Tyler Adams became only the fourth USMNT to win a German Cup final. (Photo courtesy of MLS)

By Michael Lewis

FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

It was quite a productive Saturday for U.S. men’s national team players.

One returned from an injury, another bagged a brace and a two others won a cup title.

Not too shabby, huh?

Let’s take it from the top:

* Midfielder Tyler Adams became only the fourth USMNT player to win the German Cup final. RB Leipzig defeated Freiburg in the DFB Pokal final in Berlin. The teams played to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes before Leipzig prevailed in penalty kicks, 4-2. Adams, the former Red Bulls player who played the final 21 minutes of the match after replacing Konrad Laimer in the 99th minute, joined Thomas Dooley (1990), Christian Pulisic (2017) and Gio Reyna (2021) as American internationals who have won the competition.

* Former New York City FC defender-midfielder James Sands earned his second winners medal in a little more than five months as Rangers captured the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 extratime victory over Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. Sands, who was on the bench but did not see any action, was a regular on NYCFC. The Cityzens won the MLS Cup with a shootout win over the host Portland Timbers in December.

* Tim Weah, who entered the match with only one goal this French Ligue 1 season, tallied twice for Lille in its 2-2 season-ending draw with Rennes at home. Twice Weah gave the hosts the lead, only to see Rennes knot things up. He scored in the 11th minute and boost Lille into the lead in the 88th minute. Rennes’ Serhou Guirassy, however, spoiled the party by scoring three minutes into stoppage time.

* Weston McKennie, sidelined with a broken foot since Feb. 22, returned to the Juventus lineup in its 2-0 loss at Fiorentina in its Serie A season finale. McKennie, who subbed on for Fabo Miretti in the 76th minute, was named to the USMNT’s 27-man roster for its four matches in June.

The Americans will kick off the international window on June 1 against African powerhouse Morocco at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati before USA hosts Uruguay on June 5 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

The schedule continues with the start of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League as the U.S. will play group stage matches against Grenada on June 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas and at El Salvador on June 14.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.