Juventus manager Luciano Spaletti made a big mistake last week. He stood in front of cameras, with hot mics on, and declared that McKennie could be a perfect No. 9. And that was a very silly idea - not least because it gave American soccer Twitter something else to get excited about. It's fair to wonder when McKennie, a very good center midfielder in his own right, will simply be allowed to play the position he is best at. By this point, the Texan deserves it. He is enjoying his best season as a footballer, grabbing goals, putting in plenty of defensive work, and finally living up to his sky-high potential.
But he's certainly not a striker. So, can we please stop with that? Especially given that Juve have about 100 of those dudes, anyway. McKennie will have the chance, though, to prove that he is pretty handy in a more natural position once again. Juve are in an intriguing spot. Inter have pulled away in the Serie A title race, and hold a five-point lead over Milan, who are doing their best to throw it away. Juve are currently a point out of the top four, and Champions League surely has to be the sole goal at this point. Parma would seem to be a good team to play as they pursue that goal. They are currently in 15th, and have won just one of their last five. It will, no doubt, be tough to go on the road. But these are the kind of games that Juve need to win to ensure they will be playing in the Champions League next year.