USMNT REWIND: Sergiño Dest, Jordan Siebatcheu Lift Trophies; Christian Pulisic and Chelsea Through to the FA Cup Final
This past weekend boasted a variety of achievements and milestones for several U.S. Men's National Team players in Europe.
Their accomplishments included Sergiño Dest becoming the first American to win the Spanish Copa del Rey, Christian Pulisic reaching the English FA Cup Final for the second consecutive time, Gio Reyna scoring a golazo, Jordan Siebatcheu helping Young Boys secure the Swiss Super League crown and Matt Miazga aiding Anderlecht in reaching the Belgium Jupiler League's Championship Round.
Let's take it from the top:
Dest, the first American to play in a Copa del Rey Final, joined Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie as USMNT players who have won have won trophies so far this season. McKennie and his Juventus teammates captured the Italian Super Cup in January. The right back played the opening 74 minutes of Barcelona's 4-0 win over Club Athletic to claim the club’s Spanish record 31st Copa del Rey trophy and first since 2018.
Reyna enjoyed his best performance in quite a while for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Sunday. He scored one goal and played an important role in another in a 4-1 triumph over Werder Bremen. The 18-year-old attacker latched onto a Mateu Morey feed and fired a 22-yard rocket into the upper right corner of the net to knot the match up at 1-1 in the 29th minute. It was his first goal of 2021, fourth of the season and first since finding the range in a 5-1 defeat to Stuttgart on Dec. 12, 2020.
The goal also ignited Dortmund on three goals in five-minute burst that turned the game on its head. While he did not receive an assist, Reyna's centering pass was deflected, which led to Erling Haaland's second goal and a 3-1 advantage in the 38th minute.
Just how dominant was the USMNT winger? A confident Reyna ran circles around some of the Bremen players, who became so frustrated twice they fouled him so severely they were awarded yellow cards. Marco Friedl (59th minute) and Niklas Moisander (85th minute).
USMNT forward Josh Sargent entered the match in the 59th minute. Though he didn't score, he came close on two occasions within a minute.
Pulisic did not score in a pair of cup matches during the week, but he certainly had plenty to celebrate. The 22-year-old attacker went the entire way for Chelsea in its 1-0 loss to Porto in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, clinching a semifinal berth with a 2-1 aggregate score line. While he didn’t find the back of the net, Pulisic won Man of the Match honors after being fouled 11 times – the most fouls suffered in a Champions League match since Lionel Messi in 2011.
On Saturday, he came on for Mason Mount in the 70th minute to help the Blues close out a 1-0 triumph over Manchester City and USMNT teammate and goalkeeper Zack Steffen in the FA Cup Semifinals at Wembley Stadium. Pulisic beat his USMNT teammate on a fine run down the left flank three minutes into second-half stoppage time. However, he was ruled offside.
Siebatcheu was not involved in the scoring, but he helped Young Boys captured the Swiss Super League championship with a 3-0 win over Lugano on Sunday. On loan from Ligue 1 side Rennes, the 24-year-old forward has played a big role in helping the club win another league title, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists in 27 appearances this campaign.
In Belgium, Miazga went the distance to help Anderlecht keep another clean sheet on Sunday, a 1-0 victory over Sint-Truiden. That result put Anderlecht into the Jupiler League's Championship Round along with some familiar names and USMNT teammates - Club Brugge (goalkeeper Ethan Horvath), Antwerp and Genk (center back Mark McKenzie).
In danger of missing the four-team playoff, Anderlecht rallied at the end of the season, going on a six-match unbeaten run and claiming five wins in that time to finish third in the table.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Yunus Musah wound up playing 81 minutes as a substitute in Valencia's 2-2 draw with Real Betis in Spain's La Liga Sunday. The midfielder produced a marvelous solo run on the right side that was thwarted by a save by the goalkeeper n the 77th minute.
Making his debut for CF Montreal, Djordje Mihailovic scored his first goal of the season to give the club a 3-1 lead en route to a 4-2 "home" triumph over Toronto FC in the Major League Soccer season opener for both teams in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Midfielder Sebastian Lletget set up former USMNT midfielder Sacha Kljestan for the winning goal in the 81st minute to lift the visiting LA Galaxy to a 3-2 win over Inter Miami CF on Sunday.
Defender Bryan Reynolds made his second successive league start for AS Roma, which dropped a 3-1 decision to Torino in Serie A on Sunday. He played 75 minutes.
FULL RUNDOWN:
-- Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at FC Dallas (April 17)
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Hoffenheim (April 16)
-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Bundesliga) - 70 minutes in a 2-0 win vs. LASK Linz (April 17)
-- Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) - Not in 18, DNP in 4-2 loss at CF Montreal in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (April 17); Not in 18, DNP play in 2-1 win vs. Leon in CCL (April 14)
-- Tyler Boyd (Sivasspor, Turkish Super Lig) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 win at Genclerbirligi (April 16)
-- Michael Bradley (Toronto FC) - 90 minutes in 4-2 loss at CF Montreal in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (April 17); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Leon in CCL (April 14)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Bayern Munich (April 17)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - Not in 18, DNP in 6-1 win at Aimore (April 14)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Pacos de Ferreira (April 16)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Bournemouth; English Championship) – 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Norwich City (April 17); 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Huddersfield Town (April 13)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Spain La Liga/Segunda B) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Elvissa in Segunda B (April 11); In 18, DNP in 4-0 win vs. Athletic Club in Seville Real (April 17)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) – 74 minutes in 4-0 win at Athletic Club in Seville in Copa del Rey (April 17)
-- Daryl Dike (Barnsley; English Championship) - 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss at Coventry City (April 18)
-- Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Colorado Rapids (April 17)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen; French Ligue 2) – 34 minutes in 1-0 loss at Troyes Foot 38 (April 17)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Second Bundesliga) – 83 minutes and GOAL in 2-2 draw at Darmstadt (April 16)
-- Brad Guzan (Atlanta United) - 90 minutes and SHUTOUT in 0-0 draw vs. Orlando City (April 17); Not in 18, suspended for 1-0 win vs. Alajuelense in CCL (April 13)
-- Bill Hamid (D.C. United; MLS) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. New York City FC (April 17)
-- Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge; Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP in 4-2 win vs. Mouscron-Peruwelz (April 18)
-- Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town; English Championship) – 84 minutes in 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest (April 17); 65 minutes and an ASSIST in 2-1 loss vs. Bournemouth (April 13)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Schalke; German Bundesliga) - 4 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 loss at Freiburg (April 17)
-- Sean Johnson (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at D.C. United (April 17)
-- Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; MLS) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw at FC Dallas (April 17)
-- Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; MLS) - 90 minutes and ASSIST in 4-2 win vs. Toronto FC (April 18)
-- Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Sporting Kansas City (April 17)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italian Serie A) – 77 minutes in 1-0 loss at Atalanta (April 18)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 loss at Royal Antwerp (April 18)
-- Matt Miazga (RSC Anderlecht; Belgian First Division A) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Sint-Truiden (April 18)
-- Djordje Milhailovic (CF Montreal; MLS) - 71 minutes and GOAL in 4-2 win vs. Toronto FC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (April 17)
-- Alfredo Morales (New York City FC; MLS) - 19 minutes as substitute in 2-1 loss at D.C. United (April 17)
-- Chris Mueller (Orlando City; MLS) - 89 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Atlanta United (April 17)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 81 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw at Real Betis (April 18)
-- Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Sheffield United (April 17)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien; Austria Bundesliga) – Not in 18, DNP 2-1 win at St. Polten (April 17)
-- Andres Perea (Orlando City; MLS) - 45 minutes as substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Atlanta United (April 17)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) – 20 minutes as substitute in 1-0 win vs. Mahchester City in FA Cup semifinals (April 17); 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss vs. Porto in Seville, Spain in UCL (April 13)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Arsenal (April 18)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 4-1 win vs. Werder Bremen (April 18); 22 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss vs. Manchester City in UCL (April 14)
-- Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma, Italy Serie A) - 75 minutes in 3-1 loss at Torino (April 18); Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Ajax in Europa League (April 15)
-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at RB Leipzig (April 16); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Bayer Leverkusen (April 12)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Arsenal (April 18)
-- Miles Robinson (Atlanta United) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Orlando City (April 17); 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Alajuelense in CCL (April 13)
-- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 90 minutes and ASSIST in 4-0 win vs. Minnesota United (April 16)
-- Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen; German Bundesliga) – 31 minutes as a substitute in 4-1 loss win at Borussia Dortmund (April 18)
-- Jordan Siebatcheu (Swiss Super League) - 66 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Lugano (April 18)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chelsea in FA Cup semifinals (April 17); In 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Borussia Dortmund in UCL (April 14)
-- Matt Turner (New England Revolution; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Chicago Fire (April 17)
-- Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids) - Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw at FC Dallas (April 17)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 68 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Montpellier (April 16)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray; Turkish Super Lig) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at Goztepe (April 17)
-- Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Houston Dynamo (April 16)
-- Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; MLS) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Real Esteli in CCL (April 16)
-- Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. FC Cincinnati (April 17)