Americans Abroad: Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun chase European places while Auston Trusty, Aidan Morris face defining clashes

The narrative continues on, but the good thing is that it can be ended with one swift kick of the ball. Could that happen for Christian Pulisic this weekend?

The American star will hope so. Still scoreless in 2026, Pulisic's next opportunity to quiet the critics comes Sunday against Atalanta. It's a game with stakes, too. A win over Atalanta would push Milan toward next season's Champions League. A loss would see them fall right back into the pack, opening the door for Roma or Como to leap in and create a really stressful end to the Serie A season. As things stand, third-place Milan are two points ahead of Juventus, three points ahead of Roma and five points ahead of Como. Whatever room for error the club had has evaporated after a string of frustrating results.

This is the point in a season when a team needs its stars to step up. After being benched last time out, will Pulisic get that chance this time?

Meetings between Celtic and Rangers generally decide titles. That's the case again this weekend, although this one is unique because, for the first time in more than 40 years, there's someone else involved.

Entering Sunday's match between Scotland's eternal rivals, Rangers sit third in the league while Celtic sit second. At the top, two points ahead of Celtic, are Hearts, who are looking to become the first team to break Scottish soccer's duopoly since 1985. It's imperative, then, that Auston Trusty and Celtic win this weekend to keep those hopes alive. For Rangers, it's imperative to destroy those hopes in the most painful way possible and get one final laugh at their eternal rivals' expense.

Rangers have gotten the better of Celtic this season in league play, winning one match and drawing the other two. Celtic, meanwhile, defeated their rivals in both the League Cup and Scottish Cup. The league title trumps all, though, and Trusty and his teammates still have real hopes of winning it. To do so, the USMNT defender will have to lock up a Rangers team with a point to prove and a title race to shake up.

You could quite easily argue that Aidan Morris has been Middlesbrough's most impactful player this season. They'll need him again this weekend as the club looks to complete its final push to the Premier League.

On Saturday, Boro will host Southampton in the Championship semifinal as they look to book their place in the most lucrative match in soccer. Morris and Boro have generally had success against the Saints, winning 4-0 at this same stadium just a few months ago, but Southampton have been on a tear of late, going unbeaten since mid-January in league play while winning seven of their last 10 matches.

It's a big match for Boro, of course. It's also a big match for Morris. The midfielder is battling for a World Cup place and, given Johnny Cardoso's recent injury, has a very real path to starting this summer. That, combined with a potential promotion to the Premier League, would be life-changing. The pursuit of that continues this weekend in one of the biggest games of Morris' life, to say the least.

Several of the USMNT's top stars will see the fight for European spots go right down to the wire. That continues this weekend during the penultimate weekend of the Ligue 1 season.

Three of the top seven teams in the league feature USMNT regulars, and all three could see certain dreams evaporate this weekend. Tanner Tessmann and Lyon are third in the league, which means they currently hold a Champions League spot heading into a matchup with Mark McKenzie's Toulouse. Folarin Balogun and Monaco face fourth-place Lille, looking to move up from or at least hold onto sixth place, which would be good for a Conference League spot.

And then there's Tim Weah and Marseille, who, in the midst of a three-game winless run, have work to do when they face Le Havre on Saturday while sitting one point out of a continental spot.

Can an American make a difference? The teams involved will certainly be hoping so, as several Ligue 1 races remain tight heading into the final stretch.

It's become more commonplace in recent years, but there's still something special about USMNT stars meeting in the top leagues in the world. That'll happen again this weekend in the Premier League when Tyler Adams' Bournemouth meets up with Antonee Robinson and Fulham.

There's plenty to play for for both sides. Adams and Bournemouth shockingly sit sixth in the league, which would earn them a Europa League spot if the season finished today. The club has never played continental soccer and, with three games remaining, Adams and co. have a very real chance at helping the club make history by earning that right this season.

Fulham will have similar hopes. They're in 11th with three teams between them and seventh-place Brentford, but the Cottagers are only rhee points behind. At teh very least, they'll have their sights set on a top-half finish despite some up and down form in these final weeks of the season.

With or without stakes, Americans facing off in English soccer's top flight was unfathomable a decade ago. Now, even with it being commonplace, there's still some fun to that idea, particularly in these types of games with real meaning.