Juventus duo Weston McKennie and Tim Weah prove club competition brings chemistry! USMNT Winners and Losers from win over Uzbekistan

With the Copa America less than a year away, Pepi needs to create as many big moments as he can. On Saturday night, he did just that.

His 45 minutes were, largely, a bit quiet, much like Folarin Balogun's were before him. Both strikers, though, had one big chance. Balogun's clattered off the post. Pepi's? Well, it almost went right on through the net.

Pepi hit his goal with force, smashing a Brenden Aaronson layoff for what turned out to be the first of two stoppage time goals. It was a big goal for Pepi, who now has five goals in as many games since the start of the year. That comes after he went scoreless in five games in 2022, effectively ending his World Cup hopes.

How Pepi would react to that setback was always a big question mark. Would he use it for bad or good? So far, Pepi's answer has been perfect, as he continues to show why he should, at the very least, should be a lock for that backup striker spot, if not more.

If the USMNT do switch to something of a 4-2-3-1, one member of the famous MMA midfield will need to be sacrificed to get Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman or some other attacking midfielder on the field.

It almost certainly won't be Tyler Adams, the USMNT captain and based on this performance, it probably won't be Weston McKennie, either. Musah, though, could be the one to make way.

It didn't help that the newly-signed AC Milan midfielder was somewhat anonymous against Uzbekistan, failing to make the impact that those around him did. He tried to make several dribbled forward, but none of them were particularly memorable or effective.

As the game rolled on, it was quite clear that there was a gigantic pocket of space right where a No. 10 should be. The U.S., as assembled, had no one capable of occupying that space. That is not a Musah issue; it's a USMNT issue, to be clear.

However, as the fight for midfield spots reopens after a pretty locked-in 2022 World Cup cycle, Musah's starting spot could very well be in danger, especially if he isn't quite able to get going over these next few games.

Speaking of attacking midfielders, Tillman's time on the field was brief, but it certainly was impactful.

The PSV star drew a penalty late on with some good footwork in the box, paving the way for the team's third goal. It wasn't a long cameo for Tillman, who came on for just the last 10 minutes, but it was the type of performance that could, and should, lead to more chances.

At one point, Tillman looked like a potential World Cup gamechanger. It didn't quite work out that way, as he was left out of the squad. However, if the U.S. does end up playing with a No. 10, Tillman very well could be the guy, particularly if Gio Reyna's injury issues continue to limit his availability.

Tillman is a player that impacts games. He did it for Rangers last year and has offered glimpses so far at PSV. He deserves a chance to show he can do it with the USMNT, too, as we begin this new cycle.

Not a loser in the "had a bad game" sense of the term. Moreso a loser in that it would have been better to see more of him.

De la Torre was cooking right up until he had his nose broken, forcing him out of the game. It was an unfortunate exit for the Celta Vigo midfielder, who was among the best players on the pitch before his injury knocked him out.

In his 35 minutes, the midfielder completed 98 percent of his passes, including five into the final third, while winning the ball back several times in midfield. Playing a bit behind McKennie and Musah, De la Torre was looking fantastic as Adam's replacement.

Gregg Berhalter said that De la Torre's status for the Oman game remains to be seen as the medical team assesses the status of his nose. It was an ugly injury, for sure, but also one that robbed De la Torre of a chance to continue putting on what looked like was going to be a heck of a performance.

There were, and are, concerns about their roles on the club level and how much those roles overlap, but that didn't matter at all against Uzbekistan now, did it?

Weah and McKennie combined for a stunning opening goal on Saturday, putting that newfound club chemistry to good use almost immediately.

McKennie was the catalyst, as he took a fantastic touch in the box and proceeded to somehow find space. After evading several defenders, he found Weah, who ripped a shot into the back of the net to give the U.S. the lead.

Earlier in the week, both players said they see their club competition against one another as a positive, adding that their chemistry on the international level will only get better because of it. That looked to be the case in this one, as the two came together for an important early goal.

That's one of the benefits of having so many club teammates together. The U.S. has multiple players at Juventus, AC Milan and PSV, and all of those players will benefit from playing next to one another.

On this day, it was the Juve duo that shined the brightest as both remain key parts of the USMNT XI.