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Americans Abroad: A Look Ahead

Kljestan (Getty Images)

The UEFA Champions League group stage is within reach for two Americans, but their teams will need to overcome first-leg deficits if they are to maintain hopes of competing on Europe's biggest stage and join the likes of Americans Jermaine Jones and Michael Parkhurst in the tournament field. 

Sacha Kljestan's Anderlecht and Bryan Gerzicich's Kiryat Shmona each suffered road defeats in last week's UCL final qualifying round first legs. Anderlecht netted an away goal at Cypriot side AEL Limassol, though, and returns home with a 2-1 deficit to overcome, while Kiryat Shmona must overturn a 2-0 lead held by Belarusian side BATE Borisov. 

The second round of the Capital One Cup (formerly Carling Cup) takes place in England as well, with a number of Americans who are fighting for first-team time getting the chance to start, including Aston Villa's Brad Guzan and Eric Lichaj and Bolton's Tim Ream.

Here is a look at who the Americans abroad play on Tuesday:

TUESDAY'S AMERICANS ABROAD (all games start at 2:45 p.m.)

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Sacha Kljestan and Anderlect play AEL Limassol (Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer2Go)

Bryan Gerzicich and Kiryat Shmona play BATE Borisov (FoxSoccer2Go)

CAPITAL ONE CUP

Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Tranmere Rovers

Tim Ream, Stuart Holden and Bolton play Crawley Town (Holden is out injured)

Clint Dempsey and Fulham play Sheffield Wednesday (Dempsey has not been training with the first team)

Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu and Stoke City play Swindon Town (Edu is not yet available for Stoke)

Robbie Rogers and Stevenage play Southampton

Jonathan SpectorWill Packwood and Birmingham City play Coventry City

Zak Whitbread and Leicester City play Burton Albion

Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United play Norwich City

Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Ipswich Town

Robbie Findley and Nottingham Forest play Wigan Athletic

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Think that Anderlecht and/or Kiryat Shmona will overturn their respective deficits at home? Excited to see the likes of Guzan, Lichaj and Ream get the chance to start?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. If you read up on Lichaj on AV fan websites and the Birmingham papers the consensus seems to be that Lichaj is very promising but very inexperieced.

    Most seem to feel he is not really for full time EPL starter material yet but is better than what has been there for now (Huton and Warnock).

    In other words he is Villa’s Spector.

    Lambert is known to be a conservative guy so he is not likely to to want to throw Liohaj in the deep end and probably prefers to bring in another fullback to supplement Lownton.

    The reason JK has left Eric out all this time seems to be that JK thinks it is better if Eric nails something down now.

    su for the fans is

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  2. What the hell happened to the Fox Soccer Report? It is like watching a game show now. I absolutely hate the new format,the Ryan Sea-crest look alike, Thomas Roogan and that ridiculous bow tie, and the Vana White who just pisses me off every time she opens her mouth.

    Go back to Winnipeg. Bring back Michelle and the any of the litany of soccer savvy male announcers going back to Mitch…can’t remember his last name. This show is simply unwatchable.

    And the reason we all watched the show: BOBBY McMAHON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Spector’s first goal in 2 years and he did it from the left back position. Go Specs! Great to see him back from injury.

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  4. JK may have had a blind spot on Gomez, but the others….not so much. He left Bradly off the roster a couple times while he settled his club situation (Transfer from Germany to Italy), He gave Kljestian a few shots (Belgum, & Italy) where Kljestian didn’t perform well at all.
    I think Lichaj will get a call up soon. If Chandler doesn’t accept a call up in Sept. I wouldn’t be supprised to see Lichaj get called in. If Chandler does accept than it will come down to whenever Lichaj can get a string of games together with his club.

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  5. Every time I’ve seen the guy, he plays really well. I’d generally give credit to the manager, since he sees the player in training every day, but the current situation and decision making in AV is so absurd that he may be training well, but just not getting recognized. He’d be a perfect candidate for showcasing by Klinsi, but unfortunately, like Kljestan and Herc and Bradley for a while, JK seems to have a blind spot for Eric. I think if JK showcased him or at least got him in camp, it could jump start his career, but unfortunately he’s stuck.

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  6. Lichaj better pray for injuries because it doesn’t look like he will ever get a start in the PL for AV. He’s been a sub and starting in the cup but the manager is signing a new LB. Maybe it’s best for him to drop to the Championship?

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  7. Me too, checking regularly for updates (do you notice how Clint’s full name now pops up with just C-L typed into the search box?). Anyway, I now think my first choice for Clint all summer might be coming back in the picture: Schalke. News stories now coming out that Liverpool wants Schalke’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has not yet signed a contract extension and has an €18 million release clause in his current Schalke contract. But Liverpool apparently will not buy Huntelaar unless they first get rid of Andy Carroll. If Liverpool gets Huntelaar, I think chances of them still going after Dempsey are very low, but Schalke will need some offensive fire power and they have been keeping an eye on Clint apparently for a long time and even made a bid in a previous transfer window that Fulham declined, according to a soccer news web site that I don’t think I am allowed to name on SBI. Dempsey would fit in great at Schalke. But Arsenal also would be a great match for Clint, and that same story claims that Arsenal also bid for Dempsey in a previous window. Here’s the link to the Huntelaar-Carroll story…

    Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Agrees To Liverpool Switch But Club Must Offload Andy Carroll First
    http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/08/28/klaas-jan-huntelaar-agrees-to-liverpool-switch-but-club-must-offload-andy-carroll-first/

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  8. Cameron starting for Stoke again today. Obviously can’t see the game right now but it looks like he’s lined up in his D-mid spot again.

    Guzan and Lichaj both starting for Aston Villa with AV up 1-0 at the moment. Hopefully this will carry over for both thos players and they can start getting more reps in the EPL matches too.

    Ream starting for Bolton as well. They’re up 1-0 at the moment. Spector also starting with his team down 2-1. Stevanage has Robbie starting too.

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  9. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing him there, and I think he offers a flexibility that Zeman would like, but I’m not sure Roma would shell out anything approaching what Fulham seem to want for him. It’s going to be interesting, especially if Clint waves away teams like Sunderland, not that I’d want him to go there, and Fulham are definitely playing hardball right now, to state the obvious.

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  10. Everything is a rumor at this point, which has me checking the rumors every 10 minutes. I don’t think we will know anything before the end of the transfer period on Friday.

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