USMNT Player Tracker: Pulisic returns, Agyemang has lift-off and Balogun’s moment of madness – The Athletic
Christian Pulisic returned to action, Folarin Balogun had a game to forget in France and Tyler Adams’ head injury causes alarm — it was a lively weekend for the USMNT’s European contingent.
As domestic action pauses for the latest international break, welcome to this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
Christian Pulisic: The return
So he’s back, albeit not quite with a bang.
Christian Pulisic returned to action for Milan on Saturday after missing three weeks with a hamstring injury suffered during the last international break. Introduced as a substitute during the 2-2 draw with Parma, which saw the Rossoneri throw away a goal advantage and miss the chance to go top of Serie A, Pulisic played 25 minutes as a second-half substitute at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.
He was quickly in the thick of the action as Massimiliano Allegri’s side chased a winner, but weeks of inaction looked to have had an impact as his usual assuredness disappeared. With 14 minutes remaining and the game in the balance, he was played through on goal and sped past Parma defender Lautaro Valenti with the net suddenly at his mercy — only to bend his shot wide of the post.
It was Milan’s best opportunity to take all three points and, in the end, they had to settle for the draw.
Christian Pulisic evades the Parma defence but curls his shot wide (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)
A match-fit Pulisic in full flow would normally have scored, so why is he not getting more minutes under his belt for his country in the forthcoming games with Paraguay and Uruguay?
The answer is Mauricio Pochettino did not call him into the roster, along with other senior players such as Weston McKennie and Chris Richards.
It seems to have been something of a political concession to their clubs, who had been concerned at the toll of more games on players, especially Richards and Pulisic, who have had injury concerns. “That is common sense,” said Pochettino last week. “We never risk players.”
The Argentine accepts he knows enough about the true levels of that trio, and needs less assessment of them in friendly games ahead of the World Cup. In the meantime, Pulisic will have every opportunity to be ready to start for Milan in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter on November 23.
Pochettino has diffused any tension with managers of some of his key men after Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner said he was “disappointed” by the national team for playing Richards during the last international break.
“Chris Richards deserved not to be called and left with his club,” explained Pochettino. “After the camp in Denver, we decided not to call him. We already know his leadership (impacts) on the team, but the most important thing now is to provide him the possibility to play, to recover in his club and not to take risk.”
Chris Richards tackles Brighton’s Diego Gomez on Sunday (Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Speaking after their 0-0 draw with Brighton on Sunday, Glasner took a conciliatory tone towards Pochettino in his press conference.
“Thank you to the USA and Mauricio Pochettino, because they also want him in his best shape for the World Cup rather than in November,” said the Austrian, whose team are 10th in the table. “Chris has been struggling with his calf since the first international break in September and needs his rest.
“I don’t want to talk about the details. I said something, Mauricio said something and it’s good. When everybody wants the best for the players, you always find a good solution.”
Agyemang’s big breakthrough
Patrick Agyemang has not had the easiest start to his career in the English second tier with Derby County.
After his healthy goal return in MLS with Charlotte caught the eye of clubs in Europe, he chose to join the EFL Championship side over the summer. It was an impressive rise for a player who was still playing college soccer at Rhode Island three years ago.
A hernia injury and understandable adaptation issues hampered his first months in England, but on Saturday came what could be his breakthrough moment.
Just before half-time at Blackburn Rovers the 6ft 3in (1.93m) centre-forward powered in a header that made the score 2-0 and ultimately ensured Derby won the contest 2-1.
Patrick Agyemang rises to head in Derby’s second goal at Ewood Park (Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
The goal was a late birthday gift for Agyemang, who turned 25 on Friday, and afterwards he told Derby’s website: “To score is great. I know how difficult this league is and it takes time to adapt to, but I think the guys are helping me be in successful positions.
“The service from Wardy (Joe Ward) is unbelievable, I’m just so thankful. It was a great birthday for me to have that goal.”
Balogun’s moment of madness
If Saturday will be one for Agyemang to cherish, another USMNT striker will not recall it too fondly.
Folarin Balogun experienced the full gamut of emotions in Monaco’s 4-1 home defeat by Lens. After scoring from the penalty spot to make it 1-1, he must have felt things were going nicely. Four days earlier he had scored the only goal of Monaco’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Bodo/Glimt and in that fixture’s pre-match press conference he spoke of the importance of “working for the team”.
If that will have been music to new coach Sebastien Pocognoli’s ears, what happened next will not have been quite so soothing.
Balogun lunged into a reckless challenge on defender Mamadou Sangare and was sent off following a VAR review.
Pocognoli protested at the time but subsequent reviews suggested it was the right decision. Sangare, who could not continue, had clearly been hurt as his graphic social media image later proved. It was certainly not the USMNT striker’s finest moment.
Coup dur pour Lens & le Mali !
Mamadou SANGARE, buteur (45e+3) lors du succès 4-1 face à Monaco, est sorti blessé à la cheville.
La durée de son indisponibilité n’est pas encore connue, il manquera le rassemblement des Aigles
🙏 Un prompt rétablissement & un retour rapide pic.twitter.com/OcBlerb6sr
— BERTHE Djakardia (@BERTHEDjack17) November 9, 2025
Adams’ worrying clash
There were concerns for Tyler Adams, too.
Not only did his Bournemouth team endure a rare off day Sunday in their 4-0 thumping by Aston Villa, but he suffered a nasty head collision during the game.
While both going for a header, Adams clashed with team-mate Alex Scott — called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad last week — and the latter was unable to continue. The USMNT man did play on but the decision to allow that prompted concern for former international midfielder Taylor Twellman on social media.
Having just seen the head clash with Tyler Adams and Adam Smith…… can the @premierleague explain to me how Adams is allowed to continue???? Anyone with 2 eyes can see he was/is disoriented. Smith is off and Adams isn’t…..make that make sense. #USMNT
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) November 9, 2025
Although the 26-year-old finished Bournemouth’s game, he will now not be involved in the friendly games during the break.
On Monday, U.S. Soccer said Adams and Colombus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki had been “withdrawn due to injuries suffered in their club matches this past weekend”.
How did the others get on?
Aidan Morris and his Middlesbrough team-mates did not let the abrupt departure of manager Rob Edwards, who is set to join Wolves, hold them back on Saturday. Boro beat Tom Brady’s Birmingham City 2-1 and Morris created the winning goal for Hayden Hackney.
Both Morris and Gio Reyna made the roster for this international break. The latter needs the run-out after again being left on the bench for Borussia Monchengladbach’s 3-1 win over Koln. He did get 15 minutes under his belt as a second-half substitute though, while international team-mate Joe Scally played the entire game.
Gio Reyna competes in the air with Koln’s Sebastian Sebulonsen (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
As Pulisic’s comeback made the headlines in Parma, his compatriot Benjamin Cremaschi came in in stoppage time and played for five minutes.
Noahkai Banks started in Augsburg’s 3-2 defeat at Stuttgart, but was subbed off on 62 minutes.
Finally, McKennie‘s positional bingo continued as the midfielder started at right-wing-back in Juventus’ 0-0 draw with Torino under new boss Luciano Spalletti.
