Canada’s Jonathan David and USMNT star Weston McKennie are among CONCACAF’s best - so why can’t either find their top form at Juventus?

Spalletti should have made sense. In truth, he still might. This is a frighteningly early time to jump to any conclusions. But what Juventus have is a Serie A–proven manager who showed he can do a lot with a little when he won the league with Napoli in 2023. That team was propelled by Victor Osimhen and a young Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but it was also wonderfully balanced, with legs in midfield and solidity at the back. Spalletti’s sides can attack, but they can also defend.

His time with the Italian national team was admittedly mixed. The talent pool had dried up, and he argued that he didn’t have the time to shape the squad before Euro 2024. Italy lost in the Round of 16, and he took responsibility:

“We failed because of my team selection; it is never down to the players.”

It was expected that he might leave after the exit, but instead stuck around for another year. He was let go for good in June after losing to Norway in Italy's first World Cup qualifying fixture. 

When Juve appointed him, they hoped for the Napoli version of Spalletti. There could yet be some magic here.

The early results have been somewhat mixed. Spalletti looks very much like a coach still figuring it out - tinkering with his personnel despite having a recognized system. There is, however, one major constraint to his game. Juve's squad has been assembled to play in some version of a 3-4-3. There will, in whatever tactical vision Spalletti ultimately holds, a base construction of three central defenders, wing backs and two central midfielders. 

That's a problem. At Napoli, he used a 4-3-3 of sorts. For Italy, he tinkered but tended to favor a back four system. He has been given a squad, then, that doesn't quite fit his usual needs. That is not necessarily Spalletti's fault. Juventus have only had a director of football for five months. They are, structurally, a mess, and have appointed three managers in just over a year. He's not been given the best tools here. 

He started his reign by beating Cremonese, 2-1. That was followed by three straight draws in which Juve scored just twice. On Tuesday evening, he had his first big win. The Bianconeri conceded first against last year's Europa League darlings Bodo/Glimt and mounted a second-half comeback to seal three vital points in the Champions League. 

There have been some tactical innovations here. With too many central midfielders to get into his side - and a feeling that Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, and Teun Koopmeiners are all undroppable - Spalletti moved Koopmeiners into his back three, and tasked the midfielder with playing a crucial role in build-up play. That has certainly made his side more dynamic on the ball - yet the end product is yet to be seen. 

 What this means for McKennie, though, remains unclear. Every summer brings the same message: the American is no longer valued at Juve, a move is imminent, his time is up. And yet, somehow, he always works his way back into the fold. Sometimes out of necessity, but more often because of his quality. McKennie is a gifted, versatile footballer who should be more than a utility man, though a succession of managers have been reluctant to leave him out.

Spalletti has treated him much the same way, using the Texas native as a right-sided player in various roles. McKennie has started all five of Spalletti’s games so far and has played all but five minutes. Three starts have come at right wing-back; two have come as either a winger or an advanced midfielder. And McKennie has been entirely agreeable. He does everything right without quite standing out. He hasn’t scored or assisted, but he’s a steady 7/10: winning more tackles than he loses, completing passes at a solid rate, and creating a couple of chances each game.

Then, on Tuesday, he came alive. Juve were struggling and trailed Bodo/Glimt 1-0 at half-time. Lois Openda pulled one back early in the second half. And McKennie came up with the next crucial moment. His go-ahead goal wasn’t particularly pretty, but he timed his run perfectly and rose to meet a lofted ball. Juve went on to win 3-2.

And David also got in on the fun. It has been a frustrating few months for the former Lille man. He was linked with plenty of high-profile moves after scoring for fun in the French league. Arsenal and Liverpool were both reportedly in the mix. A few other big names were mentioned here and there. Juve, in truth, seemed an odd choice, especially given that they had Dusan Vlahovic up front. David needed to start, and it didn't seem like the club could offer him many minutes. 

So far, those doubts have proven valid. Thus far, David has started five out of 11 Serie A games, registering one goal and one assist in league play. He was bright in the first month of the season, but Spalletti has been reluctant to use him. Davif hasn't started a domestic game under the new boss, and played just four minutes against Sporting CP in the Champions League on Nov. 4. 

His underlying numbers, though, look pretty good. David is in the 90th percentile for shot-creating actions and 99th in pass completion percentage according to FBRef. His defensive numbers are as reliable as ever. These are small sample sizes, but the player is still very much there. 

And he proved it in style Tuesday evening. Juve seemed set to kick on after McKennie's second goal. But the home side grabbed an equalizer in the 87th minute. A point wouldn't have been disastrous. Still, in these games, you need all three. David's goal was all instinct. Kenan Yildiz had a shot well parried, and David floated in, reacted first, and turned home. Whether that goal kicks off his Juve career in full remains to be seen, but it was a solid moment for a struggling player.  

Canada manager Jesse Marsch said last year that David was the best striker he has ever coached. That's important, mostly because Marsch coached an admittedly young Erling Haaland. But his point was that David isn't a better goalscorer. He isn't faster. He certainly isn't as freakishly athletic. What David does have, though, is a complete package - an arsenal of weapons that can be used on and off the ball. He isn't a Haaland as much as a Roberto Firmino - the kind of false 9 adjacent player who can do a bit of everything. That is why, for all of his struggles in a Juventus shirt, he remains a key component of the Canadian National setup. And while Marsch has noted that club form is important when he pieces together his team, David's raw quality simply cannot be ignored. 

McKennie, meanwhile, is facing a less certain future. He has been given chances by Pochettino, yet failed to seize the moment under the Argentine manager. He was left out of the U.S. squad in November, with the manager pointing out he was eager for McKennie to get to know his new boss during the international break.

"These next few weeks, with the possibility for the new coach to work with the players there, I think it’s important for Weston to be there and to convince the coach to keep playing [him],” said the Argentinian. "I think that’s more important than to be with us, because we already know what he can provide the team."

Those words seem to suggest that McKennie's involvement in the squad itself is safe. But whether he will start remains to be seen. Unlike David, at present, he doesn't seem poised to be a regular for his country. 

What we have here, then, are two CONCACAF players facing very different situations. McKennie, for all the annual uncertainty around his future, remains a regular for Juve. Every manager he has played under has found a place for him. He isn’t spectacular, but he fills gaps, does jobs, and keeps getting picked. His contract is up at the end of the season, and whether he stays is unclear - he has even been linked with MLS. Yet despite being a regular, that isn't enough to guarantee him a spot on the USMNT. 

David, meanwhile, is in the opposite scenario. He joined a Juve side heavy on strikers and without a natural false 9 role available that he could thrive in. Yet Marsch and Canada continue to rely on him for goals and assists - and will surely need him to produce if Les Rouges are to make any sort of noise at the 2026 World Cup on home soil. 

Ultimately, more broadly, this is what modern football looks like. McKennie is indispensable for club - yet in and out for country. David can barely get a kick for his club side, but is one of the first names on the teamsheet for his national team. So few are able to have both. But for a duo of teams looking to make some noise next summer, performances like that on Tuesday have to become a regularity.