U.S. males’s nationwide group midfielder Weston McKennie scored but once more for Juventus on Sunday, persevering with a well-timed career-best goalscoring run forward of this summer time’s World Cup in North America.
McKennie nabbed Juventus’ first purpose in a 2-2 draw towards Lazio, the purpose kicking off his facet’s comeback with a 59th-minute header that slashed the guests’ lead in half. The play began as Kenan Yildiz made his approach into the penalty space however appeared to play a cross, recognizing Manuel Locatelli making a central run into the field. Earlier than he entered the realm, although, Locatelli noticed McKennie in entrance of him and the American acted rapidly to take a shot, however the ball hit an opponent as an alternative.
The ball then drifted to McKennie’s proper and fell to Juventus substitute Edon Zhegrova, who took a shot that was met with a save by Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. The ball then rolled to the attackers’ left, McKennie making a run in the direction of the ball however neatly stopping because it whizzed out of attain. Andrea Cambiaso met up with the ball on the endline as an alternative, McKennie conscious of his teammate’s motion and taking just a few backwards steps earlier than turning in the direction of purpose, leaping within the air and flicking the ball into the again of the web along with his head, including type factors by kissing it off the submit.
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McKennie now has seven objectives throughout all competitions for Juventus this season, formally making it his finest goalscoring season in his membership profession. He scored all of his objectives after ex-Italy boss Luciano Spalletti took over because the group’s coach in November, Spalletti’s tactical preferences paving the way in which for a brand new position that has allowed McKennie to flex his attacking expertise. He has been a fixture for the brand new coach as an attack-minded participant on the appropriate, although he has the liberty to maneuver centrally and play a big position in Juventus’ goalscoring operation, a stylistic change the 27-year-old has seamlessly transitioned to.
Attacking assignments are usually not unfamiliar to the versatile McKennie however since becoming a member of Juventus in the beginning of the 2020-21 season, he has been deployed in all kinds of positions together with as a deep-lying midfielder and as a wingback, roles that didn’t maximize his attacking strengths. Spalletti had a really totally different impression of McKennie’s skillset, one which has benefitted the group and the participant in equal measure.
“McKennie is an ideal central striker,” Spalletti mentioned following final month’s assertion win over Serie A champions Napoli. “He fights, he is sturdy within the air and he can soar excessive. He performs to get outcomes as a result of he makes selections. He could be an ideal striker.”
McKennie’s present kind presents USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino an alternative choice to seek out objectives as he makes an attempt to construct an attack-minded model of the group in time for subsequent summer time’s World Cup on house soil. How precisely Pochettino would possibly deploy McKennie is presently a little bit of an unknown – the participant has been out and in of the nationwide group over the past 12 months, mainly attributable to a scarcity of availability. He was ineligible for final June’s Concacaf Gold Cup whereas competing on the Membership World Cup with Juventus and Pochettino left him off the roster for the November friendlies, a 2-1 win towards future World Cup group stage opponent Paraguay and a 5-1 win over Uruguay, so he may settle in after Spalletti’s rent.
Juventus presently sit in fourth place, 12 factors adrift of Serie A leaders, however within the midst of a aggressive battle to qualify for subsequent season’s version of the UEFA Champions League.
