GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, headlined by goals from Pulisic and Josh Sargent
When AC Milan needed a hero, Christian Pulisic stepped up, as he so often does. It had been too long since Pulisic provided one of those superstar performances, but this one surely came at the right time for both Milan and the U.S. men's national team, who will know they can count on their superstar with the CONCACAF Nations League looming.
Pulisic was the main story for the USMNT this weekend, but was far from the only one – it was an eventful one for Americans Abroad. Big goals, injury returns, clean sheets and rough handball calls – there was plenty going on when it came to the USMNT's big stars.
Josh Sargent was back scoring, continuing his own hot streak. Chris Richards is one of the few players in the player pool who can match him for form, and he kept that going with a clean-sheet win with Crystal Palace. Richards has emerged as a true Premier League regular while Sargent hopes to get there by leading Norwich to promotion this season – although those hopes took a hit this weekend.
Elsewhere, Sergino Dest made his long-awaited return from his ACL injury, while Caleb Wiley made his less-long-awaited return to debut for Watford. Neither will be in the USMNT squad this month, but there were plenty of good moments from those that will be. With the CONCACAF Nations League matches happening in less than two weeks, everything is falling into place before Mauricio Pochettino announces his squad on Tuesday.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
GettyPulisic does it again for Milan
It looked as if it was going to be another embarrassing day for Milan. Form has fallen off a cliff, leading to rumors that new coach Sergio Coinceicao could be gone as soon as this summer. Massimiliano Allegri has already reportedly been named as a potential successor. That's how far gone things had gotten.
Pulisic might not be able to single-handedly save Conceicao, but he sure as hell did save Milan on Saturday.
After seeing his side go 2-0 down to lowly Lecce, Pulisic won a penalty and converted it, leveling the match with Milan's second goal in five minutes. Eight minutes after that, he was on the scoresheet again, scoring first-time to give Milan a 3-1 lead that they would inevitably hold. In a matter of 13 minutes, Milan scored three times to earn three points, with Pulisic doing the heavy lifting.
It's what he's done all season long, at least when healthy. He leads Milan in goal contributions and many have come in the biggest moments. Champions League games, the Supercoppa Italiana win, come-from-behind Serie A wins – Pulisic isn't stat padding – he's making a difference.
The Nations League is on the horizon and, while he may not be in the form he was to start 2025, Pulisic is now back scoring goals, which is good news for the USMNT.
AdvertisementAFPDest makes his return
For the first time in 329 days, Dest was named to PSV's matchday squad. He took it a step further, too. By taking the field as a second-half substitute, USMNT defender is officially back.
Nearly a year after tearing his ACL, Dest made his long-awaited return to the field in PSV's 2-1 win over Heerenveen on Saturday. Very fittingly, he replaced Richy Ledezma, a longtime teammate who held down PSV's right-back spot so capably in Dest's absence.
In his 23 minutes, Dest completed all nine of his passes, dribbled past two defenders and had four passes into the final third. This was vintage Dest, even if he still has aways to go before he's truly back to his best.
It's why he was left off the USMNT's Nations League roster. Dest needs reps and minutes, although PSV are up against it in the league at the moment, they'll almost certainly give it to him. Ledezma has proven a more than capable understudy, which means Dest can be given the slower road back.
"I am immensely happy to be back," he told the club's official website. "The supporters and the players took good care of me and I'm very grateful for that. I've had that feeling for eleven months.
"Before the game, all I thought was, I want to get in and play again. Fortunately, the coach gave me a half-hour which was super nice. I also went straight into the duels and was just driven to seek them out. Of course, I have to take it easy and be careful, but it felt good."
Dest had to re-learn how to run – literally.
"The months were tough, but I had to accept it and keep going with a positive mindset," he said. "I had to learn to run again, train a lot and keep connecting with the team. The time was not easy and it took a long time, but I had a lot of support from the staff, players and supporters. Now I can show myself again."
Getty Images SportSargent goal not enough
If you blinked, you might have missed it. Sargent's goal came just a few minutes into Friday's match, before many could even get their live stream of the game going. If you missed it, though, no worries – it's nothing you haven't seen countless times in recent weeks.
You can make it eight in eight for Sargent, who netted just moments into Norwich's 1-1 draw with Oxford United. The good run of form continues and it's happening at the right moment for Sargent, who is going to get a very real chance with the USMNT in the Nations League. There's no one in his way this time. Sargent is the guy.
As for Norwich, though, it's looking a bit dire. With the two dropped points against an Oxford team below them in the table, Norwich sit 10th, six points out of a playoff spot. The race for that spot is tightening and every loss or draw is a missed chance. Sargent's future could very well depend on how that race ends up, and it's clear that the Canaries will need more than a few Sargent goals to make this final push.
Getty Images SportRichards blossoming as a defender
Some numbers: In Saturday's 1-0 win over Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace and USMNT defender Chris Richards completed more passes than anyone on the field. He had more tackles, five, than anyone else, too. Duels? He won more than anyone else with 10. You can add in five clearances and a pair of blocks, too. Those stats paint a clear picture: Richards did just about everything right in the shutout win.
It's become a theme with Richards, who has clearly taken a leap forward this season. Dating back to the start of February, Palace have now won six of seven in all competitions, with Richards being a key in just about every one of those wins. Manchester United, Aston Villa, Fulham – all have fallen to Palace. All have been stifled by Richards and the Palace defense.
For several years, the 24-year-old centerback has been hailed as a future USMNT defensive star. We've seen him take small steps forward, but there was always an expectation that a bigger one would happen someday. Someday is clearly now, as Richards is becoming one hell of a defender right before our eyes.
