It was difficult keeping up with all of the goal-scorers from the U.S. Men's National Team pool last week.
Nine - that's right - nine players celebrated goals across seven countries.
There were Brandon Vazquez and Cade Cowell in Mexico, Chris Richards in England, Jordan Pefok in Germany, Folarin Balogun in France, Ricardo Pepi and Paxten Aaronson in the Netherlands, Johnny Cardoso in Spain and Timmy Tillman in the United States.
There were plenty of other highlights as well. The PSV Eindhoven threesome of Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Pepi became the first Americans to perform in a UEFA Champions League knockout round match. They also went on to record a point in the same Dutch match on Sunday.
Weston McKennie recorded two assists in a match for the second time this season, but suffered a dislocated shoulder late in the match.
Representing the goalkeepers, Ethan Horvath registered his first clean sheet with Cardiff City.
Fifteen minutes after coming on at halftime, Brandon Vazquez netted his fourth goal in six appearances to help Monterrey to a 3-0 victory at Juarez in Liga MX action on Friday, Feb. 23. The former FC Cincinnati standout replaced Luis Romo at the start of the second half. In the 60th minute, he took a pass from Jordi Cortizo and slotted home a hard shot from just outside the penalty area past goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado into the right corner for a two-goal lead. Monterrey (5-0-3, 18 points) is in third place, trailing first-place Cruz Azul (6-2-1, 19), with a game in hand.
Midfielder Cade Cowell opened his Liga MX account for Guadalajara, striking for the side's first goal in its 3-1 home triumph over Pumas UNAM on Saturday, Feb. 24. After taking a pass from Alan Mozo, Cowell drilled a shot just to the left of the penalty spot past keeper Julio Gonzalez for a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute. Cowell already had a brace for Chivas in its 3-1 win over Forge FC in a Concacaf Champions League first-round game on Feb. 8.
Defender Chris Richards' first goal for Crystal Palace ignited the team to a 3-0 home win over 10-man Burnley in the English Premier League on Saturday, Feb. 24. He helped make new manager Oliver Glasner's debut as manager a successful one and kept his team eight points clear of the relegation zone. The unmarked Ricards broke a scoreless deadlock in the 68th minute, heading in Jordan Ayew's cross at the far post past goalkeeper James Trafford for a 1-0 lead. That set up a surge in which the hosts tallied three goals in 11 minutes. Palace (7-12-7, 28) sits in 13th place in the EPL.
In his third game with Vitesse, midfielder Paxten Aaronson connected for his first goal for the Dutch Eredivisie side in its 2-1 victory over Excelsior on Sunday, Feb. 25. On a deflected ball in the 53rd minute, Aaronson beat goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel from close range to knot things up at 1-1. Vitesse (4-15-4, 16) is in the relegation zone in 17th place.
Johnny Cardoso broke into the scoring column for Real Betis for the first time since his transfer from Internacional (Brazil), in its 3-1 La Liga victory past Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, Feb. 25. The midfielder put away a Nabil Fekir feed for Betis’ final goal in the 68th minute. Betis (42) is in sixth place with a 10-4-12 mark.
💚🌟 ¡Así se celebra tu primer gol en #LALIGAEASPORTS! #LALIGAHighlights | @RealBetis pic.twitter.com/Y4GeJXCkKz
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) February 25, 2024
Forward Jordan Pefok scored his fifth goal of the Bundesliga season for Borussia Mönchengladbach in its 5-2 home win over Bochum on Saturday, Feb. 24. Pefok lifted his team to 4-1 advantage, off Franck Honorat's assist in the 78th minute. Mönchengladbach (6-10-7, 25) sits in 12th place in the German first division.
Timmy Tillman could not have asked for a better start to the Major League Soccer season as he connected for Los Angeles FC's first goal in its 2-1 home victory over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, Feb. 24. The 25-year-old midfielder volleyed home Omar Campos' left-wing cross from nine yards past goalkeeper Andrew Thomas in the 45th minute for the 2022 MLS Cup champions and last year's runners-up.
Forward Folarin Balogun scored off a brilliant effort in Monaco's 3-2 victory at Lens in French Ligue 1 on Sunday, Feb. 25. Mohammed Salisu sent a long ball down the left flank that Balogun headed once. He then beat his marker, Kevin Danso, and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Brice Samba for a 1-0 edge in the 19th minute. Balogun, however, missed a penalty kick in the 82nd minute before teammate Takumi Minamino tallied the game-winner two minutes into stoppage time. Balogun has five league goals for third-place Monaco (12-6-5, 41).
What a memorable week for Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi in domestic and cup competitions.
They became the first USMNT threesome to appear together in a UEFA Champions League knockout match in PSV Eindhoven’s 1-1 home draw with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Dest and Tillman played the entire way while, while Pepi replaced Hirving Lozano in the 75th minute. PSV will visit Dortmund on March 13.
On Saturday, Feb. 24, all three players recorded points in PSV's 7-1 road rout of PEC Zwolle. Dest set up Johan Bakayoko's tally, which gave the visitors a 29th-minute lead.
Tillman and Pepi, a pair of second-half substitutes, combined for PSV's final goal, with the former assisting on the striker's score in the 86th minute. Pepi has six goals in only 337 minutes over 17 appearances. PSV (21-0-2, 65) is cruising toward the Dutch Eredivisie title as it enjoys a 13-point advantage over second-place Feyenoord (17-2-4, 55) with 11 matches remaining in the campaign.
Weston McKennie continued to set up his Juventus teammates, assisting on two more goals, but dislocated his left shoulder. The USA midfielder set up both of Dusan Vlahovic's goals in a 3-2 win over Frosinone in Italy's Serie A on Sunday, Feb. 25.
Only three minutes after the opening kickoff, the USMNT midfielder sent a right-wing cross to Vlahovic, who scored from six yards. From the middle of the box in the 32nd minute, McKennie set up Vlahovic, who buried the ball for the equalizer. McKennie suffered his injury during a tackle in the 87th minute. He also registered two assists against Frosinone in a 4-0 Coppa Italia victory on Jan. 11.
Gianluca Busio set up the game-winner for Venezia in stoppage time of its 2-1 dramatic win in Pisa in Italy's Serie B on Saturday, Feb. 24. Busio lofted a right-wing cross into the area that Marco Olivieri put away off a spectacular bicycle kick.
Luca de la Torre created Celta Vigo's first goal in its 2-2 draw at Cadiz in La Liga on Sunday, Feb. 25. He set up Iago Aspas' tally, which lifted the visitors into a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Inter Miami CF goalkeeper Drake Callender recorded the first shutout of the MLS campaign, backstopping the league's 2-0 season opening win over Real Salt Lake at home on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Callender was called on to make two saves.
Ethan Horvath made a vital stop to preserve his first shutout for Cardiff City in its scoreless home draw with Blackburn Rovers on Feb. 20. Horvath denied Tyrhys Dolan's point-blank attempt with a left-handed save in the 64th minute of the English Championship match.
A.C. Milan defeated Rennes on aggregate, 5-3, despite losing the second leg of the opening knockout round the UEFA Europa League to Rennes, 3-2, on Thursday, Feb. 22. Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah will get an opportunity to play in the Round of 16 against Slavia Prague on March 7 and 14.