USMNT abroad: Christian Pulisic is back, Gio Reyna shines

Chrisitan Pulisic scored for Chelsea in his first senior team appearance in five months. This and more in the latest edition of the USMNT abroad.

Whenever Christian Pulisic scores, he is a sure bet to grab all the United States soccer headlines. This time around his goal was extra special. The United States Men’s National Team star had not played for Chelsea’s first team in over five months due to an abductor injury and the postponement of the Premier League.

When he entered as a substitute for Frank Lampard’s side on Sunday against Aston Villa, then, it was a significant moment for the young winger, who is still looking to establish himself in the starting XI at Stamford.

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Chelsea were down 1-0 upon his arrival, but Pulisic quickly found the back of the net to pull the Blues level, smashing a volley high into the roof of the net from Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross. He then played a key role in the second goal, playing a one-two with Olivier Giroud before sliding the ball wide to Azpilicueta who crossed low for Giroud to score.

Chelsea went on to win and grab a key three points in the battle for the remaining Champions League places. Pulisic’s goal was no doubt a huge moment that helped jump-start the comeback. It was his sixth goal of the season in 17 appearances.

Pulisic was not the only USMNT player to play a key role in his team’s success. Gio Reyna made his first Bundesliga appearance in the starting XI for Borussia Dortmund. The 17-year-old ended up registering his first assist by providing a great delivery for Erling Haaland to open the scoring in a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig.

With second place now secured in the Bundesliga, Dortmund will be playing in the Champions League again next season which means Reyna is set for more big moments in the season to come. He will also have one more Bundesliga match to make an impact on this season. At the moment, he is continuing on the path to becoming the USMNT’s next big-time player.

Kenny Saief scores and Chris Richards debuts

A name that has not been heard in a quite some time is Kenny Saief. The USMNT midfielder made four appearances for the U.S. during 2018 in international friendlies. He was on the scoresheet on Sunday for Lechia Gdansk in a 1-0 victory over Pogon Szczecin in the Ekstraklasa.

Saief is currently on loan from Anderlecht but he’s played regularly for Lechia Gdansk since his arrival which has helped him get back into first-team action.

Elsewhere, Chris Richards made his first senior team appearance for Bayern Munich in their 3-1 victory over Freiburg on Saturday. Richards played just six minutes for the Bundesliga champions but should be available on the bench again for Bayern’s last fixture next weekend on the final matchday of the season. This could be one of many appearances to come for Richards at Bayern Munich as he is just 20 years old.

All in all, then, it was an encouraging weekend for USMNT players in Europe. Pulisic and Reyna are the stars, but there is rising talent wherever you look.