Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman led the late charge for PSV Eindhoven in its thrilling extra-time victory in the KNVB Beker in the Netherlands.
Tim Weah and Gio Reyna both came off the bench to score for their respective sides, AC Milan (Italy) and Borussia Dortmund (Germany).
Defender Antonee Robinson added two more assists to his burgeoning collection for Fulham, while Tyler Adams had a vital assist for Bournemouth and Paxten Aaronson set up a goal for Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Those were among the standout performances from U.S. Men’s National Team players during last week’s action.
COMEBACK KIDS
With PSV Eindhoven facing a 2-0 deficit in the second half, Ricardo Pepi (two goals) and Malik Tillman (one) teamed up to power the Dutch Eredivisie leaders to a 5-4 triumph over Excelsior in the Round of 16 of KNVB Beker on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Tillman sliced the lead in half in the 73rd minute. After Lance Duijvestijn gave the visitors a 3-1 advantage seven minutes later, Pepi took center stage. The 22-year-old forward put in an Ivan Perišić feed to move PSV within a goal in the 86th minute before Ismael Saibari equalized at 3-3 seven minutes into stoppage time. Pepi then gave the hosts the lead to stay on a fine 1-v-1 finish past goalkeeper Calvin Raatsie at 4-3 in the 101st minute.
Pepi has been nothing short of outstanding this season. He has scored 15 goals and added two assists for PSV across all competitions this season in only 935 minutes, striking once every 62 minutes. Tillman has 11 goals across all competitions.
PSV came back down to earth in its league at PEC Zwolle on Saturday, Jan. 18, dropping home points in a 3-1 away defeat. The Eindhoven club (15-3-1, 46 points) remained atop the Eredivisie by one point over Ajax (14-2-3, 45).
GETTING SOME INSURANCE
Tim Weah replaced injured striker Kenan Yildiz at halftime and made the most of his appearance to help boost Juventus to a 2-0 win over AC Milan on Saturday, Jan. 18. The 24-year-old winger scored off a counterattack, connecting for his fifth goal of the Italian Serie A season in the 64th minute for Juve's final goal. Weah latched onto a Khéphren Thuram pass, beat defender Fikayo Tomori before depositing an eight-yard shot from the left flank past keeper Mike Maignan. He last scored in a 2-0 victory over Torino on Nov. 9.
Midfielder Weston McKennie went the entire 90 minutes, as did midfielder Yunus Musah for the visitors. Milan played without the injured Christian Pulisic. Fifth-place Juve (8-0-13, 37) remained unbeaten, but trails first-place Napoli (16-3-2, 50). Eighth-place Milan (31) fell to 8-5-7.
OFF THE BENCH
Gio Reyna scored his second goal of the Bundesliga season, as a substitute in Borussia Dortmund's 4-2 loss at Holstein Kiel on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Reyna, who replaced Marcel Sabitzer in the 59th minute, sliced Borussia's deficit to 3-1 in the 72nd minute, firing home a Waldemar Anton pass past goalkeeper Timon Weiner into the far corner just outside the penalty area. His other goal this season was scored in a 1-1 draw vs. Hoffenheim on Dec. 15. Dortmund (7-7-4, 25) is in 10th place, trailing leader Bayern Munich (14-1-3, 45).
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Two minutes into injury time, midfielder Tyler Adams recorded his first English Premier League assist in AFC Bournemouth's 4-1 victory at Newcastle United on Saturday, Jan. 18. Adams intercepted a clearance outside of the penalty area and his feed set up the final goal of Justin Kluivert's hat-trick. Eighth-place Bournemouth (37), which is unbeaten in 10 league matches, improved to 10-5-7.
DOUBLING UP
Antonee Robinson's amazing season of setting up teammates for goals continued in Fulham's 3-2 EPL defeat at West Ham United as he assisted twice on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The left back twice fed Alexander Iwobi for both his goals in the second half, in the 51st and 76th minutes. Robinson is third in the league with nine assists, a stunning total for an outside defender. He trails only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (13) and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (10). Fulham (8-5-9, 33) sits in 10th place.
HELPING OUT
Paxten Aaronson fine season with Utrecht continued as he assisted on the tying score in a 2-1 victory at RKC Waalwijk on Wednesday, Jan. 15. He fed Sébastien Haller for the halftime substitute’s first goal of his brace a minute into the second half in the Dutch Eredivisie encounter. Utrecht (12-3-4, 40) sits in third place.
FIRST START
Midfielder James Sands, who recently was loaned to St. Pauli from New York City FC (MLS), made his first start for the Bundesliga side. He performed 71 minutes in the 2-1 victory at Heidenheim on Saturday, Jan. 18. St. Pauli (5-11-2, 17) is in 14th place, three points above of the relegation zone in the 18-team league.
BACK IN ACTION
Aidan Morris saw minutes for the first time in nearly two months for Middlesbrough in its 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth in the English Championship on Saturday, Jan. 18. The 23-year-old midfielder played the final 20 minutes in the match. He last performed for Middlesbrough in a 5-1 win over Luton Town on Nov. 9.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Championship) - 89 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday (Jan. 19)
-- Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. AZ (Jan. 18); 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-1 win at RKC Waalwijk (Jan. 15)
-- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) – 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 4-1 win at Newcastle United (Jan. 18); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Chelsea (Jan. 14)
-- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) – Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss at Montpellier (Jan. 17); Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw (3-1 PK loss) at Reims) in Coupe de France (Jan. 14)
-- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. AZ (Jan. 18); Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win at RKC Waalwijk (Jan. 15)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie A) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Parma (Jan. 19)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Alaves (Jan. 18); 90 minutes in 5-1 loss at Barcelona loss in Copa del Rey (Jan. 15)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Kilmarnock in Scottish Cup (Jan. 18); 90 minutes in 3-3 draw at Dundee (Jan. 14)
-- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at PEC Zwolle (Jan. 18); Injured, DNP in 5-4 win vs. Excelsior in KNVB Beker (Jan. 14)
-- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) -Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Athletic Bilbao (Jan. 19); Not 18, DNP in 5-2 loss at Real Madrid in Copa del Rey (Jan. 16)
-- Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Sint-Truiden (Jan. 19)
-- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; Championship) - In 18, DNP in 3-0 win vs. Swansea City (Jan. 18); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Watford (Jan. 14)
-- Richy Ledezma (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 87 minutes in 3-1 loss at PEC Zwolle (Jan. 18); 80 minutes in 5-4 win vs. Excelsior in KNVB Beker (Jan. 14)
-- Kristoffer Lund (Palermo; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Juve Stabia (Jan. 19)
-- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - Not in 18m DNP in 2-0 loss vs. St. Pauli (Jan. 18); Not in 18, DNP in 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen (Jan. 15)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. A.C. Milan (Jan. 18); 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Atalanta (Jan. 14)
-- Mark McKenzie (Toulouse; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Lyon (Jan. 18); 27 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win vs. Laval in Coupe de France (Jan. 15)
-- Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough; Championship) - 20 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Portsmouth (Jan. 18)
-- Yunus Musah (AC Milan; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Juventus (Jan. 18); 45 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win at Como (Jan. 14)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. AEK Athens (Jan. 19); 45 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Olympiakos in Greek Cup (Jan. 15)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - Injured, DNP in 3-2 loss at Bayern Munich (Jan. 18); Injured, DNP in 5-1 win vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (Jan. 14)
-- Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 60 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Mainz (Jan. 19); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Augsburg (Jan. 15)
-- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) -26 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 loss at PEC Zwolle (Jan. 18); 120 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 5-4 win vs. Excelsior in KNVB Beker (Jan. 14)
-- Christian Pulisic (AC Milan; Italy Serie A) - Injured, DNP in 2-0 loss at Juventus (Jan. 18);45 minutes in 2-1 win at Como (Jan. 14)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 3 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt (Jan. 18); 31 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 4-2 loss at Holstein Kiel (Jan. 14)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Antwerp (Jan. 19)
-- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win at West Ham United (Jan. 18); 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Leicester City (Jan. 15)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Leicester City (Jan. 18); 90 minutes, TWO ASSISTS, in 3-2 loss at West Ham United (Jan. 14)
-- James Sands (St. Pauli, Bundesliga) - 71 minutes in 2-0 win at Heidenheim (Jan. 18); 9 minutes as a substitute in a 1-0 loss at Bochum (Jan. 15)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Championship) - 26 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Sheffield United (Jan. 18)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 3-1 loss at Bayer Leverkusen (Jan. 18); 81 minutes in 5-1 loss at Wolfsburg (Jan. 14)
-- Gaga Slonina (Chelsea U-21; English Premier League 2) - Not in 18, DNP in 4-2 win vs. Nottingham Forest (Jan. 17)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Lyon; French Ligue 1) – In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Toulouse (Jan. 18); In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw (4-2 loss) at Bourgoin-Jallieu in Coupe de France (Jan. 15)
-- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at PEC Zwolle (Jan. 18); 60 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 5-4 win vs. Excelsior in KNVB Beker (Jan. 14)
-- Auston Trusty (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Kilmarnock in Scottish Cup (Jan. 18); 90 minutes in 3-3 draw at Dundee (Jan. 14)
-- Matt Turner (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 win at West Ham United (Jan. 18); In 18, DNP in 2-0 win at Leicester City (Jan. 15)
-- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 45 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 2-0 win vs. A.C. Milan (Jan. 18); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Atalanta (Jan. 14)
-- Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at Marseille (Jan. 19); Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw (5-3 PK win) at Thaon in Coupe de France (Jan. 15)
-- Haji Wright (Coventry City; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Bristol City (Jan. 18)
