USMNT REWIND: Pulisic Scores in Champions League; De La Torre, De La Fuente, Morris, Roldan and Lletget All Find Back of the Net
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Four words can describe the mixed emotions of Christian Pulisic's week:
Big win, tough loss.
On Tuesday, Feb. 22, Pulisic and Chelsea recorded a 2-0 first leg win over Lille in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, as the U.S. Men's National Team standout tallied the second goal at Stamford Bridge in London.
With Chelsea clinging to a one-goal lead, Pulisic streaked in on the left and slotted home N’Golo Kanté’s feed past goalkeeper Leo Jardim in the 63rd minute. The goal was the sixth for Pulisic in the Champions League, leading all USMNT players in Europe’s top club competition.
Things didn’t go quite as well against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday, with Chelsea falling 11-10 in a wild penalty kick shootout following a scoreless draw after 120 minutes.
It might have been a goalless draw, but the match had plenty of drama as the goalkeepers for both sides stood out.
Pulisic, who played 74 minutes, had his point-blank range shot was saved by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the fifth minute. Three minutes into the second half, Pulisic was a yard behind a left-sided feed in front of the Liverpool net. He turned playmaker in the 49th minute, helping set up Mason Mount, who hit the right post.
FINDING THE NET
Luca de la Torre got Heracles off to a fine start in its 2-0 victory past Zwolle in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday, Feb. 26. With Zwolle ‘keeper Kostas Lamprou well off his line after misjudging a play on the right, Anas Ouahim centered the ball to the USMNT midfielder, who chipped home his first of the season in the 18th minute.
Konrad de la Fuente made the most of his limited time off the bench in Marseille's 3-0 win at Qarabag in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, Feb. 24. Coming on in the 83rd minute, de la Fuente scored two minutes into stoppage time for his first goal of the competition.
McKENNIE INJURED
The injury rules the USMNT midfielder out of the team’s final three World Cup Qualifying matches next month at Mexico (March 24), against Panama (March 27) and at Costa Rica (March 30).
“First and foremost, our heart goes out to Weston and we are supporting him in every way possible as he starts the rehab process,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “Injuries are an unfortunate part of our sport and timing is never ideal. That said, our team has always had a next-man-up mentality, and we are confident that the current group will finish the job in World Cup qualifying.”
HORVATH COLLECTS TWO SHUTOUTS
Playing in only his second and third English Championship games, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath recorded two clean sheets for Nottingham Forest. He made four saves to blank Preston North End in a scoreless draw on Tuesday, Feb. 22 before being called upon to make just one stop en route to his first league win, a 2-0 home victory over Bristol City on Saturday, Feb. 26.
ROLDAN & MORRIS: ONE-TWO PUNCH
Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris were major forces behind Seattle Sounders FC's 5-0 triumph past Motagua in the CCL Round of 16 second leg in Seattle on Thursday, Feb. 25. Roldan scored one goal and set up two others and Morris added a goal as Sounders FC won the series, 5-0, after playing to a 0-0 tie in the first leg.
With the hosts leading 1-0 in the 47th minute, Roldan finished a Nico Lodeiro free kick from close range. Nine minutes later, Roldan turned playmaker. He raced past two defenders and found Morris, who slotted the ball into the bottom right corner for his first goal since the 2020 MLS Cup playoffs (Nov. 24, 2020). It also was Morris' 43rd Seattle goal across all competitions, tying him with Obafemi Martins for fifth place in team history. Roldan assisted on Kelyn Rowe's 61st-minute goal for a four-goal lead.
RETURNING TO ACTION
After recuperating from an Achilles injury he suffered last May, center back Aaron Long returned to competitive soccer for the first time since last May. He captained the New York Red Bulls to a 3-1 win at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, Feb. 26.
MAKING THEIR DEBUTS
Three players making their club debuts helped their new teams earn points on Saturday.
Sebastian Lletget scored his first goal for the New England Revolution, one-timing DeJuan Jones’ low cross from the left to give the visitors a 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute of their season opener at the Portland Timbers. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Paul Arriola assisted on FC Dallas' lone goal by Jader Obrian, which gave the hosts a ninth-minute lead, in its 1-1 tie with Toronto FC. He played 72 minutes.
Kellyn Acosta played 73 minutes in Los Angeles FC's 3-0 home victory over his former team, the Colorado Rapids.
SOME MORE CLEAN SHEETS
Sean Johnson secured his second successive shutout in the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 in New York City FC's 4-0 triumph over Santos de Guapiles on Wednesday, Feb. 23. NYCFC won the series, 6-0 on aggregate
Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Slonina got his Major League Soccer season off on the right foot, making four stops to help the Chicago Fire secure a point in a 0-0 draw at Inter Miami on Saturday.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg; Austrian Bundesliga) - ppd. at LASK Linz (Feb. 27)
-- Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 73 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Colorado Rapids (Feb. 26)
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 59 minutes in a 1-0 win at Bochum (Feb. 27); 1 minute as a substitute in 3-1 win at Real Sociedad in Europa League (Feb. 24)
-- Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; MLS) - 72 minutes, ASSIST in 1-1 draw vs. Toronto FC (Feb. 26)
-- Cole Bassett (Feyenoord; Dutch Eredivisie) – 3 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at AZ (Feb. 27)
-- George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld; Bundesliga) - 14 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen (Feb. 26)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; Germany Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach (Feb. 26)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 79 minutes in 3-1 loss at Hellas Verona (Feb. 27)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win at Estoril (Feb. 27)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) – ppd. vs. Gremio (Feb. 26); 62 minutes in 3-2 loss at Sao Jose in Gaucho (Feb. 21)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers; (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Hibernian (Feb. 27); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Bodø/Glint in Europa Conference League (Feb. 24)
-- Justin Che (Hoffenheim; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Stuttgart (Feb. 25)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Marseille; French Ligue 1) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Troyes (Feb. 27); 7 minutes as a substitute, GOAL in 3-0 win at Qarabag in Europa Conference League (Feb. 24)
-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles; Dutch Eredivisie) – 84 minutes, GOAL in 2-0 win vs. Zwolle (Feb. 26)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes in 4-0 win vs. Athletic Bilbao (Feb. 27); 90 minutes in 4-2 win at Napoli in Europa League (Feb. 24)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Montpellier; French Ligue 1) - In 18, DNP in 4-2 loss vs. Rennes (Feb. 26)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Köln (Feb. 26)
-- Brad Guzan (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Sporting Kansas City (Feb. 27)
-- Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Toronto FC (Feb. 26)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Mallorca; Spanish Primera) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss vs. Valencia (Feb. 26)
-- Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Championship) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT in 2-0 win vs. Bristol City (Feb. 26); 90 minutes, SHUTOUT IN 0-0 draw at Preston North End (Feb. 22)
-- Sean Johnson (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss at LA Galaxy (Feb. 27); 90 minutes, SHUTOUT in 4-0 win at Santos de Guapiles in CCL (Feb. 23)
-- Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; MLS) - 79 minutes, GOAL in 2-2 draw at Portland Timbers (Feb. 26)
-- Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win at San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 26)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 81 minutes in 1-1 draw at Villarreal in UCL (Feb. 22)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Kortrijk (Feb. 27)
-- Matt Miazga (Alaves; Spain La Liga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Getafe (Feb. 26)
-- Shaq Moore (Tenerife; Spain Segunda Division) - In 18, DNP in 2-1 loss at Mirandes (Feb. 26)
-- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 75 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Nashville SC (Feb. 27); 60 minutes, GOAL in 5-0 win vs. FC Motagua in CCL (Feb. 24)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 78 minutes in 1-0 win at Mallorca (Feb. 26)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 77 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Marseille (Feb. 27)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach (Feb. 26)
-- Jordan Pefok (Young Boys; Swiss Super League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Sion (Feb. 26)
-- Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg; Bundesliga) - 59 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Borussia Dortmund (Feb. 27)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) - 74 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Liverpool (lost in PKs, 11-10) in Carabao Cup final (Feb. 27); 80 minutes, GOAL in 2-0 win vs. Lille in UCL (Feb. 22)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Cardiff City (Feb. 26); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Peterborough United (Feb. 23)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Kortrijk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Genk (Feb. 27)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Championship) - Not in 18, DNP in in 1-0 win at Cardiff City (Feb. 26); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Peterborough United (Feb. 23)
-- Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Sporting Kansas City (Feb. 27)
-- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss to Nashville SC (Feb. 27); 90 minutes, GOAL, TWO ASSISTS in 5-0 win vs. FC Motagua in CCL (Feb. 24)
-- James Sands (Rangers, Scottish Premiership) -- In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Motherwell (Feb. 27); In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Borussia Dortmund in Europa League (Feb. 24)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Southampton (Feb. 25)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Wolfsburg (Feb. 26)
-- Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; MLS) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT in 0-0 draw at Inter Miami CF (Feb. 26)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win at Everton (Feb. 26)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 11 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 loss at Hellas Verona (Feb. 27)
-- Matt Turner (New England Revolution; MLS) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Portland Timbers (Feb. 26)
-- Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) - 77 minutes in 4-1 loss at Club Brugge (Feb. 27)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; MLS) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Chicago Fire (Feb. 26)
-- Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. New York Red Bulls (Feb. 26)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) - 16 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win at Lyon (Feb. 27); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Chelsea in UCL (Feb. 22)
-- Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 17 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 26)