USMNT REWIND: A Big Goal and a Bundle of Assists Across Europe; MNT Duo Crowned MLS Cup Champs

Many members of the U.S. Men's National Team pool got into the holiday spirit last week, that giving is much better than it is to receive.

Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Cameron Carter-Vickers recorded assists in their matches.

Ricardo Pepi, meanwhile, continued his remarkable late-match heroics off the bench.

Aidan Morris and Julian Gressel earned winners' medals as the Columbus Crew won the MLS Cup, while Alejandro Zendejas and Club America kept their championship chances alive.

And Matt Turner returned to the Nottingham Forest lineup, helping the team snap a four-game losing streak.

FROM SCORER TO SET-UP MAN

Folarin Balogun is usually the recipient of a pass, cross or set piece that he turns into goals. That didn’t happen in 10-man Monaco's 2-1 win at Rennes on Saturday, Dec. 9. Instead, the U.S. forward set up a pair of second-half goals in the French Ligue 1 match. After collecting a loose ball, the 22-year-old striker assisted on Brazilian defender Vanderson's tally in the 51st minute. He then set up Youssouf Fofana's goal in the 85th minute with a fine pass from the midfield. Balogun has found the net four times in a dozen league appearances this campaign. Third-place Monaco (9-3-3, 30 points) trails leader PSG (11-1-3, 36) by six points.

The first of two @balogun assists today ✌️

🎥 » @beINSPORTSUSA
pic.twitter.com/x4Y30IQJ3T

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) December 9, 2023

HELPING OUT

Christian Pulisic assisted on a goal, but it wasn't enough as AC Milan fell at Atalanta in an Italian Serie A match, 3-2, on Saturday, Dec. 9. The USMNT forward set up Luca Jovic's score, which tied the game at 2-2 in the 80th minute. Luis Muriel pulled out the win for the hosts with a goal five minutes into injury time. AC Milan (9-4-2, 29) is in third place, trailing leader and archrival Inter Milan (12-1-2, 38) by nine points.

Christian Pulisic's ball finds Luka Jović!

Milan are back in this one. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/idqYKUNWkg

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 9, 2023

HELP FROM THE BACK

Before he was forced from the match with a hamstring injury at halftime, defender Cameron Carter-Vickers helped Celtic to a 2-0 advantage as he flicked Luis Palma's corner kick to set up Hyeon-Gyu Oh's goal in the fifth minute, the first score of a 4-1 home victory over Hibernian on Wednesday, Dec. 6.  Carter-Vickers sat out the 2-1 defeat at Kilmarnock on Sunday, Dec. 10.

SUPER SUB STRIKES AGAIN

Ricardo Pepi scored a goal as a late-match substitute for PSV – again. The 20-year-old continued to make a push to crack the team's Starting XI, although his proficiency at finding the net in the final minutes has made him a valuable piece off the PSV bench. Only two minutes after coming on for Luuk de Jong, Pepi doubled the hosts' lead in the 78th minute in a 2-0 win over Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie encounter on Thursday, Dec. 7. An onrushing Pepi put away Joey Veerman's feed from 12 yards. PSV is a perfect 15-0-0 with 45 points this season, enjoying an eight-point over lead second-place Feyenoord (11-2-2, 44).

What a sub 🤤
➥ It took him only two minutes to score today ✨#PSVHEE pic.twitter.com/Nm68PovKYO

— PSV (@PSV) December 7, 2023

THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FEELING

Midfielders Aidan Morris and Julian Gressel earned winners' medals after the Columbus Crew defeated Los Angeles FC in the MLS Cup final at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Dec. 9. Neither player participated in the scoring as Morris went the full 90, and Gressel replaced game MVP Cucho Hernandez in the 85th minute. LA midfielder Kellyn Acosta played for 76 minutes, while Timmy Tillman saw an hour of action.

GLORY TO COLUMBUS 🌟 pic.twitter.com/N9HdZ0EenX

— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) December 9, 2023

RETURN TO THE STARTING XI

For the first time in more than a month, Matt Turner returned to the net for Nottingham Forest as he backstopped a 1-1 road draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, Dec. 9. The tie snapped a four-game losing streak. Turner was credited with three saves, all on shots by Matheus Cunha. He denied Cunha in the 30th, 70th and 75th minutes, although the Brazilian striker solved the USA goalkeeper in the 32nd minute.

FINAL BOUND

Alejandro Zendejas will get an opportunity to win a title when Club America meets Tigres in the Liga MX Apertura final series. The Mexican power won the aggregate-goals semifinals series against Atletico San Luis, 5-2. America recorded a decisive 5-0 road win in the opening leg on Wednesday, Dec. 6, before dropping a 2-0 decision at home on Saturday, Dec. 9. Zendejas did not score in either match, starting the first contest and coming on as a second-half substitute in the return leg. Tigres won the semifinal series, 2-1. The Apertura final series is scheduled for Dec. 14 and 17.

A HIGH FIVE TWICE

The odds of winning a game 5-0 are pretty high. The odds of winning consecutive matches by the same score within a handful of days must be astronomical. Yet, Fulham and left back Antonee Robinson did just that in English Premier League action last week. On Wednesday, Dec. 6, the 25-year-old defender played for the opening 75 minutes in a 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. He then performed for 72 minutes in a 5-0 triumph over West Ham United on Sunday, Dec. 10. Fulham captain Tim Ream did not play in either match. He sat the bench for the first encounter and did not dress for Sunday's contest.

FULL RUNDOWN

• Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin; Bundesliga) - 16 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 win vs. Mönchengladbach (Dec. 9)
• Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt; Bundesliga) - In 18, DNP in 5-1 win vs. Bayern Munich (Dec. 9)
• Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC; MLS) 76 minutes in 2-1 loss at Columbus Crew in MLS Cup Final (Dec. 9)
• Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth; English Premier League) - Injured, DNP in 3-0 win at Manchester United (Dec. 9); Injured, DNP in 2-1 win at Crystal Palace (Dec. 6)
• Folarin Balogun (Monaco; French Ligue 1) - 90 minutes, TWO ASSISTS, in 2-1 win at Rennes (Dec. 9)
• Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Dutch Eredivisie) - 27 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 win at Go Ahead Eagles (Dec. 10)
• Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Italian Serie B) - 78 minutes in 1-0 loss at Cremonese (Dec. 9)
• - Johnny Cardoso (Internacional; Brazilian Serie A) - 18 minutes as a substitute in 3-1 win vs. Botafogo (Dec. 6)
• Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; Scottish Premiership) - Injured, DNP in 2-1 loss at Kilmarnock (Dec. 10); 45 minutes, ASSIST, in 4-1 win vs. Hibernian (Dec. 6)
• Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Heerenveen (Dec. 7)
• Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain La Liga) - Vs. Rayo Vallecano (Monday, 3 p.m. ET); 7 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win at Sestao Rivere in Copa Del Rey (Dec. 7); 89 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Cadiz (Dec. 4)
• Julian Gressel (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 5 minutes as a substitute in 2-1 win over Los Angeles FC in MLS Cup Final (Dec. 9)
• Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers (Dec. 9); Not in 18, DNP in 5-0 loss at Fulham (Dec. 6)
• Kristoffer Lund (Palmero; Italy Serie B) - 76 minutes in 3-3 draw at Parma (Dec. 10)
• Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim; Bundesliga) - 67 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Darmstadt (Dec. 9)
• Weston McKennie (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - 89 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Napoli (Dec. 8)
• Mark McKenzie (Genk; Belgian Pro League) - Not in 18, DNP in 3-1 win at Eupen (Dec. 10); 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at KV Oostende in Belgian Cup (Dec. 6)
• Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar; Dutch Eredivisie) - 64 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Almere City (Dec. 10)
• Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; MLS) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win over Los Angeles FC in MLS Cup Final (Dec. 9)
• Yunus Musah (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at Atalanta (Dec. 9)
• Erik Palmer-Brown (Panathinaikos; Greek Super League) - No game
• Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; Bundesliga) - 10 minutes as a substitute in 1-0 loss vs. Freiburg (Dec. 9); In 18, DNP in 1-0 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach in DFB Pokal (Dec. 5)
• Jordan Pefok (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) – Injured, DNP in 3-1 loss at Union Berlin (Dec. 9); Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Wolfsburg in DFB Pokal (Dec. 5)
• Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 14 minutes as a substitute, GOAL, in 2-0 win vs. Heerenveen (Dec. 7)
• Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan; Italy Serie A) - 90 minutes, ASSIST, in 3-2 loss at Atalanta (Dec. 9)
• Tim Ream (Fulham; English Premier League) - Not in 18, DNP in 5-0 win vs. West Ham United (Dec. 10); In 18, DNP in 5-0 win vs. Nottingham Forest (Dec. 6)
• Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund; Bundesliga) - 8 minutes as a substitute in 3-2 loss vs. RB Leipzig (Dec. 9); Injured, DNP in 2-0 loss at Stuttgart (Dec. 6)
• Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Kortrijk (Dec. 8)
• Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Liverpool (Dec. 9); 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. AFC Bournemouth (Dec. 6)
• Antonee Robinson (Fulham; English Premier League) - 72 minutes in 5-0 win vs. West Ham United (Dec. 10); 75 minutes in 5-0 win vs. Nottingham Forest (Dec. 6)
• Josh Sargent (Norwich City; Championship) - Injured, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Preston North End (Dec. 9)
• Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach; Bundesliga) - 70 minutes in 3-1 loss at Union Berlin (Dec. 9); 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Wolfsburg in DFB Pokal (Dec. 5)
• Gaga Slonina (Eupen; Belgian Pro League) - 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at Genk (Dec. 10)
• Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Italy Serie B) - 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Cremonese (Dec. 9)
• Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven; Dutch Eredivisie) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Heerenveen (Dec. 7)
• Timmy Tillman (Los Angeles FC; MLS) - 60 minutes in 2-1 loss at Columbus Crew in MLS Cup Final (Dec. 9
• Auston Trusty (Sheffield; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Brentford (Dec. 9); 88 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Liverpool (Dec. 6)
• Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers (Dec. 9); In 18, DNP in 5-0 loss at Fulham (Dec. 6)
• Tim Weah (Juventus; Italy Serie A) - Injured, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Napoli (Dec. 8)
• Haji Wright (Coventry City; English Premier League) - 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Birmingham City (Dec. 8)
• Alejandro Zendejas (Club America; Liga MX) - 26 minutes as a substitute in 2-0 loss vs. Atletico San Luis in Apertura semifinals second leg (Dec. 9); 74 minutes in 5-0 win at Atletico San Luis in Apertura semifinals first leg (Dec. 6)