Few would have predicted the fortunes of Juventus and Manchester City when the UEFA Champions League draw was made. One win in six for the Italians and one win in nine for the English champions had seen both clubs falter in their respective league title races and also face the prospect of an early European exit.
Fewer still would have predicted how this night in Turin turned into an All-American celebration. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah came on in the 69th minute of the game and ensured that Juventus were the ones celebrating the fireworks at the end of the contest.
It's not as if Manchester City were limping to a defeat when the duo came on with Juventus leading 1-0. Thiago Motta's side had barely threatened in the first half and went ahead with Dusan Vlahovic's header narrowly bouncing over the goal line in the 53rd minute. City then piled on the pressure and Michele Di Gregoria channeled his inner Buffon to keep Pep Guardiola's side at bay.
Nerves permeated the air, nails were being bitten in the Allianz stadium, exceedingly Italian hand-gestures were being made in the stands as the game ticked over into the 74th minute. Typically, City had pushed up the field in search of an equaliser -- three defenders were on the half-way line as they lost the ball, but their midfield tried to win it back immediately.
Danilo had the ball on the left touchline -- he knew his way around this press -- the opponents were once his teammates, after all. A quick touch and pass bisected the City players pressuring him, and found McKennie in space. As the American midfielder received the pass and turned towards the City goal, he surveyed the field in front of him.
Three City defenders behind the half-way line (just), Weah in space on the right wing, Vlahovic closely marked -- both on the half-way line. 3v2, it was time to even the odds. McKennie did what his manager loves best about him, use his physicality and driving power to run, as City furiously backpedaled. He made his way into City's half, drawing a defender towards him, before pausing and spraying the ball wide.
The pass was angled perfectly but had a just bit too much on it. Not to worry though, McKennie knew that the player he had played alongside 73 times for club and country would get to it. The midfielder's part had only just begun.
City were stretched, with only three in defence -- Rico Lewis did his best to stay tight to Weah, Josko Gvardiol's attentions had moved away from McKennie to intercept the cross and maybe provide support to Ruben Dias, who was busting a gut to stay tight with Vlahovic, who had-made a lung-busting run from the left touchline right to the near post.
Tim Weah did Weston Mckennie's 'Harry Potter' celebration with him after they linked up for a beautiful goal against Man City ��
What a sight for USMNT fans ���� pic.twitter.com/lOrPwIIRFi
- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 11, 2024
To everyone, the next action looked obvious -- an early low cross from Weah, and Dias and Vlahovic would vie for who would be first to get to the ball at the near post. Except... Weah slowed down.
Vlahovic had dragged Dias and Gvardiol to the near post. There was a massive gap on the penalty spot and McKennie has already gestured to his countryman -- he wanted the ball in front of him. No City defender was around him, Kyle Walker was doing Kyle Walker things as he realized the danger all too late, and McKennie was there, waiting to bury the ball in the net.
For Weah, it wasn't as simple -- Lewis had closed the angles off and all that was left to him was the option of a lofted cross, but it would fall behind McKennie. He could see Walker running in to cover off the danger, a half-second delay as McKennie tried to collect the ball behind him would perhaps kill the move.
Weah sent in that lofted cross anyway -- it was behind his countryman as McKennie charged in. The Juventus midfielder saw the ball in the air, realised the trajectory of where it would fall was behind him, and applied the brakes. There was no time to pluck the cross out of the air, bring it under control and then stroke it home. Walker would be all over him in the time it would take to execute all of that.
The only option then, was a first-time volley. Twisting his body back, McKennie knew the only way he could score was to generate enough power on the volley and keep it down. Ederson was scrambling across, and McKennie had to get it right. The torque needed to twist and whack his right leg at the ball meant he lost his balance as he connected, and McKennie fell to the floor. Weah was already celebrating before McKennie hit the deck, because he knew his teammate had executed the volley to perfection.
The ball flew off McKennie's leg and into the net -- creating a small bit of history in the process. The duo became the first to score an All-American goal in the UEFA Champions League, with both goal-scorer and assister coming from the USA.
That stat may seem trite to some, but McKennie knows why it is a worthy stat, saying, "Being an American, being over here, it's something you deal with, but I like it. I like when people doubt me, and sometimes I play my best football when people doubt me."
For making UCL history, for putting an all-American stamp on a traditional European night of football with an exquisite piece of skill, Weston McKennie takes our UCL Moment of the Week.