With the March FIFA international window around the corner, a number of players put their best foot forward to make their case for next month international matches.
Duane Holmes filled the net and midfielder Brenden Aaronson set up teammates in wins for their respective clubs.
Within a three-minute span in Huddersfield Town's 4-1 English Championship triumph against Swansea City on Saturday, the 26-year-old Holmes scored twice. With Huddersfield clinging to a 2-1 lead in the 52nd minute, Holmes ran onto a through ball from Aaron Rowe before depositing it into the net from the penalty spot.
Holmes paid tribute to his former and late teammate Jordan Sinnott, who was killed in January 2020 at the age of 25. He held up his fingers to spell "2 and 5" before he pointed to the heavens.
Three minutes later, Lewis O'Brien passed to Holmes on the left flank. Holmes took a couple of touches, cut inside and powered a 25-yard blast over goalkeeper Freddie Woodman into the top far corner.
Holmes' heroics pushed 18th-place Huddersfield, seven points above the dreaded relegation zone.
The Huddersfield-Swansea encounter was not all good news for American players. USMNT forward Jordan Morris, who came on as a halftime substitute for Swansea City's Jamal Lowe, suffered a leg injury and was stretchered off wearing a knee brace 20 minutes later. On Monday, Swansea manager Steve Cooper confirmed that the USMNT attacker suffered significant ligament damage to his ACL. While no time table has been set, the unfortunate injury will end Morris's time playing for Swansea and keep him out of action for an extended period of time.
🗣️ Cooper on @JmoSmooth13...
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) February 22, 2021
"He's had a bad injury unfortunately for him. It's significant ligament damage, ACL. Everything we hoped it wasn't, unfortunately it is.
"It’s the end of his season for us and a long road back to recovery, it’s very cruel." pic.twitter.com/NhsufinPCu
Aaronson did not get credit for any assists, but he made the penultimate pass on a pair of Red Bull Salzburg goals in its 4-2 win over Austria Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga on Sunday. The former Philadelphia Union standout passed to Mërgim Berisha, who set up the first of Patson Daka's three goals in the 30th minute.
With Salzburg holding a two-goal advantage in the 70th minute, his quick feed to Berisha on the counterattack led to Daka's third goal
Tyler Adams did what he does best in RB Leipzig's 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday - he stole the ball to set up RB Leipzig's second goal in its Bundesliga win. He stripped Matteo Guendouzi of the ball and seconds later Mukiele fired shot into the net in the 71st minute. The victory moved Leipzig within two points of leader Bayern Munich, which dropped a 2-1 decision at Eintracht Frankfurt a day prior.
In Turkey, DeAndre Yedlin set up the only goal in Galatasaray’s 1-0 win at Alanyaspor. Making his first league start for the club, Yedlin sliced a 40-yard diagonal ball on to the foot of Emre Kilinc. His first effort was denied by a defender, but he buried the follow-up chance to give Gala the lead and eventual three points.
John Brooks racked up yet another clean sheet while Wolfsburg extended its shutout streak to seven games and 666 minutes in its 3-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Chris Richards and Josh Sargent knocked heads, literally and figuratively in Hoffenheim's 4-0 victory against Werder Bremen Sunday. While going for an air ball in the 43rd minute, Richards, a Hoffenheim defender on loan from Bayern, and Sargent, a Bremen striker, collided. Both players were a bit stunned but appeared okay. Richards went the entire way and Sargent played 82 minutes.
Tim Weah helped Lille take over undisputed possession of first place in French Ligue 1 as he played the final 25 minutes of a 5-1 victory at Lorient on Sunday. On Thursday, Weah started and scored Lille's lone goal in its 2-1 loss to Ajax in the first leg of its UEFA Europa League Round of 32 tie. The second leg is set for Thursday, Feb. 25.
Aron Johannsson made a memorable debut for Polish side Lech Poznan, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 home triumph against Slask Wroclaw. After transferring from Hammarby IF (Sweden), the 30-year-old Johannsson headed home Jan Sykora's right-wing cross from six yards in the 57th minute. Johannsson played 76 minutes.
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes and an ASSIST in 3-0 win at Hertha Berlin (Feb. 21); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Liverpool in UCL (Feb. 16)
-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Rapid Wien (Feb. 21); 61 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Villarreal in Europa League (Feb. 18)
-- Paul Arriola (Swansea City, English Championship) - In 18, DNP in 4-1 loss at Huddersfield Town (Feb. 20); 7 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 vs. Nottingham Forest (Feb. 17)
-- Tyler Boyd (Sivasspor, Turkish Super Lig) – 15 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win vs. Kayserispor (Feb. 21)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 3-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld (Feb. 19)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) – 63 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Moreirense (Feb. 19)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) – 8 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Flamengo (Feb. 21)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Bournemouth; English Championship) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss at Queens Park Rangers (Feb. 20); 90 minutes in 1-0 win at Rotherham United (Feb. 17)
-- Daryl Dike (Barnsley; English Championship) - 82 minutes in a 1-0 at Bristol City (Feb. 20); 35 minutes as a substitute in a 2-1 win vs. Blackburn Rovers (Feb. 17)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Spain La Liga/Segunda B) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Cadiz (Feb. 21); Not in 18, DNP in 4-1 vs. Paris St-Germain in UCL (Feb. 21)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) – 80 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Cadiz (Feb. 21); 71 minutes in 4-1 loss vs. Paris St-Germain in UCL (Feb. 17)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen; French Ligue 2) – vs. Guingamp (Monday, Feb. 22, 2:45 p.m.)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Second Bundesliga) – vs. Holstein Kiel (Monday, Feb. 22, 2:30 p.m.)
-- Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge; Belgian Pro League) - Vs. OH Leuven (Monday, Feb. 22, 2:45 p.m. ET); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kyiv in Europa Cup (Feb. 18)
-- Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town; English Championship) – TWO GOALS in 84 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Swansea City (Feb. 20); 55 minutes in a 2-1 loss at Middlesbrough (Feb. 16)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Schalke; German Bundesliga) - 66 minutes in 4-0 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund (Feb. 20)
-- Aron Johannsson (Polish Ekstraklasa) -- 76 minutes and a GOAL in 1-0 win vs. Slask Wroclaw (Feb. 21)
-- Ulysses Llanez (Heerenveen; Dutch Eredivisie) – Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Groningen AZ draw (Feb. 21); Injured, DNP in 4-3 win vs. Feyenoord (Feb. 17)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italian Serie A) – vs. Crotone (Monday, Feb. 22, 2:45 p.m.); 63 minutes in 2-1 loss at Porto in UCL (Feb. 17)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Beerschot (Feb. 21): 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at KV Oostende (Feb. 17)
-- Matt Miazga (RSC Anderlecht; Belgian First Division A) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Kortrijk (Feb. 21)
-- Alfredo Morales (Fortuna Düsseldorf; German Second Bundesliga) – 72 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Hannover 96 (Feb. 22)
-- Jordan Morris (Swansea City; English Championship) - 20 minutes as a substitute before leaving the match injured in 4-1 loss at Huddersfield Town (Feb. 20); 23 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest (Feb. 17)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - In 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Celta de Vigo (Feb. 20)
-- Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Leeds United (Feb. 19)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien; Austria Bundesliga) - Not in 18, DNP in 5-1 win vs. Rheindort Altach (Feb. 20)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) – Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw at Southampton (Feb. 20); In 18, DNP in 2-0 win vs. Newcastle United (Feb. 15)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Sheffield United (Feb. 20); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Burnley (Feb. 17)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; German Bundesliga) – 10 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 win at Schalke 04 (Feb. 20); In 18, DNP in 3-2 win at Sevilla in UCL (Feb. 17)
-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 4-0 win vs. Werder Bremen (Feb. 21); 90 minutes in 3-3 draw at Molde in Europa Cup (Feb. 18)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Sheffield United (Feb. 20); 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Burnley (Feb. 17)
-- Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen; German Bundesliga) – 82 minutes in 4-0 draw at Hoffenheim (Feb. 21)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) – In 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Arsenal (Feb. 21); In 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Everton (Feb. 17)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 25 minutes as a substitute in 5-1 win at L'Orient (Feb. 21); 90 minutes and a GOAL in 2-1 loss vs. Ajax in Europa League (Feb. 18)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray; Turkish Super Lig) - 90 minutes, ASSIST in 1-0 win at Alanyaspor (Feb. 20)