In what was quite a productive week, U.S. men's internationals turned heads or made headlines in six countries across Europe.
Luca de la Torre collected a goal and an assist in Spain. Josh Sargent tallied a goal in England. In Italy, Gianluca Busio struck paydirt for the second consecutive week, and Weston McKennie continued to set up his teammates.
Jordan Pefok celebrated a goal in Germany, Sergiño Dest and Malik Tillman assisted on goals in the Netherlands, and Gaga Slonina secured a clean sheet in Belgium.
ONE OF EACH
Luca de la Torre played a vital role early and late in Celta Vigo's 3-1 away win over Valencia as the team reached the Copa Del Rey quarterfinals on Wednesday, Jan. 17. After taking a headed pass from Kevin Vazquez, the 25-year-old midfielder scored off a spectacular backheel from eight yards past goalkeeper Jaume Domenech to lift the visitors to a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. De la Torre’s left-wing cross set up Anastasios Douvikass’ second score for an insurance goal in the 80th minute.
FIRST STRIKE
Josh Sargent had the first word for Norwich City in its 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the English Championship on Saturday, Jan. 20. The striker latched onto a center-circle pass from Kenny McLean, bolted down the right side before firing a 15-yard shot that goalkeeper Alexander Palmer managed to get a hand on as the ball entered the net in the 13th minute. Sargent scored his second goal, returning after he missed four months due to an ankle injury. He has five goals in eight appearances. Norwich City (12-11-5, 41 points), which has won two matches in a row, is in eighth place.
TWO IN A ROW
For the second time in seven days, Gianluca Busio tallied for Venezia, in a 4-2 defeat at Cosenza in an Italian Serie B match on Jan. 20. The 21-year-old midfielder sliced the hosts' lead to 3-1 off a Dennis Johnsen assist in the 24th minute, his fourth goal Italian Serie B season. On Jan. 14, Busio found the net in a 5-3 win over Sampdoria. Fourth-place Venezia (11-5-5, 38 points) is seven points behind leader Parma (13-2-6, 45).
PEFOK AGAIN
Jordan Pefok lifted Borussia Mönchengladbach into a 1-0 lead, but the Bundesliga side could not hold it in a 2-1 home defeat to Augsburg on Sunday, Jan. 21. The 27-year-old forward scored an unassisted goal in the 26th minute for his fourth tally in 11 league matches this season and his second goal in as many games. Borussia (5-8-5, 20) dropped to 12th place.
SO CLOSE
The USA trio of Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi and their PSV Eindhoven fell short of tying the Dutch Eredivisie record of 18 consecutive wins to start the season in a 1-1 draw with Utrecht on Sunday, Jan. 21. Dest set up PSV's lone goal by Saint-Cyr Johan Bakayoko in the seventh minute. Malik Tillman also played the full 90 minutes, while forward Ricardo Pepi came off the bench in the 85th minute. PSV (17-0-1, 52) still retains a healthy 10-point lead over second-place Feyenoord (13-2-3, 42).
A STOLEN GOAL?
It appeared Weston McKennie was about to score his first goal of the Italy Serie A season for Juventus in its 3-0 win over Lecce on Sunday, Jan. 21. McKennie's header from the left side was heading into the far corner. Just as the ball was about to cross the line, teammate Dusan Vlahovic slammed the ball into the net on the goal for a two-goal lead in the 68th minute. McKennie has been on fire lately, recording two spectacular assists in a 4-0 win over Frosinone in Coppa Italia on Jan. 11. Juve (16-1-4, 52) moved atop the league, a point ahead of Inter Milan (16-1-3, 51), which plays at Napoli on Monday at 2 p.m. ET.
CLEANING UP
Goalkeeper Gaga Slonina registered his second shutout in 19 Belgian Pro League games this season for Eupen in a 2-0 victory at RWDM on Sunday, Jan. 21. The 19-year-old's other clean sheet came in a 2-0 triumph over Sporting Charleroi on Oct. 28.
OH, BROTHERS
It was a big week for the Tillman brothers.
On Wednesday, Jan. 17, Malik Tillman, 21, recorded an assist in PSV Eindhoven's 3-0 home victory over Twente in the KNVB Beker. He set up Luuk de Jong's goal that doubled the hosts' lead in the 55th minute.
On Saturday, Timmy Tillman, 24, made his USMNT debut in its 1-0 loss to Slovenia in an international friendly in San Antonio, Texas as the Tillmans became the 10th brother combination to play for the national team in USA history. Timmy Tillman, who started and played 89 minutes, earned Man of the Match honors. Malik has made eight USMNT appearances.
THEY'RE MOVING ON
The teams of four U.S. internationals - goalkeepers Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath, defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and forward Josh Sargent - moved on in their respective cup competitions. Neither Turner and Horvath (both Nottingham Forest) or Sargent (Norwich City) performed in their teams' third-round F.A. matches in England on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Nottingham Forest won at Blackpool, 3-2, while Norwich City prevailed at Bristol Rovers, 3-1. Carter-Vickers also did suit up for Celtic in its 5-0 triumph over Buckie Thistle in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup on Sunday, Jan. 21.
On the flip side, defender Chris Richards played the full 90 minutes in Crystal Place's 1-0 defeat in the third round of the F.A. Cup at Everton on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
FIRST STEPS
After his transfer from Internacional (Brazil), midfielder Johnny Cardoso make his Real Betis debut, starting and playing 73 minutes in a 4-2 home loss to Barcelona in Spain's La Liga on Sunday, Jan. 21.
FULL RUNDOWN
Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - At Mainz, ppd. (Jan. 19)
Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Darmstadt (Jan. 20)
Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured DNP in 4-0 loss vs. Liverpool (Jan. 21)
Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Rodez (Jan. 20)
Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 67 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. PSV Eindhoven (Jan. 21)
Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) – 90 minutes, GOAL, in 4-2 loss at Cosenza (Jan. 20)
Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 73 minutes in 4-2 loss vs. Barcelona (Jan. 21)
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Not in 18, DNP in 5-0 win vs. Buckie Thistle in Scottish Cup (Jan. 21)
Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 1-1 draw at Utrecht (Jan. 21); 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Twente in KNVB Beker (Jan. 17)
Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 76 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Real Sociedad (Jan. 20); 90 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST, in 3-1 win at Valencia in Copa Del Rey (Jan. 17)
Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 loss at Brentford (Jan. 20)
Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 75 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Modena (Jan. 21)
Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 78 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Wolfsburg (Jan. 20)
Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-0 win at Lecce (Jan. 21): Injured, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Sassuolo (Jan. 16)
Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Cercle Brugge (Jan. 20)
Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 1 minute as a substitute in 3-2 win at Udinese (Jan. 20)
Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Injured, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Asteras Tripolis (Jan. 21): Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw at Olympiakos (7-6 penalty kick winners) in Greek Cup (Jan. 17)
Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Heidenheim (Jan. 20)
Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – 90 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 loss vs. Augsburg (Jan. 21)
Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Utrecht (Jan. 21); 8 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win vs. Twente in KNVB Beker (Jan. 17)
Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 75 minutes in 3-2 win at Udinese (Jan. 20)
Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - No games
Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 14 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 win at FC Köln (Jan. 20)
Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Club Brugge (Jan. 20)
Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 5-0 loss at Arsenal (Jan. 20); 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Everton in F.A. Cup (Jan. 17)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - No games
Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - 64 minutes in 2-0 win vs. West Bromwich Albion (Jan. 20); Not in 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Bristol Rovers in FA Cup (Jan. 17)
Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Augsburg (Jan. 21)
Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 1-0 win at RWDM (Jan. 21)
Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 4-2 loss at Cosenza (Jan. 20)
Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Utrecht (Jan. 21); 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-0 win vs. Twente in KNVB Beker (Jan. 17)
Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 80 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. West Ham United (Jan. 20)
Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Brentford (Jan. 20)
Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - At Santos Laguna (Monday, 9 p.m.)
Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 33 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win at Lecce (Jan. 21); 33 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win vs. Sassuolo (Jan. 16)
Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Championship) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss at Sheffield Wednesday (Jan. 20)
- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 89 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Queretaro (Jan. 21)