GOAL's key takeaways from Americans players in Europe, including one USMNT midfielder scoring a dream-defying goal
It was a big weekend for U.S. men's national team stars playing in Europe, but the biggest winner wasn't one of the usual suspects. Rather, it was a seldom-used midfielder, who went toe-to-toe with the best midfield in the world – and outplayed them.
We're talking about Johnny Cardoso, who scored a dream-defying goal in Real Betis' win over Real Madrid Saturday. Few teams get the better of Madrid and few can say they really deserved it. Not this time. Cardoso and Betis were deserved winners, with the American putting together a performance that could change the trajectory of his career for club and country.
Chris Richards was a big winner, too, as was Antonee Robinson – both defenders helped their sides to victory in the FA Cup. The USMNT's attackers largely struggled, though, with goals relatively hard to find this weekend. Gio Reyna, given another start, never got particularly close. Christian Pulisic didn't either. Josh Sargent, who has scored so often in recent weeks, was actually held quiet.
It was an up-and-down series of matches but, in many ways, it was one defined by Cardoso, who made a loud enough statement to make up for even the worst moments for Americans Abroad this weekend.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
Getty Images SportCardoso takes down Madrid
Every USMNT fan watching Cardoso's performance against Real Madrid will have thought the same thing: how can the USMNT get this type of performance out of him?
Immense. There was no other way to describe his play. Facing down arguably the world's best team, Cardoso ran the show. He scored, of course, joining Christian Pulisic as the only Americans ever to score against Los Blancos. That is a massive highlight, but it wasn't just the goal – it was the complete performance.
There was a sequence where he flicked the ball right up and over the legendary Luka Modric, among other moments in which he sliced up Real Madrid's superstar midfield. On both sides of the ball, Cardoso was spectacular, proving just how well he can play at the elitest of elite levels.
The question remains, though – why have we never seen this version of Cardoso in a USMNT shirt? He's notoriously struggled when given big chances at the international level. It's partly because he's often been played out of position as a lone six, but it's also partly because he's never turned in a career-defining shift.
That'll have to happen at some point – and this weekend just proved that Cardoso is more than capable. If he can run the show against Real Madrid's midfield, he can do so against any in the world. Will he now get his chance for the USMNT during this month's CONCACAF Nations League?
AdvertisementGetty Images SportReyna fails to capitalize
From the outside, it's been easy to criticize Gio Reyna's lack of opportunities at Borussia Dortmund. It's now getting a little bit harder for Borussia Dortmund to justify giving him those opportunities.
Reyna was handed his third start of the season, and second in a week, in Dortmund's 2-0 win over St. Pauli on Saturday. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't particularly good, either. Reyna completed 20 of his 26 passes, failed to create a chance and had just two touches in the opposition box. There are reasons for that, and many of them depend on his teammates, to be fair.
In general, though he wasn't really active or involved enough.
The probably for Reyna is that, right now, he's held to a different standard, one at which he can't afford to be quiet. When you're a player fighting for a spot, you have to go beyond, and Reyna just hasn't been able to do that this season. In previous years, Reyna always seemed to make an impact off the bench, making his exclusions somewhat puzzling.
Right now, it's fairly easy to see why Dortmund don't fully trust him: because he hasn't really done much lately to earn that trust. He's scored two goals this season, and those boost his case, but it was always going to come down to how he performed when given a chance to start.
He'll hope there are a few more chances and, to be fair, just the fact that he's getting these opportunities is a major step forward. If he can take one or two of them before arriving for this month's Nations League, that would be a major step for both Reyna and the USMNT.
Getty Images SportRichards shines in FA Cup win
Chris Richards has been enjoying his best run as a top-flight professional, and it got even better this weekend.
Richards put in a Man of the Match-level performance in Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup win over Millwall, leading the way on both sides of the field. Defensively, he was incredible, winning 16 duels, the most in the match, while also making a whopping 11 headed clearances. On the attacking end, he provided an assist, too, showcasing once again how much of a weapon he can be inside the opposition's box.
All of that is to say that he made Matt Turner's life much easier. The USMNT goalkeeper was in net for Palace as he remains the club's cup goalkeeper. He had to make just one save on the day, facing just two shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes.
Palace were favorites and they certainly played like it, keeping a vast majority of the possession, but whenever Milwall did get forward, Richards and the rest of the backline swatted them away.
Richards, in particular, is growing into a damn reliable defender, and he'd experiencing that growth at a good time as the World Cup inches closer.
Getty Images SportRobinson and Fulham outlast Man Utd in shootout
In the end, Antonee Robinson kept his calm, as he so often does. Of all the penalties taken, his was certainly one of the best. The American picked his spot and found it. So, too, did his Fulham teammates.
Manchester United didn't and, because of that, they're out of the FA Cup. Robinson and Fulham outlasted them, with the American playing his part as always before the shootout even began.
This wasn't the best game we've seen from Robinson. There were no fantastic assists or, really, pinpoint crosses. He defended relatively well and helped keep Fulham in it, leading the way through 120 grueling minutes. Once those are over, it's all about keeping your cool and Fulham were cooler than Man Utd.
Now, that statement doesn't carry as much weight as it once did. Manchester United are in a tailspin. This is still big for Fulham, who can carry this momentum both through the FA Cup and into the Premier League.
