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It was a historic day for American soccer as Timothy Weah became the first-ever U.S. international to score a Champions League goal at the Santiago Bernabeu, grabbing a fine strike against Real Madrid, giving Olympique Marseille the lead in the first half on Tuesday before falling 2-1. 

It's all in the family for Weah as his father, George Weah, also scored at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup while playing for Paris Saint-Germain. Weah's goal wasn't enough for the French side to come away with a win, but with Weah playing both wings during the match, he showed why Roberto De Zerbi wanted him in the side for a crucial match like this one.

Following the match, Weah opened up on why De Zerbi was one of the reasons why he wanted to make the move from Juventus to OM this summer.

"[De Zerbi's] a player's coach. He loves his players; he was really one of the main reasons that I came to the club. He called me late at night and told me how he wanted me and that he's going to be able to make me a better player, and I believe him. I believe in his philosophy, I believe in everything that he does, and he shows the passion," Weah told CBS Sports after the match. "Once you have a coach that loves the game, it makes you wanna love the game more and enjoy playing football. I'm super happy to be one of his players and I'll fight to the death for him."

On his goal, Weah took advantage of a bad defensive move from both Dean Huijsen and Arda Guler, who lost the ball to Mason Greenwood. The former Manchester United winger found Weah close to the box, who was able to convert it into the opening goal of the game with style.

Take a look at the goal:

With the goal, Weah becomes the fourth U.S. International to score in a Champions League match for multiple clubs after Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and AC Milan), DaMarcus Beasley (PSV, Rangers), and Weston McKennie (Schalke 04, Juventus). While last season Weah struggled for playing time with Juventus, at 25 this could be a breakout season for him after making a return back to France.

Playing without fear

Facing Real Madrid, Weah was unfazed by the moment, challenging Dani Carvajal at the Santiago Bernabeu. Given the aura that surrounds Los Blancos due to their constant success in domestic and European soccer, it shows the growth of Weah at this point in his career. He never looked like he was a player who didn't deserve to share the pitch with players like Kylian Mbappe, and he wanted to make a difference, testing Thibaut Courtois in net, putting two of his three shots on target. Despite playing without the ball for much of the match, Weah was direct and knew what he wanted to do when the ball got to his feet, while also putting in a defensive shift to try to contain Madrid.

Last season, Marseille came in second in Ligue 1 to earn their spot in the Champions League, but after Paris Saint-Germain lifted the UCL title, their distinction as the only French side to win the Champions League is now over. It's up to De Zerbi to show that this is still one of the powers in French soccer, and Weah will play a large role in that. 

Growth in a World Cup year

Starting off the match, Weah was on the left-hand side, which is a tactical switch that Mauricio Pochettino made with the USMNT after determining that Weah was a left-eye-dominant player. He's versatile, having featured on the left, right, at striker, and at wing back for his clubs, but this was a performance where Weah's best work came on the left side, where he has been featuring for the national team. 

Weah's effectiveness dropped when he went to the right, as Mason Greenwood was pushed up the pitch, but moving around during games will be important for growth. Playing with Christian Pulisic and Malik Tillman for the USMNT, Weah has teammates who can operate in different spaces, and part of De Zerbi making him a better player will be increasing his versatility in different roles. With the USMNT looking for any way that they can improve ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil, this performance by Weah will be a massive bright spot.

Fewer Americans than usual are featuring in the Champions League this season after failing to qualify, but performances like Weah's on Tuesday show that it's about the quality of their UCL play, not the quantity of Americans in the competition.

Marseille's remaining Champions League schedule

Ajax (h), Sporting CP (a), Atalanta (h), Newcastle United (h), Union SG (a), Liverpool (h)