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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Geoff Cameron Stoke (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Geoff Cameron may have spent most of this past week in the United States completing paperwork to finalize his move to Stoke City, but that did not stop him from earning a start and making an impressive debut for the Potters. 

Three days after arriving to England, Cameron put forth an impressive 90-minute outing in his first Stoke appearance as he helped the club hold Arsenal to a scoreless draw at Britannia Stadium. Cameron was deployed as a central midfielder and he reportedly was one of the best players on the field, showing some smooth passing and great range to disrupt the Gunners' talented attack. The only way the match could have been better for Cameron, who has had limited training with his new teammates in recent weeks, is if Stoke would have found a way to win.

Michael Bradley also made his debut for his new club, AS Roma, on Sunday and he helped save the club from a huge season-opening disappointment by coming through in the clutch. Roma was trailing Catania by one goal when Bradley, who started and went the distance despite picking up an early caution, assisted on Nico Lopez's stunning equalizer in the 90th minute of the 2-2 draw.

The lone goal this weekend came from Josh Gatt, who netted an early winner in Molde FK's 2-0 win over Chad Barrett and Valerenga. Gatt found the back of the net three minutes into the game by using his trademark speed, and that marked the third straight league match in which he has scored. The goal was his sixth of the season.

Here's how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Everton's 3-1 win vs. Aston Villa on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey did not dress in Fulham's 3-2 loss vs. Manchester United on Saturday.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Tottenham Hotspur's 1-1 draw vs. West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
  • Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa's 3-1 loss vs. Everton on Saturday.
  • Eric Lichaj came off the bench, played 30 minutes and had an ASSIST for Aston Villa.

https://dailymotion.com/video/xt1yzm_a1-3e-www-fasthighlights-com_sport

  • Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City's 0-0 draw vs. Arsenal on Sunday.
  • Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City. He is still waiting to receive his work permit.

Championship

  • Tim Ream dressed but did not play in Bolton Wanderers' 2-2 draw vs. Nottingham Forest on Friday.
  • Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City's 2-0 loss vs. Watford on Saturday.
  • Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City.
  • Conor Doyle dressed but did not play in Derby County's 1-1 draw vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
  • Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest's 2-2 draw vs. Bolton Wanderers on Friday.
  • Zak Whitbread did not dress in Leicester City's 2-1 loss vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 4-2 win vs. Portsmouth on Saturday.
  • Robbie Rogers came off the bench and played 11 minutes in Stevenage's 1-0 win vs. Oldham Athletic on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella started and played 90 minutes in Scunthorpe United's 4-0 loss vs. Yeovil Town on Saturday.

ITALY

  • Michael Bradley started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and had an ASSIST in AS Roma's 2-2 draw vs. Catania on Sunday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK_rNOYY44g?feature=player_embedded] 

GERMANY

Bundesliga

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 2-2 draw vs. Schalke 04 on Sunday.
  • Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and had an ASSIST in Schalke 04's 2-2 draw vs. Hannover 96 on Sunday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9OE_5AO6lY?feature=player_embedded] 

  • Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's 2-1 loss vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.
  • Danny Williams dressed but did not play for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Joe Gyau did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg's 1-0 win vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday.
  • David Yelldell dressed but did not play in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-1 loss vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

2. Bundesliga

  • Alfredo Morales did not dress in Hertha Berlin's 2-1 win vs. SSV Jahn Regensburg on Friday.
  • John Anthony Brooks did not dress for Hertha Berlin.
  • Andrew Wooten dressed but did not play in SV Sandhausen's 2-0 win vs. FC Union Berlin on Friday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Jozy Altidore started and played 81 minutes in AZ Alkmaar's 0-0 draw vs. SC Heerenveen on Sunday.

PORTUGAL

  • Oguchi Onyewu and Sporting CP play Rio Ave on Monday.
  • Tony Taylor came off the bench and played 45 minutes in G.D. Estoril Praia's 1-1 draw vs. Pacos de Ferreira on Sunday.
  • Caleb Patterson-Sewell started and played 90 minutes in Vitoria Setubal FC's 5-0 loss vs. Benfica on Sunday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht's 1-1 draw vs. OH Leuven on Saturday.

RUSSIA

  • Eugene Starikov did not dress in Zenit St. Petersburg's 2-1 loss vs. FK Rubin Kazan on Saturday.

AUSTRIA

  • Terrence Boyd started and played 90 minutes in Rapid Vienna's 1-0 loss vs. Wolfsberger AC on Sunday.

DENMARK

  • Michael Parkhurst started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in FC Nordsjaelland's 4-1 win vs. SonderjyskE on Friday. You can see the assist here.
  • Clarence Goodson started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Brondby IF's 1-1 draw vs. Esbjerg on Sunday.
  • Conor O'Brien started and played 90 minutes in SonderjyskE's 4-1 loss vs. FC Nordsjaelland on Friday.
  • Charlie Davies came off the bench and played one minute in Randers FC's 3-2 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Saturday.

SWEDEN

  • Alejandro Bedoya came off the bench, played 37 minutes and received a yellow card in Helsingborgs IF's 3-1 loss vs. Djurgardens IF on Saturday.
  • Brian Span dressed but did not play in Djurgardens IF's 3-1 win vs. Helsingborgs IF on Saturday.

NORWAY

  • Josh Gatt started, played 62 minutes and scored a GOAL in Molde FK's 2-0 win vs. Valerenga on Sunday. You can see the goal here.
  • Steve Clark started and played 90 minutes in Honefoss BK's 1-0 loss vs. Tromso on Sunday.
  • Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in Rosenborg BK's 1-1 draw vs. Viking on Sunday.
  • Sean Cunningham did not dress in Stabaek IF's 4-1 loss vs. Haugesund on Sunday.
  • Chad Barrett started and played 64 mintues in Valerenga's 2-0 loss vs. Molde FK on Sunday.

MEXICO

  • Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 0-0 draw vs. Santos Laguna on Saturday.
  • Herculez Gomez dressed but did not play in Santos Laguna's 0-0 draw vs. Pachuca on Saturday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Puebla's 1-0 win vs. San Luis on Sunday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Tigres UANL's 1-1 draw vs. Toluca on Saturday.
  • Michael Orozco Fiscal started and played 90 minutes in San Luis' 1-0 loss vs. Puebla on Sunday.
  • Edgar Castillo started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Club Tijuana's 1-0 win vs. Club America on Saturday.
  • Joe Corona started and played 80 minutes for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza did not dress for Club Tijuana.
  • Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America's 1-0 loss vs. Club Tijuana on Saturday.

——-

What do you think of these performances? How impressed are you by Cameron's debut? Think Bradley's clutch assist will help keep him in Roma's starting lineup? How many more goals do you see Gatt scoring this season?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Its not just that Cameron did well, but he was announced as MOTM in the closing minutes of the game by the stadium announcer.

    Reply
  2. Sorry to disagree with a solid post on a minor point there HansomeJake but some of us do have those abilities.. but not necessarily the physical gifts or consistency necessary to make it at that level.

    How else would we be able to appreciate the sublime beauty without having done the same?

    Reply
  3. Don’t take this the wrong way, Drew I don’t think you have a true understanding of professional sports. The guys out there are the best in the world. Sometimes a player (QB or in this case MB) has to put a ball in a spot where only his player can make a move for it. Having the vision and ability to so precisely place a ball and then trust that the player who received the ball can then either pass it or put it in the back of the net is AMAZING! I promise you nor anybody else commenting on this site has that ability. The goal was beautiful and spectacular, and to take that away from somebody because you can’t imagine the ability and skill level it takes to place a ball 30-40 yards down field so precisely is a shame.

    What an amazing goal from set up to finish.

    Reply
  4. Thanks for that, Old School. So that is all it is, that the quality of the third league is so bad. I guess I can understand not posting Boca’s weekly results, but some of the other comments made it appear as if he had done something awful and I was just wondering whether I had missed something.

    Reply
  5. I know MB technically gets the assist for the goal, but how responsible can you really say he is? It’s like a qb who chucks a hail mary into the mixer in the final seconds of the game and the wr comes up with a spectacular catch after it bobbles around through a number of hands.

    Both of Roma’s goals were quite spectacular!

    Reply
  6. For the same reason my Sunday League is not posted on here.

    The quality in the top flight of Scotland is laughable outside of Celtic/Rangers. I can only imagine the 3rd Division is on par with the drunks down at your local park, hence, not being worth reporting.

    To be honest, I respect the hell out of Carlos but I think JK should give serious consideration of not calling him up for playing in such a poor league. That’s not hyperbole but a sincere opinion.

    Reply
  7. As far as I’m concerned it’s about all American’s playing abroad. Rossi, Subotic and Chandler are all a part of that, whether they play for the USNT or not. An American fan should still be interested in seeing what they are doing and while they may not be a part of the national team program, this is not a series about the national team. It’s about American soccer players playing outside of the US. Rossi, Subotic, Chandler et al. qualify.

    Reply
  8. boosted: you actually make a good point, but your obnoxiousness overshadows it.
    There is no reason that Cameron shouldn’t be a legit contender for CM on that NATS if he plays that well in the EPL. I don’t know why people think Bradley and Jones are just DCM’s anyways- they are 2 of our most dangerous attacking players. A good argument can be made for playing Cameron as the DCM and letting Bradley and Jones attack more. Right now, I’d take Cameron ahead of Beckerman and Edu at DCM, although I’d say he is clearly a 3rd option in CM behind JJ/MB but he could also be a solid backup. Nonetheless, he IS a versatile player with a higher ceiling than Edu and our other CB options so one shouldn’t doubt that he can improve at CB,. Considering our options right now, it makes sense to play him at CB, especially if MB and JJ are 2 starting CMs.

    Reply
  9. I think of all your points, the only one I enjoyed was the “Five….FIF” statement.

    One, two, three, four, FIIIIIIIF.

    Any Chappelle Show reference is a good one, in my book.

    Reply
  10. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t international CBs evolving into a skill set that is more midfielder-ish, anyway? Accurate passing skills, good with ball at feet under pressure, plus physical size and positional awareness? Seems to me having Cameron able to play either position is win/win, plus forces folks like Ream and Gonzalez and the mythical George John to elevate their own game.

    Reply
  11. Camerons value to the USMNT will be in his versatility of playing more than one position, not his ability to play DM. That’s a
    position very deep on the NATs with Bradley, Jones and Edu and maybe Beckerman. Nice to see his good start at Stoke City!

    Reply
  12. Considering the Cameron has been playing central defense in the MLS and is capped at centeral defense: it is easy to see why people are expecting him to play central defense.

    The other issue is that the USMT has more defensive midfielders than it knows what to do with right now. Addiing another one to the mix is not ideal from the US Soccer perspective.

    Correct me if I am wrong: but John and Gonzalez have not been capped by the US

    Reply
  13. Can someone please enlighten me why the captain of the USMNT should be ignored in a weekly round-up of Americans abroad. I am not judging this decision one way or the other, but there seems to be something below the surface that I am now aware of. Like the comment from David that Boca is dead to him. Can someone please explain to me what is going on? And all that said, yes, I am disappointed that Bocanegra has not found a better team to play for and I could understand that this could endanger his status on the USMNT. Tim Howard was a fine captain against Mexico.

    Reply
  14. boosted335 is being a bit belligerent, but he is making a valid point. I have been a Cameron fan all along, even back during Camp Cupcake when some were criticizing him, and if he can succeed as a starting holding midfielder in the Premier League, I would be totally excited about the prospects of him carrying that experience over to the USMNT. Whether he is playing central defender or Number Six is really irrelevant, and I have faith Klinsmann will be able to slot him in the right spot on the USMNT and he will succeed there also.

    It is too bad, though, that Cameron is playing for Stoke. I do not like that thuggish team at all, and the fans yesterday booing Aaron Ramsey, who suffered a double leg break from a vicious tackle by Shawcross, was disgusting. Hopefully Cameron will excel this season and be poached by a better team.

    Reply

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