USMNT REWIND: Folarin Balogun Becomes First U.S. International to Score 20 Goals in a Top-Five European League

Folarin Balogun celebrated his decision to play for the U.S. Men's National Team in the best way possible on Sunday. He scored a goal and made some history by becoming the first American player to score 20 or more goals in a top five league in Europe.

Balogun wasn't the only USMNT player who found the net. Genk defender Mark McKenzie continued to be one of the hottest goal-scorers in Europe as Jesús Ferreira, Alex Zendejas, Brandon Vazquez and Johnny Cardoso added to their goal totals, as well.

There was mixed news on the promotion front for U.S. goalkeepers in the English Championship, good news for Ethan Horvath and his Luton Town teammates, and not so-good news for Zack Steffen and Middlesbrough.

MAKING HISTORY

Folarin Balogun continued his spectacular season for 11th-place Reims in French Ligue 1, connecting for his 20th league goal and 21st across all competition in a 2-2 home draw against Angers on Sunday, May 21. The 21-year-old striker scored past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana in the 54th minute off an Emmanuel Agbadou cross to boost the hosts into a 2-1 lead before Angers tallied several minutes later.

Balogun, who is tied for fourth among Ligue 1 goal scorers, has done his damage in 35 appearances and 2,833 minutes. Balogun, who scored for the second consecutive match, has two games remaining to add to his total. Reims visits Lyon on Saturday, May 27 before closing out the season at home against Montpellier on June 3.

ON THE MARK - AGAIN

The hottest goal scorer in the USMNT pool these days? That would be Genk defender Mark McKenzie who recorded his fourth goal in less than a month on Sunday, May 21, in a 1-1 draw against visiting Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League.

McKenzie, who lifted his side into a 13th-minute lead off a Mike Tresor assist, hadn't scored in his first 65 matches for Genk until he started his outburst in a 2-2 tie at Sporting Charleroi on April 23. Third-place Genk (42 points), trails first-place Antwerp and second-place Union Saint-Gilloise (both 45 points) with two games remaining in the season.

A MIXED BAG

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath and his Luton Town teammates have a Saturday, May 27 date at Wembley against Coventry City for an opportunity to earn promotion to the English Premier League.

Luton Town, which dropped a 2-1 away decision in the first leg of the EFL Championship Playoff semifinals, registered a 2-0 home victory over Sunderland on Tuesday, May 16 to move a step closer to the top tier. Luton Town won on aggregate, 3-2.

Horvath secured his 20th clean sheet of the season as he produced a brilliant save off Elijah Adebayo's header in the 13th minute, just three minutes after his side grabbed a 1-0 advantage.

Zack Steffen and Middlesbrough, however, were not as fortunate as they were eliminated from contention, losing on aggregate, 1-0, to Coventry City. After playing to a scoreless deadlock on the road, Middlesbrough dropped a 1-0 home decision on May 17.

SEMIFINAL GOAL

Fifteen minutes after entering at halftime, Alex Zendejas scored on the hour mark to lift Club América to a 1-0 win against Guadalajara in the first leg of the Liga MX Liguilla semifinal on Thursday, May 18. He ran onto a Diego Valdes pass, cut back against defender Jesus Orozco before drilling a shot past goalkeeper Miguel Jimenez.

Zendejas could not duplicate his heroics in the second leg on Sunday, May 21 as América dropped a 3-1 decision in the second leg and was eliminated.

BRACE FOR IT

Striker Jesús Ferreira's second brace of the MLS season helped FC Dallas rally for a 2-1 win home over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, May 17.

Ferreira scored on either side of halftime. His shot from the top of the box off a Jader Obrian feed, in the 37th minute, knotted things up at 1-1. He then produced some magic in the 54th minute, nutmegging goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka from seven yards after a Tsiki Ntsabeleng steal, to give the hosts the lead.

The forward's two goals boosted his season total to eight, putting him in a second-place tie in the MLS Golden Boot race with four other players, behind LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (10 goals).

PUTTING A BOW ON A WIN

Brandon Vazquez scored the third goal of FC Cincinnati's 3-0 home victory against CF Montreal on Wednesday, May 17.

Pressure from Luciano Acosta and Obinna Nwobodo on the right flank forced Montreal into a giveaway. Nwobodo played a pass to Vazquez, who ripped a shot from the top of the box past goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois into lower right corner in the 65th minute. It was Vazquez's third goal of the MLS campaign.

FC Cincinnati (9-1-3, 30), the Eastern Conference leaders, are atop the Supporters Shield standings, enjoying a five-point lead over current holders, LAFC (7-1-4, 25).

BREAKING LONG SCORELESS STREAK

When Johnny Cardoso scored in the 87th minute of Internacional's 3-1 defeat Gremio on Sunday, May 21, it broke a long personal scoreless streak for the midfielder.

Cardoso, off an assist by Alan Patrick, scored to spoil goalkeeper Gabriel Grando's shutout bid. He last found the net in a 4-0 win against Juventude on Aug. 30, 2022.

IN LOSING CAUSES

Weston McKennie recorded an assist in Leeds United's 3-1 loss at West Ham United in the English Premier League on Sunday, May 21. The midfielder’s long throw-in set up Rodrigo's 17th-minute volley that lifted the visitors to a 1-0 lead before West Ham stormed back with three unanswered goals.

Taylor Booth also set up a goal in Utrecht's 3-1 defeat at Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie on the same day. He assisted on Anastasios Douvikas' tally that tied the match at 1-1 in the 49th minute.

FULL RUNDOWN

• Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; English Premier League) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 loss at West Ham United (May 21)
• Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Schalke 04 (May 20)
• Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (May 20); Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw vs Sporting Kansas City (May 17)
• Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 1-1 draw vs. Houston Dynamo (May 20); Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (May 17)
• Folarin Balogun (Reims; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 2-2 draw vs. Angers (May 21)
• George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld; 2. Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Paderborn (May 20)
• Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 72 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-1 loss at Ajax (May 21)
• John Brooks (Hoffenheim; Bundesliga) – 90 minutes in 4-2 win vs. Union Berlin (May 20)
• Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Parma (May 19)
• Reggie Cannon (Boavista; Portuguese Primeira) - 90 minutes, OWN GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Sporting Braga (May 20)
• Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 3-1 loss at Gremio (May 21); 11 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at America Mineiro in Copa do Brasil (May 17)
• Sergiño Dest (AC Milan; Italy Serie A) -Not in 18, DNP in 5-1 win vs. Sampdoria (May 20)
• Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - 66 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss at Athletic Bilbao (May 20)
• Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Houston Dynamo (May 20); 82 minutes, TWO GOALS, in 2-1 win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (May 17)
• Matthew Hoppe (Hibernian; Scottish Premiership) - 9 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 loss vs. Rangers (May 21)
• Ethan Horvath (Luton Town; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Sunderland in EFL Championship Playoffs (May 16)
• Sean Johnson (Toronto FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Austin FC (May 20)
• Aaron Long (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (May 20); 58 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Sporting Kansas City (May 17)
• Weston McKennie (Leeds United; English Premier League) - 84 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-1 loss at West Ham United (May 21)
• Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes, GOAL, in 1-1 draw vs. Union Saint-Gilloise (May 21)
• Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Columbus Crew (May 20); 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. CF Montreal (May 17)
• Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar; Dutch Eredivisie) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win at NEC (May 21); In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss vs. West Ham United in UEFA Europa Conference League (May 18)
• Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Charlotte FC (May 20); 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Inter Miami CF (May 17)
• Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at FC Cincinnati (May 20}
• Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - 64 minutes in 2-0 loss at Vancouver Whitecaps (May 20); 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Austin FC (May 17)
• Yunus Musah (Valencia; Spain La Liga) - 1 minute as a substitute in 1-0 win vs. Real Madrid (May 21)
• Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Strasbourg (May 21)
• Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 8 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss at Freiburg (May 19)
• Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 10 minutes as a substitute in 4-2 loss at Hoffenheim (May 20)
• Ricardo Pepi (Groningen; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 6-0 loss vs. Vitesse (May 21); 26 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. Ajax (May 16)
• Christian Pulisic (Chelsea; Premier League) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss in Manchester City (May 21)
• Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 1 minute as a substitute in 1-0 win at Augsburg (May 21)
• Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 7 minutes as a substitute in 3-0 win vs. Standard Liege (May 20)
• Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Fulham (May 20)
• Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Crystal Palace (May 20)
• Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; MLS) - 28 minutes as a substitute in 3-3 draw at Chicago Fire (May 20); 90 minutes in 4-0 win vs. Colorado Rapids (May 17)
• Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; MLS) - in 2-0 loss at Vancouver Whitecaps (May 20); Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss vs. Austin FC (May 17)
• James Sands (New York City FC; MLS) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Orlando City SC (May 17)
• Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw at Bayer Leverkusen (May 21)
• Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough; English Championship) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Coventry City in EFL Championship Playoffs (May 17)
• Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) - 84 minutes in 2-1 loss at Parma (May 19)
• John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. CF Montreal (May 20); 90 minutes in 0-0 draw at Toronto FC (May 17)
• Matt Turner (Arsenal; English Premier League) - In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest (May 20)
• Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati; MLS) - 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Columbus Crew (May 20); 81 minutes, GOAL, in 3-0 win vs. CF Montreal (May 17)
• Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp; Belgian Pro League) - Not in 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Club Brugge (May 21)
• Tim Weah (Lille; French Ligue 1) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Marseille (May 20)
• Haji Wright (Antalyaspor; Turkish Super Lig) - 81 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. İstanbul Başakşehir (May 21)
• DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF; MLS) - 83 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Orlando City SC (May 20); 23 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 loss a Nashville SC (May 17)
• Alex Zendejas (Club América; LIGA MX) - 78 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Guadalajara (May 21); 45 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 1-0 win at Guadalajara in LIGA MX Playoffs (May 18)
• Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; MLS) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 win at Charlotte FC (May 20); Injured, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Inter Miami CF (May 17)