Gio Reyna Scores in France: Key Moments from the Weekend

Gio Reyna needed this. Not Strasbourg, not Ligue 1, not even the scoreline. Him.

On just his third outing for Strasbourg, the American finally wrote his name onto a French scoresheet, striking in a 6-2 dismantling of Troyes on their own pitch. In the context of the match, it was one goal in a rout. In the context of his career, it felt a lot bigger.

Reyna has been rebuilding quietly. A late cameo in the opener against Marseille. Then a first start against Lens where the numbers told the story: 92 percent passing accuracy, three chances created, a player knitting attacks together rather than chasing the game.

At Troyes, he added the missing piece. A goal, two shots on target, and 18 completed passes from 21 attempts. Sharp, efficient, involved.

The caveat hangs over everything with Reyna: fitness. The talent has never been in doubt, the availability always has. But early signs in France are clear enough. Give him a run of games and he can bend Ligue 1 matches to his will.

PSV flying, Pepi firing

All is calm at PSV. All is sharp with Ricardo Pepi in front of goal.

Five minutes into a 3-1 win over Ajax on Saturday, Pepi struck again. That makes it three goals in his last four games, and PSV have ridden that form to four straight victories by a combined score of 16-4. They look like a side intent on ripping the league away from everyone else before winter even arrives.

The question is the same as it has been for years: will Pepi be there for the whole ride?

Transfer talk never really leaves him. Every window, his name surfaces. Every scoring run adds fuel. This season could finally be the one that forces a move, but not before January at the earliest. Between now and then, his current pace suggests double figures are well within reach.

Musah steps up as Pulisic and McKennie sit out

When Milan meet Juventus, American eyes usually split between two stars: one in red and black, one in black and white. This time, both stayed out of sight.

No Weston McKennie in the Juve squad as he nurses a muscle injury. Christian Pulisic on the Milan bench again, fit enough to be named in the team but still not used. That left Yunus Musah to carry the USMNT flag in a heavyweight Serie A clash that refused to find a winner.

Milan had it. Then they didn’t.

Musah, stationed in central midfield alongside Luka Modric, did his job as the hosts edged toward a statement win. They controlled the key moments, managed the tempo, and held a lead that seemed enough. Then came a late Juventus set piece, a lapse, and a last-gasp equaliser that flipped the mood inside the stadium.

For American fans, the scoreline almost felt secondary. McKennie’s absence was expected. Pulisic’s situation is more frustrating. Three times this season he has been named on the bench. Three times he has stayed there. Milan are clearly taking no chances after his World Cup injury, but no one around him seems sure when “easing back” turns into “fully ready.”

Maybe next week. Maybe longer. One of the marquee fixtures of the Italian season passed with both American headliners watching, not playing.

Scally scores, but Gladbach collapse

Joe Scally spent the summer with his future in question. Like Reyna, his name floated around the transfer market. Unlike Reyna, he stayed put.

Days after the window closed, he offered a reminder of why Borussia Monchengladbach kept him.

In a wild 4-3 defeat to Elversberg on Saturday, Scally was on the scoresheet for just the sixth time in his career. His goal, in the 56th minute, pushed Gladbach into a 3-1 lead and looked set to stand as the winner. Then the game turned.

Elversberg pulled one back. Scally went off. From the bench, he watched his side concede twice in the final 10 minutes, his goal reduced from decisive moment to forgotten detail in a collapse that will sting for weeks.

He was not flawless. A defensive error from Scally contributed to one of Elversberg’s goals, and questions about his work at the back will linger. The long-standing criticism, though, has centred on his attacking output. Modern fullbacks are judged on what they deliver going forward as much as what they prevent.

On that front, this weekend mattered. Scally showed he can influence the game higher up the pitch. Now he has to turn one bright attacking display into a pattern that secures his place.

Americans abroad: key notes

• Folarin Balogun did not dress for Monaco’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Paris Saint-Germain after a week dominated by transfer noise around his future.
• Sebastian Berhalter, Aidan Morris and Max Arfsten all started for Middlesbrough, with Rokas Pukstas coming off the bench for his debut in a 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers.
• Gianluca Busio supplied an assist for Venezia, but they slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Frosinone.
• Chris Richards came out on top in the all-American duel with Antonee Robinson as Crystal Palace edged Fulham 3-2.
• Noahkai Banks delivered a strong performance for Augsburg in a commanding 4-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Jack McGlynn made his Stoke City debut from the bench in a 4-0 rout of Charlton Athletic.
• Tim Weah captained Marseille, but his side were sunk by a Lassine Sinayoko hat-trick in a 3-2 defeat to Paris FC.
• Tanner Tessmann entered in the 76th minute of Lyon’s 3-1 win over Auxerre.
• Lyngby goalkeeper Diego Kochen made four saves to preserve a clean sheet against Viborg.
• Tyler Adams dictated play in midfield, yet Bournemouth had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Newcastle.
• Brenden Aaronson came on in the 62nd minute of Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Brighton.
• Johnny Cardoso made a late cameo for Atletico Madrid in a shocking 3-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao.
• Alex Freeman played the full 90 minutes in Villarreal’s 3-2 defeat to Deportivo La Coruña.
• George Campbell helped West Brom protect a 1-0 lead and a clean sheet against Watford.
• John Tolkin logged 63 minutes in Holstein Kiel’s 2-2 draw with FC Nurnberg.
• Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers started together in central defence as Celtic claimed a 2-1 win over St. Mirren.
• Caleb Wiley played 59 minutes in Preston’s 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers.
• Malik Tillman featured for 67 minutes in Bayer Leverkusen’s ruthless 4-0 demolition of Union Berlin.

One weekend, three clear threads: Reyna scoring again, Pepi threatening another move, and Musah carrying the load while Pulisic and McKennie wait. How long before all three are driving their clubs’ seasons instead of just hinting at what’s coming?