On the Pitch

USMNT REWIND: Ferreira, Reyna, Zendejas, Sargent, Pepi and Wright All Find Back of the Net for Their Clubs

By: Michael Lewis

In their final club matches prior to Wednesday's inaugural Continental Clásico between U.S. Men's National Team and Mexico, at least five players had enjoyable send-offs in MLS and Concacaf action last week.

Jesús Ferreira scored in FC Dallas' victory, Cade Cowell set up a goal in a San Jose Earthquakes win,  and Los Angeles FC standouts Kellyn Acosta and Aaron Long had not one, but two big triumphs to celebrate. Midfielder James Sands also captained New York City FC's 2-1 home win over Nashville SC.

Four members of the USMNT pool not participating in the match - Alex Zendejas, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi and Gio Reyna – also found the net for their respective teams.

Wednesday's match will be available on TBS, Telemundo, HBOMax, Universo and Peacock at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

FERREIRA ON TARGET

For the second consecutive match, Jesús Ferreira connected in a win, sparking FC Dallas to a 2-1 home victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, April 15.


The forward tallied his fifth goal of the season in the fifth minute. Geovane Jesus' right-wing feed set up Ferreira, who beat goalkeeper Zac MacMath from seven yards.

Ferreira has scored 24 goals at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, the second most by an FC Dallas player since the venue opened in 2005. Only Kenny Cooper (27) has more goals at the stadium.

EARLY ASSIST

One of the youngest members of this week’s USMNT squad, Cade Cowell assisted on Cristian Espinoza's ninth-minute goal, which ignited the San Jose Earthquakes to a 3-0 win at home over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, April 15.

Cowell sent a left-wing pass to Espinoza, who slipped the ball past keeper Tim Melia from seven yards to give the Quakes a 1-0 advantage.

It was Cowell's second assist of the campaign.

FIVE OTHERS SCORE

Alex Zendejas, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi. Gio Reyna and Haji Wright also had reasons to celebrate last week.

You might say that Zendejas has a nose for the goal. Despite playing with a mask due to a broken nose, he bagged a brace, scoring on either side of halftime, in Club America's 3-1 win at Cruz Azul on Saturday, April 15.


The USA forward knotted the match at 1-1 in the 42nd minute, drilling home a 20-yard blast off a Jonathan Rodriguez assist in the 42nd minute. He gave the visitors the lead for good in the 47th minute, scoring off of Henry Martin’s flicked pass.

Zendejas has 10 goals in 29 appearances this season.

Gio Reyna scored his sixth goal of the Bundesliga campaign and his first since Feb. 4, helping Borussia Dortmund to a 3-3 draw at Stuttgart on Saturday, April 15.


Reyna, who came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute, looked like he had given Dortmund a late 3-2 victory when he smashed home a right-footed finish two minutes into stoppage time, but Stuttgart found an even later equalizer through Silas Katompa Muvmpa five minutes later.

In a confrontation between USMNT teammates, Josh Sargent won a battle, but Zack Steffen won the war in Middlesbrough's 5-1 win over Norwich City at home in the English Championship on Friday, April 14.


Sargent, who solved Steffen with an unassisted tally in the 51st minute to cut Norwich's deficit to 3-1, has 12 goals in 37 league matches this season.

Ricardo Pepi kept up his torrid scoring pace for struggling Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie, as he connected for his squad's lone goal in a 2-1 loss at RKC Waalwijk on Saturday, April 15.


Pepi registered his 11th goal of the season, a six-yard header to equalize in the 67th minute.

Haji Wright set up (Antalyaspor's insurance goal, by Bertug Yıldırım in the 85th minute, in its 3-1 victory over Alanyaspor in the Turkey Super Lig on Friday, April 14.

TWO BIG WINS

With a period of five days, Los Angeles FC center back Aaron Long and midfielder Kellyn Acosta participated in two key victories. On Tuesday, April 11, they helped their MLS team register a 3-0 home win against the Vancouver Whitecaps to reach the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League to win the aggregate series 6-0.

In a rematch of the 2022 MLS Cup, Los Angeles will meet the Philadelphia Union in the semis. The first leg is scheduled for April 25-27, and second leg is set for May 2-4.

On Sunday, April 16, they both played the entire way in LAFC's 3-2 win at the LA Galaxy in El Trafico.

LAFC (5-0-2, 17 points) is in second place in the MLS Western Conference, trailing first-place St. Louis CITY (6-2-0, 18) by a point.

FULL RUNDOWN

  • Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Premier League) - Vs. Liverpool (Monday, 3 p.m. ET)
  • Paxton Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - 35 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (April 15)
  • Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win at LA Galaxy (April 16); 66 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps in CCL (April 11)
  • Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; MLS) - 72 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Real Salt Lake (April 15)
  • George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld; 2. Bundesliga) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 4-2 win at Karlsruhe (April 16)
  • Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Twente (April 16)
  • John Brooks (Hoffenheim; Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich (April 15)
  • Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - In 18, DNP in 3-2 win vs. Palmero (April 15)
  • Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - At Vizela (Monday, 3:15 p.m. ET)
  • Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - 70 minutes in 1-1 draw at Fortaleza (April 15); 10 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. CSA in Copa do Brasil (April 11)
  • Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Not in 18, DNP in 4-1 win at Kilmarnock (April 15)
  • Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes, OWN GOAL, in 5-1 loss at St. Louis City (April 15)
  • Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 82 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-0 win vs. Sporting Kansas City (April 15)
  • Sergiño Dest (AC Milan; Italy Serie A) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 at Bologna (April 15); Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Napoli in UCL (April 12)
  • Daryl Dike (West Bromwich Albion; English Championship) - 45 minutes in 2-1 win at Stoke City (April 15); 14 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. Queens Park Rangers (April 10)
  • Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 win vs. Real Salt Lake (April 15)
  • Julian Gressel (Vancouver Whitecaps; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 at Austin FC (April 15); 45 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 loss at Los Angeles FC in CCL (April 11)
  • Matthew Hoppe (Hibernian; Scottish Premiership) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Hearts (April 15)
  • Ethan Horvath (Luton Town; English Championship) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 2-0 win at Rotherham United (April 15); 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Blackpool (April 10)
  • Sean Johnson (Toronto FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Atlanta United (April 15)
  • Richy Ledezma (New York City FC; MLS) - 61 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-1 win vs. Nashville SC (April 15)
  • Aaron Long (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win at LA Galaxy (April 16); 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps in CCL (April 11)
  • Weston McKennie (Leeds United; English Premier League) - Vs. Liverpool (Monday, 3 p.m. ET)
  • Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 5-2 win in Anderlecht (April 16)
  • Matt Miagza (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes in 5-1 loss at St. Louis City (April 15)
  • Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar; Dutch Eredivisie) - In 18, DNP in 3-0 win at Fortuna Sittard (April 16); 15 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Anderlecht in UEFA Conference League (April 13)
  • Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at New York City FC (April 15)
  • Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 79 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. New England Revolution (April 15)
  • Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - 90 minutes in 4-1 loss at Portland Timbers (April 15)
  • Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 59 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Sevilla (April 16)
  • Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at Marseille (April 16)
  • Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 36 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Bayer Leverkusen (April 16)
  • Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 4 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Bochum (April 16)
  • Ricardo Pepi (Groningen; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 loss at RKC Waalwijk (April 15)
  • Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Real Salt Lake (April 15)
  • Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; Premier League) - 56 minutes in a 2-1 loss vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (April 15); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Real Madrid in UCL (April 12)
  • Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Everton (April 15)
  • Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 8 minutes a substitute, GOAL, in 3-3 draw at Stuttgart (April 15)
  • Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Club Brugge (April 15)
  • Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 win at Southampton (April 15)
  • Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Everton (April 15)
  • Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Toronto FC (April 15)
  • Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 4-1 loss at Portland Timbers (April 15)
  • James Sands (New York City FC; MLS) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Nashville SC (April 15)
  • Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Championship) - 84 minutes, GOAL, in 5-1 loss at Middlesbrough (April 14)
  • Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt (April 15)
  • Alan Sonora (FC Juarez; Liga MX) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Atletico San Luis (April 13)
  • Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 5-1 win vs. Norwich City (April 14)
  • Malik Tillman (Rangers; Scottish Premiership) - 77 minutes in 5-2 win vs. St. Mirren (April 15)
  • John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 1-1 draw vs. Houston Dynamo (April 15)
  • Auston Trusty (Birmingham City; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Sunderland (April 15); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Stoke City (April 10)
  • Matt Turner (Arsenal; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at West Ham United (April 16)
  • Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes in 5-1 loss at St. Louis City (April 15)
  • Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Kortrijk (April 16)
  • Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 45 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Montpellier (April 16)
  • Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United; MLS) - 65 minutes in 2-2 draw at Toronto FC (April 15)
  • Haji Wright (Antalyaspor; Turkey Super Lig) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-1 win vs. Alanyaspor (April 14)
  • Josh Wynder (Louisville City) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. San Antonio FC (April 15)
  • Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Sporting Kansas City (April 15)
  • Alex Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 79 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 3-1 at Cruz Azul (April 15)
  • Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at New York City FC (April 15)

Go Deeper

MNTJesus FerreiraCade CowellAlejandro ZendejasGio ReynaRicardo PepiJosh SargentAaron LongKellyn Acosta