Americans Abroad: USMNT updates, video highlights, transfer news from 2023-24 season

Three competitions saw several USMNT players play big roles this week as the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League returned to Europe.

Here’s a cheat sheet:

USMNT in the Champions League

• Christian Pulisic went 69 minutes as he returned to Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion in AC Milan’s 0-0 draw in the Champions League.
• Yunus Musah went the distance in the same game. He was shown a yellow card, created a chance, and made six recoveries.
• Gio Reyna was an unused sub for Dortmund.
• Malik Tillman starred in PSV’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla, winning a penalty and ringing up 0.54 xG+xA while collecting nine recoveries in the midfield.
• Sergino Dest also went 90 minutes for PSV, passing at 94%, sending six passes into the final third, and recording nine defensive actions.
• Ricardo Pepi entered in the 82nd minute for PSV, but made just four touches in the 2-2 draw.
• Celtic back Cameron Carter-Vickers came off the bench for the final 28 minutes of a 2-1 loss to Lazio at Celtic Park, registering six recoveries and winning four-of-six duels.
• Sam Vines missed Royal Antwerp’s 3-2 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk with injury

USMNT in Europa League

• George Bello went 88 minutes in LASK Linz’s 1-0 loss at Toulouse, drawing two fouls and completing 24-of-26 passes while going 6-of-15 on duels.
• Erik Palmer-Brown missed Panathinaikos’ scoreless draw at Maccabi Haifa through injury.
• Christian Cappis played 10 minutes in Molde’s 2-1 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen.

USMNT in Conference League

• Mark McKenzie went 90 minutes for Genk, registering 85 touches while passing at 93% in a 2-0 win at Cukaricki. He sent 20 (?!) balls into the final third and registering 10 defensive actions.
• Djordje Mihailovic was an unused sub in AZ Alkmaar’s 1-0 win over Legia Warsaw.
• Henry Wingo was not in the 18 for Ferencvaros’ 2-2 draw at Fiorentina.
• Dante Polvara was an unused sub as Aberdeen drew HJK Helsinki 1-1.
• Timothy Chandler and Paxten Aaronson were unused subs for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 2-1 loss at PAOK.

Folarin Balogun had a big bounce-back game for AS Monaco on Saturday.

Balogun missed a pair of penalties in Monaco’s last outing but scored the side’s second equalizer and assisted Maghnes Akliouche’s winner in a 3-2 defeat of Marseille at home.

Here’s the goal, a strong finish after a quick cut to give his right peg space to do the damage. That’s two goals and an assist early in his Monaco tenure following a late window transfer from Arsenal.

We’ve got Christian Pulisic‘s latest goal, as the AC Milan man makes it a goal and an assist in a two-start week for the Rossoneri, here in the dedicated Pulisic page. I think we can speak for every USMNT fan when we say we’re glad the post is needed again. Yunus Musah played the final 29 minutes of Milan’s 2-0 win over Lazio, a typically tidy 22-of-23 passing day.

Jordan Pefok assisted Alassane Plea’s first-half stoppage time goal as Borussia Monchengladbach got a much-needed win, 3-1 at Bochum. He played 64 minutes in the win.

PSV has two of its three USMNT players in action while Sergino Dest waits to sub into the game. The usual starter is out but Malik Tillman has assisted a Guus Til goal and Ricardo Pepi subbed in with 20 minutes to play versus Volendam, who has inserted Zach Booth into the affair late.

Still to come, Folarin Balogun is starting for Monaco in a tasty 3pm ET kickoff at home to Marseille.

Elsewhere...

• Brenden Aaronson was an unused sub for Union Berlin.
• Kevin Paredes played the final 11 minutes of Wolfsburg’s home win over Eintracht Frankfurt, which saw Paxten Aaronson play the final 8 minutes for the visitors.
• Haji Wright was a sub for Coventry City, going 11 minutes in a 3-1 win at QPR.
• George Bello was subbed out at halftime of LASK Linz’s 2-1 loss to Wolfsberger.
• Chelsea loanee Gaga Slonina made four saves as Eupen was cooked 3-1 by visiting Anderlecht.

Luca de la Torre’s looked better and better in a USMNT shirt, and it’s no surprise to see him doing good things at Celta Vigo.

In fact, his latest bit of game-breaking has produced a goal, as a poked turnover led to a Jorgen Strand Larsen goal at the Camp Nou.

Celta Vigo leads Barcelona 1-0 early in the second half, where De la Torre’s posted a 0.34 xG, too, with 21 touches and three defensive actions so far.

With all due respect to Christian Pulisic making another start for AC Milan, his club and country teammate had the more interesting day for USMNT tracking purposes.

Yunus Musah, 20, played a sort of right wing(back) role for AC Milan instead of center mid, an intriguing sign that Stefano Pioli, like Musah’s previous bosses at Valencia, want to get him on the pitch as central midfielders like Tijani Reijnders, Rade Krunic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Tommaso Pobega clog up opportunities.

Musah was very, very good over 90 minutes versus Hellas Verona. He took a shot and was credited with a created chance as well (Fotmob.com). Musah had 62 touches and nine recoveries in the win and won six-of-nine ground duels.

Matt Turner had a wild day for Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium, where he was left for dead on a pair of Man City goals before his team went up a man on Rodri’s red card. Turner finished with two saves in a 2-0 loss.

Antonee Robinson returned for Fulham to join Tim Ream on the left side of the back line, and “Jedi” showed very little rust after a short injury break. Robinson had 10 passes into the final third and 11 defensive recoveries in a 0-0 draw, while Ream saw yellow early but settled into his usual day with 70 touches and four clearances in Fulham’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

Giovanni Reyna was an unused sub for the second-straight game for Dortmund after his long injury layoff, as BVB beat Wolfsburg 1-0. Jordan Pefok went 64 minutes with a shot as Gladbach fell 1-0 to RB Leipzig at home, while Brenden Aaronson played the first half of Union Berlin’s 2-0 home loss to Hoffenheim. The hosts of that one got another 90 minutes out of John Brooks, who had 15 defensive actions in the clean sheet.

In Serie A, we saw Tanner Tessman and Gianluca Busio both start for Venezia in a scoreless draw. Tessman saw a yellow card and subbed off early, but Busio had 78 touches while posting 93% passing in a busy 0-0 draw at Brescia.

The big man from America strikes!

NYCFC academy and Georgetown product Dante Polvara is on the board for Aberdeen.

Polvara arrives just outside the six for a cutback pass, and the 23-year-old former Charleston Battery loanee takes a touch and fires home to bring Aberdeen level with Eintracht Frankfurt at the Waldstadion.

His first goal for the Dons is on a huge stage.

What a day for USMNT center back Mark McKenzie and Genk set pieces.

McKenzie knocked the ball down for what became Genk’s first goal against Fiorentina, and he’s got all of the ownership for the Belgian side’s second goal of the game.

McKenzie’s header is well-taken after he gets real physical with his mark. No call, and a 2-2 game.

The 24-year-old Philadelphia Union center back is ringing up minutes for Genk, and already had an assist in Conference League qualifiers (though that’s obviously not how he’s going to be measured).

Folarin Balogun scored a lot of Ligue 1 goals last season, and now he’s got one for his new team.

Balogun subbed into AS Monaco’s tie match at Lorient on Sunday, and it was 2-1 to the visitors within a few ticks.

The 22-year-old glided past his defender and lashed a left-footed shot near post that would only stand as the second goal in a 2-2 draw after Romain Faivre found a 90th-minute leveler for Lorient.

Balogun finished with four shots on 16 touches in the draw. Monaco hosts Nice at 3pm ET Friday.

Tim Ream struggled, relatively-speaking, with mistakes for the USMNT at home in St. Louis during the international break but he was fantastic for Fulham on Saturday.

The 35-year-old center back was without his club-and-country left back teammate Antonee Robinson but had more than 150 touches for the Cottagers in their 1-0 win over Luton Town.

Look at these numbers via fotmob.com:

(fotmob.com)

Weston McKennie became the first American to make 100 appearances for a Serie A club, and he’s celebrating in style.

McKennie, 25, had a solid break with the USMNT including a game versus Oman that saw him showcase a wide range of passing.

Perhaps this combination run from right wing back didn’t go completely as planned, but Federico Chiesa made sure it ended correctly.

You can make it 13 goals and six assists in 100 appearances for The Old Lady, as McKennie just keeps reclaiming value in Turin even after being loaned away to Leeds last year.

A big weekend for Americans in Europe includes a first Bundesliga assist of the season for young Paxten Aaronson.

On a weekend his older brother Brenden served a red card suspension for RB Leipzig, 19-year-old Paxten grabbed the ball centrally and squared it for Niels Nkounkou’s 87th minute equalizer.

It was Paxten’s second cameo of the season and second assist for Eintracht Frankfurt after the Philadelphia Union product assisted a Mario Gotze marker late last season.

There’s a Venezia player coming into USMNT camp, but it isn’t Gianluca Busio.

Tanner Tessmann, 21, started all three of the unbeaten Serie B club’s league matches this season and scored in last week’s win over Sampdoria.

Tessman was capped in the Feb. 2021 off-window demolition of Costa Rica. This will provide a bit more competition and it’ll be interesting to see how he and fellow Serie B call-up Kristopher Lund fare against Oman and/or Uzbekistan.

The full roster is here.

Sheffield United’s depth couldn’t outlast Lincoln City in losing a League Cup match at Bramall Lane in penalties on Wednesday.

But USMNT back Auston Trusty finally made his Blades debut, and looked very good as expected in 90 scoreless minutes against League One competition.

Playing at left center back in a 3-5-2, Trusty’s 8.2 rating on Fotmob was a joint-best amongst field players as the visiting Red Imps’ Lukas Bornhoft Jensen made two saves and 12 recoveries to steal MOTM honors from the American.

Trusty took two-shots and had 117 touches during his debut, taking two shots and sending 15 passes into the final third. He won 10-of-11 duels, made seven recoveries, two clearances, and three interceptions.

The 0-3 Blades have allowed five goals in three Premier League matches and face 0-3 Everton on Sunday. Could Trusty get a look Saturday at Bramall Lane?

Folarin Balogun is back in Ligue 1 following a reported $43 million transfer from Arsenal to AS Monaco, signing a five-year deal.

The 22-year-old USMNT striker scored 22 times and chipped in three assists across all competitions on loan to Reims last season, 21 of those coming in Ligue 1 play.

Arsenal, however, couldn’t find room to give him regular playing time with Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus, and a flood of attacking talent under the eye of Mikel Arteta.

Balogun is part of next month’s 24-man roster for the USMNT versus Uzbekistan and Oman, and has a goal in his two caps since filing a one-time switch to the USMNT. Gregg Berhalter will be happy to see the talent getting regular playing time.

Gregg Berhalter’s return to the United States men’s national team touch line could look quite different.

A lot of that’s down to injury, to be sure, but the USMNT boss has also called up a Danish youth international from Palermo as well as an MLS debutant and uncapped Wolfsburg (by way of DC United) phenom.

Kristoffer Lund is the first name on the list, and the 21-year-old left back just moved from BK Hacken to Palermo. He could give Berhalter great depth as it’s been difficult to find a name behind Antonee Robinson that isn’t just swapping Sergino Dest from the right to the left.

Read more about it here.

Christian Pulisic to Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Christian Pulisic to goal.

It’s both a 2022-23 Chelsea training exercise and a match-opening goal for AC Milan at Torino.

Pulisic has two goals in two Serie A games after Saturday — with the game just into the second half at the San Siro.

Milan leads 3-1.

This move makes a lot of sense for USMNT forward Folarin Balogun.

Multiple reports, including this one from Fabrizio Romano, say that Balogun is heading to Monaco.

After scoring 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Reims last season, it was clear Balogun was going to leave Arsenal this summer if he wasn’t going to be a regular.

Per the reports, Balogun is costing Monaco $43.1 million and Arsenal have a healthy sell-on clause in the deal.

Red-hot redhead Josh Sargent scored a hustle goal to give Norwich City a 1-0 lead against Huddersfield Town in Championship action on Saturday.

It was the 23-year-old’s third goal to go with an assist in four games for the Canaries, but the appearance ended short and with concern.

Sargent left the match after just 14 minutes and manager David Wagner says it doesn’t look good (3:00 mark of the below video)

“Looks like a serious ankle injury unfortunately. His ankle is swollen. We have to assess him tomorrow and he for sure needs a scan. Then we have to see and wait, how serious it will be.”

It’s yet to be determined whether Serie A is ready for Christian Pulisic, but Bologna sure wasn’t prepared to stop the USMNT star.

The man with a goal and an assist in just over 1,000 minutes for Chelsea last season looks set to torch those marks in 90 minutes Monday.

He won’t get an assist for his “hockey assist” on Olivier Giroud’s opener, but the American played a strong cross to the back post that Tijani Reijnders knocks back for the blonde-streak Giroud to finish for 1-0.

Christian Pulisic goal video: Memorable opener for AC Milan account

And it’s a really good goal from the American around 10 minutes later to put an assist on Giroud’s name and a highlight for both sides of the Atlantic.

Pulisic does well to get a lot of power on his strike from just outside the box, firing forward and letting loose with a shot that would’ve required a miraculous stop from Bologna keeper Lukasz Skorupski.

The USMNT star is feeling great about the goal, and surely that the Blues and the blues are behind him.

Bingo.

Fulhamerica is a thing, but now maybe, too, is USA Eindhoven?

Sergino Dest will spend at least the 2023-24 season back in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven after sealing a loan deal from Barcelona.

Dest was not in Xavi Hernandez’s plans and will return to a league that saw him launch his star.

Former USMNT boss Earnie Stewart has now brought Dest, Ricardo Pepi, and Malik Tillman into Peter Bosz’s side, though only Pepi is a permanent deal at the moment.

PSV plays Glasgow Rangers — Tillman’s former loan club — at 3pm Tuesday in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League playoff.

Josh Sargent. The name has been a part of the USMNT prospect pool and first team discussion for so long that it’s easy to forget he’s still 23 years old until deep into February.

Well, Sargent is leading the line for Norwich City in the Championship and the leadership, so far, is quite good. Sargent scored 13 times for the Canaries last season and notched a textbook headed goal on Sunday to help his side to a 3-1 defeat of Millwall and seven points through three games.

Sargent had a goal and an assist against Southampton in Week 2 and has played all but 10 of Norwich’s league minutes this young season. He’s posted 0.92 expected goals plus assists per 90 minutes for an exceptional start to the campaign.

The 23-times capped USMNT striker still has 11 top-flight goals on his resume as he tries to drive Norwich back to the Premier League. Until then, it’s clear he’s learned how to use his body in the rough-and-tumble ways of the Championship and he’ll be attracting interest from other clubs.

USMNT star Tyler Adams is back in the Premier League.

Bournemouth has signed the midfielder from Leeds United even before the 24-year-old kicks a ball following spring surgery on his hamstring.

Cherries CEO Neill Blake had this to say about Adams, who was linked with Chelsea amongst others over the summer.

“We’re thrilled to have brought Tyler to the club and he is a player we’ve admired for a long time. It’s been widely documented how much his talents have been recognised in this transfer window by other clubs, so to have him sign for AFC Bournemouth shows the ambition we have as a club.

“Tyler is an exciting player who possesses plenty of experience for someone that is just 24 years of age and we’re looking forward to working with him as he’s a player we know will be a great addition to our squad.”

Adams helps replace Jefferson Lerma and this transfer fills a real need for the Cherries.

It would be so nice for the USMNT if Arsenal could skip to the part where they make Folarin Balogun’s transfer short of their big asking price but including add-ons and a big sell-on clause.

That’s not going to happen if Chelsea continue to register its interest in the striker who lit up Ligue 1 last season.

Balogun, 22, is said to carry a $64 million price tag. Inter Milan is no longer in for his services after signing Marcus Thuram and Marko Arnautovic (hello!?). Sky Sports says that Monaco is trying to structure a deal to Arsenal’s liking, and clearly the Gunners would rather send him across the channel than across London.

He has a goal in his two caps for the USMNT, scoring against Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League Final this summer.

A report says Barcelona is giving Sergino Dest the weekend to decide where he wants to go on loan this season.

Ligue 1 side Nice is in the running along with previously-noted interest from Eredivisie powers PSV Eindhoven.

It would be a loan with an option-to-buy for Dest’s services, as the player will soon be onto his fourth big European club following time with Ajax and a loan to AC Milan last season.

Tyler Adams may be returning to the Premier League this season after all.

Reports claim that Adams, 24, is undergoing a medical at Bournemouth after the Cherries had a transfer breakthrough with Leeds.

The fee is thought to be $29 million with additional bonuses.

Adams reportedly neared a move to Chelsea before the Blues made breakthroughs with Moises Caicedo and now Romeo Lavia to bolster their midfield.

The only questions with Adams are those of durability. He’s an exceptional reader of the game with a fierce competitive nature, but has played 14, 27, 24, and 24 league games in the last four full domestic seasons between RB Leipzig and Leeds. He has yet to make his season debut this season after hamstring surgery.

Bournemouth feels like a good place for him to get regular minutes and continue to grow in the PL.

Barcelona back Sergino Dest may not longer be a Barcelona back for much longer.

Mundo Deportivo says that three clubs are in the race for the 22-year-old, who has operated at right and left back for the USMNT; PSV Eindhoven leads Ligue 1 side Nice and “an English club” for the wide player’s services.

Dest has made 72 appearances for Barca and spent the second half of last season on loan to AC Milan, where he played just over 600 minutes.

It was thought that Dest had earned his way back into Xavi’s plans but the last week or so has seen increased speculation that Barca would have to sell players in order to register new ones.

Dest would join Malik Tillman, on loan from Bayern Munich, and Ricardo Pepi on PSV’s books for the season.

The Premier League’s seen a debut from a USMNT player while the Championship has goals from a pair of Americans.

Matt Turner went 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 loss to his former club Arsenal. Turner was wrong-footed by Eddie Nketiah on Arsenal’s first goal and had no chance at Bukayo Saka’s stunning second. He finished with five saves and 14 recoveries on a 2.02 xG faced, twice denying Declan Rice a goal in his Gunners’ Premier League debut. Read Joe Prince-Wright’s recap here.

Haji Wright came off the bench for Coventry City days after his switch from Antalyaspor in Turkey and immediately paid dividends in a 3-0 win (If immediately is about five minutes). Wright got near the spot for a cutback and finish to open his account and surely there are starts to come for the 25-year-old.

And Josh Sargent is on the scoreboard with a real striker’s finish, going to the back post and getting between the keeper and his mark to nod home a Jack Stacey cross. He’s added an assist before halftime as Norwich leads Southampton 3-2 (?!) at St. Mary’s after 45 minutes.

USMNT goalkeeper and Chicago Fire export Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina is heading on loan from Chelsea to KAS Eupen.

A move makes sense for the 19-year-old, who is behind Kepa Arrizabalaga and Robert Sanchez at Chelsea.

Eupen is managed by former Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg boss Florian Kohfeldt, and has three goalkeepers on the books all under the age of 24. You’d have to think Mauricio Pochettino knows Slonina has a line on meaningful playing time.

Slonina is one of a number of USMNT goalkeepers aiming to get and keep a starting spot this season. Matt Turner has moved to Nottingham Forest on a permanent move from Arsenal, and he joined Ethan Horvath there. Zack Steffen is still on the books at Man City and is expected to make a move when healthy.

USMNT captain Tyler Adams may not be leaving Leeds United after all despite reports of a medical at Chelsea this week.

Chelsea is going to bid again for Moises Caicedo. Liverpool had a record bid accepted for the Ecuadorian but reports say he told Brighton he’d prefer to go to Chelsea, and the Blues have been listening.

Adams remains out for another few weeks with injury and may well spend the season with Leeds in the Championship, though he’s been linked with Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and West Ham United in the Premier League.

It wouldn’t be the worst thing for Adams to operate in the Championship, and news of his $25 million release clause will reverberate through the first half of the season presuming he continues to play at an exceptional rate (and his game will certainly translate to the rough and tumble second tier).

The best move would seemingly be for him to heal up and make a PL or other top-flight move before the end of the August window, but his character is such that USMNT fans can feel safe regardless as the team builds toward the Copa America next summer.

Christian Pulisic won’t love a part of his first goal for AC Milan, but the USMNT star sure will like plenty else about the marker from a friendly against Monza on Tuesday.

Pulisic, 24 until next month, works two splendid 1-2s with AC Milan teammates on his way to the heart of the 18.

He draws a penalty there and that’s not quite what describes his first goal in its entirety. Pulisic’s effort from the spot is saved by Monza goalkeeper. Michele Di Gregorio, but the American snaps home the rebound.

A celebration with Olivier Giroud will feel quite familiar to Pulisic. USMNT teammate Yunus Musah was an unused sub in the win.

USMNT starter Matt Turner wants to play, so he’s leaving Arsenal.

Turner backed up Aaron Ramsdale last season and will have seen the writing on the wall, if not heard those words directly, as Arsenal pursues David Raya from Brentford.

So Turner’s going to Nottingham Forest, which ironically will send fellow USMNT keeper Ethan Horvath looking for a new home (again), and Turner will hope to show Steve Cooper that he doesn’t need Dean Henderson or any other true No. 1 for this Premier League season.

Read all about the move, here.