Weston McKennie Shows U.S. Players Have World-Class Depth
Is it really a surprise anymore? It's not 1994 when the United States was in its soccer infancy. It is now 2025 and the U.S. has been experiencing a paradigm shift concerning their place in the soccer world. By scoring goals in championship-level tournaments like the one Weston McKennie scored for Italian club Juventus against PSV Eindhoven of Holland prove it is no longer the exception, it's the rule. He continues to make the statement once again that even the UEFA Champions League is not safe from the impact of United States players.
This is not just the Christian Pulisic show anymore. McKennie, the multi-talented army brat from Fort Lewis, Washington has been placing his stamp on the Champions League with his third goal of the tournament. However, his selflessness in play has won admirers playing multiple positions. “The important thing isn’t scoring a goal or providing an assist,” Weston admitted, “but helping the team to get a victory.” However, the opening goal in the first leg of the knockout round against PSV inspired a 2-1 win and put everyone on notice that Americans are more than ready to take their place among the world's best teams. This also promises a team that will tri-host the next World Cup that they have much more to offer.
McKennie has been part of a nucleus that has emerged to bring some of the best moments for United States soccer winning three CONCACAF Nations League titles. However, it has not always been smooth sailing as a top professional in Europe. He, along with U.S. teammates Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, and Timothy Weah, has experienced negative comments concerning his fitness or racial abuse when he calls it out. “If it doesn’t become a priority then,” Weston explained, “it’s just going to become a normality in our lives, right?”
Weston is quite a resilient sort. You don't travel overseas with a military father or play in various countries without having intestinal fortitude. McKennie has had to hear how the United States does not produce world-class players. McKennie has responded with a magic touch about his game, able to appear and reappear anywhere on the field much like his favorite book character Harry Potter. His goal celebration of waving his hand to appear as if he is casting a spell has become embedded in Champions League lore. It implies that with Captain America and a wizard, the United States has given national teams more than one player to worry about in 2026.
