MNT Rewind: Shot? Cross? Christian Pulisic Leads Dortmund to 3-0 Win vs. Stuttgart
Christian Pulisic's highlight reel goal opened the scoring in Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 victory against Stuttgart on Sunday
Kicking things off in Germany, following a 6-0 thumping at the hands of Bayern Munich last weekend, Christian Pulisic and Borussia Dortmund got back to winning ways on Sunday morning thanks to a 3-0 home win against Stuttgart.
Active throughout the match, Pulisic opened the scoring in the 38th minute, though he probably didn’t mean to. Taking a pass from Lukasz Piszczek, the MNT midfielder attempted a floated cross to the back post, but the ball carried past Stuttgart ‘keeper Ron-Robert Zieler and into the top right corner. The goal was Pulisic’s fourth in the Bundesliga this season and first since Dec. 16.
WATCH: Pulisic Cross Stands As Game-Winner vs. Stuttgart
Shot? Cross? Doesn't matter, it's in the back of the net!
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@ussoccer_mnt) April 8, 2018
Watch @cpulisic_10 hit home his fourth of the @Bundesliga_EN season to give @BVB a 1-0 halftime lead vs. @VfB Stuttgart!
pic.twitter.com/ulPn55Fqra
The win combined with Schalke’s 3-2 loss to Hamburg on Saturday saw Borussia Dortmund move back to within one point of second place ahead of next week’s Revierderby in Gelsenkirchen, which will be scouted by MNT head coach Dave Sarachan. And while they lost the match, Schalke received a boost as Weston McKennie returned from injury to play the final 45 minutes on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, MNT forward Jozy Altidore scored the second goal in Toronto FC’s 3-1 victory against Club América in the first leg of the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League. With the match deadlocked 1-1 moments before halftime, Altidore broke the ice in the 44th minute when he received a pass from Sebastian Giovinco, juked a defender at the top of the box and slid a low effort past Agustin Marchesin and inside the left post.
TFC will hope to advance to the 2017-18 CONCACAF Champions League Final by maintaining its advantage in the second leg Tuesday, April 10 at Estadio Azteca (10 p.m. ET; UDN).
WATCH: Altidore Lifts Toronto FC to 3-1 Win vs. Club América
Check out a few other notes from the past week:
- Veteran midfielder Alejandro Bedoya registered his first goal of the season, nodding home a 64th minute equalizer in the Philadelphia Union’s 1-1 draw vs. San Jose Earthquakes.
- DeAndre Yedlin helped Newcastle United to a 2-1 victory against Leicester City on Saturday. The result marked Newcastle’s third straight league win, taking the Magpies up to 10th with six matches remaining.
- Brad Guzan only needed to make one save in keeping his second-straight clean sheet in Atlanta United FC’s 5-0 thrashing of LAFC.
- Lynden Gooch collected his third assist of the season in Sunderland's 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Monday.
A full rundown of how MNT players performed for their clubs this past week:
Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls) – 90 minutes in 1-0 Concacaf Champions League semifinal first leg defeat at Guadalajara (April 4)
Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) – 85 minutes, GOAL in 3-1 Concacaf Champions League semifinal first leg win vs. Club América (April 3)
Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 1-1 draw vs. San Jose Earthquakes (April 7)
Matt Besler (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at LA Galaxy (April 8)
Alex Bono (Toronto FC) - 90 minutes in 3-1 Concacaf Champions League semifinal first leg win vs. Club América (April 3)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC) – 90 minutes in 3-1 Concacaf Champions League semifinal first leg win vs. Club América (April 3)
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Ipswich Town) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Brentford (April 7)
Joe Corona (Club América) – 36 substitute minutes in 3-1 Concacaf Champions League semifinal first leg defeat at Toronto FC
Marky Delgado (Toronto FC) 74 minutes in 3-1 Concacaf Champions League semifinal first leg win vs. Club América (April 3)
Dom Dwyer (Orlando City SC) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 3-2 win vs. Portland Timbers (April 8)
Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca) – 21 substitute minutes in 6-2 win at Puebla (April 6)
Lynden Gooch (Sunderland) – 83 minutes, ASSIST in 3-1 loss vs. Sheffield Wednesday (April 2), 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Leeds United (April 7)
Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC) – 90 minutes in 5-0 win vs. LAFC (April 7)
Julian Green (Greuther Fürth) – 77 minutes in 0-0 draw at Sandhausen (April 7)
Bill Hamid (Midtjylland) – Monday, April 9 vs. København (1 p.m. ET)
Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. FC Dallas (April 7)
Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy) – 23 substitute minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Sporting KC (April 8)
Weston McKennie (Schalke) – 45 substitute minutes in 3-2 loss at Hamburg (April 7)
Matt Miazga (Vitesse) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at NAC Breda (April 7)
Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United FC) – 90 minutes, in 5-0 win vs. LAFC (April 7)
Andrija Novakovich (Telstar) – 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. PSV II (April 6)
Ike Opara (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at LA Galaxy (April 8)
Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 3-0 win vs. Stuttgart (April 8)
Tim Ream (Fulham) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Leeds United (April 3); 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday (April 7)
Antonee Robinson (Bolton) – 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Derby County (April 7)
Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution) – 25 substitute minutes in 4-0 win vs. Montreal Impact (April 6)
Rubio Rubin (Club Tijuana) – 17 substitute minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Atlas (April 6)
Kenny Saief (Anderlecht) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Sporting Charleroi (April 6)
CJ Sapong (Philadelphia Union) – 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. San Jose Earthquakes (April 7)
Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chicago Fire (April 7)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chicago Fire (April 7)
Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) – 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Querétaro (April 8)
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Leicester City
Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Chicago Fire (April 7)
Walker Zimmerman (LAFC) – 90 minutes in 5-0 loss at Atlanta United FC (April 7)
Graham Zusi (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at LA Galaxy (April 8)
Injured/Did Not Play
John Brooks (Wolfsburg) – Knee injury; Not in 18 for 2-0 loss at Freiburg (April 7)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Tottenham (April 7)
Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Hoffenheim (April 8)
Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen) – Ankle Injury; Not in 18 for 2-1 loss at Hannover 96 (April 6)
Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach) – Not in 18 for 2-1 win vs. Hertha Berlin (April 7)
Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest) – In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Middlesbrough (April 7)
Shaq Moore (Levante) – Not in 18 for 2-1 win vs. Las Palmas (April 8)
Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana) – In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Atlas (April 6)
Erik Palmer-Brown (Kortrijk) – Not in 18 for 2-1 loss vs. Royal Excelsior Mouscron (April 8)
Matt Polster (Chicago Fire) – MCL Sprain; Not in 18 for 1-0 win vs. Columbus Crew SC (April 7)
Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at St. Etienne (April 6)
Danny Williams (Huddersfield Town) Broken Leg; Not in 18 for 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion (April 7)
Bobby Wood (Hamburg) – Not in 18 for 3-2 win vs. Schalke (April 7)