Weston McKennie was not, it is fair to say, particularly known for his goal scoring during his time with Schalke, but he has developed something of a taste for it with Juventus. He scored, spectacularly, at Camp Nou against Barcelona late in 2020, and his 2021 started with a celebration in another of European soccer’s great cathedrals, San Siro, on Wednesday night. There are moments when his vision of an ultramodern, swift, ruthless side comes into focus, and moments when that seems distant as a dream. It is strange, really, how powerful the idea of Italian soccer as inherently defensive has proved to be. Wednesday at San Siro fit that new image of Italian soccer perfectly: a rapid-fire exchange of punches, a startling absence of caution, a breathless, faintly frenzied tempo.

Source: International New York Times January 09, 2021 12:22 UTC