aaronson (Vitesse; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Go Ahead Eagles (Feb. 4)
- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Nottingham Forest (Feb. 4); Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at West Ham United (Feb. 1)
- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Le Havre (Feb. 4)
- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 89 minutes, THREE GOALS, in 4-2 win vs. Volendam (Feb. 4)
- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) – 89 minutes in 2-1 loss at Parma (Feb. 3)
- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Getafe (Feb. 4)
- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Aberdeen (Feb. 3)
- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 89 minutes in 1-1 draw at Ajax (Feb. 3)
- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 87 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST, in 3-0 win at Osasuna (Feb. 4)
- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; English Championship) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Watford (Feb. 3)
- Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Bari (Feb. 2)
- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Borussia Dortmund (Feb. 2)
- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 89 minutes in 1-0 loss at Inter Milan (Feb. 4)
- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Union Saint-Gilloise (Feb. 3)
- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 4 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 win at Frosinone (Feb. 3)
- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Injured, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Olympiakos (Feb. 4); Injured, DNP in 2-0 win at Atromitos in Greek Cup (Jan. 31)
- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Hoffenheim (Feb. 4)
- Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich (Feb. 3)
- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Ajax (Feb. 3)
- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 80 minutes in 3-2 win at Frosinone (Feb. 3)
- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Burnley (Feb. 3); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Everton (Jan. 30)
- Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth (Feb. 4)
- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 45 minutes in 3-0 loss vs. OH Leuven (Feb. 3); 90 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Cercle Brugge (Jan. 30)
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 4-1 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion (Feb. 3); 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Sheffield United (Jan. 30)
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-2 draw at Burnley (Feb. 3); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Everton (Jan. 30)
- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - 89 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 win vs. Coventry City (Feb. 3)
- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich (Feb. 3)
- Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Mechelen (Feb. 4); 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss at Sporting Charleroi (Jan. 30)
- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Parma (Feb. 3)
- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at Ajax (Feb. 3)
- Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 5-0 loss vs. Aston Villa (Feb. 3); 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Crystal Palace (Jan. 30)
- Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth (Feb. 4); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Arsenal (Jan. 30)
- Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - 83 minutes in 1-1 draw at Club America (Feb. 3)
- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 24 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Inter Milan (Feb. 4)
- Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Norwich City (Feb. 3); 32 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. Bristol City (Jan. 30)
- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 78 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Monterrey (Feb. 3)