Ethan Horvath stepped back into the Sheffield Wednesday starting line-up on Saturday and delivered one of his best performances yet for the Owls.
Horvath made a clean sheet with six saves on Saturday as the Owls equalized West Bromwich Albion 0-0 at The Hawthorns. The veteran goalkeeper’s Man of the Match performance earned him the SBI American Abroad Player of the Week award.
After not playing in Sheffield Wednesday’s last two games, Horvath jumped back into the starting line-up and had a crucial say in the final score. Horvath was tested early by Mikey Johnston in the third minute, diving to his left to clear the striker’s low drive.
Alex Mowatt became the latest to be denied by Horvath, this time in the 21st minute as Horvath used another diving save to keep the score level. Josh Maja’s close-range header from a corner was also cleared by Horvath before half-time.
Johnston’s second-half effort was met by Horvath, while he also collected Maja’s glancing header to keep the clean sheet on the road. The shutout was Horvath’s second of the season and an impressive one against a top-six contender in West Brom.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen praised Horvath’s composure in the match as the Owls walked away with one point after their travels.
“Then Ethan was calm and strong and he also played a very good match,” he said in a club interview after the match.
Horvath will now prepare for a bottom two match against Norwich City on Wednesday, a crucial game for both clubs in the relegation zone.
Here’s a closer look at this week’s best Americans Abroad performances:
Ricardo Pepi
Ricardo Pepi did not start the Eredivisie match on Friday, but did have a crucial vote in the final score.
Pepi scored his fourth goal of the season in all competitions as PSV defeated Fortuna Sittard 5–2. The American striker came off the bench to create a botched finish late in the second half to cement the home side’s eventual victory.
After coming on as a substitute in each of his last five appearances, Pepi will aim to start the UCL in midweek.
George Bello
Back-to-back wins this week for Austrin club LASK saw George Bello play a key role in Saturday’s latest victory.
Bello set up Samuel Adineran for LASK’s only goal in a 1–0 win over BW Linz. The former home team of Atlanta United won four matches, scored four times and also recovered four times in defense, while LASK extended its unbeaten run to five matches.
Bello, 23, has remained a consistent performer for LASK this season and will look to continue that this fall.
Tyler Adams
AFC Bournemouth did not get three points on Sunday, but American midfielder Tyler Adams did score his first goal for the club.
Adams scored the only goal of the match for the Cherries in a 3–1 away loss to Manchester City. The USMNT midfielder played 80 minutes before being substituted after taking a kick in the back of the knee.
His status is unknown for the Cherries’ final match before the November international break.
Lennard Maloney
Lennard Maloney had his most productive week as a Mainz player.
Maloney started back-to-back games this week as Mainz featured in the DFB Pokal and Bundesliga. The experienced defender played 85 minutes in a 2-0 home cup defeat to Stuttgart, before playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Having played just 147 minutes in all competitions to that point, Maloney more than doubled his season total in just five days.
What did you think of Americans Abroad’s action this weekend? Is there anyone else who deserves a mention on this list?
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