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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Tim Howard (Getty Images) 

by FRANCO PANIZO

Tim Howard has had enough brilliant moments in his career to fill up an ESPN highlight reel. From his gutsy performance against Argentina in 2008, to his penalty kick heroics against former club Manchester United in last season's FA Cup, Howard has made a name for himself with his timely saves, and his most recent shot block is just the latest evidence of his greatness.

Having come back from a two-goal deficit, Everton saw its draw preserved by Howard, who made a match-saving stop on a Jermaine Defoe penalty kick in stoppage time of the Toffees' match against Tottenham. The U.S. national team goalkeeper had six saves in the game, delivering in the clutch just three days after leading Everton to a vital Europa League victory.

Howard was one of several bright spots on a weekend that saw recently recovered Jay DeMerit make Watford's bench, Michael Bradley deliver a beautiful assist and DaMarcus Beasley make an appearance in a vital Rangers' victory .

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

England

PREMIERSHIP

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made six saves in Everton's 2-2 draw vs. Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

  • Jozy Altidore started and played 54 minutes in Hull City's 3-0 loss vs. Aston Villa on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 1-0 win vs. Sunderland on Sunday.
  • Eddie Johnson did not dress in Fulham's 1-0 win vs. Sunderland on Sunday.
  • Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in West Ham's 4-0 loss vs. Manchester United on Saturday.
  • Brad Friedel started and played 90 minutes in Aston Villa's 3-0 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.
  • Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa's 3-0 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.

  • Marcus Hahnemann started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and made seven saves in Wolverhampton Wanderers' 2-1 win vs. Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

COCA COLA CHAMPIONSHIP

  • Jay DeMerit dressed but did not play in Watford's 2-0 loss vs. Newcastle United on Saturday. DeMerit and Watford play Queens Park Rangers on Monday.
  • Frank Simek did not dress in Sheffield Wednesday's 2-0 loss vs. Reading on Saturday.

LEAGUE ONE

  • Zak Whitbread did not dress in Millwall's 3-0 loss vs. Hartlepool United on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.
  • Ian Joyce did not dress in Southend United's 1-0 loss vs. Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Leeds United's 2-2 draw vs. Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
  • Jemal Johnson did not dress in Milton Keynes Dons' 2-2 draw vs. Yeovil Town on Saturday.
  • Jon-Paul Pittman came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Wycombe Wanderers' 2-1 win vs. Stockport County on Saturday. 

Scotland

  • Maurice Edu did not dress in Rangers' 3-1 win vs. Falkirk on Saturday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley came off the bench and played 28 minutes in Rangers' 3-1 win vs. Falkirk on Saturday. He drew a penalty during his appearance, resulting in a Rangers goal.
  • Dominic Cervi did not dress in Celtic's 3-0 win vs. Aberdeen on Saturday. 

Italy

  • Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in AC Milan's 3-0 win vs. Sampdoria on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.

Germany

BUNDESLIGA

  • Michael Bradley started, played 79 minutes, received a yellow card and had an ASSIST in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 2-1 loss vs. Bayern Munich on Sunday.
  • Steve Cherundolo started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Hannover 96's 0-0 draw vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
  • Sal Zizzo did not dress in Hannover 96's 0-0 draw vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04's 2-0 win vs. Hertha Berlin on Sunday.

BUNDESLIGA 2

  • Kenny Cooper did not dress in TSV 1860 Munich's 1-0 win vs. RW Oberhausen on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Luis Robles dressed but did not play in Kaiserslautern 's 1-0 win vs. Hansa Rostock on Saturday.
  • Matt Taylor came off the bench and played 5 minutes in FSV Frankfurt's 2-0 loss vs. FC Augsburg on Friday.
  • David Yeldell started, played 90 minutes and made eight saves in TUS Koblenz's 5-1 loss vs. St Pauli on Saturday.

France

  • Carlos Bocanegra started and played 90 minutes in Stade Rennes' 1-0 win vs. Lorient on Saturday.

Portugal

  • Freddy Adu dressed but did not play in Belenenses' 0-0 draw vs. Rio Ave on Saturday.
  • Kamani Hill did not dress in Vitoria de Guimaraes' 4-1 loss vs. FC Porto on Friday.

Denmark

  • Benny Feilhaber and AGF Aarhus play Esbjerg on Monday.
  • Jeremiah White and AGF Aarhus play Esbjerg on Monday.
  • Michael Parkhurst started and played 90 minutes in FC Nordsjaelland's 3-0 win vs. FC Midtjylland on Sunday.
  • Marcus Tracy started and played 77 minutes Aalborg's 2-0 loss vs. Sonderjyske on Saturday.

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What do you think of these performances? How clutch do you consider Howard's penalty kick save? Encouraged to see DeMerit back for Watford so soon? Still drooling over Bradley's assist? Think things at Rangers are starting to turn around for Beasley?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Freddy Adu was an All-star selection player and a Starter on the top team in MLS as a 16-year old. It has become apparent that their are alot of new soccer fans on this site who have no History before 2007.

    Freddy had scored some of the nicest goals in MLS history as a boy, basically. Adu looked slow and out of from in the 2009 Gold cup becuase he had put on 20 pounds of muscle during his time with Monaco. A big mistake, because he is not a player who needs to be bulky, he needs to be a player who is small and quick..so defenders only chance of stopping him are by fouling him like we saw with freddy doig so well playing for Benfica.

    Reply
  2. “Adu has done more in his career than most MLS players, ”

    Like what?

    “The fact is, he has more talent than 70% of our USMNT.”

    Maybe, but those guys play for their teams and he doesn’t

    “MLS to physical??LOL You have to be kidding me with that wack ass statement!!”

    Have you seen an MLS game? Have you seen how easy it is to push Freddy around? How slow he is?

    Reply
  3. Anyone who continues to bash ADU has literally no sense in the game of futbol. I don’t care if hes not playing for the little league soccer team here in the states or over in europe. The fact is, he has more talent than 70% of our USMNT. MLS to physical??LOL You have to be kidding me with that wack ass statement!!LOL MLS… ok, buddy! Cooper,Finley,Casey,Bornestein,Rogers,mcarthy, these are all little league players compared to Adu, that is a fact. Adu has done more in his career than most MLS players, but wait, Adu can’t handle the MLS league cause it’s to physical.lol I really don’t understand what’s with all the whining if Adu has not played one game for our team. Go bash players that have been awful as of late with the USMNT and without.

    Adu,Davies,Altidore,Hill,Edu,Bradley,Torres,Gonzales, these are the players I’m looking forward to see playing together one day.

    Casey,Born,Rogers,MCcarthy,Finley,Cunnigham,cooper,etc.. can all go join the Canadian team. 🙂

    Reply
  4. 20 is very old in European terms, particularly when you have shown you can’t hold down a place regularly anywhere. European teams are full of kids as old or younger and probably cheaper and as good or even better than Adu. He also isn’t really built for the MLS because, he is too expensive and he is short, small, weak, slow and puny. The MLS is a very physical league and Freddy wouldn’t be a regular. Adu may be on his last big money professional contract. It’s a tough business.

    Reply

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