USMNT REWIND: Six Goal Scorers Highlight Weekend Action Abroad
Haji Wright, Taylor Booth and Josh Sargent continued to fill the net, heading a list of six goal-scorers from the U.S. Men's National Team pool this past week.
Haji Wright, Taylor Booth and Josh Sargent continued to fill the net, heading a list of six goal-scorers from the U.S. Men's National Team pool this past week.
For the fourth consecutive season, Wright reached double figures, this time for Coventry City. Booth followed up his hat-trick last weekend with an impressive brace for Utrecht. Sargent, once again, was on target again for Norwich City.
Elsewhere, Lennard Maloney, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi also found the net, while Johnny Cardoso turned a steal into a well-earned assist for Real Betis, and goalkeeper Matt Turner became an FA Cup hero for Nottingham Forest.
WRIGHT ON TARGET AGAIN
Haji Wright ripped the nets three consecutive times for Coventry City in a pair of victories over two competitions.
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, he headed home Jay Dasilva’s left-wing cross past goalkeeper Pierce Charles from point-blank range in the 58th minute to put a bow on Coventry's 4-1 triumph over Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Forest will host Manchester United in the fifth round on Feb. 28.
On Sunday, Feb. 11, Wright tallied twice in a 2-1 comeback home win over Millwall in the English Championship. After drawing a penalty kick, he fired his ensuing spot kick down the middle, knotting the match at 1-1. Only three minutes later, Wright struck again for the game-winner, burying a Callum O'Hare feed into the near left post from 12 yards. Coventry (12-8-11, 47 points) is in sixth place in the league.
Wright, who has 10 league goals and 11 across all competitions, started his streak with 11 goals with Sønderjyske in Denmark in 2020-21. He continued it with 14 goals with Antalyaspor in 2021-22 and a career-high 15 (16 across all competitions) with the Turkish side in 2022-23.
A BRACE FOR BOOTH
Before last weekend, Taylor Booth hadn't scored a goal for Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie. Now he has five thanks to a pair of virtuoso performances on back-to-back Sundays. After securing his first professional hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Volendam last week, Booth bagged a brace in a 4-0 home triumph over Fortuna Sittard on Feb. 11. The 22-year-old midfielder gave the hosts all the scoring they needed, off a Sam Lammers feed for a 1-0 edge in the 21st minute. He netted his second goal, unassisted, past goalkeeper Michael Verrips for a 3-0 advantage in the 75th minute. Booth has tallied a career-high five goals this season, six across all competitions, for 10th-place Utrecht (6-7-8, 26).
USING HIS HEAD, PART I
Josh Sargent continued his torrid scoring form, connecting for his fourth goal since returning from an ankle injury on Jan. 1. He headed a Jack Stacey's right-wing cross past Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Asmir Begovic from four yards, giving Norwich City a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute on Saturday, Feb. 10. The visitors, however, could not hold the lead and settled for a 2-2 draw in the English Championship. Sargent has seven goals over 672 minutes in 11 matches. In fact, he is averaging a goal every 96 minutes. Norwich City (13-12-6, 45 points) sits in ninth place.
USING HIS HEAD, PART II
Lennard Maloney's first Bundesliga goal of the season started Heidenheim to a 2-1 win at Werder Bremen on Saturday, Feb. 10. The 24-year-old midfielder headed in Jan-Niklas Beste's corner kick past keeper Michael Zetterer to boost the visitors into a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute. Maloney, who has played in 21 league matches this year, has two goals across all competitions. Heidenheim (7-8-6, 27), which won on the road for only the second time this campaign, climbed over Werder Bremen (7-9-5, 26) into eighth place.
SUPER SUB IS BACK
Ricardo Pepi, who hadn't scored in more than two months, came off the bench to help PSV Eindhoven to a 5-1 win at Volendam in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday, Feb. 11. After replacing Luuk de Jong in the 77th minute, it took only two minutes before Pepi struck. The 21-year-old forward scored off an assist by Jordan Teze past goalie Mio Backhaus for a 4-1 lead. Pepi, who has recorded four goals in 216 minutes over 16 league appearances, last tallied in a 2-0 win over Heerenveen on Dec. 7. First-place PSV (19-0-2, 59) enjoys a 13-point lead over second-place Feyenoord (14-2-4, 46).
PAYING THE PENALTY
Folarin Balogun had mixed results in penalty kicks for Monaco in its Coupe de France Round of 16 match at third-tier Rouen on Thursday, Feb. 8. The 22-year-old striker converted a penalty past goalkeeper Leonard Aggoune in the 35th minute for his team's lone goal in regulation a 1-1 draw. It was his first goal since a 5-2 loss to PSG on Nov. 24, and fifth across all competitions. In the shootout, Balogun had an opportunity to give Monaco the win on its fifth attempt. But Aggoune saved his try, forcing sudden-death PKs. Monaco lost the tie-breaker, 6-5.
A STEAL AND AN ASSIST
Since joining Real Betis last month, midfielder Johnny Cardoso has made an impact on the La Liga side. Take, for example, what transpired in the team's 2-0 win at Cadiz in La Liga on Friday, Feb. 9. In the sixth minute, he stole the ball from defender Lucas Pires on the right flank and targeted teammate Willan Jose. Willan Jose scored past goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma to lift the visitors into a 1-0 lead. Real Betis (9-4-11, 38) is in sixth place.
CUP HERO
Goalkeeper Matt Turner became an FA Cup hero for Nottingham Forest. He saved a penalty kick in the shootout to help the English Premier League side to a 5-3 PK win after playing to a 1-1 fourth-round draw with Bristol City after 120 minutes on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Turner denied Sam Bell on the visitors' second attempt. Midfielder Gio Reyna, recently acquired on loan by Forest, could not play because the team did not register him. Nottingham will host Manchester City in the fifth round on Feb. 28.
DUTCH DEBUT
Paxten Aaronson made his Dutch Eredivisie debut with Vitesse, playing the entire way in a 3-2 loss at Heracles on Saturday, Feb. 10. He did not suit up for Vitesse in the KNVB quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 7, as it was eliminated in 3-1 defeat at Cambuur.
FULL RUNDOWN
- Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 31 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Wolfsburg (Feb. 10); 8 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Mainz (Feb. 7)
- Paxten Aaronson (Vitesse; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Heracles (Feb. 11); Not in 18, DNP in 3-1 loss at Cambuur in KNVB (Feb. 7)
- Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at Fulham (Feb. 10)
- Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - 10 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 win at Nice (Feb. 11); 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-1 draw (6-5 loss in PKs) at Rouen in Coupe de France (Feb. 8)
- Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 4-0 win vs. Fortuna Sittard (Feb. 11)
- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) – 88 minutes in 3-0 win at Suditrol (Feb. 10)
- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis; Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 2-0 win at Cadiz (Feb. 9)
- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Injured, DNP in 2-0 win at St. Mirren in FA Cup (Feb. 11); Injured, DNP in 2-1 win at Hibernian (Feb. 7)
- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 77 minutes in 5-1 win at Volendam (Feb. 11)
- Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Getafe (Feb. 11)
- Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City; English Championship) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Preston North End (Feb. 10)
- Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 86 minutes in 2-1 win at Feralpisalo (Feb. 10)
- Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 2-1 win at Werder Bremen (Feb. 10)
- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - Vs. Udinese (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET)
- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Mechelen (Feb. 11)
- Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 25 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Napoli (Feb. 11)
- Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 win at Panserraikos (Feb. 11)
- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 74 minutes in 1-0 loss at Union Berlin (Feb. 10)
- Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – 45 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Darmstadt (Feb. 10)
- Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 13 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 5-1 win at Volendam (Feb. 11)
- Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 81 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Napoli (Feb. 11)
- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Bournemouth (Feb. 10)
- Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 17 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 loss vs. Newcastle United (Feb. 10); Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw (5-3 PK win) vs. Bristol City in FA Cup (Feb. 7)
- Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Union Saint-Gilloise (Feb. 10)
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - Vs. Chelsea (Monday, 3 p.m. ET)
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Bournemouth (Feb. 10)
- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - 69 minutes, GOAL, in 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers (Feb. 10)
- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 18 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Darmstadt (Feb. 10)
- Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 4-0 loss at Club Brugge (Feb. 10)
- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) – Not in 18, SUSPENDED, in 3-0 win at Suditrol (Feb. 10)
- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 13 minutes as a substitute in 5-1 win at Volendam (Feb. 11)
- Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Luton Town (Feb. 10)
- Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 3-2 loss vs. Newcastle United (Feb. 10); 120 minutes in 1-1 draw (5-3 PK win) vs. Bristol City in FA Cup (Feb. 7)
- Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey; Liga MX) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 win vs. Pachuca (Feb. 10); 61 minutes in 4-1 win at Comunicaciones in Concacaf Champions Cup (Feb. 6)
- Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - Vs. Udinese (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET)
- Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Championship) - 90 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 2-1 win vs. Millwall (Feb. 11); 66 minutes, GOAL, in 4-1 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday in FA Cup (Feb. 6)
- Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 63 minutes in 1-0 win at Leon (Feb. 10); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Real Esteli in Concacaf Champions Cup (Feb. 6)