USMNT Championship Recap (Matchday 6): Stoke City continues unbeaten run and West Brom earns another clean sheet

All but four Championship teams were in action during this midweek matchday; Middlesbrough, Lincoln City, and Millwall all took part in EFL Cup matches during what was the third round of action in one of England's two domestic cup tournaments.

Let's take a look at this week's Championship contests that involved an American player.

Bombino and McGlynn take the pitch for Stoke City in 1-1 draw with Cardiff City

Stoke City's early-season turnaround continued on Tuesday night with a 1-1 draw against Cardiff City, who had lost their previous two matches and had yet to secure a victory in the 2026-27 Championship.

Tuesday night's match saw Luca Bombino and Jack McGlynn take to the pitch in some form. The former started the match, ultimately playing just shy of an hour, while recording a tackle and two fouls. Meanwhile, the latter came on in the 68th minute and helped Stoke City maintain the draw after Cardiff City drew level five minutes prior.

Despite red card, West Brom holds on for 1-0 win against struggling Derby County

And just like that, West Brom is in the automatic promotion spots.

After a brief late-August hiccup disrupted the positive momentum acquired from the first two games of the season, West Brom recorded three successive results, with the most recent being a 1-0 win against Derby County, who have now lost three of their last four contests and have not scored in well over 200 minutes of action. The victory came even with a red card to Brayann Pereira in mind.

USMNT defender George Campbell played the entire game, conceding just one foul through 90 minutes of play.

Kristoffer Lund starts, but Birmingham slips up against Norwich City

A 64th-minute goal from Carlos Vicente was not enough for Birmingham City during their midweek Championship fixture against Norwich City; Oscar Schwartau and Papa Amadou Diallo's first-half goals were enough to earn Norwich City a 2-1 win against Birmingham City

But the highlight is that American defender Kristoffer Lund earned the start against Norwich City. Outside of a cup game, this was Lund's first action of the season. He played 62 minutes, but didn't necessarily stand out in a push to get more playing time.

What's next?

Middlesbrough's American contingent will return to Championship action on Saturday after contesting a third-round EFL Cup tie against Crystal Palace, which ended in a 3-0 defeat. They'll take on Norwich City in what will be a critical contest for the early-season playoff picture. Kickoff is set for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Lund and Birmingham City will look to end a three-game winless run when they travel to take on an also-out-of-form Derby County side. That match will be one of the Saturday early-morning fixtures, with kickoff set for 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Campbell, who is West Brom's captain, will lead the Baggies as they try to maintain control of an automatic promotion place when they host fourth-place QPR. Kickoff in that contest is set for 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Preston North End, with Chelsea loanee and USMNT hopeful in tow, will host 19th-place Lincoln City. With Preston sitting last in the table, this is a match that could determine the direction of the early-season relegation battle. Kickoff at Deepdale is set for Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Bombino and McGlynn will be back in action as Stoke City looks to extend their unbeaten run to four contests when they travel to play Watford. Kickoff in that match will take place on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

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