On Wednesday night, 24-year-old American international Johnny Cardoso etched his name into the history books and joined an elite club among USA soccer greats.
After seeing just 60 seconds of action in the quarterfinal clincher against Barcelona, Cardoso was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI for the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.
In doing so, the New Jersey-born star became just the third American to ever start a semifinal match of the world’s most prestigious club competition.
Born in the States but raised in Brazil, the midfielder provided the steel and composure Atlético needed against a high-flying Gunners attack. He joins an ultra-exclusive club of Americans to reach this altitude, trailing only the likes of Christian Pulisic.
While Cardoso didn’t find the back of the net to match Pulisic’s famous semifinal goal record, his presence allowed Atlético to claw back into a game that looked to be slipping away in the first half.
Griezmann’s last dance in Madrid
Antoine Griezmann made the most of his final home match with Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Griezmann didn’t score despite having a few good opportunities, but he led Atlético’s attack along with Julian Alvarez and was named the game’s most valuable player following the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the first leg of the semifinals.
“It’s a shame I couldn’t find the net,” said Griezmann, who is joining MLS club Orlando City this summer. “But it will happen in the second leg for sure. We all put in a great effort.”
Griezmann’s best chance at the Metropolitano stadium was a second-half shot that hit the crossbar. He also came close with a strike from inside the area.
The 35-year-old Griezmann missed a penalty kick in the 2016 Champions League final that Atlético lost to Real Madrid.
“We want to reach the final,” Griezmann said. “It’s my dream. I’ve prepared a lot for this match and the one we will have in London, and hopefully we can make it to the final.”
The France playmaker said Atlético deserved a better result after improving in the second half at the Metropolitano.
“The bad minutes we played in the first half hurt a bit,” Griezmann said. “We fixed a couple of things tactically for the second half and we were able to pressure better and move better. The fans kept pushing and it also helped.”
Griezmann is Atlético’s all-time leading scorer but his minutes have been managed by coach Diego Simeone this season. He’s spent 10 seasons with Atlético. He also played for Real Sociedad and Barcelona.
“We all want to make it to the final,” Atlético midfielder Koke Resurreccion said, “and hopefully the game in London won’t be the last one for Griezmann in this competition.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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