USMNT Player Tracker: Richards, Turner and Tillman savour success, but Pulisic's race is run

New York Times

19-05-2025

Welcome to a trophy-laden instalment of our USMNT Player Tracker, with league titles and first-time cup triumphs headlining the weekend.
While usual correspondent Greg O'Keeffe is likely still taking a few more tearful laps around Goodison Park, we'll look at PSV completing a stunning second straight Dutch title, Chris Richards helping Crystal Palace make history, Milan slamming the door on its hopes of playing European-level soccer in 2025-26 and much more.
A month ago, Malik Tillman couldn't have imagined he'd be in a position to confirm PSV's successful defense of its league title in the Netherlands.
On April 18, PSV trailed Ajax by nine points with just five games remaining in the league campaign. Ajax had done well to wrestle command over the Eredivisie by winning both meetings between the Dutch giants, losing just two of its first 29 games to position itself for a first league championship since 2022.
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And yet the Amsterdam club stumbled mightily, taking just two points from its next four matches, while PSV claimed all 12 on offer — giving the defending champion a one-point edge heading into Sunday's final round of games.
There was tension to endure soon after half-time as Sparta Rotterdam equalized against PSV while Ajax nursed a one-goal lead at home against FC Twente to give it temporary command over the table. Veteran striker Luuk de Jong made it 2-1 PSV six minutes after the leveler, but Sparta hung in there to sustain the dramatic last leg of the season.
Finally, Tillman clinched the win in the 84th minute, running onto a headed pass in the heart of the box to kick off jubilation in the away fans' section and, one must assume, the majority of Eindhoven.
KAM-PI-OE-NEN 😍#OnsEindje pic.twitter.com/p7GUjNorsV
— PSV (@PSV) May 18, 2025
The PSV faithful have fallen for Tillman over his two-year stint at the club, having joined on an initial loan from Germany's Bayern Munich for the 2023-24 season. He will turn 23 towards the end of this month, but has already played in big games for PSV and, on a previous loan spell, Rangers in Scotland. His loan became a permanent move before the 2024-25 season for $13.4million (£10m), with reports citing a Bayern buyback clause of just over $39m.
It's hard to envision the attacking midfielder having that option sprung, but his two-year mastery in the Eredivisie has some wondering if he'll again be on the move this summer. Of greater relevance for our purposes may be his relatively scarce international involvement since committing to the USMNT in 2022, having previously represented Germany at all major youth levels.
Tillman has earned 17 caps for the USMNT and has zero international goals despite bagging 25 in all competitions across the last two seasons with PSV. For a U.S. side begging for goals and players capable of unpicking low-block defenses, his experience playing for a perennial power that often faces similar defensive strongholds in the Dutch league seems like a natural solution.
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The reasons for his scarce international run-outs are varied but fairly understandable. First, previous USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter seldom played with a true attacking midfielder, forcing Tillman to operate out of position as either a central midfielder or on a wing. In each unfamiliar role, he failed to make his usual attacking impact.
His profile in the No 10 position is also relevant, especially since new USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino seems more likely to use one than his predecessor. Tillman is a capable string-puller but thrives with late runs into the box, like the one that sealed PSV's title on Sunday, with his average shot distance coming just over 18 yards from goal.
Sorry not sorry, Peter 😘#OnsEindje pic.twitter.com/HBcdasebME
— PSV (@PSV) May 18, 2025
Tillman isn't the same type of nimble creator as Gio Reyna — who, to be fair, is more of a concept these days than a footballer, as his Borussia Dortmund career has fully stalled. Pochettino has given Real Salt Lake playmaker Diego Luna a runout, but he is more of that gritty facilitator who threatens opponents with sheer force of will than the more finesseful Tillman.
As such, incorporating Tillman may require Pochettino to outsource a greater amount of chance-generation and upfield progression to other zones. His strikers may need to do more traditional line-leading than run onto balls beyond the backline, while his wingers and box-to-box midfielders may be looked at for auxiliary generation.
Still, few in the U.S. player pool have enjoyed two seasons as strong as Tillman just has. Now in his fourth year of USMNT eligibility, it's about time we see if he can translate some of his clear gifts in the box to the international stage.
During the run of play, center backs are often limited in their ability to impact their team's scoring hopes. That's especially true when a defender is asked to focus on their primary role rather than joining the attack, as Chris Richards often is with Crystal Palace.
After Manchester City opened Saturday's FA Cup final with a barrage of pressure, Richards collected the ball near the corner flag and spotted an opening, launching the ball from deep within Palace's defensive third all the way to striker Jean-Philippe Mateta at the halfway line. From there, it was a quick break, with Palace needing four more passes to create the game's only goal.
It was a 49.6-metre heave that broke lines and, shortly thereafter, City's spirits. Given the tempo of the preceding 15 minutes and the stinginess of that sequence's initial press, it's unclear whether Palace would've found this historic breakthrough if not for Richards' well-executed launch.
Richards played all 540 minutes of Palace's triumphant FA Cup run, a six-match sequence that included three contests against teams in the top half of the Premier League table. Their defense conceded just one goal along the way — against second-tier Millwall — despite Palace conceding at least 70 per cent of possession in the final three rounds against Fulham, Aston Villa and City. His performance against City is illustrated below in his player dashboard.
Richards led Palace with four blocked shots, giving an already busy Dean Henderson just a little less to do in goal. He also led his team with 11 clearances, five aerial duels (winning 80 per cent of these) and a 60 per cent pass completion rate when sending the ball at least 32 metres upfield.
It was an immense showing in arguably the biggest game of the 25-year-old's career — the sort of display that should give USMNT fans some additional comfort that he is equipped to be Pochettino's lead center back.
Although some late competitive form left Milan with slim hopes of qualifying for European competition, those aspirations were finally dashed on Sunday.
Milan paid Roma a visit at the Stadio Olimpico, knowing anything but an away win would almost certainly leave them outside the qualification places. Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah were given starts, with the latter making the XI for the first time since his horrific shift against Fiorentina on April 5. Yet, ultimately, Milan did little to give their fans reason to hope.
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Roma opened the scoring in just the third minute, then Milan striker Santiago Gimenez was sent off in the 21st minute after a VAR check spotted him throwing an elbow into an opponent's chest. Pulisic exited the 3-1 defeat in the 90th minute, walking back to Milan's bench while rubbing his forehead and brow in anxious frustration.
Coupled with results elsewhere, it was enough to leave Milan five points behind Lazio in sixth place, which represented its last hope of European football, via the third-tier Conference League.
Speaking with DAZN after the game, Milan manager Sergio Conceicao, who was also sent off for dissent towards the end, tried to search for silver linings. He mentioned his side was among the league's top-four teams under his stewardship entering Sunday, although the loss dropped it to eighth if you only count the 20 league games since he was hired on December 30.
'I am not saying it was a good season or perfect five months, absolutely not,' Conceicao said, 'but there were some positives too. We won the Supercoppa Italiana, we reached the Coppa Italia final, but when it came to the key games, there were negative moments. This is not a good year, everyone has to evaluate their work and then talk it over.'
There is no way to sum up Milan's 2024-25 season besides calling it a failure. Barring a change in club, the USMNT's most important attacker will now spend the final season leading into the 2026 World Cup without continental football.
Name: Weston McKennie
Club: Juventus
Position: Central midfielder
Appearances (all competitions): 43
Juventus remained in Serie A's fourth and final Champions League qualifying place with a 2-0 win over Udinese. McKennie started in a midfield double 'pivot', creating three chances and taking two shots.
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Name: Antonee Robinson
Club: Fulham
Position: Left back
Appearances: 37
Despite trailing 2-1 at half-time, Fulham stormed back to take all three points at Brentford. Robinson played 89 minutes, creating only one chance while playing proactive defense to keep his team in the contest. The win left Fulham 10th in the Premier League as Sunday concluded.
Name: Johnny Cardoso
Club: Real Betis
Position: Defensive midfielder
Appearances: 45
Cardoso logged 180 minutes from Thursday through Sunday, starting at the base of Betis' midfield for a 2-2 draw at Rayo Vallecano before playing another full 90 to close the weekend in a 4-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old remains a vital part of Manuel Pellegrini's side, which will face Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League final on May 28.
Name: Mark McKenzie
Club: Toulouse
Position: Center back
Appearances: 34
It was another 90-minute shift for the former Philadelphia Union homegrown, who helped his side notch a 3-2 away win at Saint-Etienne. The result relegated Saint-Etienne from Ligue 1 as Toulouse rose from 12th to 10th.
Name: Gianluca Busio
Club: Venezia
Position: Central midfielder
Appearances: 33
The 22-year-old did not place any of his three shot attempts on goal, although he would have needed to bury each to help Venezia flip a 3-0 defeat at Cagliari. More concerning was that both of its primary relegation rivals, Lecce and Empoli, won on the Italian season's penultimate matchday, leaving Venezia's hopes of Serie A survival largely out of its own control.
Name: Tanner Tessmann
Club: Lyon
Position: Defensive midfielder
Appearances: 35
The former Venezia midfielder started again in midfield as Lyon's campaign reached its end, going 69 minutes in a 2-0 win against Angers. The former FC Dallas homegrown started 10 of Lyon's final 14 games in Ligue 1, and projects to again be a regular in his second season with the French club.
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Charlie Kelman, who scored twice against eventual FA Cup runners-up Manchester City when the teams met in the fourth round, has fired Leyton Orient to the EFL League One playoff final. They head to Wembley to face fellow Londoners Charlton Athletic on Sunday, May 25 at 8am (Paramount+), with the winners being promoted to the second-tier Championship. Kelman, a 23-year-old former U.S. youth international, leads Orient with 27 goals in all competitions as he wraps up a season's loan away from the Championship's Queens Park Rangers, another London side.
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Tyler Adams and Bournemouth are nearing their second-to-last match of a thrilling season. They visit Manchester City on Tuesday (3pm, USA Network) and would overtake Fulham for 10th with a draw, while a second win over Pep Guardiola's side this season would vault them up to eighth, which could be enough for European qualification.
Richards and Palace will have to shake off their post-FA Cup hangovers in time for Tuesday's visit from Wolverhampton Wanderers (3pm, Peacock). Palace cannot finish lower than 12th, but are in the Europa League having won the cup.
Mael Corboz may not be a household name, but he'll captain third-division Arminia Bielefeld into the DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart on Saturday (2pm, ESPN+). Bielefeld has already secured promotion back to the 2.Bundesliga for 2025-26, and will hope to shock the Bundesliga's ninth-ranked side in the German cup final.
Juventus and Venezia each have plenty on the line as they conclude their Serie A campaigns on Sunday (12.45pm, Paramount+). McKennie and Busio project to resume their starting roles in the engine room, while Tim Weah will hope to earn a start after being rotated out this past weekend.
The Premier League season also concludes on Sunday (11am — USA Network, Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock), with a trio of Americans poised to feature. Adams and Bournemouth host relegated Leicester City, Robinson and Fulham will close visiting Manchester City's disappointing season, while Richards and Palace go to champions Liverpool.
(Top photos: Getty Images)