Top 10 USMNT scorers: Pefok and Dike top 2021 charts
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Dec 30, 2021
Jordan Pefok and Daryl Dike led all players who played for the USMNT in 2021 with 27 and 23 goals in all competitions.
1. Jordan Pefok, 27 goals
Young Boys, 26 goals in 53 games
USMNT, 1 goal in 8 games
Titles: Swiss Super League, Concacaf Nations League.
Pefok scored four goals -- a career high -- for Young Boys in its final game before the winter break. His goals included late winners for the USA against Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals and for Young Boys against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League.
2. Daryl Dike, 23 goals
Barnsley, 9 goals in 22 games
Orlando City, 11 goals in 19 games
USMNT, 3 goals in 8 games
Titles: Gold Cup.
Dike finished the MLS regular season with goals in four straight games.
3. Ricardo Pepi, 16 goals
FC Dallas, 13 goals in 31 games
USMNT, 3 goals in 7 games
At 18, Pepi became the youngest player to score in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers with three goals in his first two games for the USA.
4. Brenden Aaronson, 14 goals
Red Bull Salzburg, 10 goals in 51 games
USMNT, 4 goals in 13 games
Titles: Austrian Bundesliga, Austrian Cup, Concacaf Nations League.
Aaronson played 64 games for club and country, the most by any USMNT player in 2021.
5. Gyasi Zardes, 13 goals
Columbus Crew, 11 goals in 24 games
USMNT, 2 goals in 9 games
Titles: Gold Cup.
Zardes has scored 59 goals in four seasons with the Crew.
6. *Jesus Ferreira, 10 goals
FC Dallas, 8 goals in 27 games
USMNT, 2 goals in 4 games
Ferreira rebounded after scoring only one goal in 21 games for FC Dallas in 2020.
6. Weston McKennie, 10 goals
Juventus, 8 goals in 49 games
USMNT, 2 goals in 7 games
Titles: Coppa Italia, Concacaf Nations League.
McKennie scored the second U.S. goal against Mexico in both the Concacaf Nations League final and their World Cup qualifier.
8. Jonathan Lewis, 9 goals
Colorado Rapids, 7 goals in 28 games
USMNT, 2 goals in 2 games
Titles: Gold Cup.
Lewis scored seven MLS goals for the Rapids, the most in his five seasons as a pro.
8. Christian Pulisic, 9 goals
Chelsea, 6 goals in 46 games
USMNT, 3 goals in 8 games
Titles: UEFA Champions League, Concacaf Nations League.
Pulisic's goals for the USA included winning goals against Mexico in both the Concacaf Nations League final and their World Cup qualifier. He also scored the crucial away goal for Chelsea in its UEFA Champions League semifinal series against Real Madrid.
10. Paul Arriola, 8 goals
Swansea City, 0 goals in 3 games
D.C. United, 6 goals in 20 games
USMNT, 2 goals in 8 games
Titles: Gold Cup.
Arriola's two goals for the USMNT came in the season-opening 7-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago.
10. Gio Reyna, 8 goals
Borussia Dortmund, 5 goals in 30 games
USMNT, 3 goals in 6 games
Titles: German Cup, Concacaf Nations League.
Reyna started the 2021-22 Bundesliga season with two goals in three games before a hamstring injury sidelined him for the last 17 weeks.
10. Josh Sargent, 8 goals
Werder Bremen, 6 goals in 25 games
Norwich City, 2 goals in 18 games
USMNT, 0 goals in 7 games
Titles: Concacaf Nations League.
Sargent has yet to score in 17 Premier League games for Norwich City.
*Also scored one goal for USA in Olympic qualifying.
Doesn't Look like Pulisic is going to be Scoring much Next Year, in his NEW Position as Rt.Wingback for Chelsea.!?!?!?
Santi, it says Tuchel doesn't think he's not good enough to play wing,although he has some offensive quality he can contribute on the wing. As I stated before, Pulisic is very one dimensional player that relies on Turbo.
Apparently, Barcelona has interest in Ziyech the former Ajax player which is not surprising for he can do lot more ,more skilled, smarter and better all-round than his teammate Pulisic..... Pulisic is not Barcelona material.....
Frank... Due to Chelsea Signing of Lukaku, and TT Switching to Christmas Tree Formation; CP and Z No Longer Needed on Wing,... and Too Small, Weak to play "Inside" Forward... At Least CP has "Turbo" to play Yo-Yo on the Outside Channel... Short Term; Good for USA... Lots of Minutes(Fitness), Having to Play REAL Defense instead of the Kabuki Defense he Normally does(His Defense up front is Always LATE, Starts Late and Runs just Fast enough to NOT get into Contact with the Opponent, but Looks OH SO Energetic...Never Wins the Ball)... That won't work, When you're playing Defense in his Own Third... USA best chance to Beat El Salvador and Honduras is "GegenPress" as Opponent tries to "Play Out of The Back"... El Salvador especially Susceptible to this... And Najar was best Honduras player Versus USA last Time.... Got to Strip him of Ball Early.!!!
Santi, Lukaku just let it be known yesterday that he is not happy with playing at Chelsea, he wants to go back to Inter. Apparently he doesn't like Tuchel's new system of 3-4-1-2. That CP and Z no longer are needed at wing was obvious since many times they were benched during the season anyway. Of the 2 players, CP perhaps is a better fit for Chelsea because of his Turbo than Z. Z has too much talent for he not only can play midfield but also wing like he did at Ajax. When you have this much talent you don't waste on defense like what you expect of a piano carrier. Z is a piano player and he creates. The less foam on his mouth the more he can contribute making the team better. Z is a total waste at Chelsea, neither is he build for this Grunt work...
To see CP running up and down the flank is such a waste of energy.
Frank Lampard as coach was building a nice team with good players and wanted to play a modern game. CP would have really benefited as a player by playing under Lampards style of game and Z would have been a star there. But unfortunately, they have German coach, Mr. Turbo, and that is not going to improve CP's game, in turbo and fighting....I wonder how long he will physically last there under this coach. CP Playing on the flank makes him just another pawn of Tuchel who can switch someone else in or out. I think this Chelsea experience has been nothing but a disaster for CP.
Your quote, " His Defense up front is Always LATE, Starts Late and Runs just Fast enough to NOT get into Contact with the Opponent, but Looks OH SO Energetic...Never Wins the Ball", is RIGHT ON and very descriptive. I wish I could be as Concise and Descriptive in words as you, damn it!! for it takes me forever to explain this as you put it. But do remember, CP up front doesn't have to play tough defense.
At Ajax the players up front either force defenders to go a certain way, funnel them or by movement forcing the defender to make a mistake or faulty pass than can be intercepted by teammates, or for instance move up a few meters towards the defender thereby preventing a longer pass that forces him to run back 30meters on defense let us say. I'm not saying what CP is doing is what Ajax teaches their front players. The point is you don't want players up front to waste a lot of energy in playing defense for you have 8 other teammates behind them. The front line needs to play more of a positional defense forcing the opponents in awkward positions that can lead to mistakes....
Frank, Thanks for the Kind Words... I came across this; "Oh So Close" Defense by Forwards in my Youth Coaching... Especially Previlent ALL OVER The Field, in the Female Game... They Run in Fast and Late, so that they Parents won't Yell at them.. And I think it actually Ties into the "Lukaku" Issue at Chelsea.... I'll bet He and TT clash over How Much "GegenPress" is being Required of him.. Lukaku is "The Bull In the China Shop"... Kick the Ball UP to him and let him Out Muscle the Defenders... He TOTALLY "Psyched Out" the Defenders in the Previous Chelsea game, when he Came on to Replace CP at CT.F...Very Difficult to Be "The Bull" and be "The Terrier"... Requires A LOT of Energy and Concentration... Somethings Lukaku Lacks.
"Gelukkig Nieuwjaar"... Feliz Año Nuevo ... Happy New Year.!!!!
Het Beste met jou ook ,Santi. Can't wait for the with Salvatore game...Turning 76 tomorrow....time flies
van harte gefeliciteerd.!!!... Your only as Old as you think.!!!
How is it, that the 2 Highest Scorers we have; Don't even Rate a "Call-Up" for the Bench.!?!?!?
And Sargent.??? 43 Games in the Top 2 Leagues in the World, and Doesn't even get "Call Up".???
I was very pleased when McKennie moved to Juve and Pirlo became the Juve manager. I said to myself that MeKennie would learn from one of the masters of midfield.
I was very pleased when Pulisic moved to Chelsea and Lampard became the Juve manager. I said to myself that Pulisic would learn from one of the masters of midfield.
Sure enough, both McKennie and Pulisic did nicely under these managers, McKennie more so, becoming a key player in the Juve midfield.
Times change. Trade Lampard who did a lot to develop players for Tuchel who only gives a damn about winning and implementing a style of play that does not fit mnay of his players. Trade Pirlo for Allegri, less accomplished as a player, but an experienced and capable manager.
McKennie continues to thrive, albeit for a weakened team with financial difficulties. Pulisic? Not sure what happens with his future, whether he will continue to improve or if he has plateaued. He definitely needs to spend more time with the physios to become more resilient physically.
I do like Santiago's "Bull in the China shop" versus "The Terrier" comparison talking about Lukaku. Only Superman can do both. Tuchel's imposed style of play takes little adantage of Lukaku's strengths, whereas Inter and the Belgian National Team both use him well as a target player getting service in the box and a holdup player for balls played out of the back. Though known as a goal scorer, he is a respectable passer.
Ben, Good points....Missing Pirlo and Frank Lampard is a shame for they are the type of coaches are boys need if playing Europe. These coaches can ACTUALLY teach for they have played the game at the highest level. And look at Sargent ,leaving Germany, a good thing,and go to England but unfortunately he gets a German coach, just like CP, I mean how unlucky can you get. And Italy is no great shakes either to play there if you don't have a Pirlo or a Mancini otherwise forget it...
Even though Mckennie probably got the most benefit of his change to Juventus ,that now want to get rid of Mckennie since Ronaldo left, he ,to me, should be 'the' man on our US team but he's not. I can't say when you look at McKennie play for the US team that he's so much better, above everyone else ,so to speak.
Yes Ben, Belgium is everyone's "Hope" for "The Beautiful Game" to Win the WC22... But they always seem to "Fade Away" in the Big Game...Maybe "Next Year"; Which is Now this Year.!!!