GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including a huge win for Weston McKennie
Let this weekend remind you that, sometimes, soccer is more than soccer. Sometimes it's about a player showing the mental strength to return from a two-year-long stint in injury recovery. Sometimes it's about a player seeing their dreams dashed in the cruelest of fashions. Sometimes it's about proving doubters wrong on the biggest stage.
And sometimes, yes, it's about something as silly as a squirrel on the field.
All of those above scenarios happened over this weekend, which certainly was a rollercoaster ride for U.S. men's national team stars playing in Europe. Big games in Italy and England took centerstage. So, too, did goals and assists in the Netherlands and Scotland.
Through it all, though, the big stories were – well, actually stories. Daryl Dike, Josh Sargent and Weston McKennie are all writing theirs, and each will have something to look back on and smile after this weekend.
That luxury won't be extended to James Sands, unfortunately. A serious leg injury will keep him out for some time, and it came at a the worst of times, given his success at St. Pauli. In a weekend full mostly of positives, that was a gloomy setback for a player who was making real progress.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
Getty Images SportSquirrels are surprising, Josh Sargent is not
The clip went viral immediately, and it wasn't because of Josh Sargent's goal. No, it was because of the squirrel running across the field in the seconds prior to it. You don't see that every day.
Sargent scoring, though? It seems like we are seeing that every weekend, and that's because we are.
With his goal on in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Hull City, Sargent now has five in his last five games. He failed to score midweek in a loss to Preston North End, but that was only a temporary speed bump. Sargent was right back at it this weekend, showing why he could be the striker to lead the line for the USMNT in March's CONCACAF Nations League games.
Obviously, there's a USMNT element to this, but Sargent is also proving himself in Europe. This was his 38th goal for Norwich. Since debuting in the Championship in 2022, no player has scored more for one club. That's because players who score at that level usually get either promoted or snapped up by a bigger club. Could that day be coming soon for Sargent?
First, he has to stay healthy. Then he needs to score more goals. At this rate, it seems like that's inevitable, with or without squirrel interference.
AdvertisementAFPWeston McKennie captains Juve to huge win
Don't overlook this. An American star is captaining Juventus, and he was wearing the armband for the biggest win of their Serie A season so far.
McKennie was handed the armband again on Sunday, and he was fantastic as an attacking playmaker in a 1-0 win over Inter. He didn't get an assist, but he got close several times. In many ways, McKennie led Juve's fightback from the front and, after a rough first half, the Old Lady needed to show that fight in order to win the game.
He wasn't alone. Tim Weah was in the XI too, and he put in a strong shift at right-back. There were never any doubts on his side of the field as Inter routinely targeted Juve's left. Both Americans played their parts in the win, one that will prove a massive lift to Juventus' top-four hopes while also denting Inter's own hopes at a Scudetto.
Juventus belong in the top four and, given what we've seen from him all season long, McKennie belongs at Juventus. His Champions League goal against PSV provided more evidence. Given the chance, he's worn that armband well and, on Sunday, he wore it for another huge moment in his club's Serie A campaign.
Getty ImagesDaryl Dike makes long-awaited return
West Brom's visit to Millwall finished 1-1. It was a draw, in the end. For Daryl Dike, though, Saturday will feel like the biggest of wins. This moment had been a long time coming.
For the first time in over a year, Dike was back on the field for West Brom, ending his latest run through injury woes. Since moving to the Championship, it's been one tough blow after another for the USMNT striker. Maybe, though, Saturday can be the start of a new chapter.
Ultimately, Dike's appearance lasted 13 minutes. He got just seven touches of the ball and did more defending than attacking. That's evidenced by the fact that he earned a yellow card just five minutes into his return for a bad tackle on Millwall's Joe Bryan. Let that yellow serve as further proof that Dike still has plenty of fight left in him. Now, it's his body's turn to hold up for that effort.
West Brom will certainly ease him back into action. It'll be a while before we see the version of Dike that looked like a future USMNT star just a few years ago. But, given what he's been through, just making it back onto the field will feel like a huge, huge victory. Hopefully, this time, it's the first of many.
Getty Images SportPaxten Aaronson's big leap
So often, America's eyes on the Eredivisie are centered on PSV's quartet of American stars. But, with three of those four out due to injury, one on the other side stepped up with a goal to show why he, too, should be in the USMNT mix going forward.
Paxten Aaronson has been taking leaps forward for Utrecht all season long and that continued on Saturday against PSV. Aaronson's finish was a headed one and it was the result of American-on-American crime. He leaped right over Richy Ledezma for the finish, running to the camera saying "Air Jordan" in celebration. It would have been a game-winner, too, if not for a 92nd-minute PSV equalizer that saw the two sides split points.
For PSV, it's another blow to their title hopes. For FC Aaronson, it was a sixth goal of the season, following up on four last season for a doomed Vitesse team.
Regardless of how Utrecht fare, there is a real chance this is Aaronson's last in the Eredivisie. He was loaned to the Netherlands by Eintracht Frankfurt to continue his development and it's certainly working. Aaronson is emerging as a hell of a young player, one that could be ready for a step up the ladder.
That applies to both club and country. Aaronson earned his first USMNT cap in 2023 and was a part of the Olympic squad last summer. A USMNT breakthrough is getting closer and, with less than a year and a half until the World Cup, Aaronson will have a chance to play his way into the picture. Goals such as Saturday's will help as he continues to take strides forward this season.
