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Americans Abroad: Wednesday Rewind

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Oguchi Onyewu may have had to wait longer than he would have liked to earn his first start with Malaga, but he made the most of it on Wednesday.

A week after making his Malaga debut by coming off the bench in a Champions League game, Onyewu started and went the distance for the club in a 4-3 Copa del Rey win against third-division side Cacereno. Onyewu got Malaga off to a dream start, scoring his first goal for the club in the opening minutes of an entertaining Round of 32 match.

Terrence Boyd was the other American to find the back of the net. Boyd netted the goal that saved Rapid Vienna from defeat in the OFB-Samsung-Cup, scoring the equalizer against Rheindorf Altach for his ninth goal across all competitions this season. Vienna went on to win the third round match, 4-2, in extra time.

Clint Dempsey and Tottenham’s day was not anywhere near as good. In fact, it was downright awful.  Spurs suffered a 2-1 loss to Norwich City in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup, surrendering two late goals to the Canaries. Making matters worse was that Dempsey had a chance to equalize through an 89th-minute penalty kick, but his shot was saved and Tottenham was eliminated from the tournament.

Here is how the Americans Abroad who were involved in games on Wednesday fared:

CAPITAL ONE CUP

  • Clint Dempsey started, played 90 minutes and missed a potentially game-tying penalty kick in Tottenham’s 2-1 loss vs. Norwich City.
  • Brad Friedel did not dress for Tottenham.

COPA DEL REY

  • Oguchi Onyewu started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Malaga’s 4-3 win vs. Cacereno.

SERIE A

  • Michael Bradley started and played 67 minutes in Roma’s 3-2 loss vs. Parma.

DFB POKAL

  •  Steve Cherundolo started and played 120 minutes in Hannover’s 4-3 penalty kick win (after a 1-1 draw) vs. Dynamo Dresden.
  • David Yelldell dressed but did not play in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-2 win vs. Arminia Bielefeld.
  • Joe Gyau started and played 90 minutes in St Pauli’s 3-0 loss vs. VfB Stuttgart.
OFB-SAMSUNG-CUP
  • Terrence Boyd started, played 120 minutes and scored a GOAL in Rapid Vienna’s 4-2 win over Rheindorf Altach.

ALLSVENSKAN

  • Alejandro Bedoya started and played 90 minutes in Helsinborg’s 2-0 win vs. IFK.
  • Brian Span did not dress in Djurgarden’s 1-1 draw vs. Syrianska FC.

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What do you think of these performances? Do you see Onyewu becoming a regular starter for Malaga in the near future? How many more goals do you see Boyd scoring this season? Surprised Dempsey missed the penalty kick given how clutch he has proven to be in the past?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Relax, he has scored 2 game winning goals in the EPL and is playing better than his competition at his position, Sigurdsson. He’s going to get his 10+ goals this season, and in a team with many more scorers than Fulham. And he pretty much single-handedly solidified our qualifying for the Hex.

    Yeah he hasn’t lit it up yet, but he’s still settling in, give him time.

    The PK was well-saved. Even Messi has missed his fair share of PKs, it happens. Does it suck, of course it does. But the sky is not falling. Not worried about the Deuce, AT ALL.

    And oh yeah, Tottenham is in the TOP 4.

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  2. one thing that i have noticed watching spurs games this season, i am hyper-sensitive to dempsey’s mistakes. meaning, i am over-watching him. any other spurs player will lose the ball many times in a row, bale dribbles into a corner and gives terrible service, dembele dribbles right into a defender, i don’t give it a thought, as soon as dempsey loses the ball i get panicky.

    just saying, if everyone is watching, waiting for that one player to do something terrible or brilliant, it’s usually disappointing. when i started watching the whole team, it was much easier. he holds the ball really well, makes great runs, and created shots on goal out of very little. spurs are lucky to have him. and as always, his play will pick up and he will start scoring consistently. (for reference, see the last ten years of his career please).

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  3. I just wonder how many of these Dempsey doubters have even watched Spurs play this season. I think people may be let down by the shift away from a weekly Dempsey goal (or two) update during his time at Fulham. This doesn’t mean his play has been poor, he is just no longer the focal point of his teams attack, which is to be expected with a move to a more talented club.

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    • “I just wonder how many of these Dempsey doubters have even watched Spurs play this season.”

      Hey, BigDogg, this is exactly my point in my response to Andy in Atlanta. If you have a bunch of trolls flooding the board talking down Dempsey (or one person using different names), then people who did not see the games might be influenced by the “load of crap,” as Andy in Atlanta so eloquently puts it. And, I gotta say, if no one above mentioned Dempsey’s injury during that game, then that tells me that they did not see it. Because he got clobbered hard and he did not move the first few moments he smashed to the ground. It was worrisome and I bet Clint had a heck of headache last night.

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  4. This “Dempsey hasn’t started the season well” is a load of crap…

    Just because the guy does not have 5 goals already does not mean he is not playing well… He is getting considerable minutes for Spurs in each match they are in, whether it be the league, Europa, league cup…

    Matches that Clint has started for Spurs, they are 5-2-3 with a game winning goals against Man United and Southampton…

    He missed a penalty.. so what. He has never been great from the spot. The fact of the matter is, it takes time to gel with your team and with Dembele currently out and Defoe and Lennon being the most selfish players in the Prem this side of Saha… it was always going to be an adjustment period…

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    • The two game winning goals are nice and all but it’s rather clear that people don’t think Dempsey has played well overall. The goals only sugarcoat the situation.

      I agree with those who think Dempsey is not playing well, he’s not really creating chances or being dangerous.

      If he doesn’t pick it up, he will surely be riding pine since Levy is already on the hunt for roster additions in the winter transfer window.

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      • Sure Dempsey could play better. But no coach is going to be unhappy with a string of victories in the EPL, and the team in the CL spots. A winning team is a winning team.

        As for individual play, go back and look at the games, and see how many times Dempsey is in the right place to score, and doesn’t get the pass. It takes time to gell with new teammates.

    • Absolutely correct, Andy in Atlanta. The whole Tottenham team is struggling at times under a new coach and Clint has generally been solid. There are a lot of trolls coming to SBI who use a new name one time only to criticize Dempsey and then do not use the name again. I assume that most of these are Fulham fans who are angry at Clint for not signing the contract extension Martin Jol was trying to pressure him to sign. If you look at the negative comments on this one thread, it appears that several are new names, such as “fortunate only”. It’s possible that only one person is behind all those new names.

      I have no problem with regulars who are Fulham fans and sign in with their usual name, but the trolls who hide behind a new name each time are sort of irritating and people should not judging be Dempsey’s performances by negative comments from trolls.

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  5. I saw most of the Tottenham game, except for about 10 minutes of the first-half when switched to the Parma-Roma match and also missed about 15 minutes of the second half…

    But from what I saw Clint looked totally at ease with good movement, was hooking up well with Bale, but — surprise, surprise — not getting any service form Sigurdsson. Clint did have some scoring chances that he could not convert, had a couple of bad passes and couldn’t hold on to a couple of passes, but other Tottenham players also had plenty of bad moments, although Bale was solid as usual and Falque was impressive.

    I was stunned to see Clint go to the spot for the PK, sort of uhhh-ohhh. And I gotta say he did not look confident, looked like a guy that did not really want the honor and had serious doubts that he would succeed. I was hoping he would pull it off, but was not surprised at all when he failed to convert. To be quite honest, it was not a very good kick. I wonder why Bale did not take it. It’s possible that Bale let Clint have it as sort of a gift–they appear to be getting along together well. Clint did look a bit shaken by the miss and a minute later, I guess trying to make up for it, tried valiantly to win a head-shot on a long pass into the penalty box, but he got hit very hard by the goalkeeper and knocked flat to the ground and did not get up with time running out so you knew it was bad. AVB looked really concerned and when Clint sat up he was bleeding, had to be taken to the sidelines to be bandaged up but went back on field to finish the game.

    As for the Roma match, I saw only about 10 minutes, which included Parma’s first goal, allowed by a leaky Roma back line to even the score at 1-1. Two minutes later, Michael Bradley failed to control a pass to him in Parma’s half near the penalty box and it squirted to a Parma player. Parma took advantage of the mistake, quickly counter-attacked and got the the second goal. I did not see Parma’s third goal in the 65th minute, which put them up 3-1, but looking at the game report I see that iMB and a Roma defender were both removed from the game right after that in the 67th minute. Did anyone else here see the third — and game-winning — Parma goal?

    I would imagine that Roma coach Zdenek Zema is now on very thin ice.

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    • Biff,

      I agree about Dempsey, its really too bad he didn’t take advantage of some of the those opportunities. Especially considering it was against Norwich City, a team they should have beaten.

      I saw the third Parma goal against Roma. It was some really sloppy defending by Roma in front of goal (what a shock). To be fair, the field conditions were horrendous as standing water was greatly slowing down and stopping passes. Bradley was taken out very soon after that goal and I was wondering if the coach thought he might have been caught ball watching. A little harsh if so, but overall I thought Bradley was ok. A few nice plays in the beginning of the game but could have done better one some other ones.

      Reply
  6. Onyewu amazingly has played in England, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Holland and Belgium but, he has only really had consistent success in Belgium. Because Onyewu lacks quickness he struggles in a fast paced league like say England. Also, he sticks out like a sore thumb in more technical leagues like Spain and Italy because his lack of technical ability.

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    • Not true– his play in Portugal recently was strong across the board. Solid defense and goals as well. Fans and newspapers loved him–they called him Captain America.

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  7. I wouldn’t count Gooch out so quickly. If he can rediscover his best form and get some genuine traction at Malaga in terms of field time, he could come up huge for the Yanks at a time when the national team’s center of defense is uncomfortably thin. Might be a big “if” given how little playing time he’s had recently, but he’s shown too much quality at his best to just discount the guy completely.

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  8. Kev,

    It’s ironic that USMNT fans show less faith in Deuce than the managers he supposedly is always struggling to prove himself to.

    Why don’t you all look at his record?

    After his first season in 2006 -2007 when he had a total of 12 appearances, in the following five seasons he never had less than 40 or more than 46 appearances across all competitions. In the EPL they play .38 league games so just looking at the numbers Clint’s managers obviously believe in him more than you guys do.

    As you surmised, most likely they ran him for 90 in this game in an attempt to increase his game sharpness. They paid 7 mill for him and he seems to be the most likely replacement for VDV in the hole so they want him ready now. Van De Vaart was Spur’s designated penalty taker last year. I don’t know if Spurs has designated a replacement for VDV as the penalty taker but if it wasn’t Clint, then my guess is that player wasn’t playing in this game. Besides, I don’t know why he took the penalty but my guess would be Clint has to take a penalty sometime.

    The man is a pro and sooner or later will HAVE to take one so a second rate competition like the What’s In Your Wallet Cup is as good a place and time as any.

    As for this notion that AVB doesn’t know as much about Clint as you guys do, if you paid 7 mill for a player wouldn’t you do at least as much research as the average person who posts on SBI?

    Reply
    • Some good points, to which I would add that another thing Demps has going for him is his durability. Tottenham is playing a lot of games and a lot of higher profile guys there and on other teams are out injured already. You can’t help much if you can’t play. As Woody Allen once said, 90% of success is showing up.

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      • So that means that the SBI posters know more about Clint than AVB does? I mean isn’t AVB paid to know and understand his players and how to best utilize them?

        Are you saying AVB didn’t want Clint and had him forced on him?

  9. Dempsey looked improved against Southampton last week, to be fair. Although I didn’t see the Norwich game, my sense was that he had a decent game, minus the pen?

    But, all in all, the elephant in the room is that he’s not had a good start to the season. How much of that is due to the adjustment period, time will tell. But, a big problem for me with a guy like Dempsey playing for Tottenham is that it exposes his lack of blistering pace; which has always been his shortcoming. Tottenham is choked full of pacey freak shows that not only run flat out, they play/think incredibly fast as well. The margins for error are small with style of play and when you do make an error, or just simply aren’t on pace, it’s very obvious; which in turn loses you to the fans.

    I don’t know that that’s something Dempsey gets over at 29 years old. But, like others have said, he’s always proved doubters wrong, so let’s hope he does.

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  10. I will throw in my 2 cents on the Dempsey-speak.. I was also a little nervous about the move, I thought if its Liverpool or Arsenal (BIG names).. you gotta move- Spurs almost seemed a little weird the way it played out. But I will say this, Deuce is a guy who has made his living by setting goals beyond his capability, and working like a dog to get better. He has never been a “1 on 1 beat you on the dribble & make you look silly” guy, but I think by midseason we will be looking at this as a great move- No, he wont score 20 goals, but once he settles in with his new mates I think he will once again take his game up another notch. I also think having Dembele is key – (Demps just shouldntt take spot kicks!)

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  11. With Adebayor, Dembele and Parker injured you can bet Dempsey gets quite a run as a starter for a while. Sigurdsson hasn’t been all effective as well. Luckily Dempsey has scored a few goals. Defoe is a sloppy and selfish striker but scoring and so far those 2 have not clicked.

    Dempsey just needs more time to get to better adjust to his teammates. Him and Bale seem to be doing swell.

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  12. I love Demps, one of my favorite players but I agree with the posts above. I am nervous – ever since he got there. I think I am most nervous is that he started and played 90 in the Cup match. I didnt check did Tottenham play most of their starters? If not, that either means a) they are pushing him for fitness or b) he will not start over league play this weekend. Uh oh…..

    The thing you guys have to realize – i know the two goals he scored so far were not delightful but they were because he finished off the play and is at the right place, at the right time. That has been the bread and butter of most of Dempsey’s goals. That is why he is out there – even when he is flat, he can pull a goal out at anytime.And in clutch situations. I will never forget the goal vs. Liverpool that saved Fulham from relegation – his first year in EPL, I think?

    Last year (and the yr before in spurts) was different, he really started to be a leader on Fulham and score in all different ways with a huge amount of confidence. He was comfortable – became a big fish.

    New team, bigger club. No preseason with the team. Takes time to get back in that zone again. But bottom line – yes, a bigger club like Tottenham has a lower tolerance for “taking time”. I am nervous but I do also know one thing – has fought for a starting spot numerous times before with Fulham. And if he has to do it again, I know Dempsey will fight and be out there starting.

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  13. Gooch may have scored, but Malaga’s defense gave up 3 goals to a 3rd division side? Ay Caramba; did anyone see the game to see if he was at all at fault?

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    • Malaga may be the best club Gooch has been on (note their CL performances) and one of the guys ahead of him is Di Michaelis (sp?) who is awfully well regarded. Under those circumstances, his lack of playing time at a new club isn’t surprising.

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  14. Anyone else a but concerned about Demps’ play for Spurs so far as a whole body of work? He has looked flat, to say the very least

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    • Yeah, I am surprised he is still getting so many minutes. With the way Falque played today, I would not be surprised if Clint found himself on the bench against Wigan.

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    • Yes, he has been awful. Tottenham must be wondering what they were thinking. Dempsey is now out of his league. To think Dempsey wanted to play along side Suarez! He should have stayed with Fulham.

      Why Tottenham let him take a penalty kick is beyond me. Perhaps they hoped he would convert it and gain confidence? Ironically, he seemed to have a good first game with Spurs but it’s been all downhill since. The only reason he has any goals at all is because he kicked the ball into an empty net from close range twice.

      No one wants to say how bad Dempsey has been playing because they will be called a hater by the fan boys. Just watch the response this gets.

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      • Dempsey is out of his league? It’s the same league he has played in for 5 years and the opposition is the same. Having better teammates doesn’t make one a worse player. Getting in sync with new teammates and trying to follow a different approach with a new coach may have something to do with it.

      • Get a clue. The pressure on Dempsey is much greater at Tottenham than it is at Fulham. I wasn’t referring to an actual league. I was talking about the quality of players and play around him.

        Dempsey looks much better within the context of Fulham than he does with Spurs. So Gareth Bale and Jermaine Defoe (and others) are not at a higher level than most of the players he has played with at Fulham in the past? If he had gone to Liverpool it wouldn’t have been intimidating to play alongside Suarez who does things Dempsey can only dream about? Using your logic he could have played for Man United. It’s the same league, right?

        Playing with better players doesn’t necessarily make you worse as a player, though it could if you feel you have to play better now to stay on the pitch, or if you are no longer viewed as something special so you get the ball less, or if you are intimidated by the higher level of play by your team mates.

        Some of the tings you mentioned could also play a part, but judging by how many problems he is having adjusting I think there is more to it than just that.

      • I wonder why you check the comments too. You might want to call yourself “Minor Brain”. I honestly don’t think any of you three who responded have ever even played soccer.

      • Dempsey looks like the same player at Spurs that he is for the USMNT at times. It is frustrating as a fan because it doesn’t seem like he is doing enough – but he is actually working hard, causing trouble for the other team and scoring goals.

        He is never going to be smooth like Giggs or a bull in china shop like Rooney. He is going to be a maddeningly talented player who will find ways to win.

    • I just hope he grows into this central withdrawn striker role. He didn’t play this at fulham. He has always been in the wing or a striker in a 442. I do wonder if he takes the penalty today because no one else would.

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    • I’m wondering if his lack of a pre-season may have set him back along with lack of familiarity with new teammates. Let’s hope that’s it. He certainly looked okay in the game against Guatemala.

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  15. Please DON’T show Onyewu in a national team jersey

    Even if he did score today, his national team career has been long over!!

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    • Onyewu played really well in some big games for the U.S. He may be on the downside of his career and he may have seen his last days in a National Team jersey, but some respect is due.

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    • I am not so sure that his career with the Nats is over. It is not like he is playing in the USL. If he can get more games and build up form in Spain he may yet be an integral part of our World Cup team. This is coming from someone who was not impressed with his performance in the last world cup and some of his Nats performances since, but I also recognize that his injuries may have contributed to his bad form and that we are relatively thin at his position.

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    • Gooch has earned the right to be shown wearing that shirt.

      He came back too soon in 2010 when the US was short of CB’s for the World Cup and it proabably cost him a lot in terms of his career.

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    • Please DON’T show Weaksauce posts on SBI.

      Even if he did post today, his posts have never been worth the time of this forum.

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  16. Joe gyau will be starting from now on for St. Pauli. He was active all night long constantly making runs in behind stuttgart’s defense and and taking on opponents. He turned the ball over stupidly on a few ocassions, but once he calms down and settles into the team’s style he’ll play a big part in determining the success of the team.

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    • I saw big chunks of the game, and Gyau in general looked good. But St. Pauli was seriously outclassed by Stuttgart, which could have easily won 5-0 or more. Two young attackers Gyau was teamed with in Sunday’s match did not play yesterday, 20-year-old left winger Akaki Gogia on loan from Wolfsburg and 21-year-old striker Daniel Ginczek on loan from Dortmund. Instead, Marius Ebbers, 34, was 33-year-old Florian Bruns was playing left wing and they just were not up to it and no chemistry at all with the dynamic and speedy Gyau. Ginczek and Gogia might be back in action this weekend.

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      • I understand the decision to go with Ebbers as the lone man up top because of the need for a target man, playing with 5 mids, But starting Bruns was a definite head scratcher. Idk if gogia was unhealthy or what but the team played much better when they moved Bartles over to the flank and brought on Butchman. That was obviously their most effective line up.

        Avenor, the CB on loan looked pretty shaky to me and his inexperience
        showed IMO. Hopefully he improves or they’ll need to find someone else to partner thorandt

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