MLS Exports

Exports: Six US men's national team players could play in busy Champions League matchday

Gio Reyna - Dortmund - against 1. FC Union Berlin

Four American exports saw action in the Champions League on Wednesday, with two soon-to-be members of Gregg Berhalter's recently-named USMNT squad starting, while two more game off the bench.


Dynamo Kiev at Barcelona


Sergino Dest is off to a hot start in his Barcelona career and got his second Champions League start for the Catalan powerhouses' trip to Kiev Wednesday afternoon for their third Group G match. He played the full 90 in Barcelona's 2-1 win. Konrad de la Fuente did not make the squad.

Barcelona top their group with a perfect nine out of nine points to start the campaign.


Borussia Dortmund at Club Brugge


The only match where there could be a head-to-head meeting between American exports takes place in Group F when Club Brugge host Borussia Dortmund at Jan Breydel Stadium.


Ethan Horvath, who made consecutive starts, including an emotional 2-1 win over Zenit Saint Petersburg on Matchday 1. But that was as regular starting goalkeeper Simon Mignolet recovered from a positive COVID-19 test. Mignolet, the former Liverpool standout, was back in the net for Club Brugge’s last two games.


Gio Reyna, who played 84 minutes in a 2-0 win over Zenit Saint Petersburg last week, earned a second consecutive Champions League start after the former NYCFC academy star's substitute appearance in a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga Saturday. He played 77 minutes in Dortmund's 3-0 win on Wednesday.

Dortmund top the group with six points, and Brugge sits in third with four points after three games.


Juventus at Ferencvaros


Fresh off picking up his first assist for his new club, Weston McKennie came off the bench and played 37 minutes in Juventus' 4-1 win over Hungarian side Ferencvaros on Matchday 3 in Group G. The Italian champions are now second in their group on six points after three matches.


The former FC Dallas academy product, who played 62 minutes in that Serie A win over Spezia Calcio Sunday, came off the bench for a 15-minute stint in a 2-0 loss to Sergino Dest and Barcelona last week.


Paris Saint-Germain at RB Leizpig


RB Leipzig head coach Julian Naglesmann said Tyler Adams' return was a possibility against PSG with the former New York Red Bulls standout working his way back from an injury that sidelined him for the last two Bundesliga matches and RB Leipzig’s 5-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford in Group H last week. He came off the bench and played 14 minutes in his team's 2-1 win.

RB Leipzig are second in their group, but tied on points with first place Manchester United.


Stade Rennes at Chelsea


Although Frank Lampard said Christian Pulisic is back in training after a “very minor injury,” the USMNT attacking standout has been ruled out of Chelsea’s Group E match against Stade Rennes at Stamford Bridge. A Pulisic-less Chelsea won 3-0, and they sit top of their group with seven points.