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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Jozy Altidore AZ 2 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

It did not take very long for Jozy Altdiore to fulfill U.S. men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's wishes.

Days after Klinsmann said he wanted to see Altidore create and finish his own chances, Altidore did just that and more in AZ Alkmaar's 3-3 draw with RKC Waalwijk on Sunday. Altidore continued to tear up the Eredivisie by netting his eighth goal in league play (and ninth in all competitions) on a great individual effort that saw him dribble by a pair of defenders before hitting a shot off the near post and in. Altidore followed that up by helping save AZ from defeat, assisting on an 88th-minute equalizer by heading a ball across the penalty area.

Aron Johannsson was another player that scored this weekend, netting the winner in AGF Aarhus' 2-1 over Odense BK on Sunday. The goal was Johannsson's Superliga-leading 11th of the season and marked the fifth consecutive league game in which he has tallied, a stretch of matches that has seen Johannsson score 10 of his 11 goals.

Dempsey also found the back of the net, scoring the decisive goal in Tottenham Hotspur's surprise 3-2 victory over Manchester United on Saturday. The goal, Dempsey's first for Spurs, gave Tottenham their first win at Old Trafford since 1989 and gave them three big points in their quest to try and lock up one of the Premiership's Champions League spots this season.

Here's how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Everton's 3-1 win vs. Southampton on Saturday.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Tottenham Hotspur's 3-2 win vs. Manchester United on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started, played 70 minutes and scored a GOAL for Tottenham Hotspur.

 

  • Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Aston Villa's 1-1 draw vs. West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
  • Eric Lichaj dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
  • Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City's 2-0 win vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
  • Maurice Edu dressed but did not play for Stoke City.

Championship

  • Tim Ream dressed but did not play in Bolton Wanderers' 1-0 loss vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday.
  • 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 1-0 win vs. Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
  • Will Packwood started and played 81 minutes for Birmingham City.
  • Conor Doyle did not dress in Derby County's 1-0 win vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread dressed but did not play in Leicester City's 2-1 win vs. Middlesbrough on Saturday.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 2-0 loss vs. Crawley Town on Saturday.
  • Robbie Rogers did not dress in Stevenage's 2-2 draw vs. Bury on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella came off the bench and played one minute in Scunthorpe United's 2-1 loss vs. Portsmouth on Saturday.

SPAIN

La Liga

  • Oguchi Onyewu dressed but did not play in Malaga CF's 4-0 win vs. Real Betis on Saturday.

Segunda Division

  • Carlos Bocanega started and played 90 minutes in Racing Santander's 1-1 draw vs. Numancia on Saturday.

ITALY

  • Michael Bradley did not dress in AS Roma's 4-1 loss vs. Juventus on Sunday.

GERMANY

Bundesliga

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 1-0 loss vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones started, played 73 minutes and received a yellow card in Schalke 04's 2-2 draw vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf on Friday.
  • Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's 0-0 draw vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday.

  • Danny Williams started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg's 2-0 loss vs. VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.
  • David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday.

2. Bundesliga

  • Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play MSV Duisburg on Monday. 
  • John Anthony Brooks and Hertha Berlin play MSV Duisburg on Monday.
  • Andrew Wooten dressed but did not play in SV Sandhausen's 4-0 loss vs. TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday.
  • Joe Gyau dressed but did not play in St Pauli's 3-0 loss vs. SSV Jahn Regensburg on Friday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Jozy Altidore started, played 90 minutes, had an ASSIST and scored a GOAL in AZ Alkmaar's 3-3 draw vs. RKC Waalwijk on Saturday.

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

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

PORTUGAL

  • Tony Taylor dressed but did not play in G.D. Estoril Praia's 2-2 draw vs. Sporting Lisbon on Saturday.
  • Caleb Patterson-Sewell did not dress in Vitoria Setubal FC's 1-1 draw vs. Beira Mar on Sunday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan dressed but did not play in RSC Anderlecht's 3-0 win vs. Lokeren on Saturday.

RUSSIA

  • Eugene Starikov did not dress in FC Rostov's 4-0 loss vs. Rubin Kazan on Sunday.

AUSTRIA

  • Terrence Boyd started, played 60 minutes and received a yellow card in Rapid Vienna's 2-0 win vs. Wacker Innsbruck on Saturday.

DENMARK

  • Michael Parkhurst started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in FC Nordsjaelland's 3-0 win vs. Esbjerg on Friday. You can see the assist here.
  • Clarence Goodson did not dress in Brondby IF's 3-2 loss vs. Randers FC on Sunday. He was serving his suspension for the ejection he received last week.
  • Conor O'Brien and SonderjyskE play FC Midtjylland on Monday.
  • Charlie Davies dressed but did not play in Randers FC's 3-2 win vs. Brondby IF on Sunday.
  • Aron Johannsson started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in AGF Aarhus' 2-1 win vs. Odense BK on Sunday.

SWEDEN

  • Alejandro Bedoya started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in Helsingborgs IF's 3-0 win vs. Atvidabergs FF on Sunday.

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

  • Brian Span and Djurgardens IF play Mjallby on Monday.

NORWAY

  • Josh Gatt did not dress in Molde FK's 4-3 win vs. Stabaek IF on Sunday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
  • Steve Clark started and played 90 mintues in Honefoss BK's 0-0 draw vs. Sogndal on Sunday.
  • Mix Diskerud started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Rosenborg BK's 5-2 win vs. Haugesund on Friday. You can see the goal here.
  • Sean Cunningham did not dress in Stabaek IF's 4-3 loss vs. Molde FK on Sunday.
  • Chad Barrett and Valerenga play Fredrikstad on Monday.

MEXICO

  • Jose Torres came off the bench and played 26 minutes in Pachuca's 1-0 win vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Saturday.
  • Herculez Gomez dressed but did not play Santos Laguna's 3-1 win vs. Atlante on Sunday.
  • Hector Joya came off the bench and played 21 minutes for Santos Laguna.
  • DaMarcus Beasley started and played 68 minutes in Puebla's 1-1 draw vs. Pumas UNAM on Sunday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Tigres UANL's 0-0 draw vs. San Luis on Saturday.
  • Michael Orozco Fiscal came off the bench and played 10 minutes in San Luis' 0-0 draw vs. Tigres UANL on Saturday.
  • Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana's 1-0 win vs. Queretaro on Saturday.
  • Joe Corona dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza did not dress for Club Tijuana.
  • Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America's 1-1 draw vs. Morelia on Saturday.

——-

What do you think of these performances? Expecting Altidore to get sold next summer? Do you see Dempsey and Tottenham earning a Champions League spot this season? Think there is any chance Johannsson accepts a U.S. men's national team call-up soon?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Crazy in your eyes maybe, but it is Klinsman’s argument too. Read some of his recent coments. Jozy is improving, but that likely won’t come by giving him the starting forward spot. He began his recent tear AFTER his club coach benched him at the start of the season.
    Kinsman’s strategy goal will take years to implement fully and it may not come to complete fruition until after he leaves, but it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try to implement it. If not now, when…? Should we always be satisfied with not being able to play a technical and “possession” game that allows flowing offense? Nah, let’s go back to the “bunker defense and just boot the ball upfield” style. That’s attractive.

    Reply
  2. Ever year 3-4 of the top scoring striker’s in the Dutch league are picked up by P.L. teams. Ruiz with Fulham was one example. It isn’t a bad league, but similar to the Mexican league, it places an emphasis on offensive movement and tactics.
    I am NOT a Jozy-hater; just someone who thinks this National team competition and his having to prove himself to both his club coach and Klinsman is a good thing for everyone. Jozy was benched early in the season by his club coach, only to begin the tear he is on. BUT, he should have to work his way onto the National team field –and that may mean from the bench as as sub at first. Guys who are playing as well as him or who have been more consistent as forwards: Dempsey, Donovan, Gomez, and even Boyd.

    Reply
  3. Oh man. you are right, Shane. My wrong. Too much soccer and I got my games confused. Yeah, against Lazio on September 20 in Europa League Clint was playing as a withdrawn striker and he looked great. It was the QPR game three days later on September 23 when AVB started Clint at left wing and Siggurdson in the withdrawn forward position (and Bale as left back) and Clint did not impress as a left winger. And in that game, AVB pulled Siggurdson at the half and moved Clint over to the center as withdrawn striker and Clint did well the rest of the game. And then on September 26 in the Carling Cup against Carlisle United, AVB experimented again with Clint as lone striker and it did not work so well. (That said, I Clint did have a very good game against Man U.)

    In any case, I think Clint works best as a withdrawn striker and I hope that is where Klinsmann will play him.

    Reply
  4. I watched the game and that was the second such header he had. The other was just as tough and just as nifty. He flicked a contested header into the run of his strike partner who just lacked the finishing touch (one on one with the keeper). Jozy definitely had some moments of immaturity and frustration out there. For example, trying to turn two or three defenders at once or complaining about where he received the ball. However, he was surrounded by two or three black shirts at all times and AZ was trying to run all of their offense through him. Great performance overall. And for everyone who thinks that Dutch League defenders are shite you should watch more Dutch football.

    Reply
  5. ESPN recently had an article about why some players (in all sports) manage to continue to do well , even improve, as they age past their physical prime, Gerrard was an example, I might add Scoles to that list as well as Wondolowski. The gist was that as physical attributes decline when an athlete gets older, the mental aspects can compensate and the sum of the parts is greater. In Jozy’s case, he is improving both mentally and athletically, it is too early to know if he will continue to improve after 26, but that still gives 4 more years of improvement.

    Reply
  6. Well, Jozy is presently leading the league in scoring, 8 goals vs 5 each for the 2 guys tied for 2nd place. If it is so easy to score in Holland, why isn’t everyone scoring as much as Jozy?

    Reply

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