Johnny Returned to Training this Week

Midfielder Training Slowly, Likely Out vs Barcelona

American midfielder Johnny Cardoso has successfully rejoined Real Betis' training squad this week, offering a glimmer of hope amid the club's recent struggles and injury challenges.

Cardoso, who has been recovering from a hip injury, completed his return to group training, potentially positioning himself for a comeback match in the near future. While his immediate participation in Saturday's match against Barcelona appears unlikely, the club remains optimistic about his potential return, with a possible appearance against Petrocub in Moldova in the Europa League on the horizon.

The midfielder's return comes at a critical time for Real Betis, which has been battling a significant injury list and seeking to reverse its recent poor form. The club fell to 10th in the table after back-to-back league matches to Valencia and Real Sociedad with a defeat to Mlada Boleslav in the Europa League sandwiched in between. Coach Manuel Pellegrini had earlier emphasized the urgent need to turn the team's fortunes around, making Cardoso's recovery a welcome development.

de la Torre's First Minutes

Midfielder Recorded an Assist in Season Debut

Luca de la Torre has finally emerged from a two-month injury nightmare, making his first appearance of the season in Celta Vigo's midweek Copa del Rey match against Salamanca, marking a potential turning point in his turbulent campaign.

The American midfielder, who was declared transferable last summer, provided an assist in his 27-minute cameo in the 7-0 rout. De la Torre made the matchday squad ahead of today's La Liga match against Mallorca. He has been battling persistent physical issues since the season's start and his brief appearance in the cup match represented his first competitive minutes after recovering from a right ankle injury.

De la Torre's situation reflects the broader challenges facing Celta Vigo's squad management. The club, under Director of Football Marco Garcés, is preparing to offload several players, including de la Torre, in the January transfer window. Before the match in the cup, de la Torre was the only squad member yet to appear for the first team this season.

Coach Claudio Giráldez has shown limited interest in integrating de la Torre into his plans, a situation that could further complicate the player's future at the club. The return comes at a critical juncture for de la Torre, who must quickly demonstrate his fitness and value to the team. With the January transfer window approaching and the club actively seeking to move players, his performances in the coming weeks could determine whether he remains part of Celta Vigo's long-term plans.

Haji Update

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard shared an update on striker Haji Wright's ankle injury, describing it as not "terrible" while acknowledging recovery might require considerable time.

Wright was carried off during the 2-2 draw at Sunderland last month, missing the international window and three domestic matches, including Lampard's debut at the helm against Cardiff City.

"I have seen the injury when it happened, watched it back so it's a difficult one to give a timeline for but it's not a terrible injury and we will just have to make sure he's right," Lampard explained. Coventry Live

Pulisic Keeps Producing

Winger Shows His Quality in Milan's Dominant Win

Christian Pulisic continues to prove his importance to AC Milan, even during a Serie A goal drought. The American star delivered an assist during Saturday's 3-0 victory over Empoli.

Pulisic's standout statistic remains truly impressive: he is currently the only Serie A player since the start of the 2023/24 season to record at least 20 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, according to Opta. Despite not finding the net in his last six Serie A matches, he demonstrated why he remains Milan's top scorer with a ‘brilliant’ assist to Tijjani Reijnders right before halftime. A cross from the right wing was challenged by Pulisic and Mattia Viti. The ball bounced off his back and fell to Reijnders, who volleyed it home.

Throughout the foggy contest, Pulisic was a constant threat all evening, creating the most chances in the match with four. Alongside Pulisic, fellow USMNT player Yunus Musah made his mark, starting on the right wing and contributing four tackles. Alvaro Morata opened the scoring early, and Reijnders sealed the victory with another in the second half. The calendar roles on with Coppa Italia on Tuesday.

Five Yanks in One Game

Americans Feature in PSV's Dominant 5-2 Victory Over Utrecht

A quintet of U.S. men's national team players took the field in a thrilling Eredivisie clash between PSV and Utrecht, with the home side securing a comprehensive 5-2 victory that could prove crucial in the title race.

Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Richy Ledezma represented PSV. Tillman started in a deeper midfield role and played the full 90 minutes. Despite creating two chances, Tillman couldn't directly influence the scoreline. Pepi entered as a late substitute in the 77th minute, struggling to make an impact after all the recent heroics, and Ledezma, who played for the USMNT in 2020, started and played 78 minutes at right back.

On the Utrecht side, Paxten Aaronson started in central midfield, playing the entire match, while Taylor Booth came off the bench to play the full second half. Although the Americans didn't feature on the scoresheet, they were part of an entertaining encounter.

PSV dominated the second half, with Ismael Saibari and Guus Til leading the scoring surge. Saibari opened the scoring early before Anthony Descotte equalized. However, PSV's second-half performance blew the game wide open, with Saibari, Til (twice), and Johan Bakayoko finding the net. The victory extends PSV's lead at the top of the Eredivisie to eight points, though Utrecht retained a game in hand. For the American contingent, it was just another appearance added and experience gained.

Captain Antonee Robinson

Fullback Wears Captains Armband for the First Time 

In a historic moment for Antonee Robinson, the American left-back captained Fulham for the first time during their hard-fought 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Making his 164th appearance for the club, Robinson wore the captain's armband in a match that came at a crucial time for the team, with both Jorge Cuenca and Joachim Andersen sidelined through injury.

Robinson led by example, helping his side battle back after conceding an early second-half goal to Brennan Johnson. He was involved in Tom Cairney's equalizer, providing the back pass to Alex Iwobi, who played the pass to Cairney. Despite a late red card to Cairney, Robinson and his teammates showed resilience, earning a point in a challenging away fixture.

McKenzie Solid

Mark McKenzie started and played the full 90 minutes for Toulouse in their 2-0 win over Auxerre on Sunday. While not the standout performer, McKenzie contributed to a solid defensive effort.

Toulouse controlled the game, winning 2-0 with goals from Joshua King and Vincent Sierro. The center back completed 49-of-52 passes (94%) from the left side of a back three. He also had a block, an interception and two clearances. It was Toulouse’s fourth clean sheet in the last five Ligue 1 matches and the club’s sixth overall.

Adams' Progress

Tyler Adams is steadily gaining his strength for AFC Bournemouth, marking a significant personal milestone with three consecutive starts. The midfielder played his first full 90 minutes of the season in Saturday's 4-2 victory over Wolverhampton, showcasing his growing confidence.

Adams impressed with six duel wins, two tackles, and five interceptions while completing 83% of his passes. His return to form is crucial for Bournemouth, which has six matches scheduled in December.

Pepi On Fire

Striker stays hot with stoppage-time winner in the Champions League

In a night of pure footballing drama, Ricardo Pepi produced the crucial stoppage-time winner that completed a miraculous 3-2 comeback victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Trailing 2-0 deep into the second half after first-half goals from Danylo Sikan and Oleksandr Zubkov, PSV seemed destined for defeat. The turning point came with Shakhtar's Pedrinho receiving a red card in the 69th minute, giving PSV a numerical advantage that they would ultimately capitalize on.

Teammate Malik Tillman sparked the comeback with two quick goals - a deflected free-kick in the 87th minute and a spectacular top-corner strike in the 90th minute. Then, five minutes into injury time, Pepi delivered the knockout blow, finding himself unmarked at the back post and coolly slotting home the winner.

"I think definitely this one. To be honest, it is up there for sure,” Pepi said after being asked if it was the most important goal of his career. “I had a similar goal last year in the Champions League — a very important goal, but I think this one was important. We needed the three points and now we get put in a good spot to eventually make it to the next round.” PSV.nl

With this win, PSV moves up to 18th in the Champions League group stage, keeping their hopes of progression alive. In the Eredivisie, they continue to dominate, sitting five points clear at the top of the table with 36 points from 13 games.

"It was crazy, to be honest, but I feel like we have something special in our group," Pepi explained. "We don't stop until the final whistle blows. I think that is something very special that we have worked on and at the end of the day, the result went our way and it was something very special tonight." PSV.nl

Tillman echoed Pepi's excitement, describing the moment as "crazy" and saying, "Incredible comeback. I honestly don’t know what to say, it’s an amazing comeback. After the second goal, I think everyone went crazy, so that pushed us as well. Thanks to the fans and the defense as well." PSV.nl

The victory is particularly significant for Pepi, who joined PSV last summer for €11 million after a successful loan at Groningen. He has already made a significant impact, scoring 10 goals in all competitions, including nine in the Eredivisie - a joint league-leading tally.

"Emotions are all over the place," Pepi said. "I was very happy. It was a crazy game, a lot of emotions going through the game being down 2-0 and eventually coming back and winning 3-2. It doesn't feel real. At the end of the day, I'm just very happy to help the team." PSV.nl

Tillman’s Historic Brace

Midfielder put in another stunning Champions League performance

Malik Tillman etched his name in Champions League history with a stunning performance for PSV that will be remembered for years to come. In a breathtaking match against Shakhtar Donetsk, the 22-year-old American became the first USMNT player to score a brace in the prestigious competition. With PSV trailing by two goals and the match seemingly lost, Tillman produced a remarkable turnaround that left fans and commentators in awe.

The game appeared bleak for PSV when Shakhtar took a commanding 2-0 lead by the 37th minute. However, everything changed when the Ukrainian side was reduced to ten men after a red card in the 69th minute. Tillman seized the moment with extraordinary skill, first sneaking a free kick past goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk in the 87th minute. The free kick, taken near the right corner, caught the goalkeeper by surprise.

Just three minutes later, the American unleashed an outrageous long-range shot that rocketed into the top corner, leveling the match and igniting the Philips Stadion.

Tillman's performance was complemented by his teammate Ricardo Pepi, who scored the winning goal in the 95th minute. Together, they made history as the first USMNT teammates to score in the same Champions League match, showcasing the rising talent of American players in Europe’s top competition.