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Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers started together on Celtic’s backline in a 3-1 home win over RB Leipzig on Nov. 5. Their appearance came during a Champions League matchday in which nine Americans competed on the same day for the first time.
Trusty played the full 90 minutes in Celtic’s home win, while Carter-Vickers was substituted in the 74th minute. Celtic’s win was part of a 4-0-1 day for the clubs featuring the nine American players.
A Record Day for American Soccer
Celtic’s center-back pairing was one of four American duos to play in the Champions League that Tuesday. Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi appeared for PSV Eindhoven, Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah played for AC Milan, and Tim Weah and Weston McKennie featured for Juventus. Cole Campbell also appeared for Borussia Dortmund.
Tillman scored once and added two assists in PSV’s 4-0 home victory over Girona. Pulisic set up Milan’s opening goal in its 3-1 win at defending champion Real Madrid. Trusty and Carter-Vickers combined for 164 minutes in Celtic’s victory over Leipzig.
Closer to Home
New York City FC midfielder James Sands also contributed to a successful week for American players. Sands played all 90 minutes and converted his attempt in NYCFC’s 6-5 shootout win at FC Cincinnati after a scoreless draw in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Nov. 9. The result sent NYCFC on to the MLS Cup Playoffs conference semifinals.
Why the Celtic Pairing Stood Out
Trusty and Carter-Vickers were among the Americans who shared the field with a compatriot during the record Champions League matchday. Their starts against Leipzig gave Celtic an American center-back partnership in a home win, with Trusty completing the match and Carter-Vickers playing 74 minutes.
The result added to a day that included wins for Celtic, PSV, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, while Juventus drew at Lille. For Trusty and Carter-Vickers, the Leipzig match provided a notable Champions League appearance alongside one another.
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