GOAL reviews the weekend’s top Americans Abroad performances as Pepi keeps scoring and McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Brenden Aaronson impress.
The holiday season is underway, and there were plenty of gifts out there for the U.S. Men's National Team this weekend. There was plenty of creativity on display, as several USMNT stars ran the show for their respective clubs.
Ricardo Pepi will grab headlines again, and rightfully so. His ridiculous goalscoring run continued this weekend with yet another finish. Whether it's in the Eredivisie or Champions League, no opponent has really figured out how to stop him or his current form.
He's not the only player thriving. Patrick Agyemang continued his good form in the Championship. Malik Tillman is making plenty happen in the Bundesliga. Don't look past Weston McKennie, too, as he provided a massive assist for Juventus.
The holidays might have just started, but it's already looking good for Americans, with plenty of good form to go around as 2025 comes to a close.
GOAL takes a look at the performances from Americans Abroad this weekend.
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McKennie's big assist
Let this weekend serve as a reminder, McKennie is an extremely versatile tool for Juventus. And even more importantly, he's a player who takes that skillset and makes things happen no matter where he is on the field.
Against Roma, McKennie started at right-wing back and was decisive as he assisted Juve's game-winning goal in the 2-1 victory. Despite having little of the ball, finishing with the fewest touches of any player, his tee-up of Lois Openda won Juve the game and three crucial points to keep the club in both the top four and Scudetto races atop the Serie A table.
The assist continues a fantastic run of form for McKennie. Over the last month, he has two goals and two assists in all competitions as he continues to be Juve's do-everything star. He doesn't always get the credit, but he almost always gets it done. He did that again this weekend.
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Pepi's run keeps going
They stopped Ricardo Pepi for one whole game, but he's back in his groove. The PSV star scored another goal this weekend and, despite that one-game goalless hiccup, it seems there's no end in sight to his domination of the Eredivisie.
Pepi's latest goal was a crucial one. Facing off with FC Utrecht, PSV were down a goal at the half, but Pepi ensured that changed early in the second. Just seven minutes after halftime, the score was level, and Pepi was the man to make it so. Making it even sweeter for USMNT fans? The assist came from Sergino Dest, who has been overshadowed by Pepi's greatness but has also been nearly as good.
PSV went on to get their winner, earning a 2-1 result. Pepi, meanwhile, now has five goals in six games and seven Eredivisie goals in just 690 minutes. This is the type of form the striker had last season before the injury issues, and even after missing the first half of this calendar year, the American striker hasn't missed a beat as he pushes for a bigger World Cup role.
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Agyemang continues surge with Derby
Continuing the theme of USMNT strikers, Patrick Agyemang didn't get a goal like Pepi, but he surely created one in yet another standout performance for Derby County.
The former Charlotte FC star directly created an own goal, helping Derby County to a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth. That, of course, was the game's most important moment for Derby, but it was far from Agyemang's only contribution. The attacker led the game in duels won, including succeeding in eight of 10 aerial duels. It shows that Agyemang offers decisiveness, but also the little things that make a difference in the game's quieter moments.
It was obviously a risk for Agyemang to go to Derby County, but that risk seems to be paying off. He has five goals and three assists so far this season, and that doesn't account for Saturday's contribution at all. Agyemang is showing all the signs of being a very good Championship striker and, as long as he keeps progressing, he can surely be something more, too.
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Tillman creativity deserves a reward
In another world, Malik Tillman would have had a few assists on Saturday. In truth, in another world, he'd have a few more assists this season. That's just been Tillman's luck this season, though, even as he continues to create chance after chance for Bayer Leverkusen.
Fortunately for the club, it didn't come back to bite them this weekend. After conceding the opener, Leverkusen scored three straight away from home to pick up a key 3-1 win over RB Leipzig. Despite not scoring or assisting, Tillman was one of the game's most influential players. He created four chances, eight passes into the final third and had a shot from close range blocked away.
Somehow, Tillman still doesn't have an assist this season. That will surely change soon if he keeps playing like this. They say numbers don't lie, but they do sometimes, and Tillman is one of those cases as he continues to do all of the creating Bayer Leverkusen could have asked for when they signed him this summer.
