USMNT weekend roundup: Weston McKennie's Juventus form strengthens case for key World Cup role
When Mauricio Pochettino gathered his U.S. national team for training camp last month in greater Philadelphia, Weston McKennie remained in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. Pochettino was not punishing him or sending a message, as he had done with several veterans during this defining year.
Rather, Pochettino decided McKennie — and, by extension, the national team — would benefit more from the Texan strengthening his relationship with new Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti than strengthening bonds with teammates in two U.S. friendlies.
The move has paid off. Without McKennie, as well as several injured regulars, the Americans swept past Paraguay and Uruguay. And McKennie has remained a fixture in Spalletti’s lineup, logging 90 minutes in each of the past 10 matches.
On Saturday, in his 200th appearance over five years for the Italian giants, he recorded a second-half assist during a 2-1 victory over Roma, marking the third time in four matches he has scored or played a secondary role in a goal.
Loïs Openda scores his first Serie A goal off the Weston McKennie assist 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1ORnhm3LOa
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 20, 2025
Across three competitions, Juventus is 8-1-3 in its past 12 matches. Saturday’s victory drew it within a point of Roma for Serie A’s fourth Champions League berth in 2026-27.
McKennie, 27, has proven valuable not only with production and minutes played but versatility. In 18 starts overall, he has started eight times at right wing back, five in central midfield, twice in attacking midfield, twice at right wing and once at left wing back.
As the World Cup approaches, that flexibility will provide options for Pochettino, who, in October, started McKennie in attacking midfield for friendlies against Ecuador and Australia. Since Pochettino’s arrival more than a year ago, McKennie has also played wide and in a deep central role.
The U.S. boss has plenty of time to continue evaluating McKennie — not to mention the entire player pool. The next international window is in late March for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta. About two months later, Pochettino will name his 26-man World Cup squad.
Elsewhere in Europe this weekend …
Italy
Forward Christian Pulisic and second-place AC Milan had the weekend off after losing to Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup semifinals Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Midfielder Yunus Musah made his first Serie A start in four months, playing all of Atalanta’s 1-0 victory at 10-man Genoa.
In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann made his usual start as Cesena drew 1-1 with Juve Sabia extending the club’s unbeaten streak to four and leaving it in fourth place, three points out of promotion.
Netherlands
The U.S. duo of Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest combined for a tying goal early in the second half, with Pepi scoring for the fifth time in six matches over all competitions as first-place PSV Eindhoven came from behind to win 2-1 at Utrecht.
Another league game, another Pepi goal. With an assist by Dest. pic.twitter.com/8OBFu8R27u
— SoccerAmerica (@socceramerica) December 21, 2025
According to Opta, the 22-year-old striker has recorded 15 goals in 13 Eredivisie starts since joining PSV last season, scoring at least one goal in 10 of those 13 starts, including the last four. In league play this season, Pepi has posted seven goals and one assist in 14 appearances (seven starts) for PSV, which is 15-1-1 and 11 points ahead of second-place Feyenoord entering the winter break. He also has three goals in five Champions League matches.
Dest recorded his fourth assist of the Eredivisie campaign.
England
It was the end of a rough week for center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace, which lost at Leeds 4-1. Richards didn’t play well over 90 minutes.
The stretch began with a 3-0 home loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, followed by a 2-2 home draw with Finnish club KuPS, which left Palace 10th in the UEFA Conference League (Europe’s third-tier continental competition). A victory would have earned a top-eight finish and an automatic berth in the round of 16. Instead, a playoff awaits.
Midfielder Brendan Aaronson played 76 minutes for Leeds, which is 16th on the 20-team circuit. Palace is eighth.
Sidelined two to three months with a torn MCL, midfielder Tyler Adams missed Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.
In his return from a knee injury, left back Antonee Robinson made his third consecutive 90-minute appearance in Fulham’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
In the second-tier Championship, Patrick Agyemang’s pressure forced an own goal in the first half and his late bid for the winner was saved well as Derby County settled for a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth. The former Charlotte FC forward has five goals and three assists in his first season overseas.
Forward Haji Wright played 82 minutes as 10-man Coventry City earned a 1-1 draw at Southampton, leaving the frontrunners 12 points clear for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Midfielder Aidan Morris (leg injury) missed his fifth consecutive match for second-place Middlesbrough, while forward Josh Sargent (concussion) missed his second straight for Norwich City.
Germany
Midfielder Malik Tillman started for the seventh time in eight matches across all competitions as Bayer Leverkusen won at RB Leipzig, 3-1, and moved into third place in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Based on Fotmob analytics, Tillman is Leverkusen’s third-best player this season.
Noahkai Banks, a 19-year-old center back, made his 10th consecutive start in Augsburg’s 0-0 draw with Werder Bremen.
Right wing back Joe Scally (90 minutes) and midfielder Gio Reyna (65) started in Mönchengladbach’s 2-0 loss at Dortmund. Reyna has started four consecutive matches, a positive development in his effort to remain in Pochettino’s good graces.
Central midfielder James Sands remains a St. Pauli fixture, making his 14th start in a 0-0 draw at Mainz. Left wing back John Tolkin entered in the 63rd minute as Holstein Kiel ended a four-game winless streak in the second division with a 2-1 win over Dynamo Dresden.
France
In a cup weekend, forward Folarin Balogun (90 minutes) and Monaco had the most difficult assignment, winning at Ligue 1’s Auxerre 2-1 to advance to the round of 32.
Center back Mark McKenzie (90) captained Toulouse to a 2-1 win at fifth-tier Lyon la Duchere. Winger Tim Weah played 69 minutes in Olympique Marseille’s 6-0 victory at third-flight Bourg en Bresse Peronnas. Midfielder-defender Tanner Tessmann entered in the 78th minute as Olympique Lyonnais needed three second-half goals to sweat out a 3-0 home victory over seventh-tier Saint-Cyr Collonges.
Others
In Scotland, Celtic center back Auston Trusty played 90 minutes in a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen, a result that ended a four-game losing streak and left the Glasgow club six points behind front-running Hearts with a match in hand. … In Spain, central midfielder Johnny Cardoso didn’t play in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 triumph at Girona. He has made one brief appearance the past eight times he’s been in uniform for a La Liga match.
