American national team players Malik Tillman and Chris Richards enjoyed a memorable weekend in Europe, securing significant trophies for their clubs in dramatic fashion in the Netherlands and England.
In the Netherlands, Malik Tillman was on the scoresheet as PSV defeated Sparta Rotterdam 3-1 on Sunday, clinching their second consecutive Eredivisie title after a thrilling season finale. PSV began the final matchday just one point ahead of rivals Ajax. A victory guaranteed the championship. Both teams led their games before halftime, but Sparta Rotterdam`s equalizer against PSV in the 52nd minute momentarily put Ajax on top of the live table.
However, Ajax`s lead was brief. PSV`s Luuk de Jong quickly restored their advantage six minutes later. Tillman then confirmed the title for the Eindhoven club, scoring his 15th goal across all competitions by capitalizing on a header from Guus Til. The USMNT midfielder also contributed five assists throughout the campaign.
Tillman`s fellow American teammate, Sergino Dest, played the entire match, having successfully returned from an ACL tear sustained last year. Dest rejoined the team in March and featured in seven games to finish the season. Another USMNT player at PSV, Ricardo Pepi, will also receive a winner`s medal, having played 28 games and scored 17 goals across all competitions before being sidelined with a knee injury since January.
The final day drama capped off several weeks of intense competition, during which Ajax missed a significant chance to secure their first league title in three years. Ajax held a nine-point lead over PSV with only seven matches remaining, built on a 14-game unbeaten run while PSV had won only two of their previous nine. However, Ajax managed just three wins in their final seven games, contrasting sharply with PSV`s impressive run of seven consecutive victories. PSV ultimately surpassed Ajax the previous Wednesday after their 4-1 win at Heracles, coupled with Ajax`s 2-2 draw at Groningen, securing the title by two points at the end of the season.
As champions, PSV qualifies for the UEFA Champions League next season. Ajax will also return to the competition, marking their first appearance since the 2022-23 campaign.
Chris Richards Lifts FA Cup with Crystal Palace
The excitement in the Netherlands followed a historic achievement in England the day before, where Chris Richards` Crystal Palace side defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final. This victory secured the club`s first major trophy in their top-flight history.
Eberechi Eze netted the only goal of the match in the 16th minute. Subsequently, Manchester City pressed relentlessly, seeking an equalizer that never materialized. A notable moment was Dean Henderson`s save of a penalty attempt from City`s Omar Marmoush in the 36th minute. The penalty incident itself was controversial, as some argued the Palace goalkeeper should have been sent off earlier for a handball outside the box.
Manchester City registered a total of 23 shots, constantly testing the Palace defense. However, several players stepped up with crucial last-ditch efforts, notably Chris Richards. The American defender delivered an outstanding performance at Wembley, recording 11 clearances and six blocks, while also winning four out of five aerial duels. Richards was a key figure for Palace, whose defensive solidity was instrumental in winning the FA Cup – making them only the second club outside the `traditional big six` to achieve this in the past 12 years.
Following the match, Richards commented on the team`s approach: “We just tried to keep it one play at a time. The first 15 minutes, we didn’t touch the ball. So we’re just thinking, if we can just do our job and let the guys up front put one or two in, that’s exactly what we’re gonna do. And I think our first attack, we scored. So I mean, we’re a really tight group. A shutout starts from the front, so all 11 that played, 11 that started today, was a part of the clean sheet.”
Richards joins his Crystal Palace and USMNT teammate Matt Turner as an FA Cup winner. Turner had featured three times in the competition before Dean Henderson became the primary goalkeeper from the quarterfinals onward. Richards and Turner are now the second and third Americans to lift the FA Cup, following Tim Howard`s success with Manchester United in 2004.
Dominic Ashworth