Welcome back from the holidays, global football. Did you enjoy your 48 hours off? There is little point, here, in unpacking the awful state of scheduling in this sport, or criticizing the various interested parties that consistently insist on running professional athletes into the ground in the name of money.
Instead, let’s focus on the thing we all watch: the highest quality product in the world. Ignore the tired legs and stretched muscles, and you have an interesting weekend of football ahead. Two Americans, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams, will face off in a Premier League fixture with unexpected European implications. Weston McKennie will likely play again – his exact position a matter of conjecture and fascination. Brenden Aaronson will be as busy as ever.
And perhaps most importantly, there are rumblings of a return from Christian Pulisic, who may be back on the pitch far sooner than expected for Milan. It should make for interesting football. GOAL looks ahead at some of the biggest storylines to follow among Americans Abroad this weekend.