advertisement

US teenager McKennie makes 1st Bundesliga start for Schalke

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) - American teenager Weston McKennie made his first Bundesliga start for Schalke in the side's 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Texan midfielder, who played 22 minutes in substitute appearances during wins over Leipzig and Stuttgart, covered 4.05 miles (6.51 kilometers) in the first half alone, more than any other player.

With the side two goals down, McKennie made way for forward Breel Embolo in the 58th minute as Schalke went all out in attack.

McKennie made his Bundesliga debut on the final day last season in May, after he had impressed with Schalke's under-19s. He scored four goals and set up three more in 19 league appearances for the under-19s.

McKennie spent three years as a child in Kaiserslautern, where his father was based, and he opted to return to Germany last year when the chance emerged at Schalke despite the offer of a homegrown player contract with FC Dallas.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.