GOAL's key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Weah and Adams sparking wins for their clubs
Timothy Weah didn't start Saturday's marquee Serie A clash between Juventus and AC Milan, but he sure as hell finished it. Weah scored the second Juve goal to bury Milan, leading the Old Lady to a 2-0 win in a game that will have long-term ramifications.
Both are fighting for a top four spot but, with the win, Juve now have a massive advantage over Milan, who are now back to the drawing board.
Borussia Dortmund are also back to the drawing board after yet another defeat. Gio Reyna's status remains a mystery, both in the team and in the transfer market. With less than two weeks left in the January transfer window, the board room at Dortmund has a lot of work to do.
The big winner of the weekend, though, might just be Tyler Adams, who put in one of his best performances of the season in a huge Bournemouth win. He's healthy now and getting closer to his best. And when he's playing at this level, you could easily argue that he's right there among the Premier League's best in that defensive midfield position.
A weekend full of ups and downs, to be sure. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.
AFPWeah provides spark as Juventus topple Milan
The pregame talk centered around the absence of one USMNT winger, Christian Pulisic. In the end, it was the one that generally starts oppsoite him for the USMNT that made all the difference in Saturday's marquee Serie A clash.
After coming off the bench at halftime, Weah was the difference-maker that Juventus needed. He scored the Old Lady's second, following a goal from Samuel Mbangula, putting the game away and earning three crucial points for Juve. Weah's goal was the perfect mix of technique and smarts.
His run was perfect, leaving him one-on-one with Fikayo Tomori. The American then toyed with the Milan centerback, turning him all over before slotting past Mike Maignan.
Weah was phenomenal as he provided the spark Juve needed. So, too, was his USMNT and Juventus teammate Weston McKennie, who started at right-back and did all of the things he'd been doing at left-back and in the midfield.
On the other side, Yunus Musah was one of Milan's better players, putting in a decent shift originally in that right-wing spot vacated by Pulisic before shifting as subs were made.
Overall, it was Juve's day. With the win, they're up to fourth in Serie A, at least for the moment. Milan, meanwhile, are now in eighth with a lot of work to do. Weah's goal was a key moment in the match, and one look at the table shows it may be a key goal in both of these teams' seasons, too.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportAdams runs the midfield in huge win
The game was 13 minutes old, and Tyler Adams made sure the tone was set, if it hadn't been already. Bournemouth were already up 1-0 , but the foot wasn't coming off the gas. The American smashed into Newcastle star Bruno Guimares, letting the opposition know that there would be no letting up. That message carried through, as Bournemouth smashed Newcastle 4-1 with Adams a key figure in midfield throughout.
As always, Adams brought steel to the center of the park. He won three tackles, had two interceptions and committed three fouls, making his presence felt throughout the 90 minutes. That wasn't all, though, as he also provided an assist, setting up Justn Kluivert's hat-trick goal to seal it in the 92nd minute.
It's gone a bit under the radar but, since making his return from injury, Adams has arguably played the best soccer of his career. He leads the Premier League in tackles per 90 and interceptions per 90, showing just how vital he is as a No. 6. Any team in the world can use a defensive midfielder that can win the ball and, right now, Bournemouth are the team lucky enough to have him.
Getty Images SportReyna in limbo?
On the same day that news broke that Borussia Dortmund are holding out for more money on a potential Gio Reyna sale, the man himself was glued to the bench until the final moments of a 2-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Mixed messaging, to say the least. On one hand, Reyna is an asset worth more than whatever AC Milan is reportedly offering. On the other, that asset isn't helpful enough to try and turn around an eventual defeat. How do you make sense of that?
Making matters more confusing is the fact that Reyna did come off the bench to make a difference midweek when he scored in Dortmund's 4-2 defeat at Holstein Kiel. It's not that Dortmund are thriving and head coach Nuri Sahin is worried about breaking up a good thing. Yet Reyna still isn't getting a chance to maybe turn it around.
There's a Champions League game midweek, and maybe that'll offer a different look at how the club values Reyna. Maybe that'll be the game in which he gets more of a chance to do something on the field. If not, it'll be harder to justify Dortmund's handling of this situation, as Reyna remains in limbo as too expensive to sell but not valued enough to play the minutes he needs.
AFPInjury concern for PSV's Tillman
PSV lost just their third Eredivisie game of the season, opening up the title race at the top of the Netherlands' top flight. Saturday's loss will sting, but what stung more was the pre-game news.
Prior to PSV's 3-2 upset loss at PEC Zwolle, it was announced that Malik Tillman would be left out due to an ankle injury. The club indicated the injury may be serious and could leave Tillman out for some time. That's bad news for PSV and Tillman, whose status for the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League games could be under threat.
Tillman has been fantastic for PSV this season. He's scored seven Eredivisie goals to go with one more in the Cup and three more in the Champions League. He's such a key part of everything PSV does.
As for the game, Ricardo Pepi was a 64th minute sub but couldn't change the result. The man who often starts in front of him, Luuk de Jong, struggled, missing a key penalty that could have changed the result. Richy Ledezma started at right-back, while MLS product Esmir Bajrakterovic came in as a late sub.
Overall, it was a bad day for PSV, who suddenly have a title fight on their hands.