Three Major League Soccer players - Jordan Morris, Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola - grabbed the spotlight to highlight the top performances by members of the U.S. Men's National Team pool last week.
Two Fulham defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson reached the English FA Cup quarterfinals, goalkeepers Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath kept clean sheets and Matthew Hoppe recorded his first assist for his new team in Scotland.
IN DUPLICATE
Jesús Ferreira finished with a brace and Paul Arriola set up two goals in FC Dallas' 3-1 comeback win over the LA Galaxy in Frisco, Texas on Saturday, March 4.
After the visitors grabbed a 1-0 edge, Arriola assisted Alan Velasco's equalizer two minutes into first-half stoppage time. It was all Ferreira in the second half as he connected twice within a six-minute span to break the game open.
He netted the game-winner from seven yards off Arriola's header pass, in the 58th minute for his first goal of the campaign. He then put away a Paxton Pomykal feed from eight yards on the right side of the box in the 64th minute.
It was the 22-year-old Ferreira's seventh multi-goal match in MLS.
TORRID START
Jordan Morris continued his hot start to the Major League Soccer season, striking for the first goal in the Seattle Sounders' 2-0 home win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, March 4.
Morris, who tallied twice in Seattle's season-opening 4-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids scored in the 35th minute when Alex Roldan sent in a high cross for the USMNT winger who headed it into the net for his third goal of the campaign.
Morris is in fifth place on Seattle's career goal-scoring list with 55 goals across all competitions, trailing teammate Nicolas Lodeiro by a single goal.
QUARTERFINAL BOUND
In a rare confrontation that involved five USMNT players who played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Fulham bested Leeds United, 2-0, at Craven Cottage in the fifth round of the English FA Cup on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, who each went the full 90 minutes, helped the Cottagers shut down Leeds. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie played the entire way for Leeds, and Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in the 74th minute, marking the first tie five U.S. internationals appeared in the same English FA Cup match.
Fulham will visit Manchester United in the quarterfinals on March 19. In their first season after being promoted from the English Championship, the Cottagers (11-8-6, 39 points) are enjoying a fruitful campaign. They can climb into sixth place in the English Premier League with a win at ninth-place Brentford (8-4-11, 35) on Monday.
HELPING OUT
In his first start for Hibernian, Matthew Hoppe assisted on the game-winning goal in the 37th minute of its 4-1 road win at Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, March 4. Hoppe set up Thody Elie Youan's second goal of the opening half, which gave the visitors a 2-1 lead.
He has a goal and an assist in three matches since he was loaned to the team by Middlesbrough at the end of the January transfer window.
A COUPLE OF GOOSE EGGS
A pair of goalkeepers recorded shutouts in the English Championship on Saturday, March 4.
- Ethan Horvath made two vital saves in Luton Town's 1-0 home victory past Swansea. He dove to his left to deny Luke Cundle's attempt in the 11th minute and knocked away Morgan Whittaker's shot in the 86th minute to preserve the clean sheet and three points. Horvath has collected 14 shutouts in 34 matches this season.
- Zack Steffen did not have to make a save in Middlesbrough's 5-0 thumping of Reading at home. Steffen has eight shutouts in 34 matches this season.
Both teams are vying for promotion into the EPL. Middlesbrough (18-11-6, 60) is in third place, Luton Town (15-8-12, 57) is in fifth. The top two teams move up while the next four clubs will compete in a playoff.
FULL RUNDOWN
- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Premier League) - 68 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chelsea (March 4); 16 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Fulham in FA Cup (Feb. 28)
- Paxton Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg (March 5)
- Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Portland Timbers (March 4)
- Tyler Adams (Leeds United; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chelsea (March 4); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Fulham in FA Cup (Feb. 28)
- Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; MLS) - 86 minutes, TWO ASSISTS, in 3-1 win vs. LA Galaxy (March 4)
- George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld; 2. Bundesliga) - 90 minutes sin 3-3 draw at Eintracht Braunschweig (March 5)
- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Fortuna Sittard (March 3); Not in 18, DNP in 4-1 loss in KNVB Beker vs. Spakenburg (Feb. 28)
- John Brooks (Hoffenheim; Bundesliga) – In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Mainz (March 4)
- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-0 loss at Frosinone (March 5)
- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Arouca (March 3)
- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - 75 minutes in 2-1 loss at Gremio in Gaucho (March 5)
- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 5-1 win at St. Mirren (March 5)
- Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 78 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (March 4)
- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - Vs. Osasuna (Monday, 3 p.m. ET)
- Sergiño Dest (AC Milan; Italy Serie A) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 loss at Fiorentina (March 4)
- Daryl Dike (West Bromwich Albion; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Hull City (March 3)
- Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 3-1 win vs. LA Galaxy (March 4)
- Matthew Hoppe (Hibernian; Scottish Premiership) - 68 minutes, ASSIST, in 4-1 win at Livingston (March 4)
- Ethan Horvath (Luton Town; English Championship) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 1-0 win vs. Swansea (March 4); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Millwall (Feb. 28)
- Sean Johnson (Toronto FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Atlanta United (March 4)
- Richy Ledezma (PSV; Dutch Eredivisie) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win at RKC Waalwijk (March 5)
- Aaron Long (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 10 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 win vs. Portland Timbers (March 4)
- Weston McKennie (Leeds United; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chelsea (March 4); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Fulham in FA Cup (Feb. 28)
- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Sint-Truden (March 5)
- Matt Miagza (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Orlando City SC (March 4)
- Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar; Dutch Eredivisie) - 66 minutes in 1-0 loss at Vitesse (March 3)
- Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at New York Red Bulls (March 4)
- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - 80 minutes, GOAL, in 2-0 win vs. Real Salt Lake (March 4)
- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Barcelona (March 5)
- Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Monaco (March 5)
- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 22 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (March 5)
- Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 21 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Köln (March 4)
- Ricardo Pepi (Groningen; Dutch Eredivisie) - 87 minutes in 1-0 loss at Feyenoord (March 4)
- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Leeds United (March 4)
- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - At Brentford (Monday; 3 p.m. ET); 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Leeds United in FA Cup (Feb. 28)
- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. RB Leipzig (March 3)
- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Standard Liege (March 4)
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Aston Villa (March 4)
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - At Brentford (Monday; 3 p.m. ET); 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Leeds United in FA Cup (Feb. 28)
- Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Toronto FC (March 4)
- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Real Salt Lake (March 4)
- James Sands (Rangers; Scottish Premiership) – 73 minutes in 1-1 draw at Chicago Fire (March 4)
- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Championship) - Injured, DNP in 3-2 win a Millwall (March 4)
- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Freiburg (March 4)
- Alan Soñora (FC Juarez; Liga MX) - 45 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 loss at Monterrey (March 4)
- Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough; English Championship) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 5-0 win vs. Reading (March 4)
- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Frosinone (March 5)
- Malik Tillman (Rangers; Scottish Premiership) - Not in 18 for 3-1 win vs. Kilmarnock (March 4)
- John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Nashville SC (March 4)
- Auston Trusty (Birmingham City; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic (March 4)
- Matt Turner (Arsenal; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 3-2 win vs. AFC Bournemouth (March 4); In 18, DNP in 4-0 win vs. Everton (March 1)
- Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 86 minutes in 0-0 draw at Orlando City SC (March 4)
- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 90 minutes in 1-1 win at Lens (March 4)
- Eryk Williamson (Portland Timbers; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Los Angeles FC (March 4); 80 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Sporting Kansas City (Feb. 27)
- DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Philadelphia Union (March 4)
- Alex Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 loss vs. Pachuca (March 4)
- Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at New York Red Bulls (March 4)