Tuesday marked a bit of history for the United States in the UEFA Champions League, with Jesse Marsch becoming the first coach from his nation to take charge of a team in Europe's top competition.
Having won the Supporters' Shield as a manager with the New York Red Bulls in 2015, earning MLS Coach of the Year honours that same year, Marsch took over the top spot at Red Bull Salzburg after a one-season stint with RB Leipzig as an assistant coach.
So far, it has all gone swimmingly for the Wisconsin native in his first few months with the Austrian club.
Through seven matches in the league this season the club holds a perfect record, having seven wins while scoring 34 goals and surrendering just six.
As if that wasn't impressive enough, Marsch's Champions League debut went off without a hitch as well.
Teen star Erling Braut Haaland rightly earned the headlines with a fantastic first-half hat trick, becoming the first teenager to net more than one goal on his Champions League debut since Wayne Rooney way back in 2004.
Haaland's heroics were only part of the story, however, with Marsch's side never really slowing down and rolling to a 6-2 win over Genk to kick off Group E play in style.
“We knew we were going into the match full of confidence,” Marsch said, via the club's website. “We knew too that we could put in a performance of this quality.
"I wasn’t pleased with a few situations, such as conceding for 3-1. That shows our incredible mentality though as it prompted us to give a few more percent and immediately score two goals.”
The 6-2 victory has Marsch's side out in front of the group, but the road will get tougher in the coming weeks.
Salzburg's next Champions League match will see the Austrian side head to Anfield to take on European champions Liverpool, with a home match against Napoli to follow on matchday three.
The domestic slate isn’t a cakewalk either, with second-placed LASK up next before an Austrian Cup clash with perennial power Rapid Wien.
Red Bull Salzburg finished first in the Austrian first division last season, as they lost just twice in a dominant campaign.
