Jordan Pefok enjoyed a career game on Sunday, striking four times while pacing Young Boys to a 5-0 triumph at Lugano in the Swiss Super League.
The U.S. Men's National Team forward started his personal showcase in the sixth minute, scoring with his right foot from 12 yards after collecting a loose ball he slipped past goalkeeper Amir Saipi. He doubled the visitors lead with a far-post header off a Nicolas Ngamaleu right-wing cross in the 21st minute.
After Mohamed Camara interrupted his streak with a 35th-minute score, Pefok reached a hat-trick by converting a penalty kick into the upper right corner in the 61st minute.
He put an exclamation point on a memorable match by heading home Silvan Hefti's cross from the right flank, near the penalty spot in the 61st minute.
The game climaxed a memorable 2021 for Pefok, who made his international debut for the USMNT in a 4-1 friendly victory over Jamaica on March 25. The Washington, D.C.-born forward scored his first U.S. goal in the 89th minute to claim a 1-0 win over Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on June 3 and tallied in the final minute of stoppage time in a 2-1 triumph over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League on Sept. 14.
Pefok, who already had two career hat-tricks under his belt, has scored 11 goals in 17 league appearances for third-place Young Boys (9-4-5, 32 points) and has accrued 16 goals in 30 matches across all competitions.
He is tied for second place in Super League scoring with FC Zurich's Assan Ceesay, behind Basel's Arthur Cabral (14) heading into the winter break.
Pefok will have to wait five weeks to celebrate his next goal as Young Boys will resume league competition against Lugano on Jan. 28.
MUSAH TWO FOR TWO
Yunus Musah scored for the second time in as many Copa del Rey matches for visiting Valencia in its 3-1 extra time victory over Arenteiro in the second round on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Musah, standing a few yards in front of keeper Iago Dominguez, back heeled a shot from Maxi Gomez into the goal in the opening minute.
The 19-year-old midfielder also found the net in a 3-0 first-round win at Utrillas on Dec. 2.
SCALLY HELPING OUT
Joe Scally set up Borussia Mönchengladbach's first goal in its 3-2 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Wednesday. Six minutes after kickoff, Luca Netz sent a cross to the far post where Scally nodded the ball down to Florian Neuhaus, who scored for a 1-0 lead.
Scally also went the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim on Saturday, which snapped the team's four-game losing streak.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 83 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss vs. Arminia Bielefeld (Dec. 18); 45 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Augsburg (Dec. 15)
-- Tyler Boyd (Rizespor; Turkish Super Lig) - 74 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Yeni Malatyaspor (Dec. 19)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; Germany Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 4-0 loss at Bayern Munich (Dec. 18)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 69 minutes in 1-1 draw at Sampdoria (Dec. 19); In 18, DNP in 3-1 win vs. Ternana (Dec. 14)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Moreirense (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 5-1 win vs. Sporting Braga (Dec. 16)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Hibernian (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Ross County (Dec. 15)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Marseille; French Ligue 1) - 59 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Cannet Rocheville in Coupe de France (Dec. 19)
-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Groningen (Dec. 18); 29 minutes as a substitute in 4-1 loss at AZ in KNVB Beker (Dec. 15)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) - Injured, DNP in 3-2 win vs. Elche (Dec. 18); 61 minutes in 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors in friendly (lost in PKs) (Dec. 14)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Montpellier; French Ligue 1) - 70 minutes in 1-0 win at Andrezieux in Coupe de France (Dec. 19)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Augsburg (Dec. 18); 26 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund (Dec. 15)
-- Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Championship) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Hull City (Dec. 18)
-- Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - In 18, DNP in 4-1 win at RKC Waalwijk (Dec. 19); 8 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. Fortuna Sittard in KNVB Beker (Dec. 15)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Antwerp (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Sporting Charleroi (Dec. 16)
-- Matt Miazga (Alaves; Spanish Primera) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Rayo Vallecano (Dec. 18); Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 loss at Linares Deportivo in Copa del Rey (Dec. 14)
-- Shaq Moore (Tenerife; Spain Segunda Division) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 win at Real Zaragoza (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Eibar in Copa del Rey (Dec. 15)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - At Levante (Monday, 3 p.m. ET); 88 minutes and a GOAL in 3-1 win at Arenteiro in Copa del Rey (Dec. 16)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Nancy (lost in PKs, 4-2) in Coupe de France (Dec. 18)
-- Jordan Pefok (Young Boys; Swiss Super League) - 77 minutes and FOUR GOALS in 5-0 win at Lugano (Dec. 19); 46 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Basel (Dec. 15)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers (Dec. 19); 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Everton (Dec. 16)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Championship) - Vs. Sheffield United (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 3-2 loss at Hertha Berlin (Dec. 18); Injured, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Greuther Fürth (Dec. 15)
-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (Dec. 18); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Bayer Leverkusen (Dec. 15)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Championship) - Vs. Sheffield United (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Premier League) - At West Ham United, ppd. (Dec. 18); Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Aston Villa (Dec. 14)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim (Dec. 18); 76 minutes and an ASSIST in 3-2 loss vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Dec. 15)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 4-0 win at Newcastle United (Dec. 19); In 18, DNP in 7-0 win vs. Leeds United (Dec. 14)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 58 minutes in 1-1 draw at Venezia (Dec. 19); 45 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 win vs. Ternana (Dec. 14)
-- Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Eupen (Dec. 16)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Auxerre in Couple de France (Dec. 18)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray; Turkish Super Lig) - 66 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Istanbul Basaksehir (Dec. 18); 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Sivasspor (Dec. 13)