On the Pitch

USMNT REWIND: Piling Up Goals and Assists on Both Sides of the Atlantic

It was yet another productive and busy week for many members of the U.S. Men's National Team pool, as eight players scored goals for their teams on both sides of the Atlantic.

Christian Pulisic scored a goal in each of A.C. Milan's victories. Haji Wright struck for a brace for Coventry City. Alejandro Zendejas was a playmaker and a goal-scorer for Club America, and Josh Sargent continued his goal celebrations for Norwich City.

Monterrey's Brandon Vazquez also burned his former team, FC Cincinnati, for the lone goal in a Concacaf Champions Cup road win.

They were joined by three other players who also wrote their names on the scoresheet - Sergiño Dest, Paxten Aaronson and Jesus Ferreira.

Weston McKennie set up two more goals, and three defenders - Shaq Moore, DeJuan Jones, and Joe Scally - pitched in with assists as well.

And in the net, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath extended his unbeaten streak to five games.

 

TWO GAMES, TWO GOALS

What a week it was for Christian Pulisic. He scored in A.C. Milan's 4-2 victory over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, March 7, and tallied the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Empoli in Italy's Serie A on Sunday, March 10.

On Wednesday, Pulisic redirected Rafael Leao's shot for Milan's final goal in the 85th minute.  On Sunday, Noah Okafor set up Pulisic for a shot from the edge of the penalty area that deflected off a defender. The goal was ruled offside by an assistant referee, but then it was awarded after a VAR check on Okafor’s positioning.

Those goals gave the 25-year-old forward 10 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions. He is closing in on his previous best production (11), which he achieved for Chelsea during the 2019-20 campaign. In Serie A action, Pulisic has been involved in 14 goals (eight goals and six assists). Milan (18-5-5, 59 points) moved into second place, a point ahead of Juventus, 16 points behind leader Inter Milan (24-1-3, 75).

 

THIS BRACE IS WRIGHT ON

Haji Wright's second brace within a month and third of the season powered Coventry City to a 2-1 comeback victory at Watford on Saturday, March 9.

After the hosts took the lead in the English Championship encounter, Wright equalized with a 40th-minute penalty kick past goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann. He connected for the game-winner from outside the box in the 72nd minute. Wright, who bagged a brace in a 2-1 win over Millwall on Feb. 11, has scored 13 goals this season, two short of his league best. The 25-year-old forward scored 15 goals for Antalyaspor during the 2022-23 campaign in Turkey.

Wright has propelled eighth-place Coventry (15-10-12, 57 points) within a point of the promotion zone playoffs.

 

 

A DANDY DOZEN

Few, if any goalkeepers have been able to stop Josh Sargent recently. He scored his 12th goal for Norwich City in its 5-0 rout of Rotherham in the English Championship on Saturday, March 9. A minute into first-half stoppage time, Sargent buried Jack Stacey's right-wing cross past goalkeeper Viktor Johansson to lift the hosts to a 4-0 halftime advantage. He has found the net a dozen times in only 1,099 minutes. Sargent has played an important role, helping lift the sixth-place Cottagers (17-13-7, 58) into the final spot in the promotion zone, with nine games left in the season.

 

 

ONE IS ENOUGH

Defender Sergiño Dest gave PSV Eindhoven all the scoring it needed en route to a 1-0 win over Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch Eredivisie on Friday, March 8. After taking a pass from Olivier Boscagli on the left side, the outside back ran across the area before sending a curling effort into the far right post past goalkeeper Jeffrey de Lange. It was Dest's second league goal of the campaign for unbeaten PSV (22-0-3, 69), which maintains a 10-point advantage over Feyenoord (18-2-5, 59) with nine matches remaining in the season.

 

 

AGAINST SOME OLD FRIENDS

Monterrey's Brandon Vazquez returned to the states to play against his old team, FC Cincinnati, reminding the MLS side how lethal he can be, in the first leg of the Round of 16 first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup on Thursday, March 7. Vazquez, who was transferred to the Liga MX team in January, scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win. He gathered in Maximiliano Meza's pass and rifled a 12-yard shot that goalie Roman Celentano got a hand on but could not knock out of harm's way in the 24th minute. Monterrey finished the game with 10 men after a 69th-minute red card. The Mexican club will host the second leg on Thursday, March 14.

 

 

ONE OF EACH

Alejandro Zendejas was a playmaker and a goal-scorer in Club America's 2-0 home win over Tigres UANL in Liga MX action on Saturday, March 9. He assisted Javairo Dilrosun's goal in the 28th minute and added an insurance tally in the 69th minute. Zendejas latched onto a long ball by Kevin Alvarez and held off defender Juan Jose Purata before firing a 12-yard shot past keeper Nahuel Guzman. He has eight goals this season.

On Wednesday, March 6, Zendejas recorded an assist in a 3-0 victory at Guadalajara in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round 16. Club America will host the second leg on Wednesday, March 13.

 

 

IN LOSING CAUSES

* Jesús Ferreira connected for his first goal of the MLS season for FC Dallas in its 2-1 defeat at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 9. The 23-year-old striker drilled a 20-yard free kick into the lower near left post past goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to slice the Red Bulls' lead in half in the 59th minute.

 

 

* Paxten Aaronson pulled a goal back for Vitesse in its 3-1 loss at RKC Waalwijk on Saturday, March 9. He buried the equalizer, off a Kacper Kozlowski assist, past goalie Etienne Vaessen in the 56th minute. On loan from Eintracht Frankfurt, Aaronson scored for the second time in five matches.

 

 

A BRACE OF ASSISTS

Weston McKennie was at it again for Juventus, setting up two goals during a magical four-minute span in a 2-2 home draw with Atalanta on Sunday, March 10. In the 66th minute, the midfielder slipped the ball to Andrea Cambiaso, who scored from eight yards at the near left post for a 1-1 equalizer. In the 70th minute, McKennie chested down Samuel Iling-Junior's left-wing cross in the box. Arkadiusz Milik pounced on the ball and fired a 14-yard shot past goalie Marco Carnesecchi. McKennie has nine assists this season, trailing Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne (11 assists) for the European lead.

 

 

FROM THE BACKLINE

Three defenders - Shaq Moore, DeJuan Jones and Joe Scally - set up goals for their respective teams.

* Only four minutes into Nashville SC's 2-2 draw with Inter Miami CF, Moore helped create the first goal of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 first leg on Thursday, March 7. Moore cut through the right side of the field before finding Jacob Shaffelburg at the top of the penalty area for the score. The teams will meet in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in the second leg on Wednesday, March 13.

 

 

* Jones set up the New England Revolution's first goal, by Nick Lima in the 28th minute, in its 4-0 home win over LD Alajuelense in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, March 6. The Revs will play the second leg in Alajeula, Costa Rica on Thursday, March 14.

 

 

* Scally assisted on Borussia Mönchengladbach's final goal in its wild 3-3 home tie with FC Köln in the Bundesliga on Saturday, March 9. Off a corner kick, Scally set up Robin Hack's tally from the middle of the penalty area, which gave the hosts a 3-2 lead in the 73rd minute. He has two assists this season.

 

UNBEATEN IN FIVE

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath extended his unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2) with two victories in the English Championship. He backstopped Cardiff City's 1-0 home win over Huddersfield Town on Wednesday, March 6, before helping the team to a 2-1 triumph over Ipswich Town on Saturday, March 9. Horvath has conceded only two goals during that stretch.

* Keeper Gaga Slonina recorded his third shutout of the campaign in Eupen's 1-0 home victory past Sint-Truiden in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday, March 10.

 

ON THE BENCH

Tyler Adams is just about ready to play for Bournemouth. For the first time since injuring his hamstring, the midfielder sat on the bench in AFC Bournemouth's 2-2 home draw with Sheffield United in the English Premier League on Saturday, March 9.

 

FULL RUNDOWN

-- Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 18 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Stuttgart (March 8)

-- Paxten Aaronson (Vitesse; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 3-1 loss at RKC Waalwijk (March 9)

-- Kellyn Acosta (Chicago Fire; MLS) - 89 minutes in 2-1 loss at Columbus Crew (March 9)

-- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - in 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Sheffield United (March 9)

-- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Strasbourg (March 10)

-- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at Almere City (March 9)

-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) – 88 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Bari (March 10)

-- Drake Callender (Inter Miami CF; MLS) -- 90 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. CF Montreal (March 10); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Nashville SC in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 loss vs. Villarreal (March 10)

-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Injured, DNP in 4-2 win vs. Livingston in FA Cup (March 10)

-- Cade Cowell (Guadalajara; Liga MX) - 74 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Leon (March 9); 21 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 loss vs. Club America in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 6)

-- Ben Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; MLS) -- Injured, DNP minutes in 3-2 loss vs. CF Montreal (March 10); Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw at Nashville SC in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-0 win at Go Ahead Eagles (March 8)

-- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes at 4-0 loss at Real Madrid (March 10)

-- Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 76 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 loss at New York Red Bulls (March 9)

-- Julian Gressel (Inter Miami CF; MLS) - 66 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. CF Montreal (March 10); 80 minutes in 2-2 draw at Nashville SC in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Ipswich Town (March 9); 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 1-0 win vs. Huddersfield Town (March 6)

-- DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; MLS) – 90 minutes in 4-1 win vs. New England Revolution (March 9); 69 minutes, ASSIST, in 4-0 win vs. Alajuelense in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 6)

-- Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Lecco (March 10)

-- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss at Augsburg (March 9)

-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 88 minutes, TWO ASSISTS, in 2-2 draw vs. Atalanta (March 10)

-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Standard Liege (March 10)

-- Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Real Salt Lake (March 9)

-- Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; MLS) - 45 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. LA Galaxy (March 10); 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-2 draw vs. Inter Miami CF in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Chicago Fire (March 9)

-- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - Match suspended vs. Philadelphia Union (March 9)

-- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Empoli (March 10); In 18, DNP in 4-3 win vs. Slavia Prague in UEFA Europa League (March 7)

-- Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw at Nashville SC (March 10)

-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 win at Olympiakos (March 10)

-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen (March 10)

-- Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 3-3 draw at vs FC Köln (March 9)

-- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 6 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Go Ahead Eagles (March 8)

-- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 63 minutes, GOAL, in 1-0 win vs. Empoli (March 10); 90 minutes, GOAL, in 4-2 win vs. Slavia Prague in UEFA Europa League (March 7)

-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers (March 9)

-- Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion (March 10)

-- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at Mechelen (March 8)

-- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Luton Town (March 9)

-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers (March 9)

-- Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. D.C. United (March 10); 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Monterrey in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- James Sands (New York City FC; MLS) – SUSPENDED, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Portland Timbers (March 9)

-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - 52 minutes, GOAL, in 5-0 win vs. Rotherham United (March 9); 70 minutes in 3-1 loss at Middlesbrough (March 6)

-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-3 draw vs. FC Köln (March 9)

-- Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 1-0 win vs. Sint-Truiden (March 10)

-- Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Real Salt Lake (March 9)

-- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) – 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Bari (March 10)

-- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 66 minutes in 1-0 win at Go Ahead Eagles (March 8)

-- Timmy Tillman (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Sporting Kansas City (March 9)

-- John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. FC Dallas (March 9)

-- Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Bournemouth (March 9); 90 minutes in 6-0 loss vs. Arsenal (March 11)

-- Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion (March 10)

-- Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) – 45 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Mazatlan (March 10); 58 minutes, GOAL, in 1-0 win at FC Cincinnati in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. Atalanta (March 10)

-- Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United; MLS - 90 minutes in 4-1 win vs. New England Revolution (March 9)

-- Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Championship) - 90 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 2-1 win at Watford (March 9)

-- DeAndre Yedlin (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 33 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. D.C. United (March 10); 88 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Monterrey in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

-- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 84 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST, in 2-0 win vs. Tigres UANL (March 9); 80 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-0 win at Guadalajara in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 6)

-- Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. LA Galaxy (March 10); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Inter Miami CF in Concacaf Champions Cup (March 7)

Go Deeper

MNTAlejandro ZendejasJosh SargentBrandon VazquezHaji WrightTyler AdamsChristian PulisicWeston McKennieSergiño DestJesus FerreiraDeJuan JonesShaq MooreJoe ScallyEthan HorvathGaga Slonina