GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Weston McKennie shining for Juventus
The USMNT forward pool is interesting, full of talent but perhaps lacking in a clear main man – especially with Folarin Balogun's long-standing fitness issues. Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent have been in the mix for some time now, but Haji Wright has quietly made his case for the last year or so.
And he was at it again this weekend, scoring a tidy stoppage time equalizer for Coventry and staying in the Championship Golden Boot race. His early form suggests that there might yet be a chance for him to break into the side when the games get bigger.
As for Gio Reyna, the midfielder admitted in an interview that he moved to Borussia Monchengladbach to increase his odds of playing for the USMNT in the World Cup. Can Reyna play at a higher level? Perhaps, but right now, he just needs to . And he showed that there is life in those (still young) boots yet, as he started and, crucially, stayed fit in 75 minutes for his new club on Sunday.
There were good things to be found in Serie A, too. The clash between Juventus and Inter was a chaotic thing, defined by its lack of clarity. USMNT's Weston McKennie was a source of some steadiness, a solid performer in an otherwise maddening game – that's alright, too. Christian Pulisic was quiet, and there were glimpses here and there. But on the whole, it was a steady week for those hoping to make it into Mauricio Pochettino's camp next month.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
Getty Images SportWright outduels Sargent
Haji Wright was among the omissions from the most recent U.S. national team, and he sent a message to Pochettino on Saturday. The striker delivered a stoppage-time equalizer for Coventry in a 1-1 draw against Norwich.
Statistically speaking, Norwich had no business being in this contest as Coventry outshot the Canaries 28-4. Yet, they took an early lead thanks to Mathias Kvistgaarden. But in the dying seconds, Wright responded, pouncing on a opportunity in the box to bail out the home side. Wright was active throughout the match, creating chances and challenging the goalkeeper.
The same could not be said for Norwich's Josh Sargent. The USMNT striker only had one shot and made just five passes for his club. Some of that was due to Coventry having the lion's share of attacking opportunities, but it wouldn't be far-fetched to wonder if Sargent's struggles with the national team might have led to a quiet night for the forward, who recently won the Championship's Player of the Month for August.
AdvertisementAFPMcKennie does his part in Derby d'Italia
The 2025-26 campaign hasn’t gone as planned for McKennie, who was left out of the USMNT’s September friendlies while the familiar question – will he play? resurfaced under Juventus manager Igor Tudor. Yet in the biggest game of the season so far for the Old Lady, McKennie got the call, and he delivered.
The 27-year-old was all over the pitch in a stunning 4-3 win over rivals Inter Milan. In 78 minutes, McKennie connected on 86.4 percent of his passes, a cross, and a long ball. He also had three tackles, two clearances, and two blocked shots defensively. It wasn't a perfect outing for the American, as he was part of the group that had no answers for Inter Milan as they seemingly rallied after every Juventus goal.
Yet, in what was arguably the best game of the European season so far, McKennie got the start and was heavily-involved – a key sign of confidence from Tudor after some previous uncertainty. It's still early in the season, but the club has won all of its games on the campaign and sit second to Napoli due to goal differential.
GettyGio Reyna can still play a bit
OK, so it wasn't pretty. Yes, Gio Reyna's Borussia Monchengladbach were battered at home by a team they are supposed to beat. Yes, they are still scoreless through three games, and in the relegation zone. But there are two good things to latch onto here, especially if you for American fans.
The first, and most basic, is that Reyna started, played 75 minutes, and didn't get injured. Fitness has been a massive issue for the attacking midfielder, but he managed to shake out the legs here. That's more than he could have said in most matches at Dortmund.
Second, Reyna looked quite good. He operated mostly in glimpses, neat touched here and there, as well as a few clever passes. Defensively, he wasn't full of legs, but still made some smart runs and closed down passing lanes. The Bundesliga tends to rely heavily on pressing, and Reyna did his part – even if he wasn't putting in 30 yard sprints all of the time.
Yes, it was a rough result. And yes, there is already talk that manager Gerardo Seoane is under pressure. But Reyna did all he could in his club debut. And for that he deserves plenty of credit.
Getty Images SportPatrick Agyemang returns
It's been a long time coming, but Patrick Agyemang made his long-awaited debut for Derby, having an immediate impact in the Rams' 1-0 win. The striker joined Derby in August, but was withheld from action while recovering from a hernia.
The former Charlotte FC star came on in the 69th minute, and less than 20 minutes later, found another substitute in Andreas Weimann for the 84th-minute winner.
“Patrick today was great for that 20 minutes when he came on,” Derby County manager John Eustace said. “It’s been a tough six or seven weeks for him as well. So we’re getting minutes into the legs, we’re getting minutes into the squad.”
While Agyemang's move to Derby caused some friction at his former club and raised concerns considering what had essentially been guaranteed minutes for Charlotte FC, if this debut is anything to go by, it's a momentum-builder in a crowded competition for the striker spot with the U.S squad.
In limited action, Agyemang was effective in the air, winning a aerial duel and drawing two fouls. It will be interesting to see whether Pochettino calls on the 6-4 striker in October.