USMNT Premier League match day 1 recap: Richards, Robinson, Adams all suffer losses in opener

The Premier League is back, and that means the USMNT players who play for Premier League clubs were back in action this past weekend. The good news is that nobody had to start the season late after playing in the World Cup this past summer. On the other hand, it wasn't the best day to be an American in the Premier League, as most of the USMNT boys took a loss. Nevertheless, let's take a closer look at how they did.

Brenden Aaronson, Leeds

Aaronson was the only American who came out on the winning side of things in his team's opener. He got the start for Leeds and put in a solid 82-minute shift. Granted, he had already been subbed out when Leeds scored its 88th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest. But Aaronson had arguably been his team's best attacking player up until the goal. He faces some tough internal competition, but Aaronson should be starting more times than not for the foreseeable future.

Antonee Robinson, Fulham

Robinson and Fulham gave up a 1st-minute goal to Chelsea on Monday and were fighting an uphill battle for the next 90 minutes. Things eventually settled down, but it was not Robinson's best performance. He had one memorable moment in the second half, making a brilliant run and getting behind the Chelsea backline. However, Robinson's chip over the goalie went wide of the goal, preventing Fulham from earning a draw in a 3-2 loss to the Blues.

Chris Richards, Crystal Palace

It wasn't a good season opener for Richards or Crystal Palace. He wasn't entirely to blame for the 2-0 loss to Everton. But Richards only won one of his four aerial duels and could have done better on Everton's second goal. Palace needs better from him moving forward. With Marc Guehi leaving last January and Maxence Lacroix leaving over the summer, Richards is the undisputed leader of the Crystal Palace defense and the only remaining member of that once vaunted trio.

Zavier Gozo, Crystal Palace

Gozo didn't feature in Palace's squad against Everton. Instead, he played with the club's under-21 team, scoring against the Arsenal under-21 squad. On the one hand, Gozo is just 19, so Palace may feel he needs a little seasoning with the under-21 team before playing in the Premier League. On the other hand, he was in midseason form in MLS before the transfer to Palace, so Gozo should've been ready to hit the ground running. This will be something to watch moving forward.

Tyler Adams, Bournemouth

The Cherries nearly pulled off an upset over Man City on opening day, only to concede two late goals in a 2-1 defeat. Unfortunately, both goals came after Adams subbed into the game. A minor knock kept him from starting, with Adams coming onto the field in the 75th minute. The hope was that he'd help to close out the win, but the City attack was too strong.

Haji Wright, Coventry City

After playing a critical role in Coventry City's promotion to the Premier League, Wright didn't play in the club's season opener. Unfortunately, he won't be playing for a while. A quad injury will reportedly keep Wright off the field for up to 12 weeks. After scoring 17 goals in the English Championship last season, this is a huge blow to Coventry's hopes of staying in the Premier League. It also doesn't bode well for Wright's immediate future with the USMNT.

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