🚨PEPI COMES ALIVE! PSV ADVANCE IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! 🇺🇸🇳🇱

"Dream come true. Proud of this team."

—Ricardo Pepi on Twitter, after scoring the game-winner against Sevilla that sent PSV through to the Champions League Round of 16. Likewise, Pepi, likewise …

PEPI WINNER LIFTS PSV TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT ROUND 🇺🇸:

Holy USMNT Away Days on the Iberian Peninsula. For fans of Americans Abroad, we’re just not sure that a “European Night” — at least in the group stage — gets better than what was witnessed on Wednesday.

And it’s all thanks to a trio of Americans plying their footballing trade for a club in the Campine region of the Netherlands.

PSV had never, in their history, won in Spain. But in the 92nd minute of Wednesday’s Champions League group match at Sevilla, with the score tied 2-2 and the Eindhoven side needing a win to guarantee progress to the knockout round, Yorbe Vertessen — that young Belgian ginger (honorary American KDB) — charged down the left, and floated an inviting ball to the middle. One Ricardo Pepi 🇳🇱 (20; El Paso, TX), fresh off a great midfield lay-off and sprint goalward, had just intelligently delayed his run to create separation from his defender. The ball hung for a second, before El Tren confidently, joyously, and emphatically pounced on it, bullet-heading home the winner. (WATCH THIS AMAZING MOMENT OF WEST TEXAS MAGIC)

Cue: Away fan bedlam. Cue: USMNT group celes in Andalusia. Cue … Louis van Gaal doing a drunken conga???

The Pepi wonderhit felt like a statement. Lad has scored so many clutch goals in his young career but this … The first goal by an American in the Champions League this season. The first Champions League goal for the 20-year-old from El Paso, Texas. This was without a doubt next level.

And not to be lost in all of this was fellow American Sergiño Dest 🇳🇱 (23; Almere, NED) serving up the assist for PSV’s first goal (WATCH). And with his left foot, no less. 

American Soccer Twitter, go find PSV Soccer Twitter. Follow each other’s accounts. Like each other’s posts. Send each other Asado and Stroopwafel food porn pics. But most importantly … HAVE. A. NIGHT.

MORE: Front Page Pepi 📰

MORE: Key American Abroad Goals in UCL 🧵

Puli, Wes and the Serie B Bros:

Not to be lost in all the PSV insanity is the fact that Christian Pulisic 🇮🇹 (25; Hershey, PA) returned to action this week as well. Pennsylvania Man even played quite well in Milan’s last two matches: a 1-0 win over Fiorentina, and a tough 3-1 loss to Dortmund in the Champions League.

Against La Viola on Saturday, CP11 started and played 61 minutes (note: Yunus Musah played 84 minutes in the win, but was unable to play against BVB in the UCL due to yellow card accumulation). And while Puli was admittedly more steady than spectacular in this one, CBS analyst Mike Grella noted that the Rossoneri’s attacking play fell off without him, allowing Fiorentina to make a late push for a draw. Which thankfully they did not achieve.

But on Tuesday against his old club, Pulisic was excellent, completing 45 of 48 passes, threading through balls, hitting deadly crosses, and firing in some shots on goal that were positively Garnacho-esque. The energy and confidence on display took us back to … well, Puli’s peak Dortmund days. But sadly, despite his play on the wing, Milan was unable to get the vital win.

“There were a few opportunities at the beginning of that second but we just couldn’t take advantage,” said Puli after the match. “It wasn’t our day. It’s disappointing. There are some positives we can take out of it but all we can do is focus on winning the last game.”

Milan now need a win at Newcastle on Dec. 13 in their final UCL group match to have any shot at advancing to the knockout round of the competition. (And even then, they would still need help from Dortmund against PSG.)

Elsewhere in Italy, Weston McKennie 🇮🇹 (25; Little Elm, TX) put in another extremely solid shift for Juventus, in their 1-1 draw with Inter Sunday. The result keeps the Bianconeri in second place, two points behind the Nerazzuri, and four points ahead of Milan.

And this week’s pair of golden Duck Heads goes to Tanner Tessmann 🇮🇹, as the 22-year-old from Birmingham, Ala. had a goal (WATCH) and an assist in Venezia’s 3-0 win at Bari on Saturday. Roll Tide. Fellow Southerner Gianluca Busio 🇮🇹 (21; Greensboro, NC) also played 85 minutes in the win. Silver Bucks for you, lad. Go Heels.

American Eagles in England:

Since going blonde, Antonee Robinson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (26; Liverpool, ENG) has been on a heater, with goal contributions in each of his last three matches for club and country. After back-to-back goals for the USMNT, Jedi fed Alex Iwobi for the assist (WATCH) in Fulham’s 3-2 win over Wolves Monday. Tim Ream also played the full match in the victory, as Tim Ream does.

Also, shouts out to Haji Wright 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (25; Los Angeles, CA), for getting the winner (WATCH) in Coventry City’s 1-0 victory over Simon Hallett’s Plymouth Argyle (Hallett being the Pilgrims’ Pennsylvania-based club owner). Such American Abroad on American Abroad violence would be inexcusable, were it not for Coventry getting seven points from their last nine, and Wright scoring his third goal in his last four matches. Sky Blues flying, thanks to Reverse Darren Huckerby.

News and Notes:

• Folarin Balogun 🇫🇷 (22; London, ENG) scored his fourth Ligue 1 goal of the season for Monaco, and against PSG, no less (WATCH).

• Malik Tillman 🇳🇱 (21; Nürnberg, GER) had an assist in PSV’s 3-0 victory over FC Twente on Saturday (WATCH), making it an incredible 13 wins in their first 13 Eredivise matches.

• Peep this amazing save by Phallon Tullis-Joyce 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (27; New York, NY) in Manchester United’s League Cup 1-0 win over Liverpool last Wednesday.

• Lindsey Horan 🇫🇷 (29; Golden, CO) was in the goals again (WATCH) in Lyon’s 5-1 win at Guingamp on Sunday.

• Griffin Yow 🇧🇪 (21; Clifton, VA) scored for Westerlo (WATCH) in their tough 3-2 loss at Sporting Charleroi.

• Alan Sonora 🇦🇷 (25; Buenos Aires, ARG) got the match-winning assist for top-of-the-table Huracan in their 2-0 win at Atletico Tucuman in the Argentinian top flight (WATCH)

Parting Shots:

Massive shouts to Bob Bradley and Michael Bradley, as head coach father and assistant coach son steered Stabaek to a vital — and late — 2-1 win over Sandefjord on Sunday to lift them out of the relegation zone in Norway’s Eliteserien. Scenes. With a win on Sunday at FK Haugesund, Team Bradley can guarantee safety for the suburban Oslo club, who were set to be relegated when Bobby rejoined the club in September. Up the Bradleys!!!