USMNT REWIND: Zack Steffen and Mark McKenzie Claim More Domestic Club Glory for U.S. National Team Players
The cups continued to runneth over for U.S. Men's National Team players on a historic Sunday.
Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen (English League Cup) and Genk defender Mark McKenzie (Belgian Cup) became the third and fourth USMNT players to earn medals in their respective competitions this season.
They joined Barcelona defender Sergiño Dest who won the Copa del Rey last week and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie who lifted the Supercoppa Italiana in January.
Called upon to make a crucial 47th minute save in City's 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, Steffen joined an exclusive club, becoming the fourth USMNT player and third goalkeeper to play in and win the English League Cup Final.
Midfielder John Harkes won the cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1991, followed by goalkeeper Kasey Keller (Leicester City) in 1997 and Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers) in 2002.
McKenzie came on for the final three minutes to help Genk close out a 2-1 win over Standard Liege in Brussels, Belgium, becoming the first U.S. player to play in and win a Belgian Cup final.
And there's plenty of opportunities for more domestic cup glory over the next five weeks. Keep up with it all with ussoccer.com’s Domestic Cup Tracker.
PERFORMANCES OF NOTE
Christian Pulisic didn’t get statistical attribution, but he did help set up the lone goal of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday with a "hockey" assist. The 22-year-old attacker fed Ben Chilwell the lead pass in the 43rd minute. Chilwell then sent Timo Werner a left-wing pass for the goal. The result gave fourth-place Chelsea a three-point lead over fifth-place West Ham.
A week after Young Boys clinched the Swiss Super League crown, Jordan Siebatcheu gave himself an early birthday present by heading home the game-winning goal in the 76th minute of the club’s 2-1 triumph over Sion. Siebatcheu, who celebrates his 25th birthday on Monday, has accrued 11 goals over 12 starts and 29 league appearances this season.
Daryl Dike enjoyed a pretty memorable week. As a halftime substitute, Dike scored the lone goal via a bicycle kick to give Barnsley a 1-0 triumph against Huddersfield Town on April 21. The Orlando City SC loanee’s strike rate is now at nine goals in 17 matches since joining Barnsley on Feb. 1.
Following other results around the league on Sunday, he and his Barnsley teammates learned they had booked a spot in the English Championship playoffs in the team's quest to reach the English Premier League.
Center back Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has been a fixture while on loan with Bournemouth this season, will join Dike and Barnsley in the promotion playoffs.
Tyler Adams played 74 minutes for RB Leipzig in its 2-0 Bundesliga win over 10-man Stuttgart on Sunday and helped set up the hosts' second goal. His pass to led to a foul in the penalty area. Emil Forsberg converted the ensuing spot kick for a two-goal advantage in the 67th minute.
In Valencia's 1-1 La Liga draw with Deportivo Alaves on Sunday, midfielder Yunus Musah became the youngest USMNT to achieve 30 league appearances in one season in one of the top five European leagues at 18 years, 156 days.
While he was not chosen for Barcelona's bench in its 2-1 La Liga win at Villarreal on Sunday, Konrad de la Fuente certainly made the most of his opportunity with Barca B in its 2-1 victory over CD Alcoyano in Spain's Segunda B. He struck twice, including a spectacular game-winning goal in the 79th minute.
Steffen wasn't the only USMNT keeper to register a shutout this past weekend. In his second game as New York City FC captain, Sean Johnson registered his first clean sheet of the season in a 5-0 victory over FC Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Later that day, it was Matt Turner's turn to put up a zero on the scoreboard as he also secured his first shutout in a 1-0 win over D.C. United later that day.
FULL RUNDOWN:
-- Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Austin FC (April 24)
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 73 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Stuttgart (April 25); 61 minutes in 2-1 loss at Koln (April 20)
-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Wolfsberger AC (April 25); 46 minutes, GOAL as a substitute in 3-2 loss at Swarovski Tirol (April 21)
-- Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) - 29 minutes as a substitute in 2-2 draw vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (April 24)
-- Julian Araujo (Los Angeles Galaxy) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. New York Red Bulls (April 25)
-- Tyler Boyd (Sivasspor, Turkish Super Lig) -24 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Denizlispor (April 24); Not in 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Besiktas (April 20)
-- Michael Bradley (Toronto FC) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (April 24)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; German Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund (April 24); 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Stuttgart (April 21)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Always Ready in Copa Libertadores (April 20)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) – 77 minutes in a 1-0 loss vs. Martimo (April 25); 16 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Sporting Braga (April 21)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers (Bournemouth; English Championship) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Brentford (April 24); 90 minutes in 4-1 win at Millwall (April 21)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona; Spain La Liga/Segunda B) - TWO GOALS in Barcelona B's 2-1 win vs. CD Alcoyano (April 25); In 18, DNP in 5-2 win vs. Getafe (April 22)
-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles, Eredivisie); 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at Emmen (April 25)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) – 45 minutes in 2-1 win at Villarreal (April 25); In 18, DNP in 5-2 win vs. Getafe (April 22)
-- Daryl Dike (Barnsley; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Rotherham United (April 24); 45 minutes as a substitute and a GOAL in 1-0 win at Huddersfield (April 21)
-- Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 3-1 win at San Jose Earthquakes (April 24)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen; French Ligue 2) – 28 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Sochaux (April 24); Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Dunkerque (April 20)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Second Bundesliga) – 80 minutes in 2-1 loss at St. Pauli (April 25); 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Eintracht Braunschweig (April 20)
-- Brad Guzan (Atlanta United) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Chicago Fire FC (April 24)
-- Bill Hamid (D.C. United; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 loss at New England Revolution (April 24)
-- Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town; English Championship) – 32 minutes as a substitute, ASSIST, in 5-2 loss at Blackburn Rovers (April 24); 77 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Barnsley (April 21)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Schalke; German Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 4-0 loss at Arminia Bielefeld (April 20)
-- Sean Johnson (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes and SHUTOUT in 5-0 win vs. FC Cincinnati (April 24)
-- Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; MLS) - 24 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 loss vs. Austin FC (April 24)
-- Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; MLS) - SUSPENDED, DNP in 3-2 win vs. New York Red Bulls (April 25)
-- Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Los Angeles Galaxy (April 25)
-- Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italian Serie A) – 21 minutes as a substitute in 1-1 draw at Fiorentina (April 25); 74 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Parma (April 21)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 3 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win vs. Standard Liege in Brussels in Belgian Cup (April 25)
-- Djordje Milhailovic (CF Montreal; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw at Nashville SC (April 24)
-- Alfredo Morales (New York City FC; MLS) - 27 minutes as substitute in 5-0 win vs. FC Cincinnati (April 24)
-- Chris Mueller (Orlando City; MLS) - 33 minutes as a substitute and an ASSIST in 1-1 draw at Sporting Kansas City (April 23)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 61 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Deportivo Alaves (April 24); 52 minutes in 3-1 loss at Osasuna (April 21)
-- Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 4-0 loss vs. Burnley (April 25)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien; Austria Bundesliga) – Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 win at Admira Wacker (April 24): Not in 18, DNP 2-2 draw vs. Ried (April 20)
-- Andres Perea (Orlando City; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Sporting Kansas City (April 23)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) – 74 minutes in 1-0 win at West Ham United (April 24); 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (April 21)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; German Bundesliga) – 69 minutes in 2-0 win at Wolfsburg (April 24); (April 18); 76 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Union Berlin (April 21)
-- Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma, Italy Serie A) - In 18, DNP in 3-2 loss at Cagliari (April 25); In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Atalanta (April 22)
-- Chris Richards (Hoffenheim; German Bundesliga) – 77 minutes in 1-1 draw at RB Freiburg (April 24); 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach (April 21)
-- Miles Robinson (Atlanta United) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Orlando City (April 17); 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Alajuelense in CCL (April 13)
-- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Los Angeles FC (April 24)
-- Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen; German Bundesliga) – 88 minutes in 3-1 loss at Union Berlin (April 24); 90 minutes in substitute in 1-0 loss at Mainz 05 (April 21)
-- Jordan Siebatcheu (Swiss Super League) - 90 minutes, GOAL in 2-1 win vs. Sion (April 25); 23 minutes in 2-1 win at Zurich (April 22)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Tottenham in League Cup final semifinals (April 25); In 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Aston Villa (April 21)
-- Matt Turner (New England Revolution; MLS) - 90 minutes and SHUTOUT in 1-0 win vs. D.C. United (April 24)
-- Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids) - Injured, DNP in 18, DNP in 3-1 loss vs. Austin FC (April 25)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – Injured, DNP in 3-2 win at Olympique Lyonnais (April 25)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray; Turkish Super Lig) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win at Antalyaspor (April 24); Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Trabzonspor (April 21)
-- Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. FC Dallas (April 24)
-- Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. CF Montreal (April 24)