Americans Abroad: USMNT's Brenden Aaronson, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman score big goals as holiday season gets going

When Brenden Aaronson sat down with GOAL this fall, he admitted he was frustrated by the perceptions of his game. He wasn't just a runner or an energy guy, he emphasized - he can create goals, too.

That's what he did on Saturday as he helped Leeds blast Oxford United 4-0. The American provided a goal and an assist, showcasing his evolution into a player who can legitimately impact games in the Championship.

With those two goal contributions, Aaronson is now up to six goals and two assists this season. They're his best numbers since his stay with RB Salzburg in Austria, and if he continues on his current pace, he'll finish this 2024-25 season with a career high in goal contributions.

At 24, Aaronson isn't a finished product. He's continuing to grow, particularly in the rough-and-tumble English Championship. Yet, after setting a target for himself to impact games more directly, he's doing just that. Onward and upward.

Another week, another USMNT goal for PSV. It was Malik Tillman this time, though.

Tillman hasn't quite gotten the headlines that Ricardo Pepi has, but he's been every bit as effective. He has 10 goals in all competitions this season, with his finish in the 3-0 win over Feyenoord on Sunday being his latest. Tillman is a star at this level and, realistically, with numbers like this, he won't be here long.

As for Pepi, he was left on the bench all the way through. Luuk de Jong, the guy he's battling for a starting spot, started and got a goal. All of this came amid a big bid from a Premier League side for Pepi, who looks like he could be a man in demand as transfer season heats up. It's been a wild season for Pepi, who scores seemingly every time he steps on the field. He didn't get that chance on Sunday, though.

Either way, PSV remains the team to watch for the USMNT. Whether it's Tillman, Pepi or Richy Ledezma, Americans remain involved every week, and it'll be that way for at least a little longer as transfer rumors get going.

It was a near-perfect day out at Old Trafford for Bournemouth, and Tyler Adams sure played his part.

The American midfielder, who only recently returned from injury, started and went 89 minutes in midfield, helping run the show in a 3-0 beating of the Red Devils. He completed 32 of his 41 passes, won four tackles, had three interceptions, and won seven of his 11 duels. It was a typical Adams day. As always, he was everywhere throughout the game.

As a team, Bournemouth are surging, who are up to fifth in the league. The Cherries are flying and, with Adams healthy, they have a very good defensive midfielder that's only getting better. With Adams healthy and getting closer to 100 percent, the Bournemouth midfield is solid, which is a good base to start with for a club looking to overachieve in the Premier League.

With the holiday season getting going, Bournemouth are a team to watch, particularly for Americans looking to watch Adams get back to his very best.

Weston McKennie started at left-back again for Juventus in Sunday's match against Monza. Didn't matter, though: he still was able to contribute in the final third.

The USMNT midfielder popped up with an early goal, netting 14 minutes into Juve's clash with Monza. The Old Lady threw that lead away eight minutes later, as Samuele Birindelli scored, but Nicolas Gonzalez restored the lead for Juve in the 39th minute. The team never looked back. It was a huge win for Juventus, who have struggled to collect those this season as they've settled for 10 draws in their first 17 matches.

Back to McKennie, though. The goal was his second in Serie A and his third in all competitions, with his most recent prior to Sunday's coming in that massive Champions League win over Manchester City. McKennie remains a key piece for Thiago Motta's side, no matter where the coach puts him. After earning a coach's trust once again this season, McKennie has shown, again, that he tends to step up wherever he is on the field.

Juve needs to keep winning if they want to get back in the Serie A race. McKennie proved once again on Sunday that, when he's on the field, the team generally has a better chance of doing just that.

It wasn't Fulham's day on Sunday. Facing off with Southampton, the Premier League's worst team, they had to settle for a 0-0 draw. That's certainly two points dropped, not one point gained.

Antonee Robinson... well, he was Antonee Robinson. Whether it's a good day or a bad day for those around him, you know what you're getting from Jedi.

As usual, Robinson was among the best players on the field. He created three chances with nine passes into the final third. He had four interceptions, too, while winning three duels as well. On both sides of the ball, Robinson was active as always.

The transfer questions will linger. He's being linked with a step up and, on this evidence, Fulham won't be really pushing up a level this season. Could Robinson take a big swing in January and join a contender? It feels more possible now than ever.

Robinson remains one to keep an eye on but, even if a big move doesn't happen, you can bet on him continuing to do his thing at Fulham.

+ No Americans in the XI for Celtic, or in the squad altogether for that matter. Both Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers were absent from Celtic's 0-0 draw with Dundee United.

+ It was a rough, rough day for Chris Richards and Crystal Palace, who were smashed 5-1 by Arsenal. Richards played all 90 minutes of the blowout while Matt Turner remained on the bench.

+ A tough one for Joe Scally, but his teammates bailed him out. The American defender conceded a penalty, but Borussia Monchengladbach still did enough to escape with a 2-1 win at Hoffenheim.

+ It wasn't pretty, but Mark McKenzie and Toulouse escaped with a cup win. It took penalties, but Toulouse took down fifth-tier side Hauts Lyonnais after a 0-0 draw. McKenzie went the distance but didn't participate in the shootout.

+ Gio Reyna came on for a three-minute cameo for Borussia Dortmund, who crushed Wolfsburg 3-0 despite a 62nd-minute red card for Pascal Gross.

+ Venezia picked up a much-needed win as they look to climb their way out of the relegation zone. Gianluca Busio was solid in midfield in the 2-0 win over Cagliari.