USMNT REWIND: Roldan and Morris Propel Sounders, Pefok Scores Again, Horvath Shines for Forest
Whether it has been in league or international competition, Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Cristian Roldan have excelled in what they do best for their MLS team - scoring goals and setting them up, respectively.
The did so in two big wins last week.
The Sounders' dynamic duo made a significant impact in a 3-0 home victory past Club León of Mexico in the first leg of its Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 8.
Roldan played a role in all three goals. He was fouled inside the box, setting up Fredy Montero's 31st-minute penalty kick. Eight minutes later, he turned playmaker, setting up Montero's second goal with a right-wing cross. Roldan duplicated his feat in the 90th minute as he and Morris connected for the final goal.
Seattle visits Leon for the second leg of its CCL series on Thursday, March 17.
Morris and Roldan continued their attacking prowess in a 3-2 home triumph over the LA Galaxy on Saturday, March 12.
With the visitors leading 1-0, Morris struck for the equalizer as he slotted home a deflected corner kick while on the ground in the 17th minute. It was Morris’ 45th goal across all competitions for Seattle, tying him for fourth all-time in club history with Nicolás Lodeiro.
UNBEATEN ETHAN
After seeing very little action this season, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath backstopped his fifth consecutive match for Nottingham Forest in its 4-0 victory over Reading in the English Championship on Saturday, March 12. Horvath was in the net for the 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town in the Round of 16 of the English FA Cup on Monday, March 7.
Horvath, who is unbeaten (3-0-2) during that span, has conceded only two goals and recorded three clean sheets.
PEFOK BAGS ANOTHER
Every time he scores a goal for Young Boys, Jordan Pefok reaches a personal best. He netted his league-leading 17th goal and 22nd across all club competitions for the Swiss Super League side in a 2-2 draw at Lausanne Sport on Sunday. Four minutes into the second half, Pefok knotted things up off a feed from Ulisses Garcia.
Young Boys looked like they would take the three points when Garcia put the visitors ahead in the 83rd minute, only to have it undone with a stoppage time penalty kick from Lausanne’s Stjepan Kukuruzović.
SNOW JOB
Sebastian Lletget sparked the New England Revolution, connecting for the opening goal of its 3-0 victory against Pumas UNAM in in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals in the snow in Foxborough, Mass. on Wednesday, March 9.
Lletget, who also has a goal in MLS play, slotted home a Carles Gil feed from 12 yards to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. The second leg is in Mexico City on Wednesday, March 16.
BACK IN ACTION
Gio Reyna returned to the pitch for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury during Borussia Dortmund’s 6-0 thumping of Borussia Mönchengladbach on Feb. 20. He replaced Thorgan Hazard in the 63rd minute of BVB’s 1-0 home win against Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday and came close on two occasions.
The USMNT attacker was part of a well-worked build up, before slicing a right-footed effort just wide in the 82nd minute. Three minutes later, Reyna nodded a looping cross from fellow American Lennard Maloney just wide left of the post.
Reyna’s return also gave the opportunity to face off with fellow U.S. international George Bello, who went the full 90 minutes in his first Bundesliga start for Bielefeld on Sunday. The pair played together on the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup side and took part in their first senior team camp together last September.
HELPING OUT
Brenden Aaronson helped provide the lone bright spot in an otherwise woeful day for Red Bull Salzburg, assisting on Maurits Kjærgaard's 70th minute goal in the Austrian side’s 7-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 series.
Aaronson also assisted on Salzburg’s goal in the 1-1 draw during the first leg and finished his first UEFA Champions League campaign with two goals and two assists in eight matches.
Defender Shaq Moore set up Tenerife's equalizer in its 2-1 victory over Sporting Gijon in Spain's Sequnda Division on Sunday, March 13. He assisted on Enric Gallego's first of two goals that tied the match at 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
THREE IN A ROW
Three games into the MLS season, no team has been able to get past Gabriel Slonina. The Chicago Fire's 17-year-old keeper recorded his third shutout in as many games in a 2-0 win at D.C. United on Saturday, March 12.
Slonina made four saves as Chicago (1-0-2) secured its first victory of the season.
INTO THE STRETCH RUN
With 10 games remaining in their English Championship campaign, defenders Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and their Fulham teammates are on a path to promotion back to the English Premier League.
The first-place Cottagers (23-5-8. 77 points) lead third-place Huddersfield Town (17-8-12, 63) by 14 points with a game in hand. AFC Bournemouth (19-7-8, 65), which has a game in hand over Fulham, is in second place. The top two teams in the standings earn automatic promotion to the top tier.
Fulham enjoyed a decent week as it recorded four road points, in a 5-1 win at Swansea City on Tuesday, March 8, before a 1-1 draw at Barnsley on Saturday, March 12 in which Ream earned Man of the Match honors.
FULL RUNDOWN
-- Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg; Austrian Bundesliga) - 83 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Sturm Graz (March 13); 90 minutes, ASSIST in 7-1 loss at Bayern Munich in UCL (March 8)
-- Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Inter Miami CF (March 12)
-- Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig; German Bundesliga) – 12 minutes as a substitute in 6-1 win at Greuther Fürth (March 13)
-- Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Nashville SC (March 12)
-- Cole Bassett (Feyenoord; Dutch Eredivisie) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 win at PEC Zwolle (March 13)
-- George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld; Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Borussia Dortmund (March 13)
-- John Brooks (Wolfsburg; Germany Bundesliga) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Freiburg (March 12)
-- Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italy Serie A) – At Venezia (Monday, 3:45 p.m. ET)
-- Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Belenenses (March 12)
-- Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) – 58 minutes in 1-1 draw at Guarany de Bage in Gaucho (March 12); 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Gremio in Gaucho (March 9)
-- Cameron Carter-Vickers; (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - At Dundee United in Scottish FA Cup (Monday, 3:45 p.m. ET)
-- Justin Che (Hoffenheim; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Bayern Munich (March 12)
-- Konrad de la Fuente (Marseille; French Ligue 1) – n 18, DNP in 4-1 win at Brest (March 13); In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Basel in UEFA Conference League (March 10)
-- Luca de la Torre (Heracles; Dutch Eredivisie) – 89 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Vitesse (March 13)
-- Sergiño Dest (Barcelona; Spain La Liga) - ; In 18, DNP in 4-0 win vs. Osasuna (March 13); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Galatasaray in Europa League (March 10)
-- Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 89 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Nashville United (March 12)
-- Nicholas Gioacchini (Montpellier; French Ligue 1) - In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Nice (March 12)
-- Julian Green (Greuther Fürth; German Bundesliga) - 45 minutes in 6-1 loss vs. RB Leipzig (March 13)
-- Brad Guzan (Atlanta United; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Charlotte FC (March 13)
-- Matthew Hoppe (Mallorca; Spanish Primera) - Vs. Real Madrid (Monday, 4 p.m. ET)
-- Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 4-0 win vs. Reading (March 12); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Huddersfield Town in FA Cup (March 7)
-- Sean Johnson (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 4-1 win vs. CF Montreal (March 12); 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Comunicaciones in CCL (March 8)
-- Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; MLS) - 30 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 loss vs. Real Salt Lake (March 12); 78 minutes, GOAL in 3-0 win vs. Pumas UNAM in CCL (March 9)
-- Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Minnesota United (March 13)
-- Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) – Not in 18, DNP in 1-0 loss vs. Sint-Truiden (March 13)
-- Matt Miazga (Alaves; Spain La Liga) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad (March 13)
-- Shaq Moore (Tenerife; Spain Segunda Division) - 90 minutes, ASSIST in 2-1 win at Sporting Gijon (March 13)
-- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 90 minutes, GOAL in 3-2 win vs. LA Galaxy (March 12); 89 minutes, GOAL in 3-0 win vs. Leon in CCL (March 8)
-- Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw at Getafe (March 12)
-- Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Nantes (March 12)
-- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-2 loss at Freiburg (March 12)
-- Jordan Pefok (Young Boys; Swiss Super League) - 90 minutes, GOAL in 2-2 draw at Lausanne Sport (March 12)
-- Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg; Bundesliga) - Vs. Mainz, ppd., (March 12)
-- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; English Premier League) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Newcastle United (March 13); Illness, DNP in 3-1 win at Norwich City (March 10)
-- Tim Ream (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Barnsley (March 12); 90 minutes in 5-1 win at Swansea City (March 8)
-- Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 27 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Arminia Bielefeld (March 13)
-- Bryan Reynolds (Kortrijk; Belgian Pro League) - 45 minutes in 2-0 loss at Cercle Brugge (March 12)
-- Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Barnsley (March 12); 90 minutes in 5-1 win at Swansea City (March 8)
-- Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; MLS) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Charlotte FC (March 13)
-- Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; MLS) - 90 minutes, ASSIST in 3-2 win vs. LA Galaxy (March 12); 90 minutes, TWO ASSISTS in 3-0 win vs. Leon in CCL (March 8)
-- James Sands (Rangers, Scottish Premiership) - 90 minutes in 3-0 win at Dundee in Scottish FA Cup (March 13); 15 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win vs. Red Star Belgrade in Europa League (March 10)
-- Josh Sargent (Norwich City; English Premier League) - 62 minutes in 2-1 loss at Leeds United (March 13); 84 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Chelsea (March 10)
-- Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Bonner SC (March 12)
-- Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; MLS) - 90 minutes, SHUTOUT, in 3-0 win at D.C. United (March 12)
-- Zack Steffen (Manchester City; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Sporting Lisbon in UCL (March 9)
-- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie A) - At Venezia (Monday, 3:45 p.m. ET)
-- Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) – 45 minutes in 2-1 loss at Anderlecht (March 13)
-- DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Los Angeles FC (March 12)
-- Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at Philadelphia Union (March 12)
-- Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) - 12 minutes as a substitute in 0-0 draw vs. Saint-Etienne (March 11)
-- Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 22 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win vs. Toronto FC (March 12)
-- Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-0 loss at FC Dallas (March 12)