Weston McKennie may well have surprised Javi Gracia during the international break.
Unless the American is scoring for fun on the training ground at Thorp Arch, Gracia would have been left scratching his head when he woke up on Saturday morning.
McKennie got on the scoresheet not once, but twice during the USA's 7-1 demolition of Grenada in their CONCACAF Nations League match. And what remarkably different finishes they were.
His first was an acrobatic volley on the turn, rifling the ball into the top corner after scrapping for the ball in the box. By no means a wonder-strike, but the technique on display from the Leeds United star was certainly worthy of applause.
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Just three minutes later - as Grenada replied with a goal of their own in the meantime - McKennie had found the back of the net again. This time showing a poacher's instinct to poke home from close range following another Christian Pulisic free-kick.
Goals, or more accurately the lack of them, was a concept all too familiar with Jesse Marsch and something that Gracia is battling to get to terms with. The 4-2 victory over Leeds saw the Whites take the handbrake off somewhat, yet the chaotic nature of the game means that it is hard to tell just yet whether that was an actual turning point under the Spaniard.
In the goals scored column, only Leicester City (38) have outscored the Whites (35) in the bottom-half of the table this term. Yet taking chances has been a constant thorn in the side of the West Yorkshire club. The 2-0 defeat to Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup being an archetypal example of late.
Leeds' attacking talent has never seemed to be the issue on paper, but finding the back of the net has proven a lot harder than most had anticipated after this season's summer and winter transfer windows.
McKennie may not be a prolific goalscorer - far from it considering he is still to open his account with Leeds since his January move from Juventus - but his display for the States may have just shown that he can help add another dimension to Gracia's attacking firepower.
Yes his role in the midfield is of course the priority, but a scoring midfield can take the pressure off the forwards and in turn see their performances improve with the weight of expectation reduced. McKennie has scored six and four goals respectively in his last two seasons with Juventus and has already found the back of the net three times for the Old Lady prior to his switch to the Premier League.
Given how close this season's battle against the drop is, a handful of goals in the right moments could well make the difference between survival and relegation. McKennie might have just shown Gracia that he can step up when Leeds need them most during the run-in.
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