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As the fresh European club seasons kick off, players are doing everything in their power to make an early impression, including those Americans who have crossed the Atlantic to compete.
Several of Mauricio Pochettino's players flew the flag for the United States this week, while others fell short of expectations. With fixtures against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada on the horizon in September and October, players simply cannot afford to slip down the Argentine's depth chart.
Here's Sports Illustrated's weekly stock up, stock down breakdown for the USMNT players.
USMNT Stock Up
Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi
USMNT head coach Pochettino will be pleased to see his players Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest putting all that World Cup summer preparation to good use at the club level.
The two American stars, who also share the pitch for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie, linked up for a stunning match-winner on Saturday against rivals Excelsior in their second league outing of the 2026–27 season.
Dest, 25, made an overlapping run from right back and surged up the flank in the 57th minute, before collecting a bouncing ball just inside the penalty area. He chipped it first time to 23-year-old Pepi, who was making a run into the six-yard box to meet him and equally needed just a single touch to slot it past the keeper.
Pepi's strike came just three minutes after Excelsior had leveled the score, extinguishing their momentum and enabling PSV Eindhoven to claim a 2–1 victory. The side remains unbeaten in the new campaign, having drawn Fortuna Sittard 2–2 last week in their opening fixture.
Dest was particularly outstanding in the match against Excelsior, completing 55 of his 59 passes—an impressive 93% accuracy over 89 minutes. He also won 11 of his 14 ground duels (79%).
Brenden Aaronson
There is a burning determination in Brenden Aaronson that simply won't be extinguished. He racked up two goals and two assists across four appearances since returning from the World Cup, helping Leeds United wrap up the preseason without a defeat.
He started by almost single-handedly sparking the Whites' remarkable turnaround against Liverpool earlier in the month, helping the side secure a stunning four-goal comeback victory.
Most recently, the attacking midfielder netted the team's only goal in Wednesday's draw with Manchester United, a friendly held at Dublin's Croke Park. He burst to the edge of the box to receive a square pass from teammate Daniel James, before taking a wide touch to breeze past United's central defensive pair. He made it look effortless, firing a powerful effort past goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Aaronson followed that up with an assist in Saturday's commanding 4–0 win over Augsburg, Leeds' final warm-up fixture before their league opener against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The American was a key starter and contributor for Leeds last season, but this year, he looks poised to reach an entirely new level.
Auston Trusty
Auston Trusty did what Auston Trusty does best.
The 6'2" American defender produced a highlight-reel header on Saturday, attacking the near post from a corner kick before flicking the inswinging delivery behind him and into the side netting. His finish opened the floodgates for Celtic, who piled on three more to seal a 4–0 triumph over Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup round of 16.
Trusty's ability to read and dominate set pieces is impossible to overlook and is arguably a major factor in his continued inclusion in the USMNT squad. The 28-year-old had a similarly memorable moment at the World Cup this summer, heading home from a corner kick against Türkiye in the group stage finale just three minutes in.
He wasn't about to let the USMNT's first attacking corner of the night go to waste, orchestrating the move and directing his teammates to draw the Turkish defenders centrally while he positioned himself at the back post. The plan worked to perfection, leaving Trusty completely unmarked for a left-footed finish.
"I live and breathe for corners," Trusty said after that World Cup match. "I got an opportunity and took advantage of it. It was good to get a goal."
USMNT Stock Down
Chris Richards
Chris Richards, usually one of the most dependable figures on any pitch, struggled to find his best form on Saturday, as Crystal Palace were beaten 3–0 by Freiburg in a club friendly.
Although the 26-year-old maintained his impressive passing accuracy (95%) from the World Cup, the USMNT's defensive cornerstone had difficulty winning aerial battles—normally one of his greatest strengths. He claimed just two of his seven aerial duels.
Crystal Palace will need a much stronger showing from him as they prepare for their season opener against Everton on Saturday.