Haji Wright’s timely form for Coventry, Tim Weah’s Juventus resurgence and Brenden Aaronson’s appreciation at Leeds all play a part in this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the U.S. players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe. With a World Cup on home soil on the horizon and new national team boss Mauricio Pochettino monitoring from afar, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.
Issue of the weekend
Haji Wright is a good listener. Or at least so it would appear, after the Californian scored his sixth EFL Championship goal of the season on Saturday.
The USMNT striker notched the second in Coventry City’s impressive 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in England’s second tier, leaving him third in the scoring ranking for the division. Last month Wright revealed that, in his first interactions with new national team boss Mauricio Pochettino, he was offered some constructive criticism.
“He said, with my delivery in the final third, I should be getting more goals and more assists,” the 26-year-old told the local Coventry Telegraph newspaper. “And the positions that I get into, I don’t always make the right decision. So my decision-making, also, is a big point he made.”
Wright converts at the back post against Middlesbrough (Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images)
There seemed little wrong with Wright’s thinking on Saturday, as he also grabbed an assist for Josh Eccles with a through ball.
Now it could transpire that opportunity has knocked for him. Ahead of this month’s international double-header against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final, the USMNT are down two of their main striking options.
Folarin Balogun’s dislocated shoulder has left him sidelined at Monaco, and now Norwich City’s Josh Sargent has a groin problem to add to the striking option crunch. Pochettino does have Ricardo Pepi, Brandon Vazquez and Alejandro Zendejas to choose from, but Wright’s form could be peaking at the right moment to allow him to add to his 15 senior caps.
Graphic of the weekend
Player of the weekend
Tim Weah has played his way back into the Juventus first team after a week to remember for the Turin club.
First, he provided a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Parma, with fellow USMNT star Weston McKennie scoring the other. Then the American — who spoke in depth about his game with The Athletic’s James Horncastle recently — kept his spot and produced another bright performance as Juventus won 2-0 away at Udinese on Saturday.
GO DEEPER
Tim Weah: My game in my words
Since making only his second start of the Serie A campaign against Inter Milan on October 27, Weah has not looked back. He scored in that 4-4 thriller, then underlined his form in his next two outings.
He played 87 minutes at Udinese and afterwards told DAZN he believes his predatory instincts in the box mean he can score more.
“We work on meeting crosses in training, so this is my natural instinct,” said Weah. “I’ve often played as a striker. I have to make sure I have enough space when the crosses arrive. When I see Chico (Francisco Conceicao) driving on the wing, I immediately prepare myself for his cross.”
Weah is making an impact with Juventus (Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Quote of the weekend
Brenden Aaronson scored the third goal as Leeds cruised past Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth on Saturday, cutting the gap between them and Sunderland at the top of the Championship to three points.
It was Aaronson’s fourth in 13 appearances for the U.S.-owned club this season, and Leeds fans seem delighted with a player they had previously doubted following his poor first season in Yorkshire and then his year on loan at Germany’s Union Berlin last term.
“It was tough at first,” Aaronson told CBS Sports. “I understood the feelings that they had for me coming back. It was tough and things happen, that’s football at the end of the day, but they’ve gotten on my shoulders and been pushing me.
“I can’t thank them enough for that, because it’s been really good after me coming back. I’ve been pushing and putting in a lot of work.“
📱 (𝟭) 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻#LUFC x @flamingolanduk pic.twitter.com/6f92lbvnDg
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 2, 2024
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Malik Tillman
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Position: Midfielder
Games (in all competitions): 15
Goals: Five
Saturday brought a rare defeat for PSV and an unusual off-day for their USMNT attacking midfielder, too. Tillman was not himself as he was deployed in a deeper role against Ajax and gave the ball away for Mika Godts to make it 3-2 for the hosts. It was PSV’s first Eredivisie defeat of the season, but they remain five points clear of their rivals at the top of the table.
Name: Cameron Carter-Vickers
Club: Celtic
Position: Centre-back
Games: 10
Goals: One
Carter-Vickers celebrated his second game back from injury with a goal in Celtic’s 6-0 thrashing of Aberdeen — the team challenging them at the top of the league after a remarkable start to their campaign — in a Scottish League Cup semi-final on Saturday. The American was also back alongside compatriot Auston Trusty and, if they can build their rapport further without more injury disruption, it will be good news for Pochettino. The U.S. head coach already knows Carter-Vickers’ capabilities from their time together at Tottenham.
Carter-Vickers, centre, and Trusty, right, celebrate against Aberdeen (Steve Welsh/PA Images via Getty Images)
Name: Cole Campbell
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Winger
Games: Three
Goals: None
Hot on the heels of making his Dortmund debut in the DFB-Pokal (Germany’s FA Cup equivalent) last week, 18-year-old American Campbell enjoyed his big bow at home in the Bundesliga on Saturday as a late substitute in a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig. His appearance only amounted to one minute of normal time on the pitch — similar to his cameo off the bench at Augsburg the previous weekend — but that won’t matter to the teenager who is making good progress under Nuri Sahin.
Name: Mark McKenzie
Club: Toulouse
Position: Defender
Games: Nine
Goals: None
The 25-year-old played in his side’s second consecutive win as Toulouse edged Reims 1-0 and moved up to 12th in France’s Ligue 1. Playing at left-back in a back four — one of many roles he told The Athletic he relishes last week — the New Yorker shone and, according to Fotmob, won both of his tackles while making 13 defensive actions, the most by any Toulouse defender.
GO DEEPER
Mark McKenzie interview: Pochettino’s gospel of small USMNT gains, Toulouse move and camera crews
Name: Tyler Adams
Club: Bournemouth
Position: Midfielder
Games: Two
Goals: None
Another week, another progressive substitute appearance for the USMNT international, who is back on the field for Bournemouth after a long spell on the sidelines following back surgery in the summer. Last week, he came on to help see out a tough draw with Aston Villa. On Saturday it got even better, as he came on in the 66th minute to guide Bournemouth to a hugely impressive 2-1 win over champions Manchester City.
Adams, right, attempts to track City’s Jeremy Doku (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
Name: Joe Scally
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Position: Defender
Games: 11
Goals: None
Scally played the full game at right-back as Gladbach thrashed Wolfsburg 4-1 on Sunday. The visitors will be hoping their own American talent, Kevin Paredes, will be back in action soon after he resumed training last week.
Name: Matt Turner
Club: Crystal Palace
Position: Goalkeeper
Games: One
Turner made his debut for new club Palace in the absence of Dean Henderson last Wednesday in their 2-1 Carabao Cup fourth-round win over Aston Villa. He made eight saves and, although he was back on the bench when Premier League action resumed against Wolves on Saturday, he is hoping for more run-outs with the Londoners.
“I think the gaffer has said publicly in front of the team that it was earned, not given,” said Turner, who is on loan from fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest. “I’ve been working hard in training, so it’s nice to see the results of that. And get what I feel like I deserved in terms of that, and to continue to push.”
Turner dives to his left to thwart Villa (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
What’s coming up?
(All times ET)
The Champions League is back so, first up, there is a chance for PSV’s Tillman to atone for his off-day against Ajax as the Dutch title holders face Spain’s Girona on Tuesday (12:45pm, Paramount+). Then Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah will have their hands full as AC Milan face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on the same day (3pm, Paramount+).
There will be another chance for Trusty and Carter-Vickers to build on their partnership as Scottish champions Celtic play RB Leipzig of Germany at the same time on Tuesday (3pm, Paramount+). If that doesn’t float your boat, you can flick over at the same time to watch McKennie and Weah play for Juventus against French outfit Lille.
Finally, in the Conference League, Lennard Maloney’s German side Heidenheim face Scotland’s Hearts on Thursday (3pm, Paramount+).
(Top photos: Getty Images)
