USMNT Rewind: Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie midfield masterclasses highlight strong American showing abroad
Tillman, McKennie deliver match-winning goals; Auston Trusty, Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun post key goal contributions
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just months away, a collection of USMNT stars and rising talents have continued to perform for their clubs overseas. Malik Tillman enjoyed a special, three-goal week for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, while midfield partner Weston McKennie extended his form with a match-winning goal for Juventus FC.
Elsewhere, Auston Trusty and Patrick Agyemang delivered clutch goals for their sides, Folarin Balogun tallied a match-deciding assist, and several other players earned key minutes in high-stakes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League fixtures.
Tillman produced a match-winning, first-half brace to power Bayer 04 Leverkusen to a 3-0 victory against Villarreal CF in the UEFA Champions League, confirming Leverkusen’s place in the knockout round.
Tillman was already the only United States international to score multiple goals in a single Champions League fixture, previously notching a brace for PSV Eindhoven in a 3-2 victory against FC Shakhtar Donetsk in 2024. Tillman’s brace last week was his first for club or country since he scored twice for the USMNT in a 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago.
Returning to league play on Saturday, Tillman again bagged the winning goal, helping Leverkusen to a 3-1 road victory against Eintracht Frankfurt and helping his side remain at sixth in the table.
MOTM. MT. 😮💨🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/nmxbKML9Lu
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) January 28, 2026
After scoring in each of his last three UEFA Champions League appearances for Juventus FC, McKennie kicked off the week by going 90 minutes in a scoreless draw against USMNT teammate Folarin Balogun’s AS Monaco FC in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old got back to his scoring ways in Serie A, though, as McKennie sealed Juventus’ 4-1 road victory against Parma Calcio 1913 with a 37th-minute winner on Sunday.
Weston McKennie was at it again for @juventusfc on Sunday! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rMtrVGXj19
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) February 2, 2026
The second-year Celtic FC man has now scored in back-to-back UEFA Europa League matches for the defending Scottish Premiership champions, scoring the final goal of Celtic’s 4-2 victory against FC Utrecht on Thursday.
Back of the net in back-to-back Europa League matches for @Auston_Trusty! 🍀🍀pic.twitter.com/hiWBj9f7BF
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) January 30, 2026
Now one goal shy of recording the third double-digit scoring season of his young professional career, Agyemang tallied his ninth goal of the season in Derby County FC’s 5-0 thrashing of Bristol City FC in EFL Championship play on Friday—the club's largest road win since the 1959/60 campaign. The 25-year-old East Hartford, Conn. native has scored or assisted in each of Derby County’s last four league fixtures, extending the Rams’ unbeaten streak to four as they inch closer to a spot in the promotion playoffs.
Absolute cinema. 🎬🎞️
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) January 30, 2026
Pat rising highest to bullet home our fourth. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HJ9xy3ZMzy