Tag: PSV

Tillman, on time and wide awake, scores stunner in PSV win

Tillman answered his alarm clock in the best way possible for PSV

Malik Tillman was wide awake for PSV’s win over FC Volendam.

The U.S. men’s national team attacking midfielder put up a goal and an assist in an emphatic performance, helping his side claim a 3-1 victory over 10-man FC Volendam on Saturday.

A week after being left out of the side by manager Peter Bosz for oversleeping, Tillman was handed a chance to make up for it, and ended up involved on the goals that provided the margin of victory at Philips Stadion.

Against a Volendam side that has a dreadful history against PSV — broadcaster ESPN noted that the previous nine meetings had seen the Eindhoven-based club score 50 goals — Tillman was handed his first start since a summer loan move from Bayern Munich.

What followed was more or less pure dominance: PSV took 38 shots and held 76% of the possession over the 90 minutes, while Volendam eventually went down a man thanks to Benaissa Benamar’s late red card.

Still, at halftime PSV only lead 1-0, and it was only in the second half that Tillman in particular started to heat up. Halftime substitute Guus Til helped as well, finishing Tillman’s delicate lob over the Volendam defense to make it 2-0 just moments after the restart.

Ricardo Pepi stepped into the fray with 20 minutes to go, and made an impact of his own. He drew the foul that got Benamar sent off, and the Texan played a big role in Tillman’s stoppage-time strike.

It wasn’t clear if Pepi got a touch on an attempted header as the ball bounced toward him, but it was enough to fool his marker, and the resulting deflection fell perfectly for Tillman.

The 21-year-old raced away through an enormous gap in the Volendam back line, then produced an overpowering shot from an angle to cap the scoring off.

It was, in other words, a perfect response to any doubts that Bosz or PSV fans might have had over the club’s new signing. The win also increased the club’s lead in the Eredivisie to four points, though AZ and FC Twente could still reduce that gap with games later on the weekend.

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Tillman left out of PSV squad for oversleeping, says coach Bosz

This is not the way to make an impression with a new team

Malik Tillman was dropped from PSV’s matchday squad on Saturday for oversleeping, according to head coach Peter Bosz.

Tillman was not involved as PSV easily defeated last-place Almere City 4-0, with Tillman’s U.S. teammate Ricardo Pepi coming off the bench to score the fourth goal in second-half stoppage time.

Bosz told a press conference after the game that Tillman was likely to be involved in the game, but his tardiness cost him a place in the team.

“He overslept, so I left him at home,” Bosz said.

“I was told he still wanted to come, but I said he didn’t have to. He’s going to train again tomorrow.”

It wasn’t immediately clear when exactly Tillman overslept, but Saturday’s game started at 8 p.m. local time and took place in Almere, which is roughly an hour and 15 minute drive from PSV’s home city of Eindhoven.

The punishment is another setback for Tillman, who has yet to make a big impression with PSV since completing a loan move this summer from Bayern Munich.

Tillman has made just three appearances so far for PSV, and has yet to start a match. He did, however, manage to score off the bench earlier this month in his only Eredivisie appearance this season.

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PSV’s USMNT trio made some history in a bad night at Arsenal

For the first time ever, three U.S. internationals shared the same UEFA Champions League pitch

For the first time ever, three U.S. internationals played in the same UEFA Champions League game. That is an accomplishment worth celebrating. As for the game itself? Much less so.

PSV trio Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi all shared the field on Wednesday, but the Dutch side was blown away in a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal to kick off both teams’ group-stage campaigns.

Dest played the full match, while Tillman came on midway through the second half and Pepi was introduced in second-half stoppage time.

In particular, it was a rough night for Dest, who tried and mostly failed to contain Bukayo Saka on the right side of Arsenal’s attack. The first and third goal for the Gunners could at least partially be blamed on Dest.

First, he completely switched off and allowed Saka to run past him and score on a rebound.

Dest would later get sucked inside and was unable to close down Gabriel Jesus quickly enough, as the Brazilian had plenty of time to take a touch and fire home Arsenal’s third goal.

After the game, PSV head coach Peter Bosz admitted that Arsenal’s superior quality was the difference, adding that his team did not defend well in its own box.

“[Our players] worked, they played with the ball, but the difference in quality was too great,” Bosz said.

“I’m willing to take a critical look at myself. They defended well in their box, we did not in ours. Then you run into a major defeat. If we play more at this level more, we’ll learn from these mistakes. I hope we can see that in the second leg in December, against the best team in the group and one of the best teams in the world.”

PSV will also face Lens and Sevilla in a difficult Group B.

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Pepi: I’ve never had a problem with Berhalter

The striker was one of the final cuts from the 2022 World Cup roster

Ricardo Pepi has insisted he’s never had a problem with U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter, despite being left off last year’s World Cup roster.

Pepi was one of the last cuts for the 26-man squad that went to Qatar, with Jesús Ferreira, Haji Wright and Josh Sargent preferred over the then-Groningen forward.

After six months away from the team, Berhalter was rehired as USMNT head coach and will return to the sideline in friendlies against Uzbekistan on Saturday and Oman on Tuesday.

After his World Cup snub, Pepi has returned to the USMNT in impressive fashion, scoring four goals in four appearances so far in 2023.

Pepi spoke about his relationship with Berhalter on the Offside With Taylor Twellman podcast, insisting that there has never been an issue between the pair.

“To be honest, I never really had a problem with Gregg,” the 20-year-old said. “We had a phone call before this camp and he just explained to me my role in the squad. He explained to me that he was back. So, it’s all a healthy relationship with him. I’ve never had a problem with him at all.

“So it’s all normal. And of course, we have a good relationship on the pitch. He’s always telling me on video if he sees something, he’s always telling me to improve this, improve that. So, you know, it’s all a good relationship, to be honest.”

Pepi completed an offseason transfer from Augsburg to PSV after starring on loan with Groningen last season. The striker said he enjoys the style of play in the Eredivisie and is looking to stay patient at PSV, where he’s served as a backup to Luuk de Jong in the early season.

“They have a very nice style of football, which is why I like the league a lot,” Pepi said. “And of course, [there are] a lot of opportunities for young players. I feel like it’s a good stepping stone for a young player as well.

“I signed a five-year deal [at PSV], so it’s about patience of course. And it’s about working every day, trying to get better as a player. A club like PSV is known for making big transfer players, they’re always helping players go out to the big clubs. So I feel like I’m in the right spot and I’m just going to keep working until I get my opportunity.”

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The Americans Abroad Five: PSV showing promise for USMNT trio

Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi should all be big factors for the Dutch giants this season

In the span of just a few months, PSV became one of the first clubs on the list of anyone monitoring Americans Abroad.

Three players who figure to play a key role over the next decade for the U.S. men’s national team — Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi — all joined the Dutch giants over the summer.

The transformation of PSV into a hub for Americans is largely due to Earnie Stewart, the former sporting director of U.S. Soccer who now holds the same position with PSV.

The season is still young, but there are some promising signs coming out of Eindhoven for all three USMNT players.

Dest looks to be the player who’s immediately benefitted the most, but Tillman and Pepi can also be encouraged by their first month at the club.

Let’s kick off this week’s Five with a look at PSV’s American trio.

USMNT’s Malik Tillman off the mark with first PSV goal

Tillman seems to be settling in well with PSV

Malik Tillman might just be settling into life with PSV.

The U.S. men’s national team playmaker capped off an emphatic win for his new side with a goal in a 4-0 rout of RKC Waalwijk Saturday. The goal was his first since completing a loan move this summer from Bayern Munich.

Entering the match as a 72nd minute substitute, Tillman shrugged off two different attempts to knock him off the ball before calmly finishing past RKC goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen. The goal finished the scoring as PSV trounced an overmatched RKC side that fell to the bottom of the Eredivisie standings.

Tillman and USMNT teammates Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi briefly shared the field, with Dest starting the match. Pepi came on at the same time as Tillman, helping PSV put the icing on the cake in a blowout away victory.

All three players will be boarding a flight to the U.S. shortly, as the trio will join the USMNT squad for their September friendlies next week.

Watch Tillman’s first PSV goal

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USMNT players in UEFA Champions League 2023-24

11 U.S. players are in the world’s biggest club competition

There was once a time where a U.S. men’s national team player being on a Champions League squad list — even if they might have no shot at playing in any actual games — was a very big deal.

It’s safe to say those days are gone, with no fewer than 11 U.S. players on the books for clubs that qualified for this year’s competition.

Sure, in some cases the player in question is probably a major longshot to even dress on gameday, but between Christian Pulisic’s sublime start to life at AC Milan and a USMNT trio at PSV, USMNT fans are likely going to be watching games on multiple screens just to keep up.

Here is the complete list of U.S. men’s players to make it to this year’s Champions League proper:

After failing Barcelona test, Dest joins USMNT pals at PSV

The 22-year-old is heading on loan for a second straight season

After a disastrous loan at AC Milan last season, Sergiño Dest returned to Barcelona this summer with a clean slate. Just a couple months later, he’s on his way out again.

On Monday, Dest completed a season-long loan to PSV, with the Dutch power holding a reported €11 million option to make the move permanent.

Though the 22-year-old didn’t make a single appearance for AC Milan after January, he was given another chance to earn a spot with Barcelona ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

“[Barcelona manager Xavi] just told me, ‘I’ll give you a fair chance to prove yourself,’” Dest said last month. “He told me, ‘I think you have qualities, but it’s up to you, you have to show me.'”

Dest played in all three games of Barcelona’s U.S. tour, but hasn’t been seen on the field since. He now returns to the Eredivisie, where he came up through the ranks at Ajax before joining Barcelona in 2020.

Dest joins USMNT teammates at PSV

Dest is now the third U.S. men’s national team player to join PSV this summer, following Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman.

That is no coincidence, with Earnie Stewart now the Dutch club’s sporting director following a spell in the same position at U.S. Soccer.

“Sergiño Dest was keen to join us, which we obviously liked. He is a very skillful and creative defender who can help the team with his explosive power and attacking intentions.” Stewart said in a club release.

Dest added: “I like the style of football they play at PSV. I think it suits me very well. I return to the Netherlands. I’m still the same player but I’ve gained a lot of experience and I’ve hopefully acquired a higher efficiency.”

Dest was already named in PSV’s 22-man squad for Tuesday’s Champions League playoff first leg at Rangers. The winner of the two-leg tie will earn a spot in the competition’s group stage.

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Ricardo Pepi scores first PSV goal in Champions League qualifying win over Sturm Graz

Pepi is off the mark for PSV

Ricardo Pepi is off the mark at PSV.

The U.S. men’s national team striker came off the bench to score a late penalty as his new side defeated Austria’s Sturm Graz 3-1 in the third round of UEFA Champions League qualifying. PSV advanced 7-2 on aggregate.

Pepi entered the game at halftime for Luuk de Jong, making this his longest stint in a match since his summer move. Pepi’s previous three appearances since a July transfer from Augsburg saw the USMNT striker total 30 minutes, including a six-minute debut in European continental competition in last week’s first leg in Eindhoven.

With PSV having won that match by a 4-1 scoreline, there was never much of a chance for drama to creep into proceedings. While Sturm Graz opened the scoring at the Merkur Arena, PSV struck twice before halftime. The Dutch club’s second goal came from de Jong, the veteran who figures to be Pepi’s main rival for minutes at center forward this season.

With the match winding down, Pepi got his chance thanks to some assistance from VAR. An initially innocuous sequence saw a hopeful ball appear to clip Graz’s Gregory Wüthrich, and after a somewhat lengthy VAR check, PSV were given a spot kick.

Pepi got the nod, but seemed unable to hear the referee’s whistle amid jeering from Sturm Graz fans, who were not the least bit pleased after this VAR decision came on the heels of seeing a goal of their own chalked off.

After glancing over and getting the visual confirmation — literally a wave to proceed from referee Srđan Jovanović — Pepi buried the penalty kick to seal the final scoreline.

Malik Tillman, Pepi’s teammate for club and country, was not in uniform for the match after playing 45 minutes for Jong PSV (the club’s Under-21 side, which is in the Dutch second tier) on Monday.

While Tillman builds his fitness, he could well be called upon in the club’s final step to qualify for this year’s Champions League. PSV will be paired with Rangers (where Tillman spent last season on loan) in the final playoff round, with the two legs coming up on August 22 and 30.

Watch Pepi’s first goal for PSV

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USMNT playmaker Malik Tillman joins PSV on one-year loan

The USMNT man is PSV’s newest No. 10

Malik Tillman saw the other U.S. men’s national team players pairing up in Europe, and couldn’t be left out of the mix.

PSV announced Thursday that the USMNT playmaker will join the club on a one-year loan, with the Dutch side holding a purchase clause to make the 21-year-old’s move from Bayern Munich permanent.

Tillman’s move to Eindhoven will see him partner up with U.S. striker Ricardo Pepi, who signed a five-year deal with PSV in July.

“We were looking for a player with scoring ability and who can also act in small spaces,” PSV director of football Earnie Stewart, who used to hold the equivalent role with U.S. Soccer, said in a club announcement. “He is used to a high level, so I am confident that he can adapt quickly.”

“I have a good relationship with Stewart, and [manager] Peter Bosz was also an important reason for me to come to Eindhoven,” added Tillman. “I like his playing style: a lot of attacking, not giving the opponent space, that suits me. My former teammate Mathijs de Ligt also praised [Bosz] and PSV. I find great conditions here in a beautiful city.”

PSV noted that Tillman will get the No. 10 shirt, an indicator that he is expected to be central to the club’s hopes in the Eredivisie this season.

Tillman may find himself back in the Champions League as well, as PSV thumped Sturm Graz 4-1 in the first leg of a third qualifying round tie. Should PSV get the job done in next week’s second leg, Tillman could find himself suiting up against some familiar faces later this month. PSV’s opponent in a final playoff to get to the group stage would be either Rangers (where the USMNT midfielder spent the 2022-23 season) or Swiss side Servette.

At Ibrox, Tillman made the PFA Scottish Premiership’s Team of the Season, scoring 10 goals in the process. One of those goals, at this very stage of the Champions League qualifying process, went on to inspire fans to try to mimic the soaring header that took Rangers past Union-Saint Gilloise in dramatic fashion.

Tillman and Pepi are the latest USMNT duo to form at a European club. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson have been at Fulham for multiple seasons, while Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah have both moved to AC Milan this summer. Tim Weah signed with Juventus, where Weston McKennie appears set to stay after being heavily linked to an exit. Brenden Aaronson, meanwhile, moved on loan to Union Berlin, where he’ll play alongside Jordan Pefok.

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