GOAL reviews key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, with struggles for the big names all over the weekend
Well, that was underwhelming.
It was a pretty miserable weekend for Americans in Europe. Ricardo Pepi, after being billed as the next big thing in the Eredivisie, was denied of a start for PSV. Brenden Aaronson, looking to make an impact to help Leeds go atop the English Championship, fell flat. And Tim Weah, finally getting a run in the Juventus side, was brutally misused by an increasingly out-of-his-depth Thiago Motta.
It all amounted to a brutally forgettable 48 hours.
This is, for everyone except Christian Pulisic, who – it must be said – was hardly world beating in his own right. But he did provide a signature flash of quality to help Milan stick around in the Serie A title fight (although it does seem that Paolo Fonseca is a couple of bad results away from the sack, at this point.) A word, too, for Gio Reyna, who added some minutes to his struggling legs.
It was a mixed slate of fixtures, and GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.
Getty ImagesWhere is the Pepi magic?
So much for the renaissance of Ricardo Pepi continuing. All the signs pointed toward a start for the American against Utrecht. He has, for a few weeks now, been the main man for PSV. There was a brace against, a late winner in the Champions League, as well as two goals for the USMNT in the most recent international break. There's a footballer here, and he has been unlocked.
But on Sunday, he was relegated to the bench, while veteran Luuk de Jong started in front of him. It was a choice that offered important insight into manager Peter Bosz's thinking. This was a matchup between first and second in the Eredivisie. "Title deciders" aren't a thing in December. Sunday's fixture was as close as it gets. In the biggest game of the season to date, Pepi watched from the bench.
He did, eventually, emerge, completing just one pass in 15 minutes of play. But by that time, the game was won – a convincing 5-2 result. Should Pepi have started here, on form? Certainly. But the manager went with experience. If nothing else, it shows that Pepi has a bit to go.
AdvertisementGettyAnother Gio Reyna appearance
He lives! Reyna's career to date always seems to be one of caution, brief glimpses of a player as he works his way back to not-quite-full-fitness. It is, genuinely, hard to remember the last time the American playmaker was entirely healthy. In some ways, it's a frustrating story, an immense talent whose body is constantly letting him down. The key here is to not get hopes up, but take the victories as they come.
And so it proved for Reyna again, the midfielder making a brief appearance against Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker. He did not touch the ball as Dortmund pretty much willingly settled for a draw. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about his showing is that there literally wasn't time for him to pick up an injury.
But that's just fine. This was Bayern, and with Dortmund's attacking three set in stone, Reyna was never likely to play a big role. The challenge now becomes building up those minutes in the coming weeks.
Getty Images SportPulisic assists in the fog
Milan's fixture with Empoli really could have been suspended. A thick fog descended over San Siro, and it was, at times, hard to see what exactly was happening. But there was some football to be played. For Milan, it was good stuff, too. ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against the visitors, and kept their name in the European conversation as a result.
Christian Pulisic as is policy these days, played his part. The American didn't have a massive impact over the course of 90 minutes, but still grabbed himself an assist with a tidy flick on into the path of Tijjani Reijnders, who volleyed home the Milan second just before half time.
And that is Pulisic's thing these days. He can be dominant, and run games all by himself. Even when he doesn't, he still finds ways to step up in big moments and make things happen for his team.
A word, too, on USMNT's Yunus Musah, who was given a look in his preferred right midfield position, and turned in a solid showing.
Getty ImagesTim Weah as a No. 9
What to make of Tim Weah this season? Well, first of all, some continuity would be nice. Whether it be through injury or manager's decision, the winger has seen inconsistent minutes for club and country. It has been particularly difficult for Juventus, where Weah has been regularly called into action, but never at one specific position.
Right wing, we are told, is his best spot. And he has impressed there in short bursts for in recent months, scoring a few goals and getting involved in play. On Sunday, though, Thiago Motta deployed Weah as a No. 9. The results were about as fruitless as expected, the wide man looking incredibly uncomfortable at a position that clearly doesn't suit him.
He managed just 20 touches, registered one shot, and completed seven passes. Weah is not a striker. On Sunday, it showed. Is Motta just Max Allegri 2.0? Perhaps. If he keeps playing this football – and using people so brutally out of position – then it looks increasingly like he might be.