By AVI CREDITOR
On a snowy night at Upton Park, Jonathan Spector emphatically ended his poor run of form.
Given the chance to start for West Ham for the first time in more than three months, Spector scored twice in the first half of his club's shocking 4-0 victory over his former team, Manchester United, in the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
Spector scored his first goal moments after being whistled for offside, which negated a would-be West Ham goal that he helped set up. He ran onto a chip from Victor Obinna in the area and nailed the header to open the scoring in the 22nd minute.
Fifteen minutes later, he pounced on a loose ball in the box, finishing with his left foot to double the lead. Spector, who played a central midfield role as opposed to fullback, had only scored once in his professional career before Tuesday's brace.
Highlights of the goals and a few more stories from around the soccer world are after the jump:
HAHNEMANN LOSES STARTING JOB
Marcus Hahnemann has seen this story play out before. Only the last time he was on the other side.
A year after winning the starting goalkeeper job at Wolverhampton from Wayne Hennessey, Hahnemann finds himself on the bench after manager Mick McCarthy has elected to stick with Hennessey as his starter after making the change ahead of Wolves' 3-2 victory over Sunderland on Saturday.
Wolves has yet to record a clean sheet this season, leading McCarthy to make the switch. He told The Guardian (UK): "(Hennessey) had a tough time and then Marcus came in. But we'd not kept a clean sheet, we'd not been winning games and it was my decision to change it. I think I've justified it."
After Hahnemann, 38, won the starting job from Hennessey last season, he performed well enough to earn a spot on the United States national team roster for the World Cup. He has been rumored to be considering a return to Major League Soccer, and this development wouldn't figure to sway his thinking in the other direction.
MOURINHO HANDED UEFA BAN
Jose Mourinho's week was further dampened after UEFA handed down a one-match suspension and a fine of almost $52,000 after the organization found him to be guilty of ordering two players to purposefully get sent off in Real Madrid's last Champions League match.
Mourinho allegedly told Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso to get second yellows so they would be suspended for Madrid's meaningless group-stage finale as opposed to picking up another yellow down the line and missing a knockout-stage match.
Mourinho will be banned from the touch-line for Madrid final group stage game against AJ Auxerre. If he is found of "improper conduct" again within the next three years, an automatic one-game suspension will go into effect.
Ramos and Alonso were fined, but they won't be forced to miss any more matches after sitting out the game against Auxerre.
RAPIDS ACQUIRE NANE FROM TFC
Another trade has gone down in the Major League Soccer offseason, with Toronto FC shipping midfielder Joseph Nane to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for a third-round draft pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.
Nane played in 11 league matches in his rookie season out of Old Dominion University.
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Impressed with Spector's performance? Hope Hahnemann returns to MLS? What do you think of the punishment handed to Mourinho? Like the trade for Colorado and/or Toronto?
Share your thoughts below.
Well done!
Has a way of backfiring. See Mathis, Clint.
I agree with the first of these comments but not the second.
Agree with all. He had a great little run on that second goal, both were great especially for a natural defender.
It doesnt matter how many times you watch it…you still can’t accept what you’re seeing. Going into half-time and the score reads “SPECTOR 22′ 37’…..WTF!!!!!!!, SPECTOR SCORING, QUALITY GOALS MIND YOU, IN THE 22 AND 37 MINUTE AGAINST MAN U(EVEN IF THEY DIDNT HAVE VAN DER SAR,NANI, BERBERTOV, PARK, ROONEY ETC), AND HIS RUN, FROM HIS HALF, ALL THE WAY TO THE MAN U 18 TO SET UP BOA MORTE FOR THE GOAL THEY DISALLOWED….WOW. It’s too early to jump to conclusions but USMNT MIDFIELD PLAYERS beware!!!!!
Click the Yanks Abroad Video Highlights link under the SBI Soccer Blog Roll on the right side of the SBI main page.
or Harkes’ English goal of the year from 35 meters
Definitely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq9-79iIL_0
Spencer couldnt do this
Wait a minute.. it’s not April 1 is it?
Thank you for the link . . . still laughing at the complete 360 on the comments. Classic.
He also hinted that he might start this weekend
Grant commented after the game that Man U did not field a player that could be bought for less than 10M pounds
Spector at Dmid, Lletget at attacking mid…the future of West Ham 😉
Yeah I have always sort of viewed him as that.
PIGS ARE FLYING SOMEWHERE!!!!!!!!!! I watched the highlights just now on Fox Soccer without knowing what happened and rewinded that ish FOUR TIMES. I’m stunned. Never ever ever ever in my wildest NIGHTMARES. haha. Good gravy. That being said, good luck trying to crack the USMNT’s depth at CM.
Isn’t that part of the fun?
This makes me feel like I don’t know anything about soccer.
A+
It’s weird, but this is one of the best games an American has ever had in England.
What a turn of events.
How would Bornstein have done in the EPL tho? Oh wait, no one wanted him.
a lot of pros did
But getting consistent playing time doesn’t, especially not in the German Bundesliga.
Grant said in an interview that he moved Jon to central midfield a month ago and that he’s done very well in training and that the start was more than well deserved…interesting. Maybe he sees more time from here.
To add to that, I’m not saying he’d be better than Edu or Jones. I’m just saying it’s not a far-fetched idea, not anymore anyways.
Ah gotcha. Thanks
I think the best part about the goals were the fact that they just seemed to come so naturally. Spector’s instinct on the diving header was incredible, not to mention the amount of power he head to put behind it.
The second goal was started by great touch and dribbling, as he managed to slip his first man and use his strength to hold him off a bit. The second part was a bit simpler in that he just had to follow the play up, but he did it well and finished even better.
As far as Spector in the central midfield, I wouldn’t be totally opposed to it. I’ve always wanted to see it happen at some point. He’d be a great anchoring defensive midfielder behind Bradley and Holden. He’s got good marking, positional sense, strength, aerial ability(as we’ve seen today) and seems a genuine ball-winner. Moreover, he’d provide the kind of smart, pinpoint distrubution and comfort on the ball in deep areas that we would really only get from Jose Francisco Torres.
It just seems that while putting him at full back would allow him to get forward and show his crossing, passing and ability on the ball, it exposes him against pacy wingers. Center back is probably his best spot on the back line, but his technical ability would be wasted. Defensive midfielder is probably a great position for him because he can show his technical and tactical qualities on both sides of the ball. He’d be a lot like Xabi Alonso is for Spain and Madrid(although that didn’t help them last night did it)?
Luis Boa Morte
To be fair, I think he’s only played Left Back once under Bob’s reign and that was in the last friendly against South Africa, and his performances at Left Back for West Ham in the past have been poor. I’d like to see him get more opportunities at Left Back for the USMNT, but you can really say “Spector can still play LB for us especially against CONCACAF opposition” when he really hasn’t had the opportunity. Bob just seems really reluctant to put a right footed player at Left Back.
I like this idea. With Gooch not playing, Bocanegra aging, and DeMerit aging as well and back in MLS, I think Spector could be a good option in center defense, at least until Ream or Gonzalez really shines though (I guess you can throw Opara and Gale in there too). He’s certainly got the best feet skills and touch of any of our Centerbacks (Yes even more than Ream, you NYRB homers).
Currently I see Dolo as our Right Back at least up until the Gold Cup next year and possibly even at the 2014 World Cup. He’ll be 35 (in 2014), but if he’s still playing for Hannover and has decent wheels then I see no reason why he can’t be the starter in Brazil, unless of course Eric Lichaj really blossoms and becomes a starting EPL stud right back. At any rate, I’d still put Lichaj as the No. 2 Right Back at this point and Spector as No. 3.
Still, given how bad our left back situation is, I’d like to see Lichaj and even Spector given a try at Left Back. I know Lichaj has played a little Left Back for Aston Villa, and I’m curious as to see how he’d do there for the USMNT. And I know Spector’s time at Left Back for West Ham was pretty bad, but I’ve only seen him play Left Back for the USMNT once (the last friendly against South Africa) and I thought he was so-so. I just think with Jonathan Bornstein or Heath Pearce at we’re never going to get more than the usually mediocre, sometimes disastrous and rarely great, play at Left Back.
Don’t give Bob any ideas!
Can he stay at West Ham? Cologne sucks.
LOL!
What does LBM mean though?
Center back… Have him and Ream form the most technical duo we have ever seen
Seeing the field is awesome for him. Even dressing is awesome for him lately. Grant probably thought a Carling Cup game would be a good time to shop him around and showcase Spector. Spector made him some money today.
True, neither team trotted out their first team. Fergie went with a young team with Giggs for leadership. But you can’t tell me that Flethcer, Chicharito, Macheda, Anderson, O’Shea, Obertan, Da Silva and Wes Brown are anywhere near Reserve players. And even though they are young, they all get minutes and only a few of them are inexperienced. No reason they should lose to WHU 4-0. Maybe not all the players were Starting XI, but both teams fielded players that consistently make the dressed 18 on their squads. I just don’t want people to try and cheapen what Spector did by suggesting that he only scored a brace against ManU becausehe played against reserve players from ManU.
lol!
i would have ran over to where my coach was standing and celebrate in his face.
That second goal proves that Jonathan Spector is the love-child of Ryan Philippe and Thierry Henry.
Seriously, perhaps this is what it takes for the man to get his mojo back. Crazier things have happened.
I always thought he looked like The Greatest American Hero
I thought the exact same thing. My next thought was someone hacked into SBI, but I think I believe it now.
Avram Grant had some pretty good things to say about Spector: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11685_6541869,00.html
jones was sent to reserves a punishment, not for his ability or form. Thinking, or iwshing Spector moves to CM is not in the best interest in the US, or Spector’s international career. If he desires a spot on the US squad he should do whatever he can to get minutes, otherwise there’s no Gold Cup for him
Spector’s face on the front page of the Sun’s website. Congrats son.
Well done Specs! I really like him in a D Mid role. Who cares about the Nats – I’d just like to see him find the best position and playing time and have him be successful. After all the injuries, I just don’t think he is fast enough for the outside wing and fullback positions anymore. I like central D or this new position.
As a few people mentioned up top, this was the last headline I expected to see today.
His face was on the front page of BBC News, my first thought was maybe he died. That seemed the only logical way he could be on the front page.
This has to be one of the strangest stories I have read in a while. Not only does Spector start at central midfield, but he nets a brace against his old club, which just happens to be one of the largest clubs in the world.
Good for Specs. I was really hoping to see him come out of the funk he’s been in. Hope this is the first of several steps.
in theory that concept could work well with Edu or Jones at CM occasionally drifting back
for sure. as far as finishing goes, i think that first one was just amazing. That cross had nothing on it, and he had to direct it AND put all the punch behind it… with a dive. Nasty. Looked like a Deuce goal. The 2nd goal lead up was obviously super slick, too!