The quarterfinal pairings for the Copa del Rey were set, giving Yunus Musah and Valencia a tough, but manageable path to reach the semifinal.
Yunus Musah and Valencia demolished their second-division foes Gijon to land their spot in the final eight, while Luca Koleosho had his first appearance for Espanyol in their Copa loss at Athletic Bilbao.
Luca de la Torre was effective over a half of action in Celta’s come-from-behind draw against Villarreal, while Samuel Shashoua saw his tenacious performance for Tenerife go unrewarded in a scoreless draw.
Yunus Musah and Valencia’s trip to Saudi Arabia for the Supercopa de España was a short albeit exhausting one, as they were knocked out by Real Madrid in a penalty shoot-out after playing toe-to-toe with the reigning Spanish champions.
Yunus Musah put in a strong midfield performance for Valencia in an otherwise toothless loss by the team, while Samuel Shashoua continued his come-back tour with Tenerife with his first goal of the season.
Luca de la Torre’s positive performance in his first start for Celta Vigo was in vain as they were eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Espanyol, while Yunus Musah was a sub for Valencia as they cruised past La Nucía.
Yunus Musah and Valencia couldn’t hang onto an early lead against Villarreal, while Luca de la Torre narrowly missed being the hero for Celta Vigo in their draw against Sevilla.
The pairings for the final 32 of the Copa del Rey were set on Friday, giving Yunus Musah and Valencia a straightforward opener, while Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo have a tough task against fellow La Liga side Espanyol.
Win or go home: that is the simple equation facing the USMNT on Tuesday night when they take on Iran in the third and final Group B game.
The tournament-opening hiccup against Wales was a disappointment for the USMNT and fans alike, but with their significantly more formidable neighbors next in line, the team will have to regroup and fight for a result under significant pressure.