For two Americans Abroad, their goals over the weekend had been a long time coming.
Haji Wright and Luca Koleosho both ended droughts by scoring from close range, providing a welcome boost amid a difficult run.
Elsewhere, injury concerns cropped up for other U.S. men’s national team players.
Let’s kick off this week’s Five with two players who will feel a bit lighter today than they did when the weekend began.
Haji Wright back on the board
Yes, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s shot was probably already going in, but a striker always has to make sure – especially when it’s been three months since his last goal.
Haji Wright’s drought finally ended on Saturday, Jan. 17, as the Coventry City forward netted a late winner in his side’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City.
The striker had eight goals in his first nine Championship games, going on to score a brace for the USMNT against Australia in October as his stock for club and country soared. But the 27-year-old’s form slipped in the following months.
Wright has even found himself outside of Coventry’s lineup of late, starting three of five games on the bench – including the Leicester match.
Wright will hope his goal is the start of a new hot streak. For Coventry, the win extended the club’s lead atop the Championship to six points.
Luca Koleosho scores in Ligue 1 debut
Koleosho scored the winner for Paris FC against Nantes on Sunday, Jan. 18, coming off the bench to make a major impact in his Ligue 1 debut. It was his first goal at the club level since September 2024.
After failing to see the field much on loan at Espanyol, the American-born Italy youth international already appears to have carved out a role with Paris FC.
His future at the international level and with parent club Burnley is still very much up in the air, but the 21-year-old finally appears to have some forward momentum.
Christian Pulisic still not fully fit
Christian Pulisic’s health appears to be a story to be worth monitoring.
AC Milan coach Max Allegri admitted this month that Pulisic was still not at full fitness after missing a month with a hamstring injury earlier in the season. Allegri looks to be exercising some caution with his leading scorer’s minutes.
Pulisic was an unused substitute in a midweek win at Como, but did manage to start and play 73 minutes in Sunday’s win against Lecce. The American star nearly scored, but his second-half chance drew an outstanding save from Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone.
The Pennsylvania native has now gone four straight appearances without a goal contribution.
Defenders miss out with injuries
With the World Cup now just a few months away, injury issues for core USMNT players will take on heightened importance.
Sergiño Dest and Mark McKenzie both missed matches for their clubs this weekend due to injury.
Dest appears to have escaped any major injury, as PSV head coach Peter Bosz said the right back could be ready for a Champions League game against Newcastle on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
McKenzie missed out for Toulouse due to a foot injury, the severity of which is currently unknown.
Gio Reyna ‘not letting his head drop’
Gio Reyna looked to be building some momentum before the Bundesliga’s winter break, but optimism over the playmaker’s trajectory has vanished over the past few weeks.
Reyna started three straight matches before the break, but has now made just two brief appearances off the bench in three January matches for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
‘Gio isn’t letting his head drop; he’s training well, is in good form, and will be very, very important for us,’ Eugen Polanski said prior to giving Reyna 20 minutes in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hamburg.
It was the kind of game where Reyna should have been able to thrive, but the 23-year-old didn’t make much impact during his cameo. He’s still looking for his first goal contribution with Gladbach.
