Americans Abroad: Tim Weah shines as Marseille's new captain and is Yunus Musah’s redemption fully on?

Weah had a summer to forget for the Americans at the World Cup. After being one of the team’s stars at the 2022 tournament, he managed just one shot in 77 minutes under Mauricio Pochettino this summer. That obviously raised questions about his future fit under the Argentine ahead of the national team’s September camp. But that’s the thing about club soccer: It allows players to put their international struggles behind them and shine in another environment. That’s exactly what happened this weekend.

Weah, 26, covered nearly every blade of grass for OM at right wing-back, recording three recoveries and two headed clearances. More importantly, it was the former Juventus and PSG man’s first appearance since being named captain, and he didn’t disappoint. In Marseille’s 4-0 win over Strasbourg, Weah showed why the club has placed so much trust in him.

On the other end, however, was Reyna, who made his Ligue 1 debut for Le Racing. Let’s make one thing clear: The 23-year-old wasn’t the reason his club lost, as he played just 21 minutes. Yet this is the second straight season in which his first appearance for a new club has come in a blowout defeat, which doesn’t do him any favors. For Reyna to thrive, he needs a team committed to patient build-up and possession. If he finds himself in a situation where his side is constantly chasing the game, as he did with Gladbach, it might be another season in which he is on the outside looking in.

It is too early to sound the alarm bells, but this is definitely a story to follow during the early part of the season.

AC Milan got their season off to a strong start with a 2-1 win over Torino and have an American to thank. No, not that one. Rather, it was Musah who went the full 90 minutes, playing solid football on both sides of the ball.

No, Musah didn’t play lights out. But he was effective in both attack and defense, completing three passes into the final third and connecting on three long balls. He also made three defensive contributions.

Since August 2024, Musah has played a full match just six times. And while it is too early to know whether Amorim will continue to feature him this regularly, Sunday’s performance continued a positive trend for the 23-year-old, who also played extensively for the Portuguese manager during preseason. At the very least, it certainly suggests Musah will have a role for Milan this season.

Additionally, USMNT fans will take some solace in the fact that Christian Pulisic made the bench for Sunday’s clash, although he did not play.

This is not the start that either new Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage or star defender Chris Richards wanted.

The Eagles were blanked by Everton in a 2-0 defeat at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Yes, it was the Toffees’ home opener, and the energy and momentum were on their side. But Palace played in Europe last season, and despite their late-season freefall, the hope was that Sage could build upon the positives of the past two years. Instead, questions will arise again over whether this team has enough to avoid sinking into the lower reaches of the table.

Richards, for his part, had an uneven showing against the home side. He tied for the most defensive contributions in the match with an impressive 16, but couldn’t help prevent either Everton goal, with one arriving on each side of halftime.

It wasn’t a title warning to their Serie A rivals, but Weston McKennie and Juventus will gladly take the three points from a 1-0 win over Frosinone.

Defender Bremer bailed out the Old Lady with a header in the 22nd minute to score the game’s only goal. He was also a creative force, creating three chances for his teammates. It was the kind of decisive performance one would typically expect from Juventus’ American No. 10.

Still, this is the early part of the season. McKennie and Juventus have plenty of room to improve, but the most important thing is that they got off to a winning start.

+ Tyler Adams’ Bournemouth took an early 1-0 lead over Manchester City but couldn’t see it through, falling to a 2-1 defeat. The midfielder came off the bench and played just 15 minutes.

+ Sergiño Dest’s early-season surge continued as he scored, proved a menace on the dribble and added four defensive contributions for PSV in a 5-1 win. Ricardo Pepi also converted a penalty. Both players continue to be linked with moves away from the Dutch champions.

+ Middlesbrough’s American trio of Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten and Aidan Morris suffered their first defeat of the season, losing to Blackburn Rovers.

+ Former Inter Miami academy standout Benjamin Cremaschi played just six minutes for Parma in their 1-0 season-opening defeat.

+ Brenden Aaronson played 82 minutes on the left wing in Leeds’ impressive 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

+ Gianluca Busio captained Venezia and played the full 90 minutes, but his side fell 2-0 to Lecce.

+ George Campbell continued his unheralded but impressive start to the season, helping West Brom earn a 3-1 win.

+ Neither Johnny Cardoso nor Alex Freeman got off the bench as Atlético Madrid and Villarreal played to a 2-2 draw.

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