USMNT REWIND: Pulisic’s Champions League Milestone; Zendejas Captures Liga MX Crown; PSV Trio Stays Hot

Christian Pulisic became the first American to score for three teams in the UEFA Champions League and wound up helping AC Milan to a pair of victories. He scored in a UEFA Champions League match midweek, and set up the first goal in a Serie A encounter on Sunday.

Three U.S. Men's National Team players contributed to PSV Eindhoven in wins, as Ricardo Pepi started a UCL match and set up his team's lone goal in a draw, before Malik Tillman and Sergiño Dest combined to find the net in a league triumph over the weekend.

Haji Wright was on target as he scored his sixth goal of the season for Coventry City in the English Premier League.

And Alejandro Zendejas added his name to the list of USMNT players who earned league winners' medals in domestic competitions as Club América captured Liga MX Apertura honors.

THREE OF A KIND

Christian Pulisic made history in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Dec. 13, but he will need to wait until next year to participate again in the competition. The 25-year-old forward became the first American to score for three teams in the UCL in AC Milan’s 2-1 win over Newcastle United. However, the Italian Serie A side was eliminated from the tournament, despite the victory. Milan (2-2-2, 8 points) finished third in Group F behind Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. Pulisic equalized in the 59th minute before Samuel Chukwueze tallied the game-winning goal in the 84th minute. Previously in his career, Pulisic found the net for Dortmund (Germany) and Chelsea (England) in UCL competition.

In the 3-0 home win over Monza in Italy's Serie A on Sunday, Dec. 17, Pulisic was credited with an assist on Tijjani Reijnders' third-minute goal. He slipped Reijnders a short pass, and his teammate did most of the work, running through the defense before depositing the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards for a 1-0 lead. Milan (10-4-2, 32) is in third place, nine points behind leader Inter Milan (13-1-2, 41).

CHIPPING IN

PSV Eindhoven's three USMNT players assisted or scored goals last week. In a rare start, super sub Ricardo Pepi set up Yorbe Vertessen's equalizing goal in the 50^th minute in a 1-1 home draw against Arsenal in the UCL on Tuesday, Dec. 12. PSV (2-1-3, 9) finished second in Group B behind the Gunners (4-1-1, 13) as it reached next year's knockout rounds.

On Sunday, Dec. 16, Sergiño Dest and Malik Tillman took center stage. Tillman assisted on Dest's first goal of the season in the 16th minute, which boosted PSV to a stunning 3-0 lead en route to its 4-0 trouncing of AZ Alkmaar. From inside the center circle, Tillman sent a through ball to an onrushing Dest, who bolted down the left flank before drilling the ball from inside the box past goalkeeper Hobie Verhulst. PSV (16-0-0, 48) continued to lead the Dutch Eredivisie, holding a healthy 10-point advantage over Feyenoord (12-2-2, 38).

APERTURA CHAMPION

Alejandro Zendejas and Club América are atop Mexican soccer after securing the Liga MX Apertura crown on Sunday, Dec. 17. America clinched the title with a 3-0 extra time win over Tigres UANL in the second leg at home after recording a 1-1 road draw in the opening leg on Thursday, Dec. 14. After playing to a scoreless tie in regulation, the hosts tallied three times in the extra periods. Zendejas didn't figure directly in the scoring, but played 89 minutes in the first game and 76 in the second.

WRIGHT ON TARGET

Forward Haji Wright scored five minutes into the second half to give Coventry City the lead in a 1-1 draw in the English Premier League on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Callum O'Hare found Wright on the left side and the forward scored his sixth goal of the season, past goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu five minutes into the second half.

HELPING OUT

Gianluca Busio assisted on Venezia's first goal in its 3-2 defeat to Sudtirol in Italian Serie B action on Friday, Dec. 16. Busio set up Christian Gytkjær, whose 13th-minute goal knotted up the match at 1-1.

BACK IN ACTION

Tim Weah played for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury almost two months ago. He replaced Filip Kostic in the 68th minute in Juventus' 1-1 draw at Genoa in Italian Serie A on Friday, Dec. 15. Weah had last seen action in a 1-0 home win against Verona on Oct. 28. Juve (11-1-4, 37) is in second place, four points behind Inter Milan.

TWO COMPETITIONS, TWO SHUTOUTS

Goalkeepers get credit for keeping a clean sheet, but defenders are also proud to be a part of shutouts. Center back Mark McKenzie contributed to a pair for Genk in two competitions last week, playing the full 90 minutes in both matches. He helped his side to a 2-0 win over Cukaricki in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday, Dec. 14, and then to a 4-0 win over Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday, Dec. 17. Genk (2-1-3, 9) failed to qualify for the knockout round, as it finished in third place in its group behind Fiorentina (3-0-3, 12) and Ferencvarosi (2-0-4, 10).

FULL RUNDOWN

• Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 15 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 loss at Bochum (Dec. 16); 8 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Real Madrid in UCL (Dec. 12)
• Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen (Dec. 17); 81 minutes as substitute in 2-0 loss at Aberdeen in UEFA Europa Conference League (Dec. 14)
• Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in suspended game vs. Luton Town (Dec. 16)
• Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Lyon (Dec. 16)
• Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 27 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. RKC Waalwijk (Dec. 16)
• Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - 77 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-2 loss vs. Sudtirol (Dec. 16)
• Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - No games
• Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Hearts (Dec. 16); Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Feyenoord in UCL (Dec. 13)
• Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 4-0 win at AZ Alkmaar (Dec. 17); 16 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Arsenal in UCL (Dec. 12)
• Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 18 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Granada (Dec. 16); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano (Dec. 11)
• Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Tottenham (Dec. 15)
• Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 76 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Pisa (Dec. 16)
• Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 89 minutes in 1-0 win at Mainz (Dec. 16)
• Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Genoa (Dec. 15)
• Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 4-0 win vs. Kortrijk (Dec. 17); 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Cukaricki in UEFA Europa Conference League (Dec. 14)
• Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar; Dutch Eredivisie) - 36 minutes in 4-0 loss vs. PSV Eindhoven (Dec. 17)
• Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Monza (Dec. 17); 83 minutes in 2-1 win at Newcastle United in UCL (Dec. 13)
• Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Maccabi Haifa in UEFA Europa League (Dec. 14)
• Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 3 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Darmstadt (Dec. 16)
• Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – Injured, DNP in 3-2 loss vs. Werder Bremen (Dec. 15)
• Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 21 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 win at AZ Alkmaar (Dec. 17); 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 1-1 draw vs. Arsenal in UCL (Dec. 12)
• Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-0 win vs. Monza (Dec. 17); 73 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 win at Newcastle United in UCL (Dec. 13)
• Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 loss at Newcastle United (Dec. 16)
• Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 32 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Augsburg (Dec. 16); 9 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. PSG in UCL (Dec. 13)
• Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Eupen (Dec. 15)
• Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Manchester City (Dec. 16)
• Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Newcastle United (Dec. 16)
• Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw at Ipswich Town (Dec. 16); Injured, DNP in 3-1 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday (Dec. 13)
• Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Werder Bremen (Dec. 16)
• Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Westerlo (Dec. 15)
• Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Sudtirol (Dec. 16)
• Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 69 minutes, ASSIST, in 4-0 win at AZ Alkmaar (Dec. 17); 82 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Arsenal in UCL (Dec. 12)
• Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Chelsea (Dec. 16)
• Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Tottenham (Dec. 15)
• Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 22 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Genoa (Dec. 15)
• Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Premier League) - 23 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Leeds United (Dec. 16); 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Southampton (Dec. 13)
• Alejandro Zendejas (Club América; Liga MX) - 76 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Tigres UANL in second leg of Apertura final (Dec. 17); 89 minutes in 1-1 draw at Tigres UANL in first leg of Apertura final (Dec. 14)