Americans Abroad: Antonee Robinson makes long-awaited return for Fulham as Gio Reyna becomes a regular at Gladbach

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including the USMNT's star left back returning in style for Fulham.

It was a largely positive weekend for Americans Abroad, even if the winter grind across Europe continued to produce mixed results. With fixture congestion testing squads across the continent, consistency remains hard to come by – and that tension was evident once again this weekend. Christian Pulisic, for one, turned in a tired 70-odd minutes as AC Milan drew against Sassuolo.

Elsewhere, though, times were good. Antonee Robinson, after being wrapped in cotton wool as he recovered from injury, returned in fine fashion for Fulham as they held off   Burnley. Ricardo Pepi got himself on the scoresheet again, offering further proof that U.S. Men's National Team manager Mauricio Pochettino might have a bit of a selection headache ahead of March friendlies and going forward. 

And Gio Reyna, who has been rather eased into things for Borussia Monchengladbach, started his third straight game for the German side – even if his material impact wasn't entirely evident. There will be twists and turns to come here as the soccer calendar pushes its players once again. Still, this was a good one. 

GOAL takes a look at the performances from Americans Abroad this weekend…

Getty Images SportRobinson offers USMNT hope in return

Following the final whistle, a chant rang out from the away section at Turf Moor. That chant? "Antonee Robinson" over and over and over.

What a moment this was for the USMNT defender, who made his first Premier League start since May in the 3-2 win over Burnley. It was his second start of the season, with the only other one coming in the Carabao Cup back in September. Since then? He'd played just 10 minutes prior to Saturday's return as his long-term injury issues continued to take their toll.

Saturday was an indication that Robinson is just about back, though. He played all 90 minutes in the win and looked very much like his old self. He had four tackles, two interceptions, nine clearances, and a shot. He was, as usual, all over the field, even providing a hockey assist on Fulham's second goal.

It's been a while since we've seen a fit version of Robinson. He limped through the second half of last season after proving himself as one of the game's top left backs during the first half of the campaign. It's worth being patient with him, of course, particularly with the World Cup coming soon, but Saturday's performance offered some long-awaited hope that the USMNT star, who was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award, is getting back to something resembling his best.

AdvertisementAFPPepi rewarded with penalty goal

The thing about goals is that they all count, right? And yes, that even means those for the penalty spot. What was most notable about Pepi's finish from the spot, though, was that he was trusted with taking it as he continued to run up his goal total in the Eredivisie.

The penalty was just the third he's taken in PSV colors and the first since September of 2023. When PSV were awarded the chance against Heracles, though, there was little doubt that Pepi was the man for the moment given his recent run of form. It wasn't the best penalty, but it was effective, as he slid his shot right past the diving goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Pepi now has four goals in his last four games and six in total in the Eredivisie. That's despite the fact he's played just 600 league minutes this season, having only recently claimed his spot in the starting XI. He's making the most of that return to the lineup, though, as the USMNT striker continues to light up every team in his path. Whether it's from the spot or from open play, Pepi is getting his goals, and that's great news for the USMNT and PSV.

A special shoutout, too, to Sergino Dest, who also made his mark with an assist. Level at 3-3 in the 81st minute, Dest's tee-up of Guus Til, ultimately, is what won PSV the match. With that win, their lead atop the league is up to nine on Feyenoord, who still have a game to play. As things stand, though, PSV are rolling with the club's Americans doing their part.

Getty Images SportReyna starts again

Reyna had not started three consecutive club matches during this World Cup cycle. In fact, he hadn't done that since 2021. That's behind him, though, as the American midfielder was in the Borussia Monchengladbach XI once again this weekend.

It wasn't a good game, to be fair. Gladbach lost, 3-1, to Wolfsburg at home and were totally and completely outplayed. There is that silver lining, though, for Reyna, who is finally playing meaningful minutes on the club level. More specifically, he's played 194 minutes over his last three league games. For comparison, he played just 350 minutes last season, 280 the year before that, and 235 in the campaign before that. He's already up to 255 minutes this season, and it's still mid-December.

Baby steps, yes, but at least they're steps forward. Now, the conversation can focus on what Reyna does on the field, not his inability to get onto it. For a player who remains a key piece of the USMNT's future, that is a victory.

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AFPPulisic endures a mixed afternoon

Pulisic has been in the form of his life of late. The USMNT winger has been, rather comfortably, the best player in Serie A for spells this season. Yet, he was a little mixed against Sassuolo on Sunday morning. Milan, in general, were pretty poor on the day, struggling to get a result against the kind of side Serie A title contenders really should beat. 

And Pulisic was among those who disappointed. He started up front alongside Christopher Nkunku, and rather drifted in and out of the game over the course of 73 middling minutes. He created just the one chance, and even if he did have a goal cruelly ruled out for a foul in the build-up, it was a disappointing outing for the American. 

Things will need to turn around quickly, though. Milan play Napoli in the Super Cup on Thursday, and will do so without the injured Rafa Leao. Twelve months ago, that was the forum for Pulisic's best performance of the season. Another start seems on the cards there. Hopefully, a better performance will come with it.