International breaks are over for the foreseeable future, with the USMNT next set to take on Panama in the CONCACAF Nation’s League seminfinals in March at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. As a result, this is not the last-minute frantic effort to impress Mauricio Pochettino time of year.
Instead, it’s about individual quality, and surviving the chaos of the Christmas period in European football. It is a good thing, from an American point of view, that there are a number of names well-positioned to do so.
Leading the charge – at this moment – is not Christian Pulisic, but rather Ricardo Pepi. The PSV striker is in a rich vein of form, and should bounce Luuk de Jong from the lineup before too long. There’s also Tim Weah, who in brief moments has been an attacking X-factor for Juventus – who look so solid defensively that they sometimes forget that you have to do things at the other end of the pitch. Also, a word for the Dortmund duo – yes, duo – with Gio Reyna returning to form and fitness to complement to exciting flashes shown by U.S. U19 international Cole Campbell.
It will all make for compelling watching, especially in Italy and Germany. The Serie A title race is razor-thin, while both Campbell and Reyna could have an opportunity to shake Bayern Munich’s title charge in Der Klassiker on Saturday. GOAL US looks ahead at some of the biggest storylines to follow among Americans Abroad this weekend.