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USMNT Rewind: Dest and Musah Set Historic Milestone for U.S. Players in Spain

The 2020-21 European season has been defined by nothing but firsts by U.S. Men's National Team players.
By: Michael Lewis

The 2020-21 European season has been defined by nothing but firsts by U.S. Men's National Team players.

 

On Saturday, they reached another milestone when Americans and USMNT teammates faced off in a La Liga game for the first time in Spain.

 

Right back Sergiño Dest suited up for Barcelona and right wing Yunus Musah started for visiting Valencia in a 2-2 draw, although the result had to feel like a win for the latter against favored Barca.

 

While Dest went the full 90 minutes and stoppage time, Musah played 42 minutes as he was forced out of the match with an injury and replaced by Alex Blanco. The 18-year-old midfielder reported after the match that the injury was not serious.

 

USMNT teammate Konrad de la Fuente dressed but did not play for Barça.

 



 


In other Saturday action:

 

Named the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the year on Friday, midfielder Weston McKennie helped Juventus register an emphatic 4-0 victory over host Parma. While he did not score, the 22-year-old McKennie played a fine game on both sides of the ball, particularly defensively. Several times he sprinted virtually the entire field into Juve's penalty area to defend. When goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon left the net to cut down the angle of a shot in the second half, McKennie ran into his team's goal for several seconds as a possible stopgap. McKennie was subbed out by Manolo Portanova in the 76th minute. Ronaldo bagged a brace for the winners.

 

Josh Sargent became the second youngest American (20 years, 302 days) to play 50 games in the Bundesliga, after only Christian Pulisic (19 years, 68 days). Sargent, who had two close encounters in his Bundesliga’s club 1-0 win over Mainz, but goalkeeper Robin Zentner saved both attempts. Eighteen-year-old Eren Sami Dinkçi connected for his first goal in the 90th minute to give Bremen the 1-0 win.

 



 

 

Midfielder Tyler Adams helped RB Leipzig secure its third successive clean sheet, but the 0-0 draw was a disappointing result for the hosts against Köln. Second-place Leipzig could not pocket the full three points against a 15th-place team that has recorded only two wins. Adams was clocked as the fastest player on the pitch during the match at 20.18 miles per hour.

 

In a battle of American defenders, DeAndre's Newcastle United squad and Antonee Robinson's Fulham side played to a 1-1 draw in the English Premier League. Robinson made his 14th appearance in 17 competitive matches for Fulham, while Yedlin made just his second league appearance of the campaign. Center back Tim Ream was in the Fulham 18 but did not play.

 

On Sunday, Tim Weah came off the bench for Lille, playing the final 30 minutes in a 0-0 draw with his former club Paris Saint-Germain. Weah and Lille sit atop French Ligue 1 after 16 matches.

 

In Germany, John Brooks came off the bench in the 73d minute to help secure a 1-0 win for Wolfsburg against Stuttgart. The substitute cameo marked Brooks’ 165th career Bundesliga appearance, tying him with Jermaine Jones for fifth most among U.S. players in the German top-flight. It was also Brooks’ 75th league appearance for Wolfsburg.

 

In Friday matches:

 

Gio Reyna experienced some ups and downs in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 loss at Union Berlin. He allowed his man, Taiwo Awoniyi, to slip away and score off a corner kick to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute, but the 18-year-old midfielder made up for that miscue three minutes later. He dispossessed a Berlin player of the ball, sent a pass to Raphaël Guerreiro. Guerreiro then found Youssoufa Moukoko, who scored the equalizer to become the youngest player (16 years, 28 days) to register a Bundesliga goal.

 

Nicholas Gioacchini tallied the go-ahead goal for Caen in its 3-2 win at Dunkerque. The striker lifted the visitors into a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute before he was replaced by Benjamin Jeannot two minutes into second-half stoppage time.

 



 

 

Center back Matt Miazga played the full 90 minutes in Anderlecht’s 1-0 road loss to Sporting Charleroi in Belgium.

 

ABROAD

  • Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 0-0 at Köln (Dec. 19); 16 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Hoffenheim (Dec. 16)

  • John Brooks (Wolfsburg; German Bundesliga) – 17 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Stuttgart (Dec. 20); Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 loss at Bayern Munich (Dec. 16)

  • Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Pacos de Ferreira (Dec. 20)

  • Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Palmeiras (Dec. 20)

  • Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Spain La Liga/Segunda B) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Valencia (Dec. 19); In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Real Sociedad (Dec. 16)

  • Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) – 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Valencia (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Real Sociedad (Dec. 16)

  • Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen; French Ligue 2) – 89 minutes and GOAL in 3-2 win at Dunkerque (Dec. 18)

  • Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Second Bundesliga) – 63 minutes in 3-0 win at Eintracht Braunschweig (Dec. 19); 45 minutes in 4-0 loss vs. Darmstadt 98 (Dec. 15)

  • Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge; Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Gent (Dec. 20); Not in 18, DNP in 3-0 win at Mechelen (Dec. 17)

  • Duane Holmes (Derby County; English Championship) – No game at Rotherham United, COVID-19 outbreak at United (Dec. 19);  17 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Swansea City (Dec. 16)

  • Ulysses Llanez (Heerenveen; Dutch Eredivisie) – 32 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Heracles (Dec. 20)

  • Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italian Serie A) – 90 minutes in 4-0 win at Parma (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Atalanta (Dec. 16)

  • Matt Miazga (RSC Anderlecht; Belgian First Division A) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. KV Oostende (Dec. 15); 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss at Sporting Charleroi (Dec. 18)

  • Alfredo Morales (Fortuna Düsseldorf; German Second Bundesliga) – 88 minutes in 3-0 win at St. Pauli (Dec. 20)

  • Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 42 minutes in 2-2 draw at Barcelona (Dec. 19); 34 minutes as a substitute and GOAL in 4-2 win at Terrassa in Copa del Roy (Dec. 16)

  • Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers; English Premier League) - At Burnley, Monday at 12:30 p.m. (Dec. 21); 45 minutes as a substitute and ASSIST in 2-1 win vs. Chelsea (Dec. 15)

  • Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien; Austria Bundesliga)- 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. LASK (Dec. 20)

  • Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) – Vs. West Ham United, Monday, 3 p.m. ET (Dec. 21); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Wolverhampton (Dec. 15)

  • Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 at Newcastle (Dec. 19); In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (dec. 16)

  • Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Union Berlin (Dec. 18); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Werder Bremen (Dec. 15)

  • Chris Richards (Bayern Munich; German Bundesliga/German 3.Liga) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen (Dec. 19); In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Wolfsburg (Dec. 16)

  • Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Newcastle United (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (Dec. 16)

  • Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Mainz (Dec. 19); 66 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund (Dec. 15)

  • Sebastian Soto (Telstar, Dutch Eerste Divisie) – At Ajax II, Monday at 3 p.m. ET (Dec. 21)

  • Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) – Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Southampton (Dec. 19); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. West Bromwich Albion (Dec. 15)

  • Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 29 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Paris St-Germain (Dec. 20); 19 minutes as a substitute and GOAL in 2-0 win at Dijon (Dec. 16)

  • DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Fulham (Dec. 19); Not in 18, DNP in 5-2 loss at Leeds United (Dec. 16)

 

MLS

 

  • Brad Guzan (Atlanta United) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Club America in CCL (Dec. 16)

  • Sean Johnson (New York City FC) - Injured, DNP in 4-0 loss vs. Tigres UANL in CCL (Dec. 15)

  • Miles Robinson (Atlanta United) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Club America in CCL (Dec. 16)

 

Go Deeper

MNT