With the final round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying set to begin in almost two weeks, Christian Pulisic is rounding into strong form.
For the second week in a row, the U.S. Men's National Team forward scored in a Chelsea victory.
On Wednesday, March 2, Pulisic came off the bench to help Chelsea rally to a 3-2 comeback win over Luton Town in the fifth round of the English F.A. Cup. While Pulisic did not figure directly into the scoring, he helped spark the visitors. They trailed 2-1 when he entered the game in the 61st minute. Chelsea scored in the 68th and 78th minutes, to secure the win.
Playing the entire way in a 4-0 triumph at Burnley on Saturday, March 5, Pulisic enjoyed one of his most productive days of the English Premier League season, recording a goal and an assist.
He demonstrated his playmaking skills, pin-pointing a right-wing cross with his left foot to Kai Havertz, who beat goalkeeper Nick Pope at the far post for a 2-0 margin in the 53rd minute.
Pulisic closed out the onslaught with a gift goal in the 67th minute. Trying to clear the ball, defender James Tarkowski mistakenly tapped it toward the net. An unmarked Pulisic slipped the ball home from close range for his fourth goal of the Premier League campaign, equaling his scoring total from last season when he tallied four goals in 27 matches.
In WCQ, the USMNT visits Mexico on March 24, hosts Panama in Orlando, Fla. on March 27 before closing out the Concacaf Octagonal at Costa Rica on March 30.
MUSAH IN THE CUP FINAL
For the second-straight season, a USMNT player will have the chance to lift the Copa del Rey. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, midfielder Yunus Musah and Valencia advanced to the Spanish Cup Final with a 1-0 second leg victory against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, March 2.
Musah played the final 19 minutes of the match to ensure the club’s advancement.
Valencia will face Real Betis in the 2022 Copa del Rey Final on April 23 at Estadio de La Cartuja in Sevilla
BACK ON TRACK
After being blanked last week, Jordan Pefok celebrated another goal, the opening salvo in Young Boys' 2-2 draw with Luzern in the Swiss Super League on Saturday, March 5.
Pefok nodded home Edimilson Fernandes' feed to give the hosts a 1-0 edge in the eighth minute for his 16th goal of the Super Swiss League season and 21st across all club competitions.
NOW, THAT WAS QUICK
Only three minutes after replacing Miguel Berry, Gyasi Zardes scored his first goal of the season for the Columbus Crew in its 3-3 draw at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, March 5.
Derrick Etienne, Jr. latched onto a corner kick and sent a feed to Zardes, who finished past goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski from five yards as the visitors grabbed a 2-1 lead.
USING HIS HEAD
In his second competitive after returning from an Achilles injury, center back Aaron Long punctuated his team's 4-1 triumph at Toronto FC on Saturday. The center back headed Frank Amaya's free kick past goalkeeper Alex Bono in the 42nd minute.
It was Long's ninth career MLS goal and first since Oct. 28, 2020.
HELPING OUT
Halftime substitute Josh Sargent set up Norwich City's lone goal in its 2-1 loss at Liverpool in the English FA Cup on Wednesday, March 2. He found Lukas Rupp, who tallied in the 76th minute.
Only minutes after coming on for Przemysław Płacheta, Sargent almost scored, sending a shot past the post.
FOR THE DEFENSE
Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers scored his third goal in 24 matches for Celtic in its 2-0 home win against St. Mirren in Scottish Premiership action on Wednesday, March 2. Portuguese midfielder Jota curled the ball towards the goal before Carter-Vickers half-volleyed it into the net with his left foot from point-blank range past goalkeeper Jak Alnwick for a 55th-minute lead.
IN CONTROL
After suffering only its fifth defeat of the English Championship League season, Fulham bounced back with a 2-0 home victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, March 5. Defenders Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream played the full 90 minutes.
The Cottagers (22-5-7, 73 points) enjoy an 11-point lead over Huddersfield Town (17-8-11, 62). Third-place AFC Bournemouth (18-7-7, 61) has two games in hand over Fulham, but faces an uphill battle in the title chase.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg; Austrian Bundesliga) - 29 minutes as a substitute in 4-0 win vs. Rheindorf Altach (March 5); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at LASK (March 2)
-- Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Portland Timbers (March 6)
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Freiburg (March 5); In 18, DNP in 4-0 win at Hannover 96 in DFB Pokal (March 2)
-- Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at New Revolution (March 5)
-- Cole Bassett (Feyenoord; Dutch Eredivisie) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Groningen (March 5)
-- George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld; Bundesliga) - 14 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss vs. Augsburg (March 4)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; Germany Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Union Berlin (March 5)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italy Serie A) – Injured; Not in 18 for 4-1 loss at Sassuolo (March 6)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Sporting Braga (March 5)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) – 31 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Aimore in Gaucho (March 6); 45 minutes in 2-0 loss at Globo in Copa do Brasil (March 3)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers; (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 3-1 win at Livingston (March 6); 90 minutes, GOAL in 2-0 win vs. St. Mirren (March 2)
-- Justin Che (Hoffenheim; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Köln (March 6)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Marseille; French Ligue 1) – In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Monaco (March 6)
-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles; Dutch Eredivisie) – 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at PSV (March 6)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win at Elche (March 6)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Montpellier; French Ligue 1) - 9 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Nantes (March 6)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Bundesliga) - 8 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Bochum (March 5)
-- Brad Guzan (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Colorado Rapids (March 5)
-- Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at New England Revolution (March 5)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Mallorca; Spanish Primera) - In 18, DNP in 4-3 loss at Celta Vigo (March 6)
-- Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Sheffield United (March 4)
-- Sean Johnson (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT in 0-0 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps (March 5)
-- Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. FC Dallas (March 5)
-- Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 66 minutes, GOAL in 4-1 win at Toronto FC (March 5)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) – In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Cercle Brugge (March 5)
-- Matt Miazga (Alaves; Spain La Liga) - In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Sevilla (March 4)
-- Shaq Moore (Tenerife; Spain Segunda Division) - In 18, DNP in 4-1 loss vs. Real Valladolid (March 5)
-- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 31 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake (March 5)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 73 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Granada (March 5)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Bordeaux (March 6)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Union Berlin (March 5)
-- Jordan Pefok (Young Boys; Swiss Super League) - 90 minutes, GOAL in 2-2 draw vs. Luzern (March 5)
-- Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld (March 4)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) - 90 minutes, GOAL, ASSIST in 4-0 win at Burnley (March 5); 29 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 win over Luton Town in FA Cup (March 2)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Blackburn Rovers (March 5)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Kortrijk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Union Saint-Gilloise (March 5)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Blackburn Rovers (March 5)
-- Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at Colorado Rapids (March 5)
-- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 45 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake (March 5)
-- James Sands (Rangers, Scottish Premiership) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Aberdeen (March 5); In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at St. Johnstone (March 2)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Brentford (March 5); 45 minutes as a substitute, ASSIST in 2-1 loss at Liverpool in F.A. Cup (March 2)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Stuttgart (March 5)
-- Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; MLS) - 90 minutes, shutout in 0-0 draw vs. Orlando City (March 5)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 4-1 win vs. Manchester United (March 6)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 4-1 loss at Sassuolo (March 6)
-- Matt Turner (New England Revolution; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. FC Dallas (March 5)
-- Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) – Injured; Not in 18 for 2-1 win vs. Beerschot (March 6)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; MLS) - 90 minutes in 5-1 loss at Austin FC (March 6)
-- Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-3 draw vs. Columbus Crew (March 5)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) - In 18, DNP in 4-0 win vs. Clermont (March 6)
-- Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 25 minutes as a substitute, GOAL in 3-3 draw at San Jose Earthquakes (March 5)
-- Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Minnesota United (March 5)