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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

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photo by Douglas Zimmerman/ISIphotos.com

 

By FRANCO PANIZO

Robbie Findley had to wait longer than he would have liked, but he finally made his debut abroad this weekend.

Having fully recovered from a thigh injury picked up in February, Findley made his first appearance for Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The U.S. national team forward came off the bench and played 10 minutes in Nottingham's 3-2 win versus Leicester City, and he'll have another chance to see the field when Nottingham faces Bristol City on Monday.

Competition for the U.S. national team's forward spots for the Gold Cup was further raised as Herculez Gomez continued his recent scoring streak with the opener in Pachuca's 1-1 draw against Queretaro. The goal was Gomez's fourth in as many games.

Chris Rolfe also scored this weekend, coming off the bench to net Aalborg BK's second goal in a 3-3 draw with FC Nordsjaelland. Rolfe's second-half goal was his first of the season and second since joining Aalborg in 2010.

Here is how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:

England

PREMIERSHIP

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and made 5 saves in Everton's 1-0 loss vs. Manchester United on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started and played 80 minutes in Fulham's 1-1 draw vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made 2 saves in Aston Villa's 1-1 draw vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
  • Brad Guzan did not dress for Aston Villa.
  • Michael Bradley did not dress for Aston Villa.
  • Marcus Hahnemann dressed but did not play in Wolverhampton Wanderers' 1-1 draw vs. Fulham on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in West Ham United's 3-0 loss vs. Chelsea on Saturday.
  • Stuart Holden did not dress in Bolton Wanderers' 2-1 win vs. Arsenal on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Jermaine Jones and Blackburn Rovers play Manchester City on Monday.

CHAMPIONSHIP

  • Conor Doyle dressed but did not play in Derby County's 4-2 loss vs. Burnley on Saturday. Doyle and Derby County play Norwich City on Monday.
  • Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Derby County on Monday.
  • Eric Lichaj started and played 90 minutes in Leeds United's 0-0 draw vs. Reading on Friday. Lichaj and Leeds United play Crystal Palace on Monday.
  • Mike Grella did not dress for Leeds United. Grella and Leeds United play Crystal Palace on Monday.
  • Robbie Findley came off the bench and played 10 minutes in Nottingham Forest's 3-2 win vs. Leicester City on Friday. Findley and Nottingham Forest play Bristol City on Monday.
  • Eddie Johnson started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Preston North End's 4-0 loss vs. Millwall on Saturday. Johnson and Preston North End play Cardiff City on Monday.

LEAGUE ONE

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 3-2 win vs. Rochdale on Saturday. Simek and Carlisle United play Leyton Orient on Monday.
  • Anton Peterlin started and played 89 minutes in Plymouth Argyle's 1-0 win vs. Dagenham & Redbridge on Friday. Peterlin and Plymouth Argyle play Milton Keynes Dons on Monday.

Scotland

PREMIER LEAGUE

  • Maurice Edu started and played 84 minutes in Rangers' 0-0 draw vs. Celtic on Sunday.
  • Dominic Cervi did not dress in Celtic's 0-0 draw vs. Rangers on Sunday.

Germany

BUNDESLIGA 

  • Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 did not play this weekend.
  • DaMarcus Beasley and Hannover 96 did not play this weekend.
  • Ricardo Clark started and played 90 minutes in Eintracht Frankfurt's 1-1 draw vs. Bayern Munich on Saturday.
  • Daniel Williams and SC Freiburg did not play this weekend.
  • Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in Nurnberg's 0-0 draw vs. Mainz on Sunday.

BUNDESLIGA 2

  • David Yelldell and MSV Duisburg play Hertha Berlin on Monday.
  • Luis Robles started and played 90 minutes in Karlsruhe's 2-1 loss vs. RW Oberhausen on Saturday.
  • Edson Buddle came off the bench and played 18 minutes in FC Ingolstadt 04's 1-1 draw vs. FC Union Berlin on Sunday.
  • Amaechi Igwe did not dress for FC Ingolstadt 04. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Bobby Wood did not dress in TSV 1860 Munich's 3-0 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday.
  • Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play MSV Duisburg on Monday.

France

LIGUE 1

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

LIGUE 2

  • Quentin Westberg did not dress in Evian Thonon Gaillard's 0-0 draw vs. Le Havre AC on Friday.

Netherlands

  • Oguchi Onyewu came off the bench and played 1 minute in Twente Enschede's 2-1 win vs. ADO Den Haag on Friday.

Turkey

SUPER LIG

  • Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 1 minute in Bursaspor's 2-1 win vs. Manisaspor on Saturday.

BANK ASYA 1. LIG

  • Freddy Adu and Caykur Rizespor did not play this weekend.

Belgium

  • Sacha Kljestan was suspended for RSC Anderlecht's 2-1 win vs. Lokeren in the playoffs on Sunday due to yellow card accumulation.

Denmark

SUPERLIGA

  • Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Nordsjaelland's 3-3 draw vs. Aalborg BK on Sunday.
  • Marcus Tracy did not dress in Aalborg BK's 3-3 draw vs. FC Nordsjaelland on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Chris Rolfe came off the bench, played 29 minutes and scored a GOAL for Aalborg BK.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3gebJSaJ5c&w=400&h=400]  

  • Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF play Randers FC on Monday.

Sweden

  • Alejandro Bedoya and Orebro SK play Helsingborg on Monday.
  • Ryan Miller came off the bench and played 3 minutes in Halmstads BK's 1-1 draw vs. Trelleborg FF on Sunday.
  • Gale Agbossoumonde started and played 62 minutes in Djurgardens IF's 3-1 loss vs. Norrkoping on Sunday.

 Norway

  • Mixx Diskerud and Stabaek IF play Fredrikstad on Monday.
  • Josh Gatt and Molde FK play Brann on Monday.
  • Sean Cunningham and Molde FK play Brann on Monday.

Mexico

  • Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 1-1 draw vs. Queretaro on Saturday.
  • Herculez Gomez started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL for Pachuca.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho2Rbjnn8tc&w=400&h=400]  

  • Edgar Castillo did not dress in Puebla's 1-1 draw vs. Monterrey on Saturday.
  • Sammy Ochoa did not dress in Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G.'s 4-4 draw vs. Toluca on Sunday.
  • Sonny Guadarrama and Atlante play America on Sunday evening.
  • Jonathan Bornstein dressed but did not play in Tigres UANL's 3-0 win vs. Morelia on Sunday.
  • Gustavo Adrian Ruelas did not dress in Santos Laguna's 3-1 loss vs. San Luis on Saturday.

————–

What do you think of these performances? Starting to become more optimistic about the U.S. national team's depth at forward? Think Findley can make the Gold Cup roster? Expecting Gomez to continue his scoring streak? Do you see Rolfe making an impact this season with Aalborg?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Choosing the forwards for the Gold Cup roster is a really difficult decision. I feel comfortable with Altidore, Agudelo, and Bunbury though. I prefer them over the World Cup guys (Findley, Buddle, & Gomez). I just think the young players are better talents.

    Reply
  2. I actually don’t understand why Altidore is considered a good player. He has not done much at all to impress either on the national team level or at a club. (Other than NY)

    Yes, he scored a side-footed goal against Spain and many goals against teams like Trinidad & Tobago, but that is it.

    So, I am always perplexed as to why people are surprised when he doesn’t get any playing time for a club team. Have you ever thought that all of his clubs actually know what US fans seem to not understand…he’s not that good.

    Reply
  3. Racial no, xenophobic maybe. Even then it’s a term from US military presence, that has turned into traditionally apply to white Americans. If your panties are in that much of a wad over that… yeesh.

    As for Torres, he’s a type of player that teams have to build a spot for. Our system doesn’t really allow for an amoeba-type player that can float around with no real responsiblity to structure or defensive cover. Could definitely use his touch and composure, but in our high-detail structure I’m not sure BB can fit him in. Would take an outside the box type coach to make that work.

    Reply
  4. LMBO. I love it how people say other people are being trolls when in fact they are trolls, too. So like I say point a finger at a troll three fingers pointing back at the troll accuser.

    Reply
  5. As for the “Gringo” moniker — I don’t think it is the cutting slight you make it out to be in Torres’ case.

    Words mean things in different contexts. When the announcers on Mexican television refer to him as “Gringo Torres” it is often in an affectionate tone.

    When US fans do, it is almost always similarly in admiration, happy that we can claim him as one of our own.

    But this is all familiar territory — the “N-word”, “queer”, these things bring up similar questions. We might just have to agree to disagree.

    Reply
  6. I was disspointed for the first time in a long time, with Clint Dempsey this weekend. He missed a beautiful cross from Salcido. It was a sitter and he totally flubbed it.

    To make things worse, when he was subbed off, he was pouting like a child and wouldn’t shake hands with his teammate who replaced him.

    THEEEEEN, he had egg on his face b/c the sub scored in like 7 seconds after coming on!

    Let’s be professional Clint, c’mon.

    Reply
  7. I like Torres and think that he should be getting at least as many looks as Kljestan. For his own personal/professional development, Torres needs to find a different league that will allow him to develop different skills. I’m thinking Netherlands or even the second division in Spain.

    Reply
  8. Uhhh, in Jozy’s case, he’s a supposed striker who couldn’t find the back of the net if he was the only guy on the field.

    Reply
  9. I watched the part of the game Findley played. He did play well and his touch on the few balls that came his way was just fine. He was active and nearly stripped the ball for what could have been an easy goal. He definitely looked looked good.

    Reply
  10. Following up on my post, and providing actual analysis. As someone above mentioned, he is a deep-lying playmaker who is too small to provide defensive cover. It would leave a big gap in midfield because he would be paired with Jones, Bradley, or Edu who are all (varying) shades of defensive-minded midfielders who pick their forward runs cautiously.

    Jones and Edu are obviously more defensive-minded than Bradley, but a Bradley-Torres pairing wouldn’t work because the midfield would be overrun because of Torres’ weak defense because of his small frame.

    Holden is simply a better all-around player than Torres in every single way

    Reply
  11. I wonder what would happen if people threw out “wetback” or “spic” as casually as they throw out gringo on this board.

    To me, it’s a racial slur and shouldn’t be used. None of you will convince me otherwise on this.

    You’re calling Bob Bradley a racist? Really man? Last time I checked, he loves Bornstein who’s way darker-skinned than Torres and is also Mexican-American. See also: Bocanegra, as well as the numerous black players on the team.

    Reply
  12. Clark playing 90mins

    Findley making his debut and playing really well

    Chris Rolfe scoring a beautiful goal

    Herc Gomez scoring a goal on a solo effort

    Torres looking good and going a full 90mins

    Spector playing really well in midfield against a team like Chelsea

    This is a little encouraging from our boys, especially when the GOOD news is coming from places we don’t expect.

    Reply

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