GOAL US looks at the key storylines for Americans abroad this weekend, with Weston McKennie leading the way
Everything around American soccer these days comes in the scope of Mauricio Pochettino. The new manager named his first national team squad this week, and the excitement is palpable. Bring on the new era!
But as the USMNT prepares for a pair of mid-October friendlies, there are still European matches to play before the international break. Juventus, Milan and others will need USMNT regulars to step up in big games, while other squads, such as Celtic, will be looking for bounce-back performances from players who will hope to crack the new manager's XI.
Either way, it's as busy as ever, and GOAL takes a look at some of the biggest storylines among Americans abroad this weekend.
GettyMcKennie to continue hot streak?
You could see the passion in Weston McKennie's body language. The American midfielder never stopped running in Juventus' Champions League comeback against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
And although Dusan Vlahovic's brace grabbed the headlines, McKennie might have come up with the key moment of the fixture, running down the rapid Xavi Simons and putting in a perfectly-timed slide tackle to stop a Leipzig counter-attack.
It's a new kind of McKennie this year, flashes of a workmanlike midfielder that has, to date, seldom appeared in Italy. The Bianconeri man has another chance to show flashes of that kind of class this weekend, when his side faces Cagliari. It is perhaps convenient that McKennie is playing as a deeper midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 , as Pochettino hinted that he could use that system as USMNT manager. Either way, he seems to be finding form at the right time.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportHaji Wright to make a case
Wright's USMNT fate is connected to the position of Christian Pulisic. If Pochettino does as he referenced, and deploys a 4-2-3-1, Pulisic could well play through the center. That would leave a gaping hole on the left.
And while there are a few contenders, Wright has a chance this weekend to show that he can be the man for the job. He performed well for Coventry midweek, scoring for the first time in nearly two months and causing problems in a comfortable win.
This weekend presents another opportunity, as the Sky Blues face off against relegation-threatened Sheffield. Their 3-4-3 formation would appear to offer Wright plenty of room to run down the channels, and could well make him a focal point of Coventry's attack as they look to move up the table after a mixed start to the season.
Getty Images SportTrusty to bounce back
There was nothing pretty about Celtic's midweek loss to Dortmund in the Champions League. The Scottish side were all over the place in Germany, and thoroughly beaten, 7-1 on the road.
It wasn't all Auston Trusty's fault. But the American defender truly struggled against the rapid Karim Adeyemi, and will perhaps forever be tied to one of the Champions League's most disappointing showings.
Celtic, as a whole, will need to bounce back. Brendan Rodgers' side badly needs a result – if only to prove that they are still Scotland's best. A clean sheet would be a wonderful addition to that remit, and Trusty will be central to the effort. Celtic are yet to concede in the SPL this season through six games. A solid showing from Trusty could help ensure that it becomes seven.
AFPTim Weah's fitness
It's unclear what, exactly, is going on with Tim Weah's fitness. The Juventus star has yet to appear since suffering an ankle injury, yet Pochettino still included him in the latest USMNT squad.
Weah was a starter for the USMNT at the Copa America and – further back – in the 2022 World Cup. He was a key player under then-coach Gregg Berhalter. Yet, due to those injuries, he has hardly played over the last two months in Serie A. Perhaps it is a situation in which Weah is still injured, yet Pochettino wants him around the group in the coming weeks – not uncommon for international sides.
Either way, it'll be interesting to see if Weah gets any minutes ahead of Pochettino's first camp.
