USMNT REWIND: Vazquez Impresses in Liga MX Debut, Dest and Busio Keep Streaks Alive in Europe, and More

It may be the dead of winter, but several U.S. Men's National Team players are proving to be hot, hot, hot.

Brandon Vazquez connected for three goals in his first two starts for Monterrey, Gianluca Busio struck for a goal in his third consecutive game for Venezia, Luca de la Torre scored for the second time in a week in the Copa Del Rey for Celta Vigo, and Sergiño Dest assisted on a goal for the third successive league match for PSV Eindhoven.

In Belgium, Gaga Slonina backstopped consecutive clean sheets for Eupen for the first time, and – in Germany - Kevin Paredes made the most of his first start since November with a goal for Wolfsburg.

IMPRESSIVE START

After making his Monterrey debut off the bench in a 2-0 win over Santos Laguna on Monday, Jan. 22, Brandon Vazquez really has made quite a first impression on the Liga MX side. He struck for three goals in his first two starts. On Wednesday, Jan. 24 he scored in a 1-1 draw with Queretaro. On Saturday, the former FC Cincinnati tallied twice within a 24-minute span in the first half of a 3-1 victory over Atletico San Luis.

His personal showcase began in the 15th minute, when he flicked a header off a Sebastian Vegas' left-wing cross over goalkeeper Andreas Sanchez to boost the hosts into a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute. After San Luis equalized in the 32nd minute, the former FC Cincinnati standout gave Monterrey the lead in the 39th minute. After a poor clearance pass was intercepted by Monterrey, Jorge Rodríguez slipped the ball to Vazquez, who beat Sanchez for his second goal of the game.

THREE IN A ROW

Whatever Gianluca Busio is eating, he should continue because it seems he can't miss when he shoots at the net these days. The 21-year-old midfielder scored for the third-straight match to lift Venezia to a 1-0 victory over visiting Ternana on Saturday, Jan. 27. In a fog-ridden match, Busio buried a shot from the left side of the penalty area into the lower far corner past goalie Antony Iannarilli for the deciding goal. He also scored in a 5-3 win over Sampdoria on Jan. 14 and in a 4-2 defeat at Cosenza on Jan. 20. Busio has recorded five goals and two assists in 21 league games for third-place Venezia (12-5-5, 41 points), which moved within four points of first-place Parma (13-3-6, 45).

THREE OF A KIND

Speaking of three in a row, PSV Eindhoven defender Sergiño Dest has assisted on goals in three consecutive Dutch Eredivisie contests. He set up the first of two Luuk de Jong's scores in a 2-0 win over Almere City on Saturday, Jan. 27. Dest assisted on a goal in a 3-1 victory over Excelsior on Jan. 13 and another in a 1-1 draw with Utrecht on Jan 21.

OFF THE BENCH

Midfielder Luca de la Torre scored in the Copa Del Rey in Spain for the second time within a week, but it wasn't enough for Celta Vigo to stave off an elimination in Celta Vigo's 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad on Tuesday, Jan. 23. De la Torre beat goalkeeper Álex Remiro two minutes into second-half injury time for his second goal of the competition. He also found the net and assisted on a goal in a 3-1 cup win over Valencia on Jan. 17.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Kevin Paredes could not have asked for a better performance in his first Wolfsburg start since November on Saturday, Jan. 27. Paredes connected for the equalizing goal in the 40th minute in a 1-1 draw with Köln at home. The 2023 U.S. Young Male Player of the Year's second goal of the Bundesliga season came off a Joakim Maehle assist, past goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe. Wolfsburg (6-9-4. 22) is in 11th place.

BACK-TO-BACK CLEAN SHEETS

Entering last week, Gaga Slonina had registered only one shutout for Eupen in the Belgian Pro League. Over a five-day span, the 19-year-old goalkeeper secured two clean sheets, behind a pair of 1-0 triumphs. He blanked host RWDM on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and then denied defending league champions Antwerp at home on Sunday, Jan. 28. The former Chicago Fire keeper's other shutout came in a 2-0 win over Sporting Charleroi on Oct. 28, 2023.

FIRST LOSS

After dropping points for the first time in the Dutch Eredivisie campaign two weeks ago, PSV Eindhoven suffered its first defeat on Wednesday, Jan. 24. PSV, Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi lost at Feyenoord, 1-0, in KNVB Beker on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The first-place side rebounded with a 2-0 league win over Almere City on Saturday, Jan. 27. PSV (18-0-1, 55) continues to lead the table, with a 12-point advantage over second-place Feyenoord (13-2-4, 43).

THEY'RE STILL ALIVE

Five USMNT players and their clubs are still competing in their respective domestic cup competitions.

* Forward Haji Wright played 17 minutes as a substitute for Coventry City in a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday in the draw round of the England's FA Cup on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The teams will meet in a replay at Coventry on Feb. 6.

* Midfielder Tyler Adams is still recovering from a hamstring injury as AFC Bournemouth romped to a 5-0 home win over Swansea City in the found round of the FA Cup on Thursday, Jan. 25.

* Defender Erik Palmer-Brown missed Panathinaikos' 2-0 road defeat to Atromitos in the first leg of the Greek Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The second leg is set for Jan. 31.

* Nottingham Forest played to a scoreless draw at Bristol in the FA Cup fourth round. Goalkeeper Matt Turner went the full 90, while goalie Ethan Horvath did not dress. The replay is set for Feb. 7.

ON THE OTHER HAND

Three players and their teams were eliminated from their cup competitions.

* It was one tough week for Fulham defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, as Fulham was eliminated from two tournaments over a matter of days. On Wednesday, Jan. 24, the Cottagers were bounced by Liverpool on aggregate, 3-2, in the English League Cup semifinals after playing to a 1-1 tie in the second leg. Robinson played 90 minutes and Ream sat the bench. Liverpool won the opening leg, 2-1. They both played the entire way in a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, Jan. 27.

* Josh Sargent's Norwich City squad was eliminated from the FA Cup fourth round via a 5-2 loss at Liverpool on Sunday, Jan. 28. The striker did not suit up.

FULL RUNDOWN

• Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Darmstadt (Jan. 28); 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich (Jan. 24)
• Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Mainz (Jan. 26)
• Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 5-0 win vs. Swansea City in FA Cup (Jan. 25)
• Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - Injured, DNP in 2-2 draw at Marseille (Jan. 27)
• Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 66 minutes in 1-1 draw at Excelsior (Jan. 27)
• Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) – 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-0 win vs. Ternana (Jan. 27)
• Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Mallorca (Jan. 27)
• Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 64 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Ross County (Jan. 27)
• Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-0 win vs. Almere City (Jan. 27); 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Feyenoord in KNVB Beker (Jan. 24)
• Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 66 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Girona (Jan. 28); 45 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 2-1 loss vs. Real Sociedad in Copa Del Rey (Jan. 23)
• Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw at Bristol City in FA Cup (Jan. 26)
• Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 87 minutes in Catanzaro (Jan. 26)
• Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim (Jan. 27)
• Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Empoli (Jan. 27)
• Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Sint-Truiden (Jan. 28)
• Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 31 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. Bologna (Jan. 27)
• Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss at PAOK (Jan 28); Injured, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Atromitos in Greek Cup (Jan. 24)
• Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Köln (Jan. 27)
• Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – 79 minutes in 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen (Jan. 27)
• Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. Almere City (Jan. 27); 8 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Feyenoord in KNVB Beker (Jan. 24)
• Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 87 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Bologna (Jan. 27)
• Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Newcastle United in FA Cup (Jan. 27); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Liverpool in English League Cup (Jan. 24)
• Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 24 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 win vs. Bochum (Jan. 28)
• Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Gent (Jan. 27)
• Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - No games
• Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Newcastle United in FA Cup (Jan. 27); 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Liverpool in English League Cup (Jan. 24)
• Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - Not in 18, DNP in 5-2 loss at Liverpool in FA Cup (Jan. 28); 79 minutes in 1-0 loss at Leeds United (Jan. 24)
• Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen (Jan. 27)
• Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 1-0 vs. Antwerp (Jan. 28); 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 1-0 win at RWDM (Jan. 24)
• Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Ternana (Jan. 27)
• Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - Injured, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Almere City (Jan. 27); 45 minutes in 1-0 loss at Feyenoord in KNVB Beker (Jan. 24)
• Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 5-2 loss vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (Jan. 27)
• Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Bristol City in FA Cup (Jan. 26)
• Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - 90 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 3-1 win vs. Atletico San Luis (Jan. 27); 64 minutes, GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Queretaro (Jan. 24)
• Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 31 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw vs. Empoli (Jan. 27)
• Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Championship) - 17 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday in FA Cup (Jan. 26)
• Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 64 minutes in 0-0 draw at Necaxa (Jan. 27); 23 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win at Juarez (Jan. 24)