USMNT Goal SZN Kicks Off in Europe 💥🇺🇸

Welcome back for another season of American States United, Men in Blazers’ weekly newsletter that covers all things Americans Abroad. We’re more excited for the start of the club season than Joe Max-Moore serving up bangers at Goodison Park, so let’s dive right into the week one updates.

USMNT Goal SZN Already Underway:

From the West Midlands to Turin, our boys in Europe wasted no time getting their names on the scoresheet very early on this season.

Unofficial ASU Banger of the Week goes to Tim Weah, for scoring his first-ever Serie A goal with a left-footed Howitzer in Juventus’ season-opener against Como on Monday. The 24-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y. was noticeably subdued in his celebration, likely because he’d suffered a right hamstring injury shortly before the goal, which required him to be subbed off at halftime. Latest word from new Juve boss Thiago Motta is that the injury is “low-grade,” and will be re-evaluated in nine days. Can not wait to see you back out there again soon, Timothy.

Haji Wright also got in the goals in his first league start of the season for Coventry City, with a brace against Oxford United on Friday, including this dramatic 96th-minute winner to seal the Sky Blues’ first EFL Championship victory of ‘24-25. Going back to the end of last season, the 26-year-old from Los Angeles now has 10 goals in his last 16 games for Coventry in all competitions.

O’Fallon, Missouri’s own Josh Sargent also came up big in the Championship in week two, as he had a goal in the 65th minute — a proper heater from the Heartland — and an assist in the 73rd minute to lead Norwich City to a 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. 

And while it wasn’t a goal, Yunus Musah had the assist on AC Milan’s 95th minute equalizer on Saturday to help lift the Rossoneri to a late 2-2 season-opening draw against Torino. Musah’s USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic got the start under new boss Paulo Fonseca, and in the 10 role at that.

Additional Dispatches From the English Pyramid:

Wright and Sargent weren’t the only Americans Abroad making meaningful contributions in the U.K., as a handful of USMNT players were also making headlines up and down the English football pyramid.

Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards both started for Fulham and Crystal Palace, respectively, in Matchweek 1 of the new Premier League season. While both clubs lost on the road — Fulham at Manchester United, and Palace at Brentford — both players performed well in defensive roles, picking up where they left off last season.

One tier down in the Championship, USMNT midfielder Aidan Morris is off to a very promising start with Middlesbrough. Having joined Michael Carrick’s club from the Columbus Crew, the 22-year-old from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. has started Boro’s first three games of the new campaign, looking very comfortable going box-to-box in a holding midfield role.

After a season on loan with Union Berlin, Brenden Aaronson is back with Leeds United this season, where he already has a goal in his first 108 minutes of action (coming in a start and two substitute appearances over three matches).

And in League One, goalkeeper Gaga Slonina and center back Donovan Pines have quickly become core parts of the Barnsley defensive spine, as the USMNT duo have started the Yorkshire club’s last two games: a win over Wigan in the League Cup — thanks to a goal from the ex-DC United defender, and two shootout saves from the 20-year-old keeper — and a 2-1 league win over Lincoln City on Saturday. Up the Tykes!

News and Notes:

• By all accounts, it’s not a matter of if, but rather when Mauricio Pochettino will be named the new USMNT manager. The former Spurs, PSG and Chelsea boss is reportedly still negotiating his severance arrangement with the Blues as the final hurdle in getting the deal over the line.

• Weston McKennie did not play in Juventus’ season-opening win against Como, but the fact that he was even part of the squad shows that he may have a future in Northern Italy after all. Before the game, Juve boss Thiago Motta called the USMNT midfielder, “a useful and functional player for our needs,” and reports on Wednesday are that McKennie could be set to sign a contract extension. All of this just two weeks after the new manager told Wes his services were no longer required at the club. 

• After a strong finish to last season with Vitesse, Paxten Aaronson has returned to the Netherlands this season, joining FC Utrecht on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt, where he’ll share a dressing room with fellow USMNT attacker Taylor Booth. Pax has gotten off to a fast start with his new club, playing all 180 minutes in Utrecht’s first two matches, including an assist in their 1-1 draw at Heerenveen on Saturday.

• More from the Eredivisie … It seems Richy Ledezma has breathed new life into his PSV career, as the erstwhile midfielder has started the Eindhoven side’s first two matches this season at right back. Ledezma being back in the fold means PSV USA shifts from a trio to a quartet, as the 23-year-old from Phoenix joins Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergiño Dest for the reigning Dutch champions.

• Mark McKenzie is a Smurf no more, as the 25-year-old has moved from Belgian side Genk to Ligue 1 McDonald’s club Toulouse on a permanent transfer. Given the French league’s key sponsor, and given McKenzie is a “Mac” himself, the club welcomed him with a great fast-food-themed social video.

• Having joined McKenzie in France just one week ago on loan from Chelsea, 19-year-old defender Caleb Wiley was thrown straight into the mix with new club Strasbourg, as the former Atlanta United left back started and played 89 minutes in the Ligue 1 side’s 1-1 draw at Montpellier on Sunday. 

• Houston-born manager Fabian Hürzeler led his new side Brighton and Hove Albion to a 3-0 away win at Everton on Saturday. Even more impressive: the 31-year-old Wunderkind was younger than NINE starters that day.

Parting Shots:

Kahveh Zahiroleslam has yet to receive a call-up at any level of the USMNT system, but if he continues to build on his early-season form, one would think he would at least emerge as a 6-foot-4, Belgium-based blip on U.S. Soccer’s radar. The former Yale striker had two goals and an assist in St.-Truiden’s 3-3 draw with Dender on Saturday, making it three goals in four games so far this season in the Belgian top flight for the 22-year-old from Saratoga, Calif. This after scoring five goals in 27 appearances for the Canaries last season.