Did you hear? On Dec. 11, a pair of Americans combined for a goal in the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever.
And not just any goal. It was a whirling scissor kick from Weston McKennie off a measured little dink from Timothy Weah. And it wasn't just against any team: it was the capper in Juventus' 2-0 win against the four-time defending Premier League champions, Manchester City.
OK, sure, everyone is beating Man City now, but what about what happened on Nov. 27? Malik Tillman became the first American to score twice in a Champions League game. His goals brought PSV Eindhoven level from a 2-0 deficit with Shakhtar Donetsk, and then fellow American Ricardo Pepi scored the winner in the 96th minute. Not only did Pepi's goal earn PSV the victory, it also earned him and Tillman the distinction of being the first pair of Americans to score in a Champions League game.
Oh, and what about Antonee Robinson? Sure, Liverpool have won every game in the Champions League this year, but on Dec. 14, the American left-back provided a pair of sumptuous assists -- one from a 70-yard run, the other from a looping deep cross -- to give Fulham a 2-2 draw with the Premier League leaders on the road.
Americans are playing and affecting results at the highest level of soccer more than ever before. We no longer have to worry about whether Benny Feilhaber will get named in the starting lineup for the worst team in Premier League history. This is what we've all been waiting for.
And yet, the U.S. men's national team doesn't really have any new high-level wins or trophies to show for all the new talent. So with 2024 coming to a close, let's take a long look back at the modern era of the USMNT and see how the so-called "Golden Generation" has performed compared to its predecessors. Are they any better? And if not, why not?
