Top Stories

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Charlie Davies 1 (ISIphotos) 

                                                                                    photo by ISIphotos.com

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

In the final weekend of club action before a pair of critical World Cup qualifiers, some of the U.S. national team regulars enjoyed solid showings.

Charlie Davies had a stellar outing, going 85 minutes in Sochaux's 1-0 victory over AS Monaco. Davies helped set up the lone goal, drawing a penalty kick in the 20th minute of the match.

Jose Francisco Torres also impressed in his first start of the Mexican Apertura, going the full 90 minutes of Pachuca's 2-2 draw vs. Guadalajara. 

It was not all positive though as stalwarts Oguchi Onyewu and Michael Bradley did not see the field for their respective clubs.

Here is how the rest of the Americans Abroad did this weekend:

England

PREMIERSHIP

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton's 2-1 win vs. Wigan Athletic on Sunday.
  • Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 27 minutes in Hull City's 1-1 draw vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 2-0 loss vs. Aston Villa on Sunday.
  • Eddie Johnson came off the bench and played 14 minutes in Fulham's 2-0 loss vs. Aston Villa on Sunday.
  • Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in West Ham's 0-0 draw vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
  • Brad Friedel started and played 90 minutes in Aston Villa's 2-0 win vs. Fulham on Sunday.
  • Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa's 2-0 win vs. Fulham on Sunday.
  • Eric Lichaj did not dress in Aston Villa's 2-0 win vs. Fulham on Sunday.
  • Marcus Hahnemann dressed but did not play in Wolverhampton Wanderers' 1-1 draw vs. Hull City on Saturday.

COCA COLA CHAMPIONSHIP

  • Jay DeMerit started and played 90 minutes in Watford's 1-1 draw vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
  • Frank Simek did not dress in Sheffield Wednesday's 3-1 win vs. Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

LEAGUE ONE

  • Ian Joyce did not dress in Southend United's 2-1 loss vs. Swindon Town on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread did not dress in Millwall's 1-1 draw vs. Brighton on Friday.
  • Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Leeds United's 2-1 win vs. Colchester United on Saturday.
  • Jemal Johnson started and played 62 minutes in Milton Keynes Dons' 2-1 win vs. Exeter City on Saturday.
  • Jon-Paul Pittman came off the bench, played 30 minutes and scored a GOAL in Wycombe Wanderers' 2-1 win vs. Bristol Rovers on Saturday.

Scotland

  • Maurice Edu did not dress in Rangers' 4-1 win vs. Hamilton Academical on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.
  • DaMarcus Beasley dressed but did not play in Rangers' 4-1 win vs. Hamilton Academical on Saturday.

Italy

  • Oguchi Onyewu dressed but did not play in AC Milan's 4-0 loss vs. Inter Milan on Saturday. 

Germany

BUNDESLIGA

  • Michael Bradley did not dress in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 2-0 win vs. Mainz on Friday.
  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 1-0 loss vs. TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday.
  • Sal Zizzo dressed but did not play in Hannover 96's 1-0 loss vs. TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04's 1-0 loss vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.

BUNDESLIGA 2

  • Kenny Cooper started and played 90 minutes in 1860 Munich's 0-0 draw vs. Ahlen on Friday.
  • Luis Robles dressed but did not play in Kaiserslautern's 0-0 draw vs. SC Paderborn 07 on Sunday.
  • Matt Taylor came off the bench and played 2 minutes in FSV Frankfurt's 3-0 loss vs. Alemania Aachen on Sunday. 
  • David Yeldell started, played 90 minutes and made one save in TUS Koblenz's 2-0 loss vs. Energie Cottbus on Friday.

France

  • Carlos Bocanegra started and played 90 minutes in Rennes' 2-2 draw vs. Lens on Saturday.
  • Charlie Davies started and played 85 minutes in Sochaux's 1-0 win vs. AS Monaco on Saturday.

Denmark

  • Benny Feilhaber started and played 70 minutes in AGF Aarhus' 2-0 win vs. FC Nordshaelland on Saturday.
  • Jeremiah White started and played 61 minutes in AGF Aarhus' 2-0 win vs. FC Nordsjaelland on Saturday.
  • Dan Califf did not dress in FC Midtjylland's 1-0 loss vs. Aalborg on Sunday.
  • Michael Parkhurst started and played 90 minutes in FC Nordsjaelland's 2-0 loss vs. AGF Aarhus on Saturday.
  • Marcus Tracy did not play in Aalborg's 1-0 win vs. FC Midtjylland on Sunday.

Norway

  • Troy Perkins started and played 90 minutes in Valerenga's 2-1 win vs. Molde on Saturday.
  • Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek play Lillestrom on Monday. 
  • Clarence Goodson started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in IK Start's 1-0 loss vs. Brann on Sunday.
  • Hunter Freeman did not dress in IK Start's 1-0 loss vs. Brann on Sunday.

Sweden

  • Alejandro Bedoya and Orebro SK play Gefle IF on Monday.

Mexico

  • Jose Francisco Torres started and played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 2-2 draw vs. Guadalajara on Saturday.
  • Michael Orozco started and played 90 minutes in San Luis' 0-0 draw vs. Puebla on Saturday.
  • Edgar Castillo and UANL play Santos on Sunday evening.
  • Marco Vidal started and played 90 minutes in Indios de Ciudad Juarez's 1-1 draw vs. Atlas on Saturday.

 —————————–

What do you think of these performances? Is Davies the best U.S. forward in the national team pool? Based on his 90-minute performance, should Torres should start vs. El Salvador? Worried by Bradley and Onyewu's lack of playing time this weekend?

Share your thoughts below

Comments

  1. Not that is important but Paco Torres was pulled in the Pachuca game v Chivas (Guadalajara) at around the 70 min mark. I stopped watching thereafter. I checked the USA site and they say he went 90 also, but I saw him leave the pitch and his number (#18)on the board. He was playing left mid and more forward than I’ve seen him, and launched in a couple of interesting crosses that came to nothing unfortunately.

    Reply
  2. Joe Quake and Michael, I’m not bashing Michael – I think he’s an outstanding young player who’s got a tremendous future ahead of him.

    I’m criticizing his father, who will play him on Saturday unfailingly despite the fact that, as I mentioned, Michael has played exactly one competitive half in three weeks. If Bob Bradley’s going to make guys sit the pine for not playing regularly, then we must expect that he’s going to hold his own son to that very standard. If your options are Torres, Feilhaber and Bradley, and Bradley’s been the one to play the least over the last month, then he should be the one to sit, based on Bob’s “on-form” mantra.

    Point is, he won’t. And that can’t be good for team morale.

    Reply
  3. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
    “Michael Bradley is a young player, who for his age brings a lot, and for me has always been a starter. But in the last weeks he has played unfortunately and has made mistakes. It’s not so much about the mistakes as it is how he reacted to his mistakes. A young player must realize his mistakes to move ahead.”
    Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Michael Frontzeck explains why he benched 22-year-old American midfielder Michael Bradley last weekend, when Gladbach beat Mainz, 2-0.

    Reply
  4. I actually really like Zizzo as a player as well.

    I was commenting more on the fact that someone playing overseas does not AUTOMATICALLY qualify one to be a part of the national team picture.

    Reply
  5. EA,

    I actually do think Zizzo is better than Quaranta and Arnaud. I am not just saying to call him up to call him up. I think he could actually be helpful.

    Reply
  6. I think everyone should temper the “Call Him Up!!!11!!” bandwagon a bit.

    Sal Zizzo is a good example. Good that he’s making the 18 in Hannover. Especially after it seemed he would be gone from the club after last season.

    But is he better than any of the outside mids we saw in the Gold Cup (Holden, Rogers, Quaranta… even Arnaud)? I’m pretty sure he isn’t. Somewhere near the same level, I’d imagine.

    While it’s great that these guys are plying thier trade overseas, that alone does not make them automatically better than a known quantity.

    I do believe the exception to this is Castillo. He actually DOES seem like he plays at a different level than a Bornstein or a Pearce.

    But if you really think that Jon-Paul Pittman or Marco Vidal can add something that our top 8 or 10 forward options can’t, I’m pretty sure that isn’t so.

    Reply
  7. I speak German and am rusty like the previous poster. The article seemed to suggest that Bradley had been playing a lot of games with the national team and Moenchengladbach and that he was probably exhausted.

    The coach was saying that Bradley was a strong player that he always considered for the starting 11, but that his form had dipped recently. In addition the coach said that he had him sit because Bradley had not realized his own sub par performances and mistakes. He believes that Bradley is immature in this respect, so he is trying to teach him how to recognize when he doesn’t play well.

    Reply
  8. I watched Dempsey playing in the Fulham – Aston Villa match. He looked sleepy. He seemed to be the only player on either side that wasn’t moving fast. He missed two header shots from corner kicks that he should have made. What’s up with him? Comments?

    Reply

Leave a Comment