da pinup bet： Weston McKennie and Tim Weah seem to be competing for the same position, with the former getting the start in Juventus' win over Empoli on Sunday.

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McKennie starts at right wingbackFirst start of season for USMNT starWeah named to bench

McKennie started the match at the right wing-back position, having come off the bench in the club's first two matches of the Serie A season. He replaced his U.S. men's national team teammate Tim Weah in the XI, with the ex-Lille man seemingly picking up a knock in Juve's recent draw with Bologna. Weah, though, would ultimately come off the bench late on and nearly pick up an asisst for Juve.

With McKennie in the XI, Juve were able to seal a 2-0 win, taking them to seven points from their first three Serie A matches. That puts them third in the table, behind only Inter and AC Milan, who are perfect with three wins from three to start the season as clubs head into the international break.

Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Juventus seized the lead in the 24th minute through Danilo, who took advantage of some chaos in the box. Empoli were unable to clear a Juve corner kick, and, after both teams had several swings at it, it was Danilo that fired it home to put Juve ahead.

The Old Lady had several chances to increase that lead, but were thwarted time and time again. Dusan Vlahovic missed a penalty late in the first half, while Paul Pogba saw a goal ruled out midway through the second due to an offside call on Vlahovic.

Winger Federico Chiesa scored the eventual winner for Juventus with a stunning solo-effort where he rounded Empoli goalkeeper Etrit Berisha to make in 2-0 and seal all three points.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

McKennie was solid enough in his start out wide, looking comfortable despite only having limited minutes in the position.

Defensively, McKennie was steady as can be, making several tackles while winning 100 percent of his duels. On the attacking end, he left a bit to be desired, giving the ball away a few too many times while failing to really threaten with his crosses. He also had one shot, which was blocked away.

The 25-year-old routinely found himself in dangerous positions, though, especially early on as he made multiple back post runs, but was never found by any of his teammates in those moments.

As for Weah, he came on for a late cameo, replacing McKennie for the game's final moments. And you could argue he was more dangerous in those minutes than McKennie was as his cross towards Arkadiusz Milik was headed off the bar in stoppage time.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

While it's not ideal for the USMNT to see McKennie and Weah splitting time in a position they likely won't play at the international level, it could be worse.

For now, the key for both will be getting consistent minutes and, at the moment, both are. In a perfect world, McKennie would be starting in Juventus' midfield but, at the moment, he hasn't quite broken into that group.

Can that change going forward? Absolutely, especially if he puts in solid performances in this wing-back role. For now, both Weah and McKennie can focus on the international level, though, as they prepare to play on the wing and in midfield, respectively, over these next two games.

GettyGOAL'S RATINGS

Weston McKennie (7/10):

A decent shift for the American, who was a bit better defensively than he was in the attacking end. A good option in this position, as he has the workrate and physical ability for it. However, he'll need to be more efficient with the ball at his feet and, because of that, this performance wasn't enough to see him threaten to leapfrog Weah for a regular spot.

Timothy Weah (N/A):

Came on late to replace his international teammate, but did make an impact during his cameo. Should have had a late assist on a fantastic cross to Milik.