da poker： Weston McKennie returned to the Juventus midfield on Saturday as he was rejoined by U.S. men's national team teammate Tim Weah in the club's XI.
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McKennie starts in midfieldWeah back in at wingbackJuve win 2-0
Both Americans earned the start in Juve's 2-0 win over Torino, with the two playing together for the first time. Prior to Saturday, McKennie and Weah had been battling for the same position at right wing-back, but the former's return to a familiar midfield spot opened the door for the latter to make his own return to the XI.
Their starts came in a Juve win, as the Italian giants continued their dominance in their local derby with Torino. With the win, Juventus continued a run that has seen them lose just once to Torino in the last 28 years.
GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The match seemingly started on a high for Juve, who, just a few minutes in, appeared to seize an early advantage on a goal from Moise Kean, who started up top in place of the injured Dusan Vlahovic. The goal, though, was ruled back, giving Torino a lifeline early.
Juve did eventually get their goal, though, early in the second half, although that one two was nearly called back as well. A lengthy review followed after Federico Gatti was able to finally tap home a rebound from close range following a set piece, but Juve were rewarded as the VAR determined there was no offside on the sequence.
Substitute Arkadiusz Milik put the game out of reach in the 62nd minute with a towering header from a Filip Kostic corner kick, sealing another win for Juve in a match where their attack never quite got going from open play.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
McKennie's return to the midfield will be the story of the game as he joined usual starters Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot in the center of the pitch.
The American had largely been starting as a wingback in recent weeks, making five starts in the position prior to Saturday's return to the center. With McKennie starting, Weah had been relegated to the bench, but his teammate's shift freed up his starting spot out wide.
It remains to be seen if Massimiliano Allegri will continue to see McKennie as a potential midfield starter. The USMNT star didn't quite steal the show in Saturday's win, as he was just solid, but not spectacular. In an ideal world, he would have been a bit more involved than he was as, out of Juve's three midfielders, he was the least active on the ball throughout the match.
GettyUSMNT IMPACT
The U.S. isn't concerned with where McKennie and Weah are playing, but rather how they are playing and how often. Even so, McKennie's move back to the middle will be a welcome sight.
McKennie faces a big test in the coming international break with Tyler Adams still out due to injury, leaving the U.S. without their star No. 6. As a result, McKennie and Yunus Musah could be asked to do a bit more defending if the U.S. flip their midfield to include a No. 10 like, say, Gio Reyna.
As for Weah, he remains a go-to starter on the wing and will likely play significant minutes for the U.S. during the international break.
GettyGOAL'S RATINGS
Weston McKennie (6/10):
Decent, but not incredible. Could have been a bit more active in the attack as Juve dominated the game but, overall, it's hard to complain too much in a 2-0 win that never looked in doubt.
Tim Weah (7/10):
Very good to see him get 90 minutes, especially considering his recent spell as a substitute. Had a few good moments, but will need to be a bit more precise in the final third going forward.