Tim Weah and Juventus totally shut down Christian Pulisic and the rest of Milan's attack in a scoreless draw in Serie A's USMNT derby.
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Pulisic shut down by aggressive Juve defendingWeah shines in matchup vs the dangerous LeaoDraw keeps Milan in driving seat for second spotGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Weah, Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah took to the field against one another for the second time this season in Serie A's de-facto U.S. men's national team derby. The first match ended in a narrow Juve win back in October but there was nothing that could split the two sides here.
The hosts had the better of the chances to win the contest and struck the post twice in the 50th minute. At the other end, Milan struggled, with the hosts defending magnificently out wide to keep the Rossoneri at bay.
Ultimately, neither side broke through, with Serie A's second and third-best teams settling for a 0-0 draw.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The match will have no impact on the Serie A title race, with Inter having already secured the Scudetto. Milan and Juve are left playing for the runners-up spot, although the latter's hold on third place is becoming more tenuous.
With the draw, Milan maintain a five-point lead over Juve in third, with just four Serie A games left to play. Massimiliano Allegri's side only have a three-point advantage over Bologna, meanwhile, with them facing Udinese on Sunday where they'll have the chance to wipe out the deficit.
Getty ImagesUSMNT IMPACT
This particular match still feels like a huge one for American soccer fans. It's one that has shown how far the sport has come in many ways, with four USMNT stars playing for two Italian giants on the biggest stage. Just a decade ago, this would have felt impossible.
Indeed, three of the four USMNT stars were named in the starting XIs. For Juve, the lone representative was Weah, who was ultimately replaced by McKennie in the 71st minute. Prior to that, though, Weah was fantastic, locking down Rafael Leao with one of his best performances of the season.
On the Milan side, Pulisic was relatively quiet, amassing just 33 touches, the second-fewest of any outfield player who started the game. He did have some decent moments but was largely shut down by the Juve defense.
Musah was also in the starting XI, and was lined up at right-back by Stefano Pioli, a new position for the former Valencia star. By and large, he justified his coach's faith, tucking inside for most of the match as a pseudo-midfielder.
GettyGOAL'S RATINGS
Christian Pulisic (5/10):
Juventus made it clear from the start: they wouldn't let Pulisic or Leao beat them. The USMNT winger was totally marked out of the match, aside from one or two half-chances he fashioned.
Yunus Musah (6/10):
An interesting decision from Pioli, who used Musah as a right-back. He didn't play the role as you'd traditionally expect, instead tucking in as an extra midfield body. With Sergino Dest out of action, could the USMNT replicate this tactic?
Tim Weah (8/10):
A fantastic outing from a player who isn't known for his defending. Facing arguably Serie A's best winger in Leao, Weah kept him quiet while also pushing Milan's defense back. A huge performance from the USMNT star.
Weston McKennie (6/10):
Had one big chance late on with a header as he looked to change the game in his 20 minutes on the field.