For two Americans Abroad, it had been way too long since the last time they started a soccer game.
Kevin Paredes and Daryl Dike both made their first starts of the season over the weekend. The pair has seen injuries in recent years derail promising careers in Europe and with the U.S. men’s national team.
At 22 and 25, both players have time on their side. But they also are playing on expiring contracts and have plenty of work to do over the next few months to prove to their sides (or another team) that they are worth the investment.
The return of Pardes and Dike headlines this week’s Five.
Kevin Paredes finally starts again
Kevin Paredes started for the Wolfsburg winger in Saturday, a win before the match began.
Paredes hadn’t started for 10 months prior to the match against Dortmund, having dealt with a foot injury for the better part of the last two years.
The injury limited Paredes to two appearances last season. After a setback in preseason, the 22-year-old underwent surgery on the same troublesome foot in August.
Paredes put in a strong 65-minute shift in a 2-1 defeat to Dortmund, showing some incisive passing and a strong work-rate.
The Virginia native came up through D.C. United’s academy as a wingback/winger who flew up and down the flanks. How much will his persistent foot injury change his trajectory? That could be the key to whether Paredes reaches his lofty potential.
Daryl Dike back in the lineup
Much like Paredes, Daryl Dike made his first start of the season over the weekend after battling his own injury hell.
The West Brom striker went 62 minutes in a 0-0 draw with Stoke City, nearly doubling his total of league minutes for the season.
It wasn’t an especially impactful display for Dike but after several muscle injuries and two torn Achilles over the past few years, making a league start was an accomplishment in and of itself.
“I was really happy to get the nod,’ the 25-year-old said after the game. ‘My performance was all right. Naturally, as a striker, you always want to score and help the team win. We didn’t do that today, but I think the point is a good building block for us as a team and today is a good building block for me personally.
“I felt great physically and I really surprised myself. I was running around and felt fine. When they subbed me off I was a little bit annoyed because I wanted to keep going. I showed myself that I can still do everything that I can do. I know I have a lot to improve on.’
Weston McKennie can’t stop scoring
The most in-form goalscorer among Americans Abroad is an unlikely candidate for the title.
Weston McKennie isn’t known as a prolific scorer, but the Juventus midfielder is on an absolute tear. McKennie’s latest goal helped Juve secure a comeback 2-2 draw against Lazio, giving him a career-high seven goals on the campaign.
McKennie has five goals in 2026, more than any other Juventus player. In a contract year, the 27-year-old is ensuring he’ll be getting paid next season no matter where he ends up.
Benjamin Cremaschi stagnant at Parma
Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi made a loan move to Parma in September, hoping to prove himself in a top European league.
But as the clock starts to wind down on his loan, Cremaschi can only be given an incomplete grade.
The 20-year-old has hardly featured for Parma, making five late-game cameos in Serie A this season for a total of less than 30 minutes.
Embroiled in a relegation battle, Parma boss Carlos Cuesta has decided that the untested U.S. international can’t be trusted with so much at stake.
Cremaschi is faced with an uncertain club future. Parma has a purchase option at the end of the season which feels increasingly unlikely to be activated. Inter Miami may have moved on as well, winning a MLS Cup without him last season and making several midfield signings since his departure.
Mathis Albert’s time is coming
Aside from Paredes making the start, there was another major development during the Dortmund-Wolfsburg match — and it involved a player who didn’t even see the field.
Mathis Albert, 16, made the bench for Dortmund for the first time. The winger has been fast-tracked through Dortmund’s youth system, having established himself as one of the best prospects in all of Germany.
Dortmund may be dealing with a few injuries, which has seen Albert as well as fellow top prospects Luca Reggiani and Samuele Inacio called up to the senior side faster than expected. But head coach Niko Kovač said all three may be staying with his team for a while.
‘We will be doing this more and more in the coming weeks,’ Kovač said. ‘There is a reason the three of them are playing for BVB. The boys are internationals at youth level, so they have quality.”