Americans Abroad: How 8 Top USMNT Players Fared Overseas This Season
With football becoming more and more popular in the United States, more star players with American citizenship have begun to test themselves in some of the biggest leagues around the globe.
Obviously, most of the top leagues reside in Europe, which is where many of the USMNT's best players ply their trade during the club season. Several different American players have made solid impacts at their respective clubs over the season and a few have even gotten to play in the Champions League and compete for various different domestic trophies.
Let's take a look at eight of the top American players playing overseas and how their season's played out.
John Brooks (Vfl Wolfsburg)
After Brooks became an American hero in the 2014 World Cup, a lot was expected out of the young German-American. Brooks has gone on to lead Wolfsburg to sixth place in the Bundesliga, starting 29 matches for his side before injuring his knee toward the end of the campaign.
The 26-year-old was crucial on set-pieces for the club, adding three goals and three assists to his solid defensive contributions throughout the season. Wolfsburg will need the big American centre-back to return to his best as they will look to do well in the Europa League as well as their domestic responsibilities.
Weston McKennie (Schalke 04)
20-year-old McKennie became a mainstay for a struggling Schalke side when he was healthy during the 2018/19 season. With the ability to play anywhere on the pitch from centre-back to centre-forward, McKennie is an all-around player that his manager relied heavily upon.
Arguably the best experience McKennie got all year was playing in the Champions League against the likes of Manchester City and Porto. The 20-year-old played in four different positions during the competition, worrying many USMNT supporters he wasn't honing in one specific skill, but his versatility is probably his best asset for the team.
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)
One of just a few Americans currently receiving regular minutes in the Premier League, Yedlin proved to be quite a polarising figure for Newcastle this season. The 25-year-old bagged a goal and two assists from the right-back spot but was always prone to a calamitous error that may cost his side the match.
Yedlin's performances this season have seen him potentially fall down the pecking order under new USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter, with Tyler Adams looking like the most likely player to fit into the right-back spot due to the manager's preferred style of play.
Tyler Adams (NY Red Bulls/RB Leipzig)
Adams completed his move from MLS side NY Red Bulls to German sister club RB Leipzig in January, and to many people's surprise slotted directly into the starting XI. The 20-year-old featured in every match for his side until an adductor injury kept him out until the last week of the season.
Despite the injury, Adams came back for the final Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen and started the DFB Pokal final against Bayern Munich.
Adams is set to be a key man for Berhalter in this summer's Gold Cup, where he is expected to play at right-back and slot into the centre of the pitch when the US retain possession.
Tim Ream (Fulham FC)
Ream is the second American defender to have received consistent minutes in the Premier League, despite his Fulham side being relegated in convincing fashion. The 31-year-old would normally start on the left side of a back-three but was, unfortunately, part of a defence that allowed a staggering 81 goals in the league this season.
With Fulham set for next season in the Championship, Ream will likely be seen as a key part in their promotion campaign but he will certainly need to sure up his defensive responsibilities if he is to help the United States at the Gold Cup.
Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen)
One of the lesser-known names in the USMNT player pool, Sargent began to gain some recognition after some solid performances for Bremen's second team. The 19-year-old made his first-team debut in December, scoring just minutes after coming off the bench.
Sargent will likely be a bigger part of the plans at Bremen next season after he scored seven goals and provided two assists in 12 appearances for the reserves and is set to be the United States' starting forward for the Gold Cup.
Tim Weah (PSG/Celtic)
Son of former Ballon d'Or winner and current President of Liberia, Weah began his season with French champions PSG before moving to Celtic in January in search of regular play time.
The 19-year-old looked to be in Thomas Tuchel's plans after performing well in pre-season but was limited to just two Ligue 1 appearances in the first two matches of the season. Weah did manage a goal in his first competitive match for the club in the Trophee Des Champions against Monaco and bagged a second against Caen in the first league match of the season.
After moving to Celtic, Weah made 11 appearances for the Scottish club, scoring three goals and adding an assist. The 19-year-old striker finished the season as a champion in two different European leagues and has recently said he would like to fight for a first-team spot at PSG next season.
Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
Still just 20 years old, Pulisic has the entire weight of US football on his shoulders after securing a $73m move to Premier League giants Chelsea in January. Pulisic stayed with Dortmund to finish out the season but his minutes were limited for the club this season after Jadon Sancho broke onto the scene.
Pulisic will have all eyes on him at the Gold Cup during the summer as he prepares to become the biggest American football player in Premier League history. Despite the limited minutes, Pulisic was still able to bag seven goals and six assists in all competitions, including an assist in his final game for the club.