America took over the Bundesliga for a brief moment during the Schalke-Bayer Leverkusen match on Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen. Weston McKennie, 20, soared above everyone on the pitch to get his head to a corner kick, which was then turned in for a Haji Wright goal, the 20-year-old’s first in the Bundesliga.
Newcastle United wingback DeAndre Yedlin was sent off for the first time in his 73-match Premier League career on Sunday during Newcastle’s crushing 2-1 defeat to Wolves. With the score level at 1-1 in the 57th minute, a terrible touch from the USMNT defender allowed Wolves’ Diogo Jota to charge through on goal, and Yedlin’s tactical foul outside the box resulted in a straight red card as the last defender.
America is going to be OK after all.
Forget all the talk of a growing political divide in this country, increasing climate change or an impending cold war with China. Josh Sargent is going to make everything alright.
Sargent, an 18-year-old native of O’Fallon, Missouri, made his Bundesliga debut with Werder Bremen on Friday against Düsseldorf. He scored moments later — on his very first touch as a professional footballer.
Before handing out today’s main prize — the 2018 Ballon d’Or — France Football presented the first-ever awarding of the Kopa Trophy, the accolade given to the best performing player under the age of 21.
This weekend was full of official transfer business for two of the USMNT’s brightest stars: It’s been long-anticipated, but New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams, 19, will officially join Bundesliga side RB Leipzig when the January transfer window opens, and Christian Pulisic, 20, was the subject of an official transfer approach from Premier League club Chelsea.
Weston McKennie is no longer the only 20-year-old American playing for Schalke.
Haji Wright, a Los Angeles native and a few months older than McKennie, made his Schalke debut on Saturday, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute as Die Knappen routed 10-man Nurnberg 5-2.
Newcastle United has finally figured out how to win a match.
After going 10 matches without a win to start the Premier League campaign, the Magpies have done it twice in the last week to jump out of the relegation zone. And DeAndre Yedlin’s offense was vital to Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday at St. James’ Park.
While Salomón Rondón will receive most of the plaudits for scoring both goals for the Magpies against Bournemouth, Yedlin was the spark to get the offense going.
Borussia Dortmund is through to the DFB-Pokal Round of 16 after defeating second-division side Union Berlin 3-2 Wednesday. 20-year-old American Christian Pulisic scored the opener, assisted on Max Philipp’s second and then earned the penalty that Marco Reus converted for Dortmund’s third.
We can only speak for ourselves here at The18, but we’d grown a little terrified of late, and we’re not talking about the culmination of binging The Haunting of Hill House ’til Halloween night.
A fascinating tactical battle between Lucien Favre’s Bundesliga-leading Dortmund and Diego Simeone’s Atletico (currently averaging 0.55 goals conceded per game in LaLiga) was bossed by the home side at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday, BVB putting four past Europe’s misers while limiting the visitors to only two shots on frame.
Achraf Hakimi registered a hat-trick of assists while the moves were finished by Axel Witsel, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Guerreiro (x2). Marco Reus wasn’t on the scoresheet, but his deployment in the false nine role murdered Atletico’s shape.
Weston McKennie is expected to become a major part of the midfield fulcrum for the USMNT over the next decade. But the Texan, who turned 20 in August, has shown off his versatility with Schalke this season.
McKennie started up top as one of two forwards for Schalke on Saturday against Werder Bremen, the sixth different position he’s played in six Bundesliga appearances this season.