GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including big wins for Pulisic's Milan and McKennie's Juventus
This weekend could have been defined by which U.S. men's national team stars playing. PSV's American quartet was sidelined. Brenden Aaronson and Antonee Robinson didn't feature. Neither did Celtic's center-back duo of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty. Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright remained out.
Instead, the story was all about goals and assists. Despite the injuries, USMNT stars abroad flipped the narrative, making it far more positive than negative.
Right at the center of it all was Josh Sargent, who is finding his form at the perfect time. He scored again for Norwich, continuing a hot streak that has him in line to finally be the guy to lead the line in this March's CONCACAF Nations League. With Balogun and Ricardo Pepi out, the responsibility is likely to fall to Sargent whether in good or bad form. Thankfully for U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, Sargent is playing very well at the moment.
So, too, is Christian Pulisic, who shined again for Milan. The USMNT star provided two assists, including one to a new teammate, Mexico international Santi Gimenez. Rivals on the international level, and perhaps on the field in March, Pulisic and Gimenez showed early signs of chemistry to help Milan pick up three big points.
There were plenty of other players to step up during an eventful weekend, too. GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
GettySargent keeps it going
Just one day after it was confirmed that Pepi would miss the rest of the season, Sargent was back on the scoresheet. What a relief this will be to Pochettino as it looks like he'll still have one in-form striker who plays in Europe to rely on for March's CONCACAF Nations League.
Pepi will be out for those games. So, too, will Folarin Balogun. MLS stars like Brandon Vazquez and Patrick Agyemang will still be in early-season form. That puts a lot of weight on Sargent and, right now, he's showing no issues shouldering it.
You can make it four goals in three games for the Norwich forward, who is well and truly back from injury. His latest came in Norwich's 1-1 draw with Derby County, taking his total up to eight this season in the Championship. He likely won't hit last season's numbers due to his injury lay-off, but Sargent is still putting goals up on the board this season, and he's doing so at the perfect time.
Pochettino will hope he can keep scoring. More importantly, he'll hope he can stay healthy. There's a crisis going on at the USMNT's striker position, but it isn't looking quite so bad thanks to Sargent's recent run of form.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTolkin arrives in the Bundesliga
John Tolkin was introduced to the harsh realities of the Bundesliga last weekend. That's when he was thrown to the wolves. Those wolves were Bayern Munich, and they held on to a 4-3 win, despite a late flurry from Holstein Kiel.
That was the bad. Sunday? That was the good. On Sunday, in his second Bundesliga start, Tolkin made his mark, showcasing why it was time for him to make this big leap to a tough league and an even tougher situation at the relegation-threatened club.
The USMNT star provided an assist on Kiel's equalizing goal, helping his new club earn a 2-2 draw with VfL Bochum. The point, in reality, will help only a little. Kiel are still fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Bundesliga and, as things stand, the odds are looking more likely than not that they'll be in the second division next year. Tolkin was brought in to help avoid that, and Sunday showed he could play a part. His looping free-kick found the head of David Zec, helping Kiel take a point out of Sunday's match at home.
The club will need more points, and Tolkin will need to continue to take steps forward to help them get them. Even so, Sunday was a memorable day for the USMNT defender, who can now feel like he's truly arrived in the Bundesliga.
Getty Images SportMcKennie proving his worth (and Juve are taking notice!)
As rumors swirled of an imminent new contract, Weston McKennie retook his place in the heart in the Juventus midfield. It seems he'll remain there for a while and, after several years of that being anything but certain, it's a positive development.
McKennie, who actually captained the historic Italian club recently, was the more attacking of Juve's three midfielders in Friday's 2-0 win over Como. He created three chances and beat defenders twice off the dribble. Defensively, he led the press from the front, making two interceptions while winning 10 of his midfield duels. It was an all-around performance, one that shows why Juve are finally willing to fully put their trust in him.
The club also trusts Tim Weah, who also started out in that right-back position. He, like McKennie, is a jack of all trades for this team and he's been more than capable of figuring out the defensive side. Weah won nine of his 12 duels, made two interceptions, two clearances, and won two tackles, all while getting up and down that right-hand side in an attacking sense.
Both Weah and McKennie have had their difficult moments, but both are so important to what Juventus is doing right now. McKennie, in particular, is set to be rewarded for that importance and, after so long fighting for his place, it feels deserved.
Getty Images SportHorvath comes up big in shootout
Throughout his career, Ethan Horvath has proven to be a man for the big occasion. One only has to look back at his CONCACAF Nations League heroics a few years back to remember that.
The longtime USMNT backup goalkeeper stepped up in yet another big game on Saturday, this time helping Cardiff City advance in the FA Cup via a shootout win over Stoke City.
His 120-minute performance wasn't anything to get too excited about. It finished 3-3 through those 120 minutes, with Stoke scoring all three of their goals in a rough 18-minute stretch in the second half. The penalty kick shootout is where Horvath shined, though. After two consecutive makes from Cardiff and one from Stoke, Horvath was able to push away Michael Rose's attempt, making the decisive save as the Welsh side won, 4-2, in the shootout.
It hasn't been easy for Horvath these last few years. After proving so vital for Luton Town's push to the Premier League, he settled right back into a backup role at Cardiff, where he's appeared just five times this season. No one has ever doubted his commitment or professionalism, though, which is how he's stuck around the USMNT picture for so long. He faces a fight to do that with a new generation of goalkeepers coming up but, on Saturday, he did show why, in big moments, he's still a goalkeeper to be relied on.