Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and Richie Ledezma made history as they became the first American players to score goals in the same Dutch Eredivisie match for PSV Eindhoven on Friday.
In Mexico, Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey) and Alejandro Zendejas (Club América) will clash in Liga MX's Apertura playoff final after their teams won their respective semifinal series courtesy of important goals from both players
Also among the top highlights by U.S. Men's National Team players last week, Fulham's Antonee Robinson and Celta Vigo's Luca de la Torre recorded assists in wins.
ONE UNIQUE TRIPLE
These days, it seems the USMNT contingent at PSV Eindhoven tries to find ways to outdo itself game by game.
On Nov. 27, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi performed some late-match heroics to turn a defeat into a rousing 3-2 comeback victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League.
On Friday, Dec. 6, Richie Ledezma joined his teammates as he, Tillman and Pepi scorched the nets for goals in a 6-1 trouncing of Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie.
After the visitors grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute, PSV put its game into high gear and never looked back. In Tillman's sixth Eredivisie goal of the season, he converted Ismael Saibari’s cross that snapped the deadlock and boosted the Dutch leaders into a 2-1 lead in the 40th minute.
Pepi assisted on the first of Saibari's two goals, which lifted PSV into a 4-1 margin in the 54th minute. Ledezma tallied his first goal since May 2022, converting Noa Lang's long pass to the top of the goal for a 5-1 advantage in the 63rd minute. Pepi then capped off the match in the 85th minute. He has become one of the hottest goal-scorers in Europe, as he buried his 10th goal in only 14 matches over 613 minutes.
PSV (14-1-0, 42 points) extended its lead to nine points atop the league over second-place Utrecht (11-2-2, 35). Next up for PSV is a trip to Stade Brest in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
AMERICAN VS. AMERICAN
Alejandro Zendejas (Club América) and Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey) had the first and last words, respectively, in their team's second-leg wins of the Liga MX Apertura Playoff semifinals. As a result, they will square off in the finals this week.
Zendejas started Club América off with the first goal, an 18-yard golazo of its 4-3 triumph over Cruz Azul on Sunday, Dec. 8. America won the aggregate goals series, 4-3, after playing to a scoreless draw at home in the opening leg on Thursday, Dec. 5.
In the second leg of Monterrey's semifinal series against Atletico San Louis, Vazquez played the final eight minutes while connecting for an 18-yard goal in a 5-1 victory in the second leg on Saturday, Dec. 7. Monterrey won the aggregate goal series, 6-3, after dropping the first leg on the road, 2-1, on Dec. 4.
Club América will host the first leg on Thursday, Dec. 12, while the second leg is set for Monterrey on Sunday, Dec. 15.
A COUPLE OF HELPERS
Antonee Robinson and Luca de la Tore set up goals in wins for their respective teams, Celta Vigo and Fulham last week.
Robinson assisted on Alexander Iwobi's insurance goal in the 87th minute of Fulham's 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League on Thursday, Dec. 5. Even though he is a defender, Robinson has recorded four assists this English Premier League, good for 13th place on the charts. Fulham (6-4-5, 23) is in 10th place.
De la Torre, a midfielder, assisted Fer Lopez's second goal of the contest, in the 89th minute of Celta Vigo's 7-0 win over Salamanca UDS in the second round of Copa del Rey on Dec. 3. He entered the match in the 86th minute.
THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FEELING
Los Angeles Galaxy defender Jalen Neal celebrated winning a league-record sixth MLS Cup as the host side defeated the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, Dec. 7. Neal replaced forward Joseph Paintsil four minutes into second-half stoppage time, competed in the final four minutes of the final. Red Bulls left back John Tolkin played the entire match.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Derby County (Dec. 7)
-- Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Almere City (Dec. 8); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Ajax (Dec. 4)
-- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Ipswich Town (Dec. 8); 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Tottenham (Dec. 5)
-- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Toulouse (Dec. 7)
-- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - In 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Almere City (Dec. 8); Not in 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Ajax (Dec. 4)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie A) – 84 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Como (Dec. 8)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Barcelona (Dec. 7); Injured, DNP in 3-1 win at Sant Andreu in Copa del Rey (Dec. 4)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - In 18, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Hibernian (Dec. 7); 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Aberdeen (Dec. 4)
-- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 6-1 win vs. Twente (Dec. 6)
-- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 4 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. Mallorca (Dec. 6); 27 minutes as a substitute, ASSIST, in 7-0 win at Salamanca UDS in Copa del Rey (Dec. 3)
-- Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. OH Leuven ((Dec. 7); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Genk in Belgian Cup (Dec. 4)
-- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; Championship) - No games
-- Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 6-1 win vs. Twente (Dec. 6)
-- Kristoffer Lund (Palermo; Italy Serie B) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Carrarese (Dec. 7)
-- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 4-2 loss at Bayern Munich (Dec. 7)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Bologna (Dec. 7)
-- Mark McKenzie (Toulouse; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Monaco (Dec. 7)
-- Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at Burnley (Dec. 7)
-- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 89 minutes 38 minutes in 2-1 loss at Atalanta (Dec. 6); 45 minutes as a substitute in 6-1 win vs. Sassuolo in Coppa Italia (Dec. 3)
-- Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy; MLS) – 1 minute as a substitute in 2-1 win vs. New York Red Bulls in MLS Cup (Dec. 7)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Asteras Tripolis (Dec. 8); Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Atromitos in Greek Cup (Dec. 4)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 4-3 win vs. Mainz (Dec. 8); Injured, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Hoffenheim in DFB Pokal (Dec. 4)
-- Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 20 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 loss at Stuttgart (Dec. 6)
-- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST, in 6-1 win vs. Twente (Dec. 6)
-- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 38 minutes in 2-1 loss at Atlanta (Dec. 6); 45 minutes as a substitute in 6-1 win vs. Sassuolo in Coppa Italia (Dec. 3)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach (Dec. 7)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Dender (Dec. 8); Not in 18, DNP in 4-1 loss at Anderlecht in Belgian Cup (Dec. 5)
-- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Manchester City (Dec. 7); 9 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Ipswich Town (Dec. 3)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Arsenal (Dec. 8); 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-1 win vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (Dec. 5)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Championship) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers (Dec. 7)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Borussia Dortmund (Dec. 7)
-- Gaga Slonina (Barnsley; English League One) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Birmingham City (Dec. 7); Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss at Wrexham (Dec. 3)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Lyon; French Ligue 1) – 8 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win at Angers (Dec. 7)
-- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 6-1 win vs. Twente (Dec. 6)
-- John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at LA Galaxy in MLS Cup (Dec. 7)
-- Auston Trusty (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Hibernian (Dec. 7); 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Aberdeen (Dec. 4)
-- Matt Turner (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Manchester City (Dec. 7); In 18, DNP n 1-0 win at Ipswich Town (Dec. 3)
-- Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - 8 minutes, GOAL, in 5-1 win vs. Atletico San Luis in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 7); In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss at Atletico San Luis in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 4)
-- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 79 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Bologna (Dec. 7)
-- Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Reims (Dec. 8)
-- Haji Wright (Coventry City; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win at Millwall (Dec. 7)
-- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 4-3 win at Cruz Azul in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 8); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Cruz Azul in Apertura Playoffs (Dec. 5)
