Aaronson, Tillman and McKennie delivered some early holiday presents for their clubs as they all scored in victories
As the holiday season ramps up, much of the conversation around the U.S. men’s national team has centered on its injured stars. Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah, and Josh Sargent – key names in any Americans Abroad roundup – are all currently sidelined.
But while some stars are missing, others are stepping up. This weekend, there was no shortage of USMNT goalscorers.
Brenden Aaronson, Malik Tillman, and Weston McKennie all found the back of the net in their most recent matches, each adding an bow to the final stretch of their 2024 fixtures. Not every contribution came on the scoresheet, though. Tyler Adams played a pivotal role in Bournemouth’s massive win, while Antonee Robinson continued to live up to his growing transfer buzz with another standout performance.
Soon, the focus will shift. The holidays bring the transfer season in January, and the rumor mill will start churning. But before that, there were big games to play across Europe – and, by and large, the USMNT's stars delivered.
GOAL takes a look at the key takeaways from the weekend that was for Americans Abroad…
Getty Images SportAaronson lives up to his word
When Brenden Aaronson sat down with GOAL this fall, he admitted he was frustrated by the perceptions of his game. He wasn't just a runner or an energy guy, he emphasized – he can create goals, too.
That's what he did on Saturday as he helped Leeds blast Oxford United 4-0. The American provided a goal and an assist, showcasing his evolution into a player who can legitimately impact games in the Championship.
With those two goal contributions, Aaronson is now up to six goals and two assists this season. They're his best numbers since his stay with RB Salzburg in Austria, and if he continues on his current pace, he'll finish this 2024-25 season with a career high in goal contributions.
At 24, Aaronson isn't a finished product. He's continuing to grow, particularly in the rough-and-tumble English Championship. Yet, after setting a target for himself to impact games more directly, he's doing just that. Onward and upward.
AdvertisementImagoTillman shines, but Pepi left on bench
Another week, another USMNT goal for PSV. It was Malik Tillman this time, though.
Tillman hasn't quite gotten the headlines that Ricardo Pepi has, but he's been every bit as effective. He has 10 goals in all competitions this season, with his finish in the 3-0 win over Feyenoord on Sunday being his latest. Tillman is a star at this level and, realistically, with numbers like this, he won't be here long.
As for Pepi, he was left on the bench all the way through. Luuk de Jong, the guy he's battling for a starting spot, started and got a goal. All of this came amid a big bid from a Premier League side for Pepi, who looks like he could be a man in demand as transfer season heats up. It's been a wild season for Pepi, who scores seemingly every time he steps on the field. He didn't get that chance on Sunday, though.
Either way, PSV remains the team to watch for the USMNT. Whether it's Tillman, Pepi or Richy Ledezma, Americans remain involved every week, and it'll be that way for at least a little longer as transfer rumors get going.
AFPAdams and Bournemouth take it to Manchester United
It was a near-perfect day out at Old Trafford for Bournemouth, and Tyler Adams sure played his part.
The American midfielder, who only recently returned from injury, started and went 89 minutes in midfield, helping run the show in a 3-0 beating of the Red Devils. He completed 32 of his 41 passes, won four tackles, had three interceptions, and won seven of his 11 duels. It was a typical Adams day. As always, he was everywhere throughout the game.
As a team, Bournemouth are surging, who are up to fifth in the league. are flying and, with Adams healthy, they have a very good defensive midfielder that's only getting better. With Adams healthy and getting closer to 100 percent, the Bournemouth midfield is solid, which is a good base to start with for a club looking to overachieve in the Premier League.
With the holiday season getting going, Bournemouth are a team to watch, particularly for Americans looking to watch Adams get back to his very best.
GettyMidfield or defense, McKennie's the guy for Juve
Weston McKennie started at left-back again for Juventus in Sunday's match against Monza. Didn't matter, though: he still was able to contribute in the final third.
The USMNT midfielder popped up with an early goal, netting 14 minutes into Juve's clash with Monza. threw that lead away eight minutes later, as Samuele Birindelli scored, but Nicolas Gonzalez restored the lead for Juve in the 39th minute. The team never looked back. It was a huge win for Juventus, who have struggled to collect those this season as they've settled for 10 draws in their first 17 matches.
Back to McKennie, though. The goal was his second in Serie A and his third in all competitions, with his most recent prior to Sunday's coming in that massive Champions League win over Manchester City. McKennie remains a key piece for Thiago Motta's side, no matter where the coach puts him. After earning a coach's trust once again this season, McKennie has shown, again, that he tends to step up wherever he is on the field.
Juve needs to keep winning if they want to get back in the Serie A race. McKennie proved once again on Sunday that, when he's on the field, the team generally has a better chance of doing just that.