On the Pitch

USMNT REWIND: Tim Weah Makes Most of his Time in Impressive Week for Lille

By: Michael Lewis

When you're battling for a starting spot on a first division side in Europe, every minute on the field counts.

Tim Weah certainly made his best pitch to manager Christophe Galtier that the U.S. Men's National Team attacker should play more often at Lille, especially after two winning performances this past week.

Weah, who turns 21 on Feb. 22, has performed 18 times for Ligue 1 leaders this season, but has started only three matches. The son of international soccer legend and Liberian President George Weah scored a goal in a rare start and helped set up the insurance goal as a late-match substitute.

His heroics began on Wednesday as Weah tallied in Lille's 3-0 win at Bordeaux. On a counter, Luiz Araujo squared the ball to an onrushing Weah, who slotted the ball home from six yards for a two-goal advantage in the 66th minute.

Weah has three league goals in 432 minutes this season, tied for fifth on the team.

Back on the bench for Sunday's contest against Nantes, Weah entered in the 79th minute and four minutes later started the sequence on Jonathan David's second goal of the match to cap the 2-0 road victory. Weah pressured Nantes into a turnover and bolted down the right flank. He found David, who did a quick give and go with Benjamin Andre before drilling a shot into the upper left corner.

 

The two wins helped Lille (16-2-6, 54 points) remain atop the Ligue 1 table.

It also turned out to be a pretty good week for Weston McKennie and his Juventus teammates as they defeated two big rivals. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Juve registered a 2-1 win at Inter in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals. The FC Dallas product played 89 minutes. The second leg is set for Turin on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

While making his 25th competitive appearance for the Italian Serie A club on Saturday, McKennie played the opening 65 minutes as Juve recorded a 2-0 home triumph over AS Roma in the rain. Juventus (12-2-6) climbed past Roma (12-5-4, 40) into third place and within five points of leaders Inter (14-2-5, 47).

Defender Bryan Reynolds, 19, who joined Roma via a transfer from FC Dallas on Feb. 1, did not suit up.


IN OTHER ACTION:


John Brooks continued his stellar work at center back, helping Wolfsburg to its fifth successive clean sheet across all competitions in a 2-0 win at Augsburg as the club extended its shutout streak to 486 minutes. The Wolves also have conceded 19 goals in 20 league matches this season. Last week Brooks celebrated his 28th birthday and a few days later he scored the first goal of Wolfsburg's 3-0 triumph over Freiburg. It was Brooks' 11th career Bundesliga goal as he surpassed Michael Bradley and Bobby Wood for the fifth most by a USMNT player.

It was another frustrating day for Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund, who suffered a 2-1 away defeat at Freiburg. In the 13th minute, Reyna sent a pin-point right-wing cross to Erling Haaland, who made a spectacular diving attempt at the far post, but goalkeeper Florian Muller came up with an equally inspired save. Reyna was replaced by Brazilian Reinier in the 70th minute.

Only five days after signing with the Turkish club from Newcastle United, right back DeAndre Yedlin made his debut for Galatasaray in its 1-0 derby victory at Fenerbahce, coming on for Martin Linnes in the 82nd minute.

 

Similarly, on Sunday defender Chris Richards made his first appearance for Hoffenheim, playing 90 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. Richards joined the club on loan from Bayern Munich earlier in the week, and received positive reviews for his performance despite the defeat.

 

Jordan Morris played the final 15 minutes for Swansea City as it solidified its third-place position in the English Championship with a 2-0 home win over Norwich City on Friday. Paul Arriola, who also signed on loan with Swansea last week, joined Morris with the Championship side over the weekend.


FULL RUNDOWN:

-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 67 minutes in 3-0 win at Schalke 04 (Feb. 6)

 

-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Bundesliga) - 26 minutes as substitute in 2-0 win vs. Austria Wien (Feb. 6)

 

-- Paul Arriola (Swansea City, English Championship) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Norwich City (Feb. 5)

 

-- Tyler Boyd (Sivasspor, Turkish Super Lig) -- 25 minutes as a substitute in 4-1 win at Ankaragucu (Feb. 7)

 

-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Augsburg (Feb. 6)

 

-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) – 66 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Gil Vicente (Feb. 5)

 

-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) – 21 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw at Athletico Paranaense (Feb. 5)

 

-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Bournemouth; English Championship) – 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Birmingham City (Feb. 6); In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday (Feb. 2)

 

-- Daryl Dike (Barnsley; English Championship) No game, water-logged pitch vs. Derby County (Feb. 6)

 

-- Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Spain La Liga/Segunda B) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 win at Real Betis (Feb. 7); Not in 18, DNP in 5-3 win at Granada in Copa del Rey (Feb. 3)

 

-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) – In 18, DNP in 3-2 win at Real Betis (Feb. 7); 63 minutes as a substitute in 5-3 win at Granada in Copa del Rey (Feb. 3)

 

-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen; French Ligue 2) – Suspended, DNP in 0-0 draw at Amiens SC (Feb. 5); Suspended, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Valenciennes (Feb. 2)

 

-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Second Bundesliga) – Not in 18, DNP in 4-1 win vs. Wurzburger Kickers (Feb. 7)

 

-- Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge; Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 win at Waasland-Beveren (Feb. 6); 90 minutes in 6-1 win vs. Olsa Brakel in Belgian Cup (Feb. 3)

 

-- Matthew Hoppe (Schalke; German Bundesliga) - 79 minutes in 3-0 loss vs. RB Salzburg (Feb. 6)

 

-- Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town; English Championship) – 89 minutes in 1-1 draw at Luton Town (Feb. 6)

 

-- Ulysses Llanez (Heerenveen; Dutch Eredivisie) – Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Vitesse (Feb. 6)

 

-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italian Serie A) – 65 minutes in 2-0 win vs. AS Roma (Feb. 6); 89 minutes in 2-1 win at Inter in Coppa Italia (Feb. 2)

 

-- Mark McKenzie (Genk, Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Anderlecht (Feb. 7)

 

-- Matt Miazga (RSC Anderlecht; Belgian First Division A) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Genk (Feb. 7); 87 minutes in 2-0 win at Liege in Belgian Cup (Feb. 3)

 

-- Alfredo Morales (Fortuna Düsseldorf; German Second Bundesliga) – Vs. Holstein Kiel (Monday, Feb. 8, 2:30 p.m. ET)

 

-- Jordan Morris (Swansea City; English Championship) - 15 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. Norwich City (Feb. 5)

 

-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 25 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao (Feb. 7)

 

-- Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Leicester City (Feb. 7); In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Arsenal (Feb. 2)

 

-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien; Austria Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Red Bull Salzburg (Feb. 6)

 

-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Sheffield United (Feb. 7); 25 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Tottenham (Feb. 4)

 

-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. West Ham United (Feb. 6); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Leicester City (Feb. 3)

 

-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; German Bundesliga) – 70 minutes in 2-1 loss at Freiburg (Feb. 6)

 

-- Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma, Italian Serie A) -- Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Juventus (Feb. 6)

 

-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Feb. 7)

 

-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) – 79 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. West Ham United (Feb. 6); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Leicester City (Feb. 3)

 

-- Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen; German Bundesliga) – No game vs. Arminia Bielefeld, snow (Feb. 7)

 

-- Sebastian Soto (Norwich City; English Championship) – Not 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Swansea City (Feb. 5); Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw at Millwall (Feb. 2) 

 

-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 4-1 win at Liverpool (Feb. 7): In 18, DNP in 2-0 win at Burnley (Feb. 3)

 

-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 11 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win at Nantes (Feb. 7); 81 minutes and a GOAL in 3-0 win at Bordeaux (Feb. 3)

 

-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray ; Turkish Super Lig) - 8 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Fenerbahce (Feb. 6)

 

 

Go Deeper

MNTTim Weah