Crystal Palace Continues Unbeaten With Statement Villa Victory
Chris Richards was strong again as Crystal Palace secured an impressive 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park, helping end the hosts' remarkable year-long unbeaten home streak in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old United States international was instrumental in Palace's defensive solidity, completing 90 minutes and contributing significantly to what he described as laying down a marker for the season. Richards' statistical output reflected his dominance at the back: winning both of his aerial duels, making eight crucial clearances, including seven headers, and maintaining an impressive 85% pass accuracy despite the pressure of playing away from home.
His partnership with captain Marc Guehi proved impenetrable, with Richards winning four of five ground duels and providing the defensive foundation that allowed Palace's attacking players to flourish. The American center-back was never dribbled past and made one key block while demonstrating the collective defensive mentality he emphasized in his post-match comments about keeping clean sheets to give the forwards the best chance to succeed.
Richards' consistent performances at the Premier League level make him a certainty for Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad for the September international friendlies. His experience in England's top flight, combined with his leadership qualities and defensive reliability, positions him as a key figure in the new manager's plans as the United States begins preparation for the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
On This Day in 2018, the American Full-Back Scored His First Premier League Goal in Newcastle's Spirited Display at the Etihad
The summer of 2018 had left American soccer players largely forgotten. Without the World Cup platform that typically showcases U.S. talent to European clubs, players like DeAndre Yedlin found themselves grinding through another season mostly out of sight from the broader football world. For the 25-year-old full-back, now entering his third campaign at Newcastle United, the early weeks of the new Premier League season represented a chance to prove his worth at the highest level.
Yedlin had arrived at St. James' Park in 2016 for £5 million, part of Rafael Benítez's rebuilding project. After helping Newcastle secure promotion back to the Premier League, he had established himself as a reliable presence down the right flank. However, with Geoff Cameron being relegated with Stoke City that past season, Yedlin had quietly become the most experienced American in England's top flight in 2018. This responsibility carried both opportunity and pressure.
The season had started encouragingly for Newcastle. Despite a narrow defeat to Tottenham on opening day, where Yedlin suffered a minor knee injury that briefly raised concerns, the Magpies had shown resilience. A battling performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, though ending in defeat through a late own goal from Yedlin himself, demonstrated Benítez's tactical acumen and his team's defensive organization.
On September 1, Newcastle traveled to the Etihad Stadium to face the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. Few gave the visitors much chance against Pep Guardiola's star-studded squad, which was looking to maintain its perfect start to the campaign. The Magpies' woeful record at this venue—22 top-flight meetings without victory—suggested another comfortable afternoon for the hosts.
Yet Newcastle, deployed in Benítez's characteristic defensive setup, frustrated City throughout the first half. When Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with a curling effort after seven minutes, it appeared the floodgates might open. Instead, the visitors held firm, with new signing Salomón Rondón providing an isolated but willing focal point in attack.
Then came Yedlin's moment. In the 33rd minute, Newcastle broke with pace and purpose, catching City's usually impeccable defensive structure off guard. Rondón, eager to impress in his early appearances for the club, created space and delivered a perfectly weighted pass that found Yedlin's far-post run. The American full-back, arriving unmarked, showed composure beyond his years as he stroked the ball home to level the score.
It was a goal that embodied everything about Yedlin's development at Newcastle—the timing of his overlapping runs, the positional intelligence that Benítez had instilled in his defensive system, and the confidence to finish when the opportunity arrived. For a player who had scored just once in his previous three years, finding the net in such circumstances represented a personal breakthrough.
Though Kyle Walker's second-half thunderbolt would ultimately secure victory for City, Yedlin's equalizer had provided Newcastle with their brightest moment of an otherwise difficult start to the season. The goal made him the first American to score in the Premier League since Cameron's effort for Stoke in March 2014. This statistic highlighted both his achievement and the scarcity of U.S. players making their mark at this level.
For American soccer, still reeling from the World Cup qualification failure, Yedlin's strike offered a reminder that the talent pipeline to Europe's top leagues remained intact. With interim national team coach Dave Sarachan preparing his roster for upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Mexico, every strong showing from U.S. players abroad carried added significance. The program was rebuilding, searching for experienced voices who could guide a new generation of prospects.
Yedlin's goal at the Etihad represented more than just a personal milestone. In a season when American players were mainly operating in the shadows, his moment of quality against the Premier League champions demonstrated that U.S. talent could still rise to the occasion. After years of steady development under Benítez's guidance, the full-back had announced himself on the grandest stage English football had to offer.
Defender Has Strong Showing in Celtic's Draw Against Rangers
Cameron Carter-Vickers commanded a strong performance in Celtic's dreary 0-0 draw with Rangers at Ibrox, earning Player of the Match honors despite the disappointing spectacle that left both sets of supporters frustrated with the lack of quality on display.
The 27-year-old American center-back was the standout performer in what pundits described as one of the poorest Old Firm encounters in recent memory. Carter-Vickers dominated defensively with 13 clearances, including 11 headers, while maintaining exceptional distribution with a match-high 66 completed passes at an impressive 93% accuracy rate. His aerial dominance was particularly notable, as he won four of five duels in the air and never allowed himself to be dribbled past during the entire 90 minutes.
In a game that lacked real quality and creativity from both sides, Carter-Vickers provided the defensive stability that kept Celtic in the contest. His ball-playing expertise from the heart of the backline was evident as he completed seven passes into the final third, trying to spark Celtic's lackluster attacking play. The defender won his only tackle attempt and made three crucial interceptions while showing his versatility with a perfect dribble success rate.
However, despite his consistent performances at the highest level of Scottish football and his status as Celtic's most important defender, Carter-Vickers was surprisingly omitted from Mauricio Pochettino's first USMNT squad for the September international friendlies, raising questions about the new manager's defensive priorities ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
