Folarin Balogun (9) celebrates his goal for Monaco vs. PSG Franck Fife / AFP / Getty Images
Playing reigning European champion Paris Saint-Germain seems to be bringing the scoresheet productivity out of U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun.
In the sides’ third meeting in 17 days, Balogun assisted on Monaco’s opener and scored the insurance goal in an important 3-1 win for his Ligue 1 club. That makes three goals and an assist in the three matchups for Balogun, who netted a brace 18 minutes into the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout playoff round tie, which PSG ultimately came back to win 3-2. After a 2-2 draw in the second leg, PSG wound up advancing.
Monaco exacted a small measure of revenge Friday, though, by not allowing PSG to pad its Ligue 1 lead over Lens, which remains at four points, with the second-place side holding a game in hand. It was able to do so in part thanks to Balogun, whose seventh league goal of the season and 13th in all competitions secured the points that bring Monaco to within three points of fourth place.
Balogun, who was making his 100th appearance for Monaco, helped start the scoring in the 27th minute by setting up Maghnes Akliouche with his third assist of the season. The play was made possible by a poor clearance from Warren Zaïre-Emery. Balogun wound up with possession with his back to goal and his heavy touch while holding up the ball somewhat fortuitously laid if off for Akliouche, who fired from a right-sided angle.
Balogun got his goal in the 73rd minute courtesy of a deflection, as he fired from long range and beat Matvei Safonov. PSG was attempting to play the ball out of the back but turned it over under Monaco pressure. Balogun pounced on the free ball, turned and fired with his right. Crucially, the score came two minutes after PSG had pulled within 2-1 on Bradley Barcola’s goal, restoring Monaco’s two-goal edge.
Balogun now has five goals in his last five matches in all competitions – and goals in three straight Ligue 1 matches – and he’s part of a U.S. forward corps abroad that has hit a nice run of scoring form.
In England, Haji Wright is within a goal of the EFL Championship lead with 15 league strikes on the season for Coventry City, while Patrick Agyemang (10) is not too far behind in his first season at Derby County. In the Netherlands, Ricardo Pepi has recovered from a broken arm and has a goal in his first three games back for runaway league leader PSV. It’s a good problem to have for U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is closing in on naming his squad for March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal before making his final World Cup roster decisions on May 26.
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