- McKennie and Adams start for Leeds
- Robinson and Ream named to victorious Fulham XI
- Aaronson comes off bench
WHAT HAPPENED? Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie were named to Leeds' starting XI, with the USMNT duo remaining in a double pivot next to one another. Fulham, meanwhile, selected both of their American standouts, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, to start together in defense.
A fifth American ended up joining the fray as Brenden Aaronson came off the Leeds bench in the second half. It wasn't enough for them, though, as Fulham ran away 2-0 winners and booked their spot in the next round.
HOW THEY GOT ON: Adams will kick himself for giving the ball away on Palhinha's opener, even if the Portuguese midfielder needed a spectacular effort to put the ball into the back of the net. And Adams, like the rest of his team, was wasteful, with Leeds missing multiple opportunities to score and make the game interesting.
The Fulham duo, meanwhile, were rock solid as always with Ream, in particular, playing outstanding. Ream made two clearances off the line, including one that came at the expense of his USMNT teammate McKennie.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The match was of massive interest in the U.S., with all four players named to the starting XI playing key roles for the USMNT in Qatar. They each started every USMNT match at the World Cup, with Adams, McKennie and Robinson expected to be key figures once again for the U.S. on the road to the 2026 tournament.
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IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Leeds will face Chelsea on Saturday. Fulham, meanwhile, will continue their push towards a European spot on Monday at Brentford.