The journey hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for our compatriots across the pond. Sadly, only one American player saw his team successfully move on to the second round of the EFL Cup.
Millwall 0-4 Reading
Tyler Bindon is our surprise package this week as he makes his senior debut for Reading. Since the latter part of the previous season, the 18-year-old defender has been honing his skills with the Royals and participated in pre-season matches under Ruben Selles’ guidance.
The under-19 international for the United States, Bindon has committed to a two-year contract after a successful trial period with the club. Bindon went on to play the full 90 minutes against Millwall.
Now onto the game; Reading advanced to the second round of the Carabao Cup after a triumphant 4-0 victory against Millwall, marking their first time progressing in three seasons.
The game commenced with Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s superb goal just a minute in, capitalizing on Caylon Vickers’ precise pass. Shortly after the start of the second half, Ehibhatiomhan secured a second goal, taking advantage of Bartosz Bialkowski’s inability to contain Vickers’ shot.
The victory was sealed when former Manchester United midfielder Charlie Savage netted his inaugural goal for the club, converting a free-kick, and later, Mamadi Camara secured the fourth goal, expertly finishing after excellent setup work by Bail Tuma.
With five clearances, two blocks, seven recoveries, six passes into the final third, 100% tackles won, 100% successful dribbles, and 82% successful passes; Tyler Bindon picked up a 7.6 rating (via FotMob), the highest rating of the other four defenders.
Bindon’s Reading has been drawn at home against Ipswich Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Preston North End 2-2 Salford (2-4 penalties)
Despite a goal and an assist from Duane Holmes, it wasn’t enough to get past the League Two side.
Luke Bolton delivered a cross to McLennan, who initially saw his first shot blocked, but he persevered with a second attempt that found the top corner, granting Salford the lead.
McLennan netted his second goal, skillfully using his left foot to direct the ball into the bottom corner, heightening hopes for an upset from the League Two side.
However, their two-goal advantage was short-lived. Just before halftime, Holmes threaded a pass through the defense, enabling Woodburn to finish and restore parity for North End.
In the early stages of the second half, the Championship side evened the score, as Holmes received Alex Cairns’ pass, shrugged off a defender, and neatly slotted the ball home.
A potential comeback by North End was seemingly complete when Will Keane directed a superb header into the net from Kian Best’s cross, but the offside flag disallowed the goal.
Salford had their chance to secure victory within regular time, with a back post header falling to Matty Lund just eight yards out, but unfortunately, he miscued his shot, sending it wide.
The League Two team then went on to upset the Championship side at their own home, on penalties, to advance to the second round of the EFL Cup.
Holmes played a role in both of Preston’s goals, earning him the highest FotMob rating. Additionally, he stood out by creating the highest number of chances in the match, delivering three key passes.
Wimbledon 2-1 Coventry
Haji Wright and Coventry lost to League Two side, Wimbledon, in a dramatic collapse in the late stages of the match.
The 25-year-old marked his full debut for the Sky Blues after his £7.7m transfer from Turkish club Antalyaspor. He displayed promise early on, as his ninth-minute attempt was saved by Nik Tzanev.
Wright subsequently earned a penalty in the box, allowing Godden to convert and give the Championship side the lead.
Gustavo Hamer came close to scoring a second goal in the 34th minute, but his free-kick curved wide. The American posed a consistent threat throughout the match, although the visitors couldn’t extend their advantage.
As time dwindled, Wimbledon equalized through Bugiel, who hammered the ball into the net from 20 yards following Coventry’s failure to clear a left-wing cross.
A penalty shootout seemed likely until McLean secured his side’s spot in the second-round draw with a dramatic winner at the far post.
Despite a fairly poor rating of 6.2 via FotMob due to his poor shooting accuracy of 20 percent, Haji Wright did draw a penalty that would give his team the lead. We’re hoping to see more from the 25-year-old though that’s for sure.
Hull City 1-2 Doncaster
Vaughn Covil returned to Hull’s senior team for the first time since last summer, after being sidelined for a year due to an injury. The 20-year-old came on at halftime. However, his club was knocked out of the competition by yet another League Two side.
Hull City began the game strongly, as Oscar Estupinan swiftly scored from close range within three minutes of the kickoff. The Tigers, who altered their lineup following a weekend defeat, demonstrated a clear resolve to secure a victory.
In response to Hull City’s early lead, Doncaster Rovers displayed determination. George Miller leveled the score for his team after 15 minutes, showcasing his goal-scoring ability and revitalizing the visitors’ prospects in the match.
Just over an hour into the game, George Miller left his mark once again. This time, he redirected a powerful shot from Harrison Biggins into the net with his head, solidifying Doncaster Rovers’ victory.
Vaughn Covil played decent when you consider it was his first senior game since August of 2022. The 20-year-old was the most accurate passer at 100 percent that has played 45 minutes or more. Hopefully, we get to see more from Covil in the future.
Notes:
Lynden Gooch did not feature in the Sunderland squad that lost to Crewe Alexandra via penalties.
Daryl Dike will still be unavailable for West Brom in the upcoming months according to FotMob. His side lost 2-1 to Stoke City.
Tyler Adams was also absent from Leeds’ squad due to an injury suffered towards the end of the previous season, though not as severe as Dike’s. Despite his absence, Leeds managed to secure a 2-1 victory against Shrewsbury, allowing them to progress to the next round.
Josh Sargent, Jonathan Tomkinson, and Norwich will face off against Charlie Kelman and QPR on August 16 for a spot in the second round of the EFL Cup.
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