EFL Cup: Slonina, Pines, Holmes among Americans to advance - SBI Soccer
Gabriel Slonina and Donovan Pines have secured their spot in the third round of the EFL Cup with an impressive performance on the field.
Barnsley won a close 1-0 game against Sheffield United in the EFL Championship on Tuesday, with both American players helping their team secure the victory. Slonina made four crucial saves to keep a clean sheet, while Pines played the entire 90 minutes for the first time this season.
Max Watters' goal in the 52nd minute was the deciding factor as Darrell Clarke's team secured their first victory over this opponent since April 2018.
Slonina, who has swiftly become the top goalkeeper for Barnsley, once again proved his talent in their latest match. He was recognized as the EFL Cup Player of the First Round just a few days ago and put on another impressive display.
Pines emerged victorious in four one-on-one battles, successfully cleared the ball five times, and connected on 87% of his passes during the game.
American player Auston Trusty came off the bench and played for 28 minutes with the visiting Blades.
Barnsley will continue playing in League One this Saturday at Crawley Town. Sheffield United will play against Watford in the Championship on Sunday.
Duane Holmes Shines In Preston's Big Win
Duane Holmes got his first start of the season for Preston North End in their dominant 5-0 victory over Harrogate Town on the road.
The US midfielder helped set up Preston's third goal of the game and played the entire 90 minutes under coach Paul Heckingbottom. Holmes played on the right side of the midfield, making six defensive plays and touching the ball 94 times during the match.
Sam Greenwood scored two goals in the beginning of the game, and then Holmes passed the ball to Milutin Osmajic who scored in the 39th minute. Osmajic scored his second goal just six minutes after that, and then completed his hat trick in the 83rd minute.
Preston will be playing against Oxford United in a Championship match this Saturday.
Chris Richards Shines In Crystal Palace's Win Vs Norwich City
Chris Richards began Tuesday night as a substitute for Oliver Glasner but ended up playing for over 80 minutes.
In the 10th minute of the match between Crystal Palace and Norwich City, Richards came on for Riad. He played alongside Guehi and Michell in defense and had an impressive passing accuracy of 97% (57 out of 59 passes completed).
Daichi Kamada got the first goal for Crystal Palace just two minutes into the game, and then the team kept adding to their lead in the second half. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored two goals within 11 minutes to help the home team extend their lead at Selhurst Park, and Eberechi Eze capped it off with a goal two minutes before the game ended.
The Eagles are heading to Chelsea this Sunday, hoping to secure their first Premier League victory of the season.
Josh Sargent was not able to play for the Canaries even though he was selected as a substitute.
Here's a recap of how other American players performed in Tuesday's EFL Cup matches while playing for teams overseas.
Lynden Gooch spent a total of 28 minutes on the field during Stoke City's impressive 5-0 win against Middlesbrough.
Aidan Morris participated in the last 12 minutes of the game for Middlesbrough.
Haji Wright was in his uniform but did not participate in Coventry City's 1-0 victory at home against Oxford United.
Antonee Robinson was not in uniform for Fulham in their 2-0 victory against Birmingham City.
Reggie Cannon was not part of the team for QPR's win against Luton Town on penalties. The score was tied at 1-1 after the regular 90 minutes of play.
