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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

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photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

FC Ingolstadt 04 helped its chances of avoiding relegation this weekend with a blowout win, and Edson Buddle was responsible for one those goals.

Having come off the bench in the 76th minute of Ingolstadt's match against fellow relegation-strugglers Karlsruhe, Buddle capped the scoring in the 4-1 win by heading home a free kick from close range. The goal, which was Buddle's second of the season, came against American goalkeeper Luis Robles.

Jonathan Spector also didn't play much this weekend, but he did make a late cameo in West Ham United's big 3-1 victory over Liverpool. Spector came off the bench and played eight minutes in a game that saw the Hammers move up to 18th place in the Premiership standings.

Another player looking to help his team avoid relegation this season is Mike Grella, who made his Swindon Town debut on Saturday. In desperate need of minutes, Grella started and played 90 minutes in his new club's 4-1 loss to Southampton.

Here is how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

England

PREMIERSHIP

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Everton's 2-0 win vs. Sunderland on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 1-1 draw vs. Manchester City on Sunday.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Aston Villa's 4-1 win vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
  • Michael Bradley dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
  • Marcus Hahnemann dressed but did not play in Wolverhampton Wanderers' 4-0 win vs. Blackpool on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Spector came off the bench and played 8 minutes in West Ham United's 3-1 win vs. Liverpool on Saturday.
  • Stuart Holden started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers' 1-1 draw vs. Newcastle United on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Blackburn Rovers' 4-1 loss vs. Aston Villa on Saturday.

CHAMPIONSHIP

  • Conor Doyle dressed but did not play in Derby County's 1-0 win vs. Sheffield United on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread started and played 90 minutes in Norwich City's 2-0 win vs. Barnsley on Saturday.
  • Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Hull City's 2-0 loss vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.
  • Eric Lichaj started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Leeds United's 3-0 loss vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
  • Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest's 0-0 draw vs. Millwall on Saturday. He is recovering from a thigh injury.
  • Eddie Johnson came off the bench and played 21 minutes in Preston North End's 2-1 loss vs. Burnley on Saturday.

LEAGUE ONE

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 1-0 loss vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. 
  • Anton Peterlin did not dress in Plymouth Argyle's 2-1 win vs. Colchester United on Saturday. 
  • Mike Grella started and played 90 minutes in Swindon Town's 4-1 loss vs. Southampton on Saturday.

Scotland

PREMIER LEAGUE

  • Maurice Edu started and played 90 minutes in Rangers' 4-0 win vs. St Johnstone on Sunday.
  • Dominic Cervi did not dress in Celtic's 2-0 loss vs. Motherwell on Sunday.

Germany

BUNDESLIGA 

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 1-0 win vs. St Pauli on Saturday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley did not dress for Hannover 96.
  • Ricardo Clark did not dress in Eintracht Frankfurt's 2-0 loss vs. VfB Stuttgart on Sunday. He is recovering from a fractured cheekbone.
  • Daniel Williams did not dress in SC Freiburg's 1-0 loss vs. FC Cologne on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Timothy Chandler started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Nurnberg's 1-1 draw vs. Schalke 04 on Saturday.

BUNDESLIGA 2

  • David Yeldell started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in MSV Duisburg's 0-0 draw vs. RW Oberhausen on Friday.
  • Luis Robles started, played 90 minutes, made two saves and received a yellow card in Karlsruhe's 4-1 loss vs. FC Ingolstadt 04 on Sunday.
  • Edson Buddle came off the bench, played 14 minutes and scored a GOAL in FC Ingolstadt 04's 4-1 win vs. Karlsruhe on Sunday.

 

  • Amaechi Igwe did not dress for FC Ingolstadt 04. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Bobby Wood came off the bench and played 18 minutes in TSV 1860 Munich's 1-0 win vs. FC Union Berlin on Friday.
  • Alfredo Morales did not dress in Hertha Berlin's 5-0 win vs. Alemania Aachen on Saturday.

France

LIGUE 1

  • Carlos Bocanegra started and played 90 minutes in St Etienne's 2-0 loss vs. Nice on Saturday.

LIGUE 2

  • Quentin Westberg dressed but did not play in Evian Thonon Gaillard's 2-0 loss vs. Dijon FCO on Friday.

Netherlands

  • Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes in Twente Enschede's 2-1 loss vs. AZ Alkmaar on Sunday.

Turkey

SUPER LIG

  • Jozy Altidore did not dress in Bursaspor's 2-0 win vs. Bucaspor on Friday. He is recovering from an ankle injury. 

BANK ASYA 1. LIG

  • Freddy Adu started and played 55 minutes in Rizespor's 0-0 draw vs. Gungoren Belediyespor on Sunday.

Belgium

  • Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht's game vs. Eupen on Saturday was postponed.

Mexico

  • Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 0-0 draw vs. San Luis on Saturday.
  • Herculez Gomez dressed but did not play for Pachuca.
  • Edgar Castillo did not dress in Puebla's 3-0 loss vs. Tigres UANL on Saturday.
  • Sammy Ochoa did not dress in Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G.'s 5-1 loss vs. Pumas UNAM on Sunday.
  • Sonny Guadarrama came off the bench and played 36 minutes in Atlante's 2-1 loss vs. Morelia on Sunday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein dressed but did not play in Tigres UANL's 3-0 win vs. Puebla on Saturday.

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What do you think of Buddle's goal? Think Spector and West Ham will avoid relegation? How do you see Grella's time with Swindon Town going?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’d like to see Whitbread get a call up to the Argentina and Paraguay friendlies. He finally seems to be healthy and he has been playing a lot lately. I feel at this point he would at least be better than Ream and Gonzalez, and is probably around the same level of Goodson.

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  2. He really should be thanking his agent for somehow getting him a deal with Hannover 96. No idea how he was able to pull that one off.

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  3. I had to laugh when I saw where the kid is from. He’s from Calexico.

    If that doesn’t symbolize being on the fence on choosing what national team to play for, I don’t know what does.

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  4. Anyone else a little worried about the possibility of having no Brad Guzan to backup Tim Howard at the Gold Cup? Hahnemann hasn’t played in forever, and Robles looked pretty bad this past weekend.

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  5. Really poor week for the YA’s. I had been looking forward to the Jones vs Bradley matchup, and was disappointed to see that Pires got the start, though he did bring a different element to AV, to be fair. Jones did quite well, thought he was easly Blackburns best player, played quickly, smart etc. AND we played AM in a 5 man midfield.

    Dempsey was starved on the left wing for Fulham, though he began to cause problems when he and Dembele switched when Johanson (Guddason? the xxxxson dude) was brought in. Dempsey had a chance to drop down a header to the ‘XXXXson’ and instead went for goal…that woulda been a winner (Monday morning quarterback here)

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  6. Ives,

    Wouldn’t you say that if the playing time continues as such, Edu and Jones have the inside on the starting 2 defensive midfielders’ spots for the upcoming MNT friendlies, with Bradley coming off the bench? I know Bradley can fit in an instant with the MNT as he is an intregral part of it, but I’m simply looking at it from a focal point of playing time.

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  7. *just not. Also, people need to relax on the whole Edu thing. I like him too, but he is playing in the SPL and has been very up and down this season.

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  8. People are overreacting to the Bradley thing. It may very well take some time for him to adjust, just like it did when he went to Holland and then Germany, because he is a transcendent player. The half season loan was perplaxing for this very reason. Mike is just a candidate to waltz in and beat out the starters. However, people need to get a grip; he is still a very good player who is important in the US set up. Having said all that, if he does struggle for playing time the rest of this season, Holden and maybe Edu will jump ahead of him. Jones is the best center mid we have, so moving him to left back seems a bit silly. All this depth is a good thing. We can survive a knock or a porr run of form from one central mid and still have plenty of cover, which is not something you could say historically about the US at any position.

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  9. Always thought it was strange that the only positive aspect of MB’s game that was discussed was him being box to box. He is a good player and young an all, but if all he really brings us is heart and box to box as a center mid??? When does BB realize that other options without MB are possible.
    Because he does go box to box, he is always dragging around at the end with no sub. Makes sense, but all others get subbed but him? Come on don’t make play the its your daddy card.

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  10. Yes it does.

    But he had Moyes 200% behind him ,and he had a team with a slot open for a guy just like him. This isn’t true at Villa for MB. He faces a much bigger fight than Landon did. Still, what Donovan did was very impressive and his performance did not go unnoticed.

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  11. “Sir Alex Ferguson, when asked about Beckham wanting to play again in the EPL said something like it would take him more than a few games to adjust. And that was Beckham, far more experienced than Bradley. Anyone who thought Bradley would dominate was crazy.”

    That makes Donovan’s loan last year all the more impressive, doesn’t it?

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  12. Absolutely agree that Bradley is average and a type of player in a bygone US team – i.e. pure hustle, decent passing, poor technique which we as a national are evolving away from. We’re looking for more creativity in our midfield, ability, and smarts. I think Holden and Jones are the only two who fit that role. Edu, for me, is a better defensive midfielder and offers more long distance ability than Michael.

    On to your thought of Jones moving to LB – I absolutely hate our mindset that we should move our best players out of position because the position is empty. Jones is our best central midfielder and just because he’s defensive and with a left foot that would fly? Or Ives’ insistence that we take Edu, one of our best performing players for a year now, out of his natural position and putting him at CB – a position he can play in, but not to his strength and we have better players there.

    The Spain team is the perfect example – they didn’t start Cesc or Silva because they just didn’t fit as starters. They didn’t put Silva at LB or Cesc as a striker or other crazy combos. They played the best players in their best positions.

    Jones and Edu on current form are two of our three best central midfielders. Why would we weaken, arguably, the most important part of our formation by shifting them away from it?

    In the national setup, you just don’t have time to bed players into positions they don’t play week in and out in. Sir Ramsey, the 66′ England coach almost got fired for his persistence that you don’t pick the best players, you pick the best players for your system in the positions they play.

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  13. Because Bradley had an awful, absolutely awful first couple of minutes last game and it’s obvious he’s not quite up to speed. He’ll need time to catch up.

    I think a lot of people overrate him to be honest, the PL is the best and we’ll get a great assessment of him soon enough.

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  14. I hear what you’re saying man. Michael Bradley is not gifted in skill (like deuce)or speed(like LD) but rather in hustling, persistence and durability. He is eager to learn and disciplined, average in passing, shooting, defending etc…..in other words he will do what is expected and nothing extra ordinary.

    The thing is the US pool is mostly made up of average players that break the average plane every now and then. Holden, Deuce, Jones, Edu etc, are all playing at a high level right now so when it comes to the midfield player pool you have to perform day in day out. Being on the bench is not an excuse and will fly only for so long. We even have Spector (that even I never gave credit!!!) that changed positions in a league as tough as the EPL, playing at a high level and getting play time (that’s why I think your Jones/ LB idea is worth a try. He Tackles/defends/quick to react/not afraid to challenge for the one on one balls…..)

    MB is not coming from the MLS. Bundesliga is a very good league so the transition shouldn’t be that great and it showed with Jones (and thats besides giving the fact that a lot of people label him as one of the best midfielders we have!!!). If holden, Dempsey, Jones, Chandler and Spector are playing and actively contributing for their teams, he needs to get hot….NOW.

    A lot of players were not considered in the past by Bob Bradley (regardless of previous play) for lack of play time on the field, regardless of the league or team you were training with. Now the Gold Cup is coming up and young Bradley is in that same predicament, especially with Dempsey, Holden, Edu, Spector, Jones, Bedoya and Timothy Chandler in shape and playing very well, and Diskerud, Acuna sanchez and Bobby Wood eager for a top spot.

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  15. Okay, reaction to your musings.

    Like most US fans on this blog, in the case of MB and Jones you take separate parts of their game ( shooting, decision making , passing, left foot, speed, etc.) add them all together and for you 2 + 2 = 3.

    Like many Americans and I’m assuming you are one, you think like the NFL scouts who added all of Ryan Leaf’s assets up and decided he was going to be great and did the same thing for Drew Brees and decide he was going to be nothing.

    In other words, you say Bradley has an average shot. Do you know how many goals are scored with “average” shots and off “average” passes? Lots of them. Probably most. Which is why the exceptional ones make the highlight reels, because they are rare.
    Even with his average arsenal, Bradley is a legitimate scoring threat. And he and Jones have the hearts of lions, something you can’t measure.

    Good players are often greater than the sum of their parts. MB is average all around except in terms of his career;and he is only 23. Jones is the best US defensive midfielder; he has a long record to prove it. Why you would waste him at left back is beyond me.

    “I hate seeing Edu put at center back for the USMNT because the guy is a threat to score with either foot from distance, and he has a knack for scoring in the box on set pieces and even crosses.”

    Guess what? He can do that from center back as well and that would add to the overall offensive potency of the USMNT. If that is what you value about him it makes for an ever better reason to move him to CB.

    Sir Alex Ferguson, when asked about Beckham wanting to play again in the EPL said something like it would take him more than a few games to adjust. And that was Beckham, far more experienced than Bradley. Anyone who thought Bradley would dominate was crazy. Jones did well right off the bat but he is much more experienced. Holden had a lot more time to blend into the Bolton set up before he went on his current run; Chicharito was slowly integrated into the Man U attack and even now isn’t a full time starter.

    Remember, if Villa were so convinced about MB they would have bought him not taken him on loan. This is a trial period and they seem to giving him time to adjust before taking off the training wheels. Given the relegation specter, he won’t be trusted before seasoned EPL vets like Pires and Petrov. To expect otherwise in disingenuous.

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  16. MB has not been playing because he is underwhelming as a player. He is capable of playing from box to box, but the only thing in which he excels is hustling. He is not exceptionally quick or strong. His decision making, passing, shooting, and defending are all average. He does not stand out. I almost hope that he continues to struggle for playing time so that we can see more of Jones, Holden, and Edu in the middle of the park for the USMNT. I hate seeing Edu put at center back for the USMNT because the guy is a threat to score with either foot from distance, and he has a knack for scoring in the box on set pieces and even crosses.

    I just had a crazy idea: try Jermaine Jones at LB! He is a defensive midfielder (though he can still run with the ball and pass it fairly well), he is left footed, and he has great speed. He might also be good for the US as a left midfielder. I think he is better suited for a wide role than Holden.

    I am curious to hear what others have to say about my musings…

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  17. AV plays Manchester City in the FA Cup on Wednesday. It’s possible that Houllier was resting some players, including Bradley, for that. Yes, this is me being persistently optimistic, but I think that the predictions that Bradley isn’t going to see much PT and that this move is already a failure that I’ve been seeing on other posts is a bit ridiculous considering how long he’s been there.

    Yellows all around for both of our potential young RBs this weekend. Good to hear about Buddle.

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  18. Ever since he left Ajax he’s been plagued with nagging injuries, usually to his thigh/hamstring/leg. He had a solid run of scoring goals and assisting on goals but that ended with an injury. Towards the end of his stint at Rangers he wasn’t playing much at all and never seemed to kick the injury bug. That, coupled with a lot of miles on a small body may just have him run down. His best days are long gone, but if he were to go to a smaller league perhaps sweden/netherlands he might be able to eek out a couple of more years. As it stands I can’t see him contributing much in a league like EPL/SPL/Bundesliga etc.

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  19. What happen to Issac acuña sanchez? he is an American playing in queretaro on a loan from club America. on his loan he has score 2 goals againts Santos and Cruz azul. He scored againts cruz azul on Saturday it was a 30 yard goal the goalie didn’t see that coming. The goal againts Santos he ran to the goalie just about when the goalie was about to grab it he steals it and puts it in with no problem and has assisted for a goal.He is a Midfielder and has scored 2 goals in 2 games when given time to play since the team is fighting not to be send back to second division. We should keep our eyes on him. Some how he is not considered American up in here.

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  20. Heard he was injured for a bit? Probably just needs to work back into 90 min form. Hopefully this success will lead to a higher level league. I can still see him being a supersub in USMNT games for at least a couple of years.

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  21. A little disappointed that Bradley didn’t see the field in AV’s win. Also disappointed that Jozy didn’t play…thought his ancle knock wasn’t that serious. Chandler seems to be doing well…well enough to maybe get a call from BB. Happy that Torres has made it back into the starting line-up and going the full 90. Can’t wait for the rest of the leagues get back to playing.

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  22. Buddle’s goal was nice. I think he can have some success in Germany – at least at the Bundesliga 2 level. I think he can do well enough to move to a better team. If he gets hot he could even move to a better league.

    On the other side of the field, those highlights make Luis Robles look pretty bad. I kept thinking that Karlsruhe could use some American goalkeeping talent, then I realized they already have some. Hopefully this was just a bad game for Robles.

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  23. I thought Spector had an assist?

    (SBI-Wasn’t a clear-cut assist. He sent a long back to Cole, who then did a lot of work to score his goal.)

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