With the holiday season in full swing, several U.S. Men's National Team players had plenty of reasons to celebrate this past week.
In Italy, Juventus teammates Weston McKennie and Tim Weah became the first Americans to combine for a goal in the UEFA Champions League.
In Germany, Gio Reyna scored his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund in 583 days.
In England, Antonee Robinson recorded a brace of assists for Fulham in an English Premier League draw at first-place Liverpool, while Brendan Aaronson gave Leeds United some late insurance in an English Championship victory.
The week then culminated with trophy lifts in Scotland and Mexico, as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Aaron Trusty teamed at center back to help Celtic capture the Scottish League Cup, while Alejandro Zendejas played a major role in the two-leg Liga MX Apertura finals with a goal and two assists for champions Club América.
DYNAMIC DUO, DYNAMIC GOAL
Not only did Tim Weah and Weston McKennie become the first USMNT players to combine for a goal in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Dec. 11, McKennie made sure Juve’s second goal was spectacular in its 2-0 home victory over Manchester City.
Both players came on as substitutes in the 69th minute, McKennie replacing Khéphren Thuram, and Weah taking over for Francisco Conceição. Six minutes later, they were celebrating McKennie's score.
Weah, who possessed the ball on the right side of the penalty area, attempted a cross that was blocked before gathering the ball. He then put a cross toward the left side. McKennie then produced an impressive scissor kick to double the hosts' lead in the 75th minute, drilling the ball past goalkeeper Ederson. It was the third goal of the season for McKennie, and his second in the UCL.
ALEJANDRO THE GREAT
Alejandro Zendejas was a major reason why Club América celebrated an unprecedented third-straight major Mexican championship. He assisted on two goals and scored one of his own in the 3-2 aggregate win over USMNT teammate Brandon Vazquez and Monterrey. The 26-year-old midfielder assisted on Richard Sanchez's 24th-minute goal in a 1-1 draw on Sunday, Dec. 15.
In the first leg on Thursday, Dec. 12, Zendejas enjoyed an influential match, scoring one goal and assisting on another in a 2-1 victory. He made his mark on either side of halftime, setting up Kevin Alvarez's goal in the 39th minute to knot the match at 1-1. Four minutes into the second half, Zendejas put away Alvaro Fidalgo's feed for what proved to be the game-winner.
Vazquez played 24 minutes as a substitute in the opening leg and started and competed for 71 minutes in the second leg.
TROPHY COLLECTION
Cameron Carter-Vickers secured his eighth trophy with Celtic, which defeated arch-rival Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday, Dec. 15. Carter-Vickers and fellow center back Aaron Trusty helped Celtic earn a 3-3 draw before the team prevailed in a shootout, 5-4. Carter-Vickers went the full way, while Trusty was subbed out at halftime. They became the second pair of USMNT teammates to lift this particular trophy together after DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu won the 2009/10 trophy together with Rangers.
Both players went 90 minutes in a scoreless tie at home against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
SUPER GOAL
Gio Reyna made certain his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund in 19 months - or 583 days - was a memorable one in a 1-1 home draw with Hoffenheim on Sunday, Dec. 15. Only 30 seconds after the second half began, the 22-year-old midfielder stopped a clearance with his chest before driving the ball from the top of the box into the top right corner past goalkeeper Oliver Baumann for a 1-0 lead. Jacob Bruun's stoppage-time tally lifted the visitors to the tie.
Entering the week, Reyna had played only 63 minutes for Dortmund this season as he missed two months due to injury. Reyna had made his first start of the season in Dortmund's 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Dec. 11, playing for 73 minutes. He made his first Bundesliga start on Sunday. He last scored in the Bundesliga in a 5-2 league win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on May 13, 2023.
Dortmund (6-4-4, 22 points) is in eighth place in the Bundesliga.
HERE'S TO YOU, MR. ROBINSON
Left back Antonee Robinson continued his stellar play on both sides of the ball, assisting on both of Fulham's goal in its 2-2 draw at 10-man Liverpool on Saturday, Dec. 14. He found Andreas Pereira with a deep cross and the Brazilian fired a shot that ricocheted off Andrew Robinson past keeper Alisson Becker to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute against the English Premier League leaders.
After Liverpool (11-1-3, 36) equalized, Robinson was at it again in the 76th minute. This time he sent the ball across the face of the ball to Rodrigo Muniz, who buried the finish for a 2-1 advantage. Ten minutes later, the Reds equalized.
In stoppage time, the 27-year-old defender blocked a shot by Diogo Jota to help the eighth-place Cottagers (6-4-6, 24) earn a solid road point against a team that has lost only nine points out of a possible 45 this season.
Despite being a defender, Robinson is tied for third place with six assists in the EPL. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka leads the way with 10 assists.
SOME LATE INSURANCE
Midfielder Brendan Aaronson found the net in stoppage time to help Leeds United to a 3-1 home win over Middlesbrough in the English Championship on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Aaronson, a headache for the visitors for most of the match, beat goalie Seny Dieng from close range off of Ao Tanaka's assist, two minutes into injury time. It was Aaronson's fifth goal of the campaign.
Second-place Leeds United (12-3-6, 42), which registered its eighth consecutive home triumph, is vying for automatic promotion to the EPL. The team trails Sheffield United (14-2-5, 45) by three points. The top two sides will move up without competing in playoff matches.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Championship) - 65 minutes in 1-1 draw at Preston North End (Dec. 14); 90 minutes, GOAL, in 3-1 win vs. Middlesbrough (Dec. 10)
-- Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 3-3 draw vs. Go Ahead Eagles (Dec. 15)
-- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) – Vs. West Ham United (Monday, 3 p.m. ET)
-- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) – Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw at Reims (Dec. 14); Injured, DNP in 3-0 loss at Arsenal in UCL (Dec. 11)
-- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-3 draw vs. Go Ahead Eagles (Dec. 15)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie A) – 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Juventus (Dec. 14)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 45 minutes in 1-0 win at Petrocub (Dec. 12)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 3-3 draw vs. Rangers (5-4 PK winners) in League Cup (Dec. 15); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Dinamo Zagreb in UCL (Dec. 10)
-- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss at Heerenveen (Dec. 14); Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss at Brest in UCL (Dec. 10)
-- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Sevilla (Dec. 14)
-- Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Beerschot (Dec. 14)
-- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; Championship) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Stoke City (Dec. 14); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Preston North End (Dec. 11)
-- Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Heerenveen (Dec. 14); 45 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Brest in UCL (Dec. 10)
-- Kristoffer Lund (Palermo; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Catanzaro (Dec. 15)
-- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss vs. Stuttgart (Dec. 15); 61 minutes in 3-1 in loss at Istanbul Basaksehir in UEFA Conference League (Dec. 12)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Venezia (Dec. 14); 21 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 2-0 win vs. Manchester City in UCL (Dec. 11)
-- Mark McKenzie (Toulouse; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Saint-Etienne (Dec. 13)
-- Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Millwall (Dec. 14); Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at Leeds United (Dec. 10)
-- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Genoa (Dec. 15); 83 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Red Star Belgrade in UCL (Dec. 11)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Nott in 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Levadiakos (Dec. 15); Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 win at The New Saints in UEFA Conference League (Dec. 12)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 3-2 loss at Freiburg (Dec. 13)
-- Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 34 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Bochum (Dec. 14)
-- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 23 minutes in 1-0 loss at Heerenveen (Dec. 14); 17 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Brest in UCL (Dec. 10)
-- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Genoa (Dec. 15); Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Red Star Belgrade in UCL (Dec. 11)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 76 minutes, GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Hoffenheim (Dec. 15); 73 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Barcelona in UCL (Dec. 11)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 76 minutes in 3-1 loss at Union Saint-Gilloise (Dec. 15)
-- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Brighton Hove & Albion (Dec. 15)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes, TWO ASSISTS, in 2-2 draw at Liverpool (Dec. 14)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Championship) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Burnley (Dec. 15)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 86 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Holstein Kiel (Dec. 14)
-- Gaga Slonina (Barnsley; English League One) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 win at Exeter City (Dec. 14)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Lyon; French Ligue 1) – In 18, DNP in 3-1 loss at Paris Saint-Germain (Dec. 15)
-- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Heerenveen (Dec. 14); 84 minutes in 1-0 loss at Brest in UCL (Dec. 10)
-- Auston Trusty (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 45 minutes in 3-3 draw vs. Rangers (5-4 PK winners) in League Cup (Dec. 15); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Dinamo Zagreb in UCL (Dec. 10)
-- Matt Turner (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Brighton Hove & Albion (Dec. 15)
-- Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - 71 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Club America in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 15); 24 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss vs. Club America in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 12)
-- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 65 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Venezia (Dec. 14); 21 minutes as a substitute, ASSIST, in 2-0 win vs. Manchester City in UCL (Dec. 11)
-- Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 win at Le Havre (Dec. 15)
-- Haji Wright (Coventry City; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 win vs. Hull City (Dec. 14); Injured, DNP in 2-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion (Dec. 11)
-- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 1-1 draw at Monterrey in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 15); 90 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST, in 2-1 win vs. Monterrey in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 12)
