USMNT Champions League Recap (Matchday 1): Freeman a second-half substitute, Dest involved in PSV rally

The UEFA Champions League is back!

That tends to mean a few things: the quest for European glory is back on, and the Paramount+ UCL Today pregame show is back, featuring six-channel pundit Kate Scott, six-time PFA Team of the Year nominee Thierry Henry, six-time domestic cup winner Jamie Carragher, and six-time goalscorer (in terms of total seasons) with Manchester City, Micah Richards.

Four clubs with USMNT players were involved in Matchday 1 action. Let's break down how they fared.

Quick note about Atletico Madrid

Johnny Cardoso plays for Atletico Madrid, but he did not play against Liverpool in what was a 2-1 loss for the Madrid-based side.

Freeman comes on in the second half, but Guirassy helps push Dortmund to victory

Coming off a strong World Cup performance, one that included a goal against Australia, USMNT defender Alex Freeman came on in the second half of Villarreal's opening Champions League fixture against 2024 finalists Borussia Dortmund. He did so playing at left-back instead of his usual right-back position.

Villarreal ended up dropping the contest by a disappointing-but-competitive 3-2 scoreline, one that included a brace and an own goal from Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy. However, Freeman recorded a tackle and 45 minutes' worth of playing time.

George Bello involved in LASK's UCL debut, but AEK earns opening-round victory

Two weeks ago, LASK pulled off an unthinkable comeback in the play-off round of Champions League qualifying. Having entered the second leg of their playoff tie with Scottish champions Celtic down 3-0 on aggregate, LASK proceeded to concede another goal, creating what seemed to be a huge four-goal deficit.

Even then, American forward Samuel Adeniran scored two goals, one of which won them the tie, to help LASK close the gap and secure qualification to the Champions League.

But Adeniran was not present on Tuesday due to an injury. Greek club AEK Athens took full advantage of that absence, securing a 1-0 victory to open their Champions League campaign. Despite his absence, fellow American/CONCACAF Gold Cup winner George Bello made an appearance for LASK in what was their first-ever Champions League match. Bello played the full match, recording three tackles and three fouls during his appearance.

Dest scores as PSV Eindhoven rescue point at home against Shakhtar Donetsk

Sergino Dest's impressive run of form to start the season continued Thursday afternoon in PSV's Champions League opener against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. Dest was on the ground after a clean tackle when Gleiker Mendoza opened the scoring for Shakhtar Donetsk late in the first half. But Dest responded in the 48th minute with a goal from just inside the Shakhtar penalty area. The goal was Dest's third of the new campaign and his second-career Champions League goal. He has recorded two goals and two assists through four Eredivisie matches so far this season.

Ricardo Pepi was also involved for PSV, playing 83 minutes before being subbed off for Sven Mijnans. While it's a good sign that Pepi got the start, he struggled to leave his mark on the game.

What's next?

Freeman and Villarreal will return to action on Monday when they host Real Betis, who sit fourth in the early La Liga table after defeating Real Madrid. Villarreal's next Champions League match will be on October 13 when they'll take on Italian side Napoli.

LASK's return to domestic action will see them travel to take on Sturm Graz. In terms of Champions League play, Adeniran and Bello hope to be involved when LASK host six-time winners Liverpool on October 14.

PSV's next Eredivisie match will see them host Sparta Rotterdam, while their Champions League exploits will resume on October 13 when they travel to play RB Leipzig.

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