With the 2022 World Cup draw in the rearview, European leagues are nearing completion in their 2021-22 calendar.
Relegation is becoming a real threat as races heat up. I wrote about those battles as well, but let’s also look further up the tables at the title and European qualification races. A number of US and Canadian internationals are in the thick of it.
This list is not comprehensive for every single American or Canadian in Europe; rather I tried to focus on players realistically in the Canadian/American national team pools. Players on the same team are lumped together for the sake of redundancy.
Title-chasers
Bayern Munich are in control of the Bundesliga yet again, looking for their 10th consecutive (!) title. With a +56 goal difference highlighting their dominance, the title is almost wrapped up: Bayern sit nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund with six matches left.
Canadian superstar Alphonso Davies was out of action for a couple of months with complications following a COVID-19 diagnosis and myocarditis (heart inflammation), but he returned in Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal match vs. Spain's Villareal. He got back in training before the March qualifying window, though not in time for Canada's final World Cup berth in 36 years.
Davies, a Vancouver Whitecaps FC product whose transfer fee could reach $22 million, remains the gold standard for MLS exports. The 21-year-old left back/forward was just named Concacaf's Male Player of the Year.
Giovanni Reyna and Dortmund had hung around in the title race for a while. Reyna, like Davies, had been injured but is back now and was fit enough to play 90 minutes before the March international window and join up with the USMNT, where he appeared in all three games as his country clinched qualification to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Reyna had been out since September with a hamstring injury, playing just three league matches before missing the next 17 games. The New York City FC academy product has two goals and an assist in just over 400 minutes in the Bundesliga, hoping to give Dortmund another push over the final six matches of the season, though the return from the international break was disastrous for Dortmund, losing 4-1 at home to RB Leipzig.
Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga and on pace for a Champions League return, host Bayern Munich on April 23.
Though Weston McKennie is out for the season with a broken foot and won’t be part of it, Juventus aren’t quite out of the Serie A title race.
Juve are in fourth place, but sit eight points behind AC Milan. A memorable scudetto run isn't out of the realm of possibility, though their chances got seriously damaged by a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan at home last weekend. Inter and Napoli are also chasing AC Milan, with Italy's top four teams gaining an automatic Champions League group stage spot.
The 23-year-old McKennie was in the form of his life for club and country for months before suffering his injury. The FC Dallas product should return as a full participant in preseason training for Juve’s 2022-23 season this summer, putting him on track for a World Cup debut with the USMNT.
Yet again, the Premier League has evolved into a two-team title race between Manchester City and Liverpool. With eight games left, the two giants are separated by just a point.
Zack Steffen’s City have the edge and are defending champions in England, but they host Liverpool on April 10 in a potentially title-deciding match, given the imperious form of both squads. They also meet April 16 in the FA Cup semifinals.
Steffen, as expected, has not played a major role in the league as Ederson’s backup, though he has accrued eight appearances this year, mostly in the League and FA Cups, as well as one apiece in the Champions League and Premier League.
The former Columbus Crew backstop remains firmly in the USMNT's No. 1 conversation, with soon-to-be Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner's days at the New England Revolution winding down.
A January loan signing by Portuguese giants Porto, Canadian international Stephen Eustaquio joined a title race from FC Pacos de Ferreira. Porto are in first place, ahead of rivals Sporting CP. They hold a six-point edge with six games to go.
Eustaquio has yet to start a league game for his new club but has appeared off the bench four times. He has 98 career top-flight appearances in Portugal.
Porto have a purchase option in the loan agreement for Eustaquio, which is reportedly worth $3.5 million.
Red Bull Salzburg are once again cruising towards the Austrian top-flight title, which would be Aaronson’s second in as many years with the club.
The USMNT attacker has played a crucial role for the club with a number of talented young players and is overwhelmingly likely to depart this summer, with the EPL's Leeds United favorites to sign him as long as they don’t get relegated. Leeds are managed by former Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch, who led CF Montréal and New York Red Bulls during his MLS career.
With another title and continuing to accrue appearances, all of the incentives in Aaronson’s transfer from the Philadelphia Union to Salzburg will hit, taking the fee to $9 million. The Union retain a sell-on clause as well.
In England’s second tier, USMNT defenders Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream are once again closing in on promotion to the Premier League. They are en route to that promotion via a league title, too.
Fulham are in first, 11 points ahead of second-place Bournemouth. The top two get automatic promotion places to the Premier League, with third through sixth entering a promotion playoff. Fulham are in no real danger of slipping to the playoff, as they are 17 points clear of third place with seven matches left.
Robinson and Ream have been mainstays for the club in their title chase. Robinson has 32 appearances while Ream has started all 39 games.
In Scotland, two Americans are battling for the title, but it's just about over.
Celtic (Cameron Carter-Vickers) are six points ahead of Rangers (James Sands) atop the table, thanks to a 2-1 victory by Celtic over Rangers this weekend, in which Carter-Vickers scored the game-winning goal.
Carter-Vickers is on loan at Celtic from Tottenham, starting 27 of the 28 league matches he’s been available for.
Sands has made eight appearances – three in the league, three in Europa League – since joining Rangers in January on an 18-month loan from NYCFC with a purchase option.
Canadian international goalkeeper Milan Borjan was reportedly looking to leave Red Star Belgrade, but he remains at the Serbian club and tied for first place with Partizan Belgrade on 78 points.
There is one match left. Red Star have a better goal difference by one goal.
Borjan has been the first-choice goalkeeper, starting 23 matches.
Club Brugge are five points behind leaders Union Saint-Gilloise in second place, with Tajon Buchanan settling in nicely at the club since his wintertime arrival for a $7 million fee.
The Canadian international and former New England Revolution breakout star has two assists in his first eight appearances with the club.
Belgium's top-flight is approaching its playoff phase, with Club Brugge playing their 34th regular-season game on Sunday vs. Mechelen. They're in a strong spot to qualify for next year's Champions League.
Race for European qualification
Chelsea have faded from the title race but remain comfortable in their quest for the Champions League. Christian Pulisic’s side are in third place, which would bring an automatic berth to the group stages. Pulisic has a goal and four assists in 15 league appearances (10 starts).
Arsenal are five points behind in fifth place, which would put them in the Europa League group stage. New England goalkeeper Matt Turner and Colorado defender Auston Trusty both join Arsenal in the summer. Tottenham also have 54 points in fourth place, though Chelsea have a game in hand on Spurs.
Things are looking positive for Pulisic’s CL future, provided he stays at Chelsea amid the ownership turmoil. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is being forced to sell the team due to his ties to Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
RB Leipzig recovered from a slow start to the season and are in the thick of a battle for Champions League qualification.
The top four in Germany make the CL, with fifth place going to the Europa League and sixth to the Conference League. Leipzig are in fourth with 48 points, but third and sixth place are separated by just seven points. They currently have the superior goal difference among those four clubs, which could prove useful.
Tyler Adams has made 19 appearances for RBL in the Bundesliga, though the New York Red Bulls midfield product has mostly come off the bench in the new year.
American defenders Chris Richards and Justin Che are part of that race with Adams and Leipzig. Hoffenheim are in sixth place, just four points off Leipzig in fourth after a loss to VfL Bochum.
Both players are on loan, though Che is definitely there through next season already (from FC Dallas). That deal includes a purchase option, too. The loan for Richards (from Bayern Munich) expires at the end of the year, but Hoffenheim had numerous bids for a permanent move rejected last summer, so it stands to reason they’ll continue that chase to make his stay permanent.
Che just made his debut in mid-March, while Richards was a constant starter before picking up a foot injury on duty with the USMNT in January (returned last weekend).
Lille are looking for an end-of-season push to get back into European qualification, currently sitting in seventh place with eight matches to go. They’re four points behind fifth place (Conference League) and fourth place (Europa League), then six points behind third place (Champions League qualifying rounds).
Canadian striker Jonathan David is leading the charge, with 13 goals in 30 appearances this season. USMNT attacker Tim Weah is yet to score this season in 22 league appearances (11 starts).
David is widely reported to be departing in a big-money move elsewhere this summer, though.
Marseille are a bit better off than Lille in France, sitting second on 56 points, though only five points ahead of fourth place.
USMNT winger Konrad de la Fuente has been a regular in the squad this year, with two assists across 16 appearances.
Still looking for his first start in the first team, rising USMNT midfielder Cole Bassett has made three appearances off the bench in the Eredivisie with Feyenoord (six minutes total).
The Dutch side is tenuously in third place, which brings a chance to qualify for the Europa Conference League. They're just three points ahead of the two clubs (AZ Alkmaar, Twente) chasing them with six matches left.
Bassett is on an 18-month loan from the Colorado Rapids. The deal includes a purchase option that would make him Colorado’s record transfer.
Sam Vines and Royal Antwerp are approaching the Belgian playoff round, currently sitting third behind Buchanan and Club Brugge in second place. They're on track for a Europa League spot, with Anderlecht nipping on their heels.
Vines joined Antwerp last summer from Colorado but suffered a broken collarbone not long after he debuted, hurting his playing time. The USMNT left back has still made 15 starts with the club in his first season.
In Switzerland, both Young Boys (Jordan Pefok) and Basel (Liam Millar) are out of the title race. Zurich are 12 points ahead of Basel and 17 ahead of Young Boys.
But both clubs are in good positions for European qualification, with second and third place heading to the Conference League. It’s a three-team race, with Young Boys and FC Lugano tied on points, five behind Basel.
Pefok is the league’s leading scorer with 17 goals, while Millar has six goals and two assists in 27 appearances with Basel after arriving from Liverpool in the summer.
