Americans Abroad weekend review: Balo makes amends at Monaco
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Sep 30, 2023
The 21-year-old striker scored the second goal and assisted on the third as Monaco came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to beat Marseille 3-2 and take the temporary lead in Ligue 1.
Balogun, who missed the penalty kicks in the 1-0 loss at Nice, remained in the starting lineup as Monaco coach Adi Huetter switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 3-5-2 to account into the absence of suspended Russia winger Aleksandr Golovin and pair Balogun up from with veteran striker Wissam Ben Yedder, whom he had started for against Nice.
The star for Monaco was 21-year-old Maghnes Akliouche, playing behind Balogun and Ben Yedder. The young Frenchman scored the first Monaco goal, fed Balogun for the second and scored the third on a pass from Balogun.
It will be hard to keep Balogun, a 30 million-euro acquisition from Arsenal, out of the lineup with his ability to find space behind the opposing defense and get his shots off quickly.
"I am very happy with the performances of Balogun and Ben Yedder," Huetter said afterward.
The first-year Austrian coach said his choice of formations and players will depend on who Monaco is playing and who he has available.
Monaco-Marseille Highlights:
• Christian Pulisic: "I’m having fun."
Pulisic scored his third goal of the Serie A season for a AC Milan to put it on its way to a 2-0 win over Lazio and keep pace with Inter Milan, which tops the standings on goal difference after seven games.
In the 60th minute, the right winger cut into the middle of the penalty area to meet a bouncing pass from Rafael Leao and and volley the ball into the goal.
Il padre di #Pulisic prima e dopo il gol del figlio pic.twitter.com/0EfAvkyuLl
— Diletta Filoni (@filoni_diletta) October 1, 2023
"From the first half we put a lot of pressure on them," Pulisic said in his DAZN postgame interview. "We pushed hard and the goal was only a matter of time. We finally scored it, from then on it was a great performance."
Pulisic joined Milan this summer from Chelsea, which has struggled to score goals in the Premier League (five in its first six games). Pulisic and Leao, the two Milan wingers, have teamed up for six goals and four assists in seven games.
“I haven’t been here long," Pulisic said, "but we’re getting to know each other well. I’m having fun.”
• Gazzetta dello Sport ratings: AC Milan vs. Lazio:
Note: Yunus Musah, who came on for injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the first half, had a grade of "6.5." He was denied a goal in the 73rd minute on a fine stop by Lazio keeper Ivan Provedel.
• Gazzetta dello Sport ratings: Atalanta vs. Juventus:
Note: Tim Weah was a late sub for Weston McKennie.
• Setback for Tyler Adams: 'He is going to be out for some time.'
Adams' Premier League debut for Bournemouth will have to wait.
Three days after playing for the Cherries in their 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Stoke City, the USA's World Cup captain was not in the squad for Saturday's 4-0 loss to Arsenal.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said Adams, who had been sidelined for six months with a hamstring injury, will face another layoff.
“I don’t know what to call it, a setback," Iraola he told the Daily Echo, "but he is not feeling well. He has been out for a lot of time, so we have to reassess, to reset, to take the good decisions, thinking in everything. It is true that he is going to be out for some time, for sure. I think it’s the same area. I couldn’t tell you if it’s exactly the same point, but it’s true that it’s his hamstring that he is not feeling well.”
• 'Man of the Match' Malik Tillman interview:
In his first start, Tillman scored one goal (video) and added an assist in PSV's 3-1 win over FC Volendam. PSV leads the Eredivisie with seven wins in seven games (23-2 goal difference).
• Mia Fishel scores in Chelsea debut.
The former UCLA and Tigers star scored in her debut for four-time defending champion Chelsea in its 2-1 win over Tottenham in their Women's Super League debut. It came a week after she made her USWNT debut in the 2-0 win over South Africa in Chicago.
In France women's soccer ...
• Lindsey Horan started for Lyon in its 1-0 win over Paris St. Germain before 15,889 fans at the Parc des Princes. Korbin Albert, 19, was a second-half sub for PSG.
• Former Minnesota Aurora defender Tianna Harris scored for Fleury in its 3-1 loss to Paris FC.
