USMNT REWIND: Weston McKennie Scores in Back-to-Back Matches for Juventus
McKennie tallies twice and becomes fastest USMNT player to 50 appearances in Serie A
Within a span of four days last week, Weston McKennie produced goals in back-to-back games for Juventus, doubling his season production with two dynamic performances.
The U.S. Men's National Team midfielder scored Juve's lone goal in its 2-1 defeat to Inter Milan in the Super Coppa Italiana on Wednesday, Jan. 12. McKennie headed home a deflected cross from Alvaro Morata to give the defending champions a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.
In a 2-0 home win over Udinese on Saturday, Jan. 15, McKennie put on an impressive attacking show, while becoming the fastest USMNT player to reach 50 appearances in Italy's Serie A.
On his third header attempt, McKennie found the range in the 79th minute, nodding home Mattia De Sciglio’s cross from the left into the lower right corner past goalkeeper Daniele Padelli.
He also was part of the build-up of Paulo Dybala’s 19th-minute goal. In the 65th-minute the 23-year-old midfielder laid off the ball to his Dybala but the forward sent his shot wide left.
McKennie, has four goals across all competitions for fifth-place Juventus (12-5-5, 41 points) this season. Four of his eight Serie A goals the past two seasons have been headers, including two this campaign.
Since joining the team in 2020, the FC Dallas product has tallied 10 goals in 68 matches across all competitions.
OH, BABY, WHAT A WEEK
Forward Josh Sargent enjoyed one interesting week.
He had a pretty good reason for not suiting up for Norwich City's 2-0 loss at West Ham United in the English Premier League on Wednesday, Jan. 12, as he and his wife Kirsten gave birth to a daughter the day prior.
He returned to the Starting XI against Everton on Saturday, Jan. 15 and made an early impact in the match as his cross forced an own goal by Michael Keane in the 17th minute in Norwich City's in 2-1 win over Everton.
Maximillian Aarons passed to Sargent on the right flank that the 21-year-old forward sent into the box. Keane inadvertently redirected the ball past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Sargent raised his arms in triumph while his teammates raced to hug and congratulate the forward.
The win moved Norwich to 18th in the Premier League and just one point from escaping the relegation zone.
ROLLING INTO FIRST PLACE
During a four-day span Antonee Robinson and team captain Tim Ream helped Fulham to a pair of routs and one clean sheet as the team grabbed the English Championship lead.
On Wednesday, Jan. 11, the defenders teamed to help the Cottagers register a shutout in a 7-0 romp over Reading. On Saturday, Jan. 15, Fulham continued its relentless assault on the opposing net with a 6-2 trouncing of Bristol City.
Ream, the team captain, set up Fabio Carvalho's 36th-minute tally, which snapped a 2-2 deadlock. Both players put in a full 90 minutes in each match.
The wins, combined with AFC Bournemouth's (14-5-7, 49) 3-2 defeat at Luton Town, propelled the London side (15-4-6, 51 points) into the lead by two points. Fulham also has a game in hand on its rivals. The league champion receives automatic promotion to the English Premier League.
MAKING HIS DEBUT
Daryl Dike made his first appearance for West Bromwich Albion since transferring from Orlando City on Saturday, Jan. 15. The USMNT striker replaced Matt Phillips in the 59th minute of a 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship.
FIRST START
A week after making his debut with Augsburg, Ricardo Pepi started his first game for the Bundesliga club on Sunday, Jan. 16. The former FC Dallas forward played the entire 90 minutes in the 1-1 home draw with Eintracht Frankfurt. Pepi was a 60th-minute substitute in Augsburg's 3-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on Jan. 8.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Stuttgart (Jan. 15)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; Germany Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Hertha Berlin (Jan. 15)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 10 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Empoli (Jan. 16); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Atalanta in Coppa Italia (Jan. 12)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Gil Vicente (Jan. 15)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Marseille; French Ligue 1) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Lille (Jan. 16)
-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. NEC (Jan. 15)
-- Daryl Dike (West Bromwich Albion; English Championship) - 31 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers (Jan. 15)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 loss vs. Real Madrid in Super Copa de Espana (Jan. 12)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Montpellier; French Ligue 1) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 loss at Strasbourg (Jan. 16)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Arminia Bielefeld (Jan. 16)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Mallorca; Spanish Primera) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win vs. Espanyol in Copa Del Rey (Jan. 15)
-- Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Championship) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Millwall (Jan. 15)
-- Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Groningen (Jan. 16)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes and a GOAL in 2-0 win vs. Udinese (Jan. 15): 120 minutes and a GOAL in 2-1 loss at Inter Milan in Super Copa Italiana (Jan. 12)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - In 18, DNP in 4-1 win vs. Beerschot (Jan. 16)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Atletico Baleares (Jan. 16)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Lyon (Jan. 16)
-- Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Jan. 16)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) - 69 minutes in 1-0 loss at Manchester City (Jan. 15); In 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in League Cup (Jan. 12)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes and an ASSIST in 6-2 win vs. Bristol City (Jan. 15); 90 minutes in 7-0 win at Reading (Jan. 11)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 5-1 win vs. Freiburg (Jan. 14)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Roma; Italy Serie A) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 loss vs. Cagliari (Jan. 16)
-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Union Berlin (Jan. 15)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 6-2 win vs. Bristol City (Jan. 15); 90 minutes and an ASSIST in 7-0 win at Reading (Jan. 11)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Premier League) - 87 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Everton (Jan. 15); Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at West Ham United (Jan. 12)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 29 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss vs. Bayer Leverkusen (Jan. 15)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Chelsea (Jan. 15)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 34 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Empoli (Jan. 16);90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Atalanta in Coppa Italia (Jan. 12)
-- Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Sporting Charleroi (Jan. 16)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray; Turkish Super Lig) - In 18, DNP in 4-2 loss at Hatayspor (Jan. 16)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at Marseille (Jan. 16)