It seems that everything that Ricardo Pepi touches these days turns to goal, for club and country. After starring for the U.S. Men's National Team against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, he secured his first professional hat-trick in PSV Eindhoven's win.
Elsewhere, Alejandro Zendejas and Paxten Aaronson assisted on key goals in their teams’ respective wins over the weekend as leagues resumed play after the final FIFA international break of the year.
Domestically, Jordan Morris needed only one touch to lift Seattle Sounders to a stunning 2-1 upset of favored and host Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Here are some USMNT player highlights from last week:
HATS OFF
Ricardo Pepi is hot, hot, hot, with his most recent scoring feat coming in the form of a hat-trick scored over a 41-minute span in PSV's 5-0 trouncing of Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday, Nov. 23. Pepi, who scored in both matches of the USMNT's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series win over Jamaica this month, finds himself atop the league with nine goals in only four starts and 510 minutes as he is tied with FC Twente's Sem Steijn. He has six goals in his last four appearances for club and country.
Pepi, 21, started his assault on the Groningen goal as he chipped goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen after a brilliant solo effort down the right flank in the 37th minute to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. He found the net again, beating a defender in the 64th minute for a four-goal advantage, before completing his spectacular performance with a six-yard header in the 78th minute.
PSV (12-1-0, 36 points) holds a five-point lead over Utrecht (10-1-1, 31).
AN EXTRA SPECIAL GOAL
Jordan Morris has scored 76 goals in his MLS career across all competitions, but none might have been more dramatic than his game-winning tally for the fourth-seeded Seattle Sounders against host and top-seeded Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS Western Conference semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 23. Morris struck in the 109th minute to snap a 1-1 deadlock en route to a 2-1 win. After LAFC broke up a set piece, Morris pounced on a deflected ball, drove a right-footed shot from 10 yards past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the right corner in the 109th minute. The Sounders will return to LA to face the LA Galaxy in the conference final on Saturday, Nov. 30. The 30-year-old Morris, who is tied with teammate Raúl Ruidíaz with nine postseason goals, connected for a career-high 13 during the regular season.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Alejandro Zendejas gave Club America a lifeline to reach penalty kicks in its Liga MX playoffs match as he assisted on Cristián Borja's goal one minute into stoppage time to lift his team into 2-2 draw with Tijuana in the Liga MX playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 21. He thought he had scored later in stoppage time, but the goal was to be disallowed because of a handball in the area. Zendejas did not convert his penalty kick in the shootout, but America prevailed, 3-2. America will host Toluca in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Nov. 27. the second leg is set for Toluca on Saturday, Nov. 30.
HELPING OUT
Paxten Aaronson set up Utrecht's first goal in its 2-1 win over NEC in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday, Nov. 24. He assisted on Yoann Cathline's 38th goal. Aaronson has come into own this season as he has four goals and two assists in 12 matches. He has a point in each of his last three appearances.
THEY'RE MOVING ON
Besides Jordan Morris, two other USMNT pool players and their teams will compete in their respective MLS conference finals next week - John Tolkin and Jalen Neal.
Tolkin, the Red Bulls left back, and his teammates qualified for the Eastern Conference final after their 2-0 victory at New York City FC on Saturday, Nov. 23. The Red Bulls will visit Orlando City SC, 1-0 winners over Atlanta United in the other conference semifinal, on Saturday, Nov. 30 for a spot in the MLS Cup on Dec. 7.
Neal, a defender, did get off the bench in Los Angeles Football Club's 6-2 home win over Minnesota United in the Western Conference semifinals. LAFC will host Seattle on Saturday, Nov. 30.
BACK ON THE FIELD
Midfielder Gio Reyna saw action for Borussia Dortmund, playing the final 12 minutes and stoppage time in its 4-0 home triumph over Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, Nov. 23. He replaced Julian Brandt in the 78th minute. Reyna last performed for Dortmund in a nine-minute stint off the bench in a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Aug. 24. Dortmund (6-4-1, 19) is in fifth place.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 4-3 win at Swansea City (Nov. 24)
-- Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-1 win at NEC (Nov. 24)
-- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) – 65 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (Nov. 23)
-- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) – Injured, DNP in 3-2 win vs. Brest (Nov. 22)
-- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 32 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win at NEC (Nov. 24)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie A) – Vs. Lecce (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - Injured, DNP in 4-2 loss at Valencia (Nov. 23)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 4-1 win at Hearts (Nov. 23)
-- Cade Cowell (Guadalajara; Liga MX) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss vs. Atlas in Liga MX playoffs(Nov. 21)
-- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 6-0 win at Groningen (Nov. 23)
-- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Barcelona (Nov. 23)
-- Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Cercle Brugge (Nov. 23)
-- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; Championship) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday (Nov. 23)
-- Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 15 minutes as a substitute in 6-0 win at Groningen (Nov. 23)
-- Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Sampdoria (Nov. 24)
-- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 84 minutes in 5-2 loss at Bayern Leverkusen (Nov. 23)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) -80 minutes in 0-0 draw at A.C. Milan (Nov. 23)
-- Mark McKenzie (Toulouse; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Paris Saint-German (Nov. 22)
-- Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 6-2 win at Oxford United (Nov. 23)
-- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - 120 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 win at Los Angeles FC in MLS Cup Playoffs (Nov. 23)
-- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 84 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Juventus (Nov. 23)
-- Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy; MLS) – In 18, DNP in 6-2 win vs. Minnesota United in MLS Cup Playoffs (Nov. 24)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Panaitolikos (Nov. 24)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Union Berlin (Nov. 23)
-- Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Wolfsburg (Nov. 23)
-- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, THREE GOALS, in 5-0 win at Groningen (Nov. 23)
-- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 20 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Juventus (Nov. 23)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 win vs. Freiburg (Nov. 23)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 4-0 win vs. Kortrijk (Nov. 24)
-- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 1 minute as a substitute in 2-2 draw at Aston Villa (Nov. 23)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 4-1 loss vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (Nov. 23)
-- James Sands (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. New York Red Bulls in MLS Cup (Nov. 23)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 21 minutes in 2-0 win vs. St. Pauli (Nov. 24)
-- Gaga Slonina (Barnsley; English League One) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Wigan Athletic (Nov. 23)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Lyon; French Ligue 1) – 11 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Reims (Nov. 23)
-- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 6-0 win at Groningen (Nov. 23)
-- Timmy Tillman (Los Angeles FC; MLS) – 50 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss vs. Seattle Sounders in MLS Cup Playoffs (Nov. 23)
-- John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win at New York City FC in MLS Cup Playoffs (Nov. 23)
-- Auston Trusty (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 4-1 win at Hearts (Nov. 23)
-- Matt Turner (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Aston Villa (Nov. 23)
-- Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - No games
-- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 10 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw at A.C. Milan (Nov. 23)
-- Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg; French Ligue 1) - 45 minutes in 2-1 loss at Nice (Nov. 24)
-- Haji Wright (Coventry City; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Sheffield United (Nov. 23)
-- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-2 draw at Tijuana (3-2 PK winners) in Liga MX playoffs (Nov. 21)
