U.S. strikers Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi scored not only important goals for their respective clubs in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, but goals of high quality that secured points in Europe’s top-tier competition.
Balogun got it started in the 43rd minute with a sizzling effort from an acute angle for the only goal in Monaco’s 1-0 victory at Bodø/Glimt, the Norwegian club based just north of the Arctic Circle.
An hour later, Pepi, a second-half sub, volleyed from 15 yards off goalkeeper Kostantinos Tzolakis in stoppage time as PSV Eindhoven squeezed out a 1-1 draw at Olympiacos. He has scored in each of his past two Champions League matches and struck in the Dutch Eredivisie over the weekend for three goals in his past four appearances — none as a starter — and five goals in 11 games overall.