Folarin Balogun’s bad luck, Christian Pulisic’s penalty puzzler and Malik Tillman’s eye-catching form all play a part of this week’s USMNT player tracker.
Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the U.S. players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe. With a World Cup on home soil on the horizon and new national team boss Mauricio Pochettino considering the options at his disposal, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.
Issue of the weekend
After a patchy start to the season with Monaco, things were just beginning to look up for Folarin Balogun.
His goal against Rennes on Saturday ensured the visitors won 2-1, and it was his third in as many games. Having failed to find the net in Monaco’s opening four Ligue 1 fixtures (one of which saw him left on the bench), his had been a timely return to form and confidence — even more so ahead of the autumn USMNT friendlies under Pochettino, when everyone is so keen to make a good first impression.
But Balogun won’t be there when the Pochettino era kicks off against Panama in Austin, Texas, on Saturday after dislocating his shoulder 64 minutes into the win at Rennes.
He had to be helped off the field in obvious pain, and will undergo tests to evaluate the timeframe for his recovery.
Monaco’s head coach Adi Huetter (left) comforts Balogun as he leaves the pitch in Rennes (Jean-Francois Monier/AFP via Getty Images)
Balogun is not the only notable injury withdrawal from Pochettino’s maiden roster, with Johnny Cardoso and Tim Weah replaced by Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann, and Liga MX-based pair Brandon Vazquez and Alex Zendejas.
Balogun, who pledged his international allegiance to the U.S. last year and has scored five goals in 17 appearances for his country, must now hope shoulder surgery is not required. If he needs an operation, that could entail an even longer lay-off, just as he was playing his way back into the type of form that earned him the move to Monaco after his season on loan from Arsenal with Reims the previous year.
Player of the weekend
Christian Pulisic’s supreme form for AC Milan continues, with yet another goal against Fiorentina.
But it might be time for the USMNT main man, who is one of the leaders of the national team, to take a more assertive approach with his club team-mates.
Pulisic’s fourth goal in consecutive appearances for the Rossoneri made it 1-1 on Sunday, but the visitors wasted the opportunity to win the game.
In a match of three missed spot kicks, Milan saw the two they were awarded saved — and for reasons unknown, their designated taker, Pulisic, was overlooked to step up. Instead defender Theo Hernandez failed to convert before half-time, then striker Tammy Abraham also saw an effort saved.
Fiorentina’s Luca Ranieri attempts to stop Pulisic (Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Milan manager Paolo Fonseca was understandably unimpressed. “Our penalty taker is Pulisic,” he said to DAZN afterwards. “I don’t know why the players changed their minds. I spoke to him and said that it must not happen again.”
Pulisic was replaced on 82 minutes and did not seem too thrilled, either, but the manager insisted he was trying to look after his star man. “It was out of caution for Pulisic — he had a problem with his flexor during the week,” he explained. “(Samuel) Chukwueze came in well and created opportunities.”
Graphic of the weekend
Quote of the weekend
“Who is better than Malik Tillman in the Eredivisie? I couldn’t name anyone.”
Former Denmark international Dennis Perez, an analyst for ESPN, was very impressed by Tillman’s display in PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 win over Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday.
The American midfielder was influential as the reigning Dutch champions made it eight games and eight wins in Eredivisie this time around.
Tillman impressed against Sparta (Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images)
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Jonathan Gomez
Club: PAOK
Position: Left-back
Games (in all competitions): 1
The 21-year-old was on the winning side during his full debut for Greek top flight club PAOK Thessaloniki on Sunday. Gomez, who signed from Spanish club Real Sociedad in August, is eligible for both the U.S. and Mexico, and graduated through the FC Dallas academy.
Name: Jonathan Amon
Club: Lygby
Position: Forward
Games: 11
Goals: 3
Amon has three goals so far this season in 11 appearances for his Danish Super Liga side. On Sunday he started in a front three as Lyngby, who are 10th in the table and struggling for wins, drew 1-1 at Randers FC. Amon, 25, has started all of his team’s league games so far.
Name: Cole Campbell
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Winger
Games: 5
A special milestone for the 18-year-old Texan who was named in the matchday senior squad for Dortmund for the first time during their defeat by Union Berlin on Saturday. Campbell signed a contract with the Germans until 2028 in the summer. After a spell in Iceland, he joined Dortmund in 2022, and became part of the U.S. program earlier this year.
His five competitive appearances to date this season have been for Dortmund’s second team in the German third tier.
Westerlo’s Bryan Reynolds (Isosport/MB Media/Getty Images)
Name: Bryan Reynolds
Club: Westerlo
Position: Defender
Games: 10
Goals: 1
Reynolds had a steady game for his Belgian club on Friday during their 2-2 draw with Beerschot. Playing at right wing-back, he helped his team stay in sixth place.
Name: Paxten Aaronson
Club: FC Utrecht
Position: Midfield
Games: 8
Goals: 2
The younger Aaronsen brother is on a high at the moment after scoring his second goal in as many games for Utrecht, who have started the season strongly and are in second spot. He grabbed the second goal of a 3-2 win over RKC Waalwijk on Saturday.
What’s coming up?
(All times ET)
After the forthcoming international break, see if Campbell can get onto the pitch for Dortmund against St Pauli on Friday, October 18 in the Bundesliga (2:30pm, ESPN+).
Lennard Maloney will also try and help Heidenheim recover from their 1-0 loss to RB Leipzig last time out as they face his compatriot Joe Scally’s Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, October 19 (9:30am, ESPN+).
(Top photos: Getty Images)
