There were several highlights from U.S. Men's National Team players in action during a holiday week that featured an abbreviated schedule.
Among them were Christian Pulisic again playing hero for AC Milan while setting an American Serie A standard, while Haji Wright provided some heroics as he scored in back-to-back games for Coventry City.
Matt Turner reminded us how quickly a goalkeeper can go from a goat to a hero in a vital Nottingham Forest victory.
And, in only his second game back from a four-month layoff, Josh Sargent came off the bench to find the net in heroic fashion to salvage a draw for Norwich City.
ANOTHER RECORD
Christian Pulisic set another American standard while helping AC Milan to three points on Saturday, Dec. 30. He scored his sixth Serie A goal of the season in Milan’s 1-0 home win over Sassuolo. That tally snapped a tie between Pulisic and midfielder Weston McKennie, giving Pulisic the single-season goal record for a U.S. international in Serie A. McKennie previously scored five times for Juventus during the 2020-21 campaign.
It also was Pulisic’s seventh goal across all competitions this season. Pulisic slotted home a deflected Ismael Bennacer pass over goalkeeper Andrea Consigli in the 59th minute to snap a scoreless deadlock. AC Milan (11-4-3, 36 points) sits in third place in the Italian top flight, nine points behind leader and archrival Inter Milan (14-1-3, 45 points).
SOME SAVING GRACES
Matt Turner reminded us on Saturday, Dec. 30 how quickly a goalkeeper can go from goat to hero as Nottingham Forest defeated Manchester United in an English Premier League match, 2-1, for the first time in 29 years.
With the hosts clinging to a 1-0 lead in the 78th minute, Moussa Niakhate sent a back pass to Turner. The goalie then sent an ill-advised pass to teammate Danilo. Alejandro Garnacho, however, read the play, intercepting the clearance. Garnacho passed to his left to Marcus Rashford, who buried the ball for a 1-1 tie. Within a matter of seconds in the 82nd minute, fortunes changed dramatically for Turner and his teammates. He denied Christian Eriksen with a diving stop before initiating a counterattack that was finished by Morgan Gibbs-White past goalie Andre Onana for a 2-1 Forest advantage.
Turner produced two vital saves down the stretch. His most memorable came in the sixth minute of injury time as Turner leaped to parry away Bruno Fernandes' 19-yard deflected blast with his right hand. It was Turner's second victory during the week. Coupled with a 3-1 Boxing Day win at Newcastle United on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 15th-place Nottingham Forest (5-10-5, 20) moved five points above the EPL relegation zone.
WRIGHT ON TARGET
It turned out to be a big week for Haji Wright, who scored in successive contests for Coventry City, while adding an assist.
Wright recorded a goal and an assist in Coventry’s 2-2 home draw with Swansea on Friday, Dec. 29, although he could have had a brace in the English Championship encounter. The 25-year-old forward tallied in the 10th minute to lift City to a 1-0 lead. After the visitors equalized, Wright headed the ball on target from close range on the left side. The ball was about to go in, but teammate Ellis Simms, on the right side, slammed the ball into the net for a 2-1 advantage. Wright received an assist, instead.
Wright then tallied the go-ahead goal for Coventry in its 3-1 triumph at Middlesbrough on Monday, Jan. 1. After the teams traded scores in the opening 34 minutes, Wright struck for his eighth goal of the season in the 58th minute on a Simms assist. Coventry (9-7-11, 38 points) is in eighth place.
NOT JOSH-ING AROUND
Josh Sargent enjoyed a memorable week, playing for the first time in more than four months in one game and connecting for an equalizer in the next for Norwich City. Only 12 minutes after replacing Hwang Ui-Jo, the 23-year-old forward struck for the tying goal in the 78th minute in a 1-1 home draw with Southampton in English Championship action on Monday, Jan. 1.
Sargent made his first appearance for Norwich City in a 1-0 defeat at Millwall on Friday, Dec. 29. He replaced Ui-Jo in the 78th minute. Sargent suffered an ankle injury while scoring in a 4-0 away win vs. Huddersfield on Aug. 26, recording a goal in his third consecutive match. Norwich City (10-11-5, 35) is in 13th place in the 24-team Championship.
VENTURING ACROSS THE POND
The next time midfielder Johnny Cardoso wears a soccer uniform, it will be for Real Betis in Spain's La Liga. He completed a transfer to Betis from Internacional from Brazilian Serie A. The 22-year-old Cardoso finished his Internacional career with seven goals and five assists in 144 matches. Cardoso joined Internacional at the youth level in 2014 and made his senior debut in 2019. He has made nine appearances for the USMNT. His most recent international match was a 4-0 friendly win over Ghana on Oct. 18, 2023. Real Betis (6-2-10, 28) is in ninth place in La Liga.
ONE MORE YEAR
Veteran center back Tim Ream signed a contract extension with Fulham that will keep him with the EPL side until 2025. Ream, 35, who is in his ninth season with the Cottagers, is sidelined with a calf injury. Fulham (7-10-3, 24) sits in 13th place in the EPL, after a 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday, Dec. 31.
FULL RUNDOWN
- Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - No games
- Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - No games
- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur (Dec. 31); Injured, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Fulham (Dec. 26)
- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - No games
- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - No games
- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Feralpisalo (Dec. 26)
- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - No games
- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Rangers (Dec. 30); 55 minutes in 3-0 win at Dundee (Dec. 26)
- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - No games
- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - No games
- Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Manchester United (Dec. 30); Not in 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Newcastle United (Dec. 26)
- Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Cremonese (Dec. 26)
- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - No games
- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 89 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Roma (Dec. 30)
- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Antwerp (Dec. 26)
- Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar; Dutch Eredivisie) - In 18, DNP in 3-2 win at HHC in KNVB Beker (Dec. 20)
- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Sassuolo (Dec. 30)
- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - No games
- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - No games
- Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – No games
- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - No games
- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-0 win vs. Sassuolo (Dec. 30)
- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Arsenal (Dec. 31); 82 minutes in 3-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth (Dec. 26); Injured, DNP in 3-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth (Dec. 26)
- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - No games
- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 89 minutes in 3-0 win vs. RWDM (Dec. 26)
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Brentford (Dec. 30); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Chelsea (Dec. 27)
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Arsenal (Dec. 31); 82 minutes in 3-0 loss at AFC Bournemouth (Dec. 26)
- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - 24 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Southampton (Jan. 1); 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Millwall (Dec. 29); Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion (Dec. 26)
- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - No games
- Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at OH Leuven (Dec. 26)
- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Feralpisalo (Dec. 26)
- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - No games
- Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Manchester City (Dec. 30); 90 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Luton Town (Dec. 26)
- Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Manchester United (Dec. 30); 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Newcastle United (Dec. 26)
- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Roma (Dec. 30)
- Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Championship) - 83 minutes, GOAL, in 3-1 win at Middlesbrough (Jan. 1); 90 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST, in 2-2 draw vs. Swansea City (Dec. 29); 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday (Dec. 26)
- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - No games