<p>Gianluca Busio, a midfielder for the United States national team, scored the game-winning goal for Venezia in their promotion campaign to Serie A. </p>



<p>The 21-year-old produced a spectacular goal that put his side back in the battle for promotion to the top division.</p>



<p>The team from Venice is in a desperate situation as the Serie B season comes to a close. </p>



<p>Entering the last month of games, they are three points behind Como for automatic promotion. Before what promises to be a thrilling season finale, they still have four games left on the schedule to attempt to establish a rhythm.</p>



<p>One American, Tanner Tessmann, was instrumental in last week’s pivotal three points for Venezia in <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/football/table/_/league/ita.2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Serie B</a>. The <a href="https://twitter.com/B2B_Clips/status/1781720387203567793" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spotlight was on Gianluca Busio this week</a>. In a 2-1 away win against Lecco, Busio scored the game-winning goal for Venezia, who are still in the promotion hunt.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/usmnt-tv-schedule/">USMNT</a> midfielder helped keep the Orange-Black-Greens three points behind second-place Como in the race for <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a> automatic promotion. In the match, both Tessmann and Busio contributed for the whole 90 minutes.</p>



<p>After falling down 1-0 at halftime, Paolo Vanoli’s players mounted a remarkable comeback and ultimately won the match. Even though Joel Pohjanpalo had leveled the score in the 58th minute, the visitors went up 2-1 thanks to a goal from Busio just two minutes later.</p>



<h2>USMNT duo vital for success</h2>



<p>With the victory, Venezia would take their league record to 19 wins and 64 points for the season. If the squad keep playing as they did on Saturday, they will definitely still be in the promotion hunt with four games remaining.</p>



<p>The success of Venezia this season has hinged on Busio and Tessmann, who must maintain their essential minutes. If Friday’s encounter is any indication, the Lagunari will be playing in their most crucial game of the season.</p>



<p>In a matchup between two teams vying for promotion by default, they welcome fourth-place Cremonese. So far, the Winged Lions have been absolutely dominating Serie B. Which bodes well for their chances of making it in Serie A.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="430" height="345" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240421_WST_502587_image-16_d439bd3c.webp&amp;width=430&amp;height=345" alt="" class="wp-image-502670" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/image-16.png 430w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/image-16-300x241.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px"></figure><figcaption>Promotion to Serie A is in the balance</figcaption></figure>



<h2>What Venezia need to earn promotion?</h2>



<p>Tessmann combines elements of both Michael Bradley and Walker Zimmerman, sharing their vicious competitive spirit but surpassing them both in terms of his ability to control the ball. Meanwhile, skilled and smart in his game reading, Busio passes the ball with ease.</p>



<p>They are able to out-range any of the team’s current starters. Additionally, they are both bold. The two of them are equally bold. </p>



<p>They give it their best go at challenging situations. On last week’s goal, Tessmann almost blasted the ball out of the net with a half-volley from within the 18-yard box; Busio had excellent awareness in his assist.</p>



<p>They have worked their way up in a steady, methodical manner. As opposed to merely plunging players into the deep end and hoping for the best, that often sets them up for more success down the road.</p>



<p>Ideally, Venezia would want Parma or Como to make a mistake. Finishing in second place will make the road ahead much easier. At this moment, the deciding factor is an extra-time goal from March 3rd’s match between Venezia and Como.</p>



<p>Given their superior goal differential, Venezia would have clinched the automatic berth had the match resulted in a tie. It only demonstrates how competitive the promotion process is.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / LaPresse</p>

USMNT's Busio leads Venezia in fight for Serie A promotion

Busio, a midfielder for the United States national team, scored the game-winning goal for Venezia in their promotion campaign to Serie A.

USMNT's Busio leads Venezia in fight for Serie A promotion - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
<p>The October round of World Cup Qualifying for the USMNT was better than the September round of World Cup Qualifying.</p>
<p>First off, Gregg Berhalter’s squad earned six points as compared to five in September. Also, after two draws and a win, the USMNT looked more comfortable with two wins. Although, the matchday five loss to Panama drew some ire.</p>
<p>However, it still felt like much more could have been achieved. Unfortunately for fans of the U.S., this is an all-too-familiar feeling under Gregg Berhalter.</p>
<p>Thankfully, the U.S. took care of business in both home qualifiers. However, an incredibly frustrating loss to Panama separated the wins. It was the first time the US had ever lost to the <em>Canaleros</em> in a World Cup Qualifier. It leaves the US in decent shape in the Octagonal, sitting in <a href="https:\/\/www.concacaf.com/en/world-cup-qualifying-men/schedule-results-world-cup-qualifying-men/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second place with eight games remaining</a>.</p>
<p>Now, the most important game thus far comes against the country’s biggest soccer rival: Mexico.</p>
<h5>USMNT Roster for November</h5>
<p>Gregg Berhalter’s roster for this pair of qualifiers is a mixed bag of European based players and MLS players. Notably, John Brooks’s name did not appear on the team sheet largely due to his self-admitted poor club form. Similarly, Barcelona full-back Sergiño Dest will miss these two games with an injury.</p>
<p>However, Christian Pulisic is back after missing the October window with yet another injury. Joining him up front are several of the exciting youngsters from MLS. FC Dallas players <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/09/09/taylor-twellman-says-u-s-may-have-found-the-answer-to-its-most-glaring-problem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ricardo Pepi</a> and Jesus Ferreira are on the roster, as is Tim Weah from LOSC Lille. In the midfield there’s a lot of promise with Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, and Gianluca Busio fresh off his summer move to Venezia in Italy. And in goal it’s going to be a toss-up between Zack Steffen and Matt Turner.</p>
<h5>A Familiar Foe</h5>
<p>This will be the third meeting with Mexico this calendar year. Mexico and the United States play multiple games a year relatively frequently. For example, this happened in 2007, 2009,2011, 2013, 2015, and most recently in 2019. Usually one or two of those games in the same year are cash-grab friendlies. Often, U.S. Soccer uses the attendance cheat code that is playing Mexico in the U.S. to boost attendance and revenue.</p>
<div id="attachment_30" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-30" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20211111_WST_356416_7ac2f359da33a197fa2a9d5916aade4a63564cca.webp&amp;width=768&amp;height=557" alt="" width="768" height="557"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-30" class="wp-caption-text">U.S. lifting the Gold Cup. (Photo: AFP)</p></div>
<p>However, this year is different. All three games are competitive games with real meaning. To start, The U.S. picked up a dramatic win the the CONCACAF Nations League Final. Then, Miles Robinson’s heroics edged Mexico in the Gold Cup Final. Now, the two nations meet again in a World Cup Qualifier in Cincinnati.</p>
<p>Unlike the first two games, this is a soccer-specific stadium in Ohio. Expect a majority-American fanbase. The two previous games this year occurred in football stadiums out west in Denver and Las Vegas. There, a healthy contingent of Mexican supporters practically made it a home game. On four occasions, games in soccer-specific stadiums stymied <em>El Tri</em> before they reversed that trend in 2016. Can the US get it back rolling again?</p>
<p>This will be the first U.S. home qualifier against Mexico to not be played in Columbus since April 1997. Then, the two nations tied at Foxborough Stadium in Massachusetts.</p>
<p>The United States-Mexico game kicks off just after 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12. TQL Stadium in Cincinnati hosts the contest</p>
<h5>Outlook on Mexico</h5>
<p>Mexico comes into this game against the US ahead of the Americans in the standings. Yet, the Mexicans do not seem unbeatable like they did in 2019. Tata Martino’s first year in charge saw <em>El Tri</em> lay waste to CONCACAF, posting a 16-1-0 record while winning the Gold Cup and finishing top of their Nations League group. Then, the COVID pandemic hit. Even then, they still went 4-0-1 in five games.</p>
<p>Things began to slow down just a little with the Nations League semifinal against Costa Rica going all the way to penalties. Of course, Mexico then dropped the final against the United States. Then came the Gold Cup. Mexico swept into the final with their A-team but fell again in extra time to the U.S. B-team. So far in qualifying, they sit top of the Octagonal with 14 points after getting wins against Jamaica, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador. Two draws with Canada and Panama finish off their six previous games.</p>
<p>Their roster consists of all the usual suspects: Guillermo Ochoa in goal, Hector Moreno and Jesus Gallardo on the back line, Andres Guardado and Hector Herrera in the midfield, and a frontline of Raul Jimenez, Jesus Corona, and Hirving “<em>Chucky</em>” Lozano.</p>
<h5>CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Standings</h5>
<style type="text/css">
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<table class="tableizer-table">
<thead>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>Position</th>
<th>Country</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Mexico</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>United States</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Canada</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Panama</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Costa Rica</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Jamaica</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>El Salvador</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Honduras</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h5>How to watch</h5>
<p>Mexico leads the all-time series against the United States. The Mexicans have 36 wins, 15 draws and 21 losses. The last time these two teams played was that Gold Cup Final, which the United States won 1-0 in extra time.</p>
<p>Currently, the United States is ranked No. 13 in FIFA rankings. Meanwhile, Mexico cracks the top-10 sitting at No. 9.</p>
<p>Coverage of this game will be on ESPN2, ESPN+, Univision, TUDN as well as <a href="https:\/\/www.fubo.tv/lp/soccer/?irad=356358&amp;irmp=330866" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">fuboTV</a>.</p>
<p>This fixture marks the halfway point in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying.</p>
<p>After Friday’s contest, the USMNT plays their return fixture against Jamaica down in Kingston. On the other hand, Mexico travels north to take on Canada in Edmonton.</p>


In a familiar sight in 2021, the United States and Mexico face off, this time in a World Cup Qualifier with both teams topping the standings.

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USMNT's Busio leads Venezia in fight for Serie A promotion

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USMNT hosts Mexico in World Cup Qualifying clash