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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

After spending more than a month and a half on the sidelines, Tim Ream returned to Bolton Wanderers’ starting lineup in the first game under interim manager Jimmy Phillips. But Ream surely did not put forth the type of comeback game he would have wanted.

Playing in his first match since Sept. 1, Ream contributed to the Trotters’ early-game woes in their 3-2 home win over Bristol City by clumsily going into a challenge that earned the visitors the penalty kick for the second goal. Bolton managed to rally, however, scoring three times to pick up their first win in four games.

Another player who made his way back into his team’s starting eleven was Brad Friedel. After being benched one game and seeing his record streak of consecutive starts come to an end, Friedel got the nod again for Tottenham in their 4-2 loss to Chelsea. The veteran goalkeeper made three saves in the match.

Alejandro Bedoya had one of the better performances of the weekend, putting together a Man of the Match outing in Helsingborgs IF’s 1-1 draw with Orebro SK. Bedoya made his former club pay by assisting on the opener, but Orebro netted a late equalizer to avoid suffering a loss.

One of the other bright spots came in Hertha Berlin’s 2-0 win against VfL Bochum on Friday. U.S. Under-20 men’s national team defender John Anthony Brooks started and went the distance for Hertha in the triumph, helping the club earn a cleansheet in his seventh appearance of the season.

Here’s how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Everton’s 1-1 draw vs. Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Tottenham’s 4-2 loss vs. Chelsea on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started and played 74 minutes for Tottenham.
  • Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Aston Villa’s 1-0 loss vs. Fulham on Saturday.
  • Eric Lichaj came off the bench, played 28 minutes and received a yellow card for Aston Villa.
  • Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 4-2 loss vs. Manchester United on Saturday.
  • Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City.

Championship

  • Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Jonathan Spector started, played 90 minutes and received TWO YELLOW CARDS  in stoppage time in Birmingham City’s 1-1 draw vs. Leicester City on Saturday.
  • Will Packwood dressed but did not play for Birmingham City.
  • Conor Doyle did not dress in Derby County’s 1-1 draw vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Leicester City’s 1-1 draw vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 2-0 loss vs. Colchester United on Saturday.
  • Robbie Rogers came off the bench and played seven minutes in Stevenage’s 1-0 win vs. Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United’s 1-1 draw vs. Swindon Town on Saturday.

SPAIN

La Liga

  • Oguchi Onyewu dressed but did not play in Malaga CF’s 2-1 win vs. Valladolid on Saturday.

Segunda Division

  • Carlos Bocanega started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Racing Santander’s 0-0 draw vs. Lugo on Sunday.

ITALY

  • Michael Bradley came off the bench and played two minutes  in AS Roma’s 4-2 win vs. Genoa on Sunday.

GERMANY

Bundesliga

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96’s 3-1 loss vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones came off the bench and played 11 minutes in Schalke 04’s 2-1 win vs. Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
  • Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-3 draw vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Friday.
  • Danny Williams did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
  • Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Augsburg on Sunday.
  • David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw vs. Mainz on Saturday.

2. Bundesliga

  • John Anthony Brooks started and played 90 minutes in Hertha Berlin’s 2-0 win vs. VfL Bochum on Friday.
  • Alfredo Morales did not dress for Hertha Berlin.
  • Andrew Wooten started and played 79 minutes in SV Sandhausen’s 3-1 loss vs. Kaiserslautern on Friday.
  • Joe Gyau came off the bench and played 15 minutes in St Pauli’s 1-1 draw vs. SC Paderborn 07 on Sunday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Jozy Altidore did not dress in in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-0 loss vs. NEC Nijmegen on Saturday. He was serving a one-game suspension for the ejection he received in the last game.

PORTUGAL

  • Tony Taylor dressed but did not play in G.D. Estoril Praia’s 2-1 loss vs. Pacos de Ferreira in the third round of Taca de Portugal on Sunday.
  • Caleb Patterson-Sewell dressed but did not play in Vitoria Setubal FC’s 1-0 win vs. Tondela in the third round of Taca de Portugal on Saturday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan dressed but did not play in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-0 win vs. Waasland-Beveren on Friday.

RUSSIA

  • Eugene Starikov did not dress in FC Rostov’s 0-0 draw vs. Lokomotiv Moscow on Sunday.

AUSTRIA

  • Terrence Boyd came off the bench, played 45 minutes and received a yellow card in Rapid Vienna’s 2-0 loss vs. Austria Vienna on Sunday.

DENMARK

  • Michael Parkhurst came off the bench and played 17 minutes in FC Nordsjaelland’s 3-0 win vs. Silkeborg IF on Friday.
  • Clarence Goodson did not dress in Brondby IF’s 1-0 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
  • Conor O’Brien started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in SonderjyskE’s 2-1 loss vs. Aalborg BK on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4iyeeBTqsY?feature=player_embedded]

  • Charlie Davies and Randers FC play AGF Aarhus on Monday.

SWEDEN

  • Alejandro Bedoya started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in Helsingborgs IF’s 1-1 draw vs. Orebro SK on Sunday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfS2yHV6JkM?feature=player_embedded]

  • Brian Span and Djurgardens IF play GAIS on Monday.

NORWAY

  • Josh Gatt started, played 45 minutes and received a yellow card in Molde FK’s 1-1 draw vs. Stromsgodset on Sunday.
  • Steve Clark started and played 90 minutes in Honefoss BK’s 0-0 draw vs. Stabaek IF on Sunday.
  • Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in in Rosenborg BK’s 2-0 win vs. Sandnes Ulf on Friday.
  • Sean Cunningham did not dress in Stabaek IF’s 0-0 draw vs. Honefoss BK on Sunday. He is recovering from a hip injury.
  • Chad Barrett dressed but did not play in Valerenga’s 3-1 loss vs. Aalesund on Sunday.

MEXICO

  • Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes in Pachuca’s 1-1 draw vs. Monterrey on Saturday.
  • Herculez Gomez came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Santos Laguna’s 4-1 loss vs. Toluca on Saturday.
  • Hector Joya came off the bench and played 27 minutes for Santos Laguna.
  • DaMarcus Beasley did not dress in Puebla’s 2-0 loss vs. Jaguares de Chiapas on Friday. He is recovering from a rib injury.
  • Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Tigres UANL’s 5-0 win vs. Pumas UNAM on Saturday.
  • Michael Orozco Fiscal did not dress in San Luis’ 3-2 win vs. Atlas on Saturday night.
  • Edgar Castillo did not dress in Club Tijuana’s 2-2 draw vs. Cruz Azul on Friday. He is recovering from a foot injury.
  • Joe Corona came off the bench and played 25 minutes for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza started and played 90 minutes for Club Tijuana.
  • Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America’s 2-1 win vs. Leon on Saturday.

——-

What do you think of these performances? Expecting Ream to continue to get starts after his outing against Bristol City? How many more games do you think Friedel will start again before Hugo Lloris is given another chance?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Looks like our German-American contingent might just get bigger. At a time we are searching for tall, strong defenders John Anthony Brooks appears on the radar(and we have the right man to get him). Towering 6’5″, quick on his feet, strong in the air, came up through the german soccer academy system …….what do we have to lose? Only problem he is only 19…lol

    Reply
  2. John Anthony Brooks: is this guy a CB worth a senior team call up in January? he’s only 19, but playing and starting in Bundesliga 2. not assuming he’s better than anyone else in the pool, but thinking that we need to figure out CB pool right quick beyond thew standard retreads or known entities (Demerit and Whitbred and George John, Gonzalez and Onyewu).

    Also think Amobi Okugo merits a look. He’s a few years down the road yet from being an international, but his conversion to CB with Philly has been going well.

    Reply
    • He deserves a look in Nov because A. he’s starting at 19 B. is built like Gooch but is far more mobile and C. he has also had looks by Germany so we need to tie him up fast. And D. we’re desperate for new CB blood and with nothing to lose in Russia, there’s no harm.

      I’d like to see him, Mix, and Gatt in Nov as new bloods. Maybe our Icelandic striker too with Gomez left home. Nov should be mostly European players.

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  3. I won’t be surprised if Dempsey ends up on the bench very soon. He hasn’t looked good at all with the Spurs, seems to be completely out of sync with the rest of the team. And he’s too lazy defensively — he was clearly at fault for Chelsea’s second goal. Leisurely jogged a couple of paces behind Mata. With just a little effort he could’ve easily prevented that goal.

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    • He definitely hasn’t played well. But, luckily Sigurddson hasn’t played well either so neither has been able to cement a starting position.

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    • “… seems to be completely out of sync with the rest of the team. And he’s too lazy defensively, Leisurely jogging…” David M this describes Deuce on the USMNT too. Some how he still maintains at the highest level

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    • I agree that he looked out of sorts on Saturday. In his defense, he is going to be asked to play mostly as a withdrawn forward/ attacking center mid. In Bale’s absence, Dempsey was asked to play out wide left and Sigurddson started in the center. They did switch after a while, but Deuce thrives on his outside mids pushing forward and him joining the attack late. I look forward to him settling into that role between Lennon and Bale. It was obvious early on that Chelsea was going to force Tottenham to play through Dempsey out wide which had the intended result of a disjointed attack. Once they got Lennon involved and running at Cole they found a lot more success. I just hope he gets regular playing time, but I am comforted by the fact that while he has to prove himself at a new club his earlier successes give him more lee way than someone still trying to establish themselves in the EPL.

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    • I kind of agree, i think he needs a rest. As soon as Spurs get back to full squad i can see them using him in most not all games. Duece has always been the type to disappear and reappear in games

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  4. It was a good sign to see Joe Gyau subbed in Sunday in the first game under new coach Michael Frontzeck. Something for Gyau to build on. In what could be most important for Gyau, Frontzeck made a major strategic change from the previous coach by moving former left winger Fin Bartels to the Number 10 central attacking midfield position, where he excelled as man of the match. But Gyau still has to compete with another 20-year-old, Akaki Gogia, who is on loan from Wolfsburg, for a starting position. Gogia started on Sunday and was pulled for Gyau.

    Gyau only had, I think, three touches, maybe four, in his 15 minutes, as St. Pauli was attacking mainly from the right side. (I felt Gyau might have been ignored a few times by others who wanted to be the hero scoring the go-ahead goal.) But, I gotta say, Gyau in one play brought down a long, long pass from way back with his left foot and controlled wonderfully, really showed technical expertise, and then took on a defender one-on-one and won a corner kick.

    St. Pauli looked good, should have won 4-1. Had a lot of shots on goal but also faced a superb performance from the goalkeeper.

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  5. Hoffenheim on Friday looked great offensively, some high-quality one-touch soccer. This is a young team and they are starting to gel offensively. I mean it was an exceptional display. Amazing. Unfortunately, their central defenders are awful. I think Hoffenheim need Omar Gonzalez and/or George John, like a move in the January transfer window.

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  6. Schalke beating Dortmund was pretty cool…although I do like Dortmund also and hope they can bounce back against Real Madrid on Wednesday…

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  7. whats up with Goodson? Is he injured? I thought he was captain for his Danish club? And is Parkhurst moving to a better league. I understand staying for CL matches but soon thats over

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  8. So Ream was called for the penalty. But how did he play the rest of the way? He went the distance so it couldn’t have been that bad, right?

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    • In general for a defender to get subbed he would either need to be injured, tired, changed for tactical reasons or have an unacceptable performance to get subbed. So he could have still been bad and played the full 90.

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  9. We need to see if the Whitbread dude can play within a national team setup. Also, I dont understand the lack of respect Spector gets from the US Mens team. He should be called in more frequently.

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    • The man is only 26 years old, has played in the EPL, Championship league, goes full 90 for his club, is experienced at right back and central Midfield (so we should never see beckerman), and has tons of experience:
      2003–2006 Manchester United 3 appearances
      2005–2006 → Charlton Athletic (loan) 20 appearances
      2006–2011 West Ham United 101 appearances
      2011– Birmingham City 42 appearances
      This man needs to be a regular on the USMNT(and stop being played out of position)

      Reply
      • It’s not as if Spector has never had a callup or been given a shot with the USA. Some players just dont do as well at international level.

      • i’m not choosing either side of this ‘debate’, because he’d just be depth at best, but want to point out that spector has performed well for usmnt (during and around confeds cup).

        he’s just also (more recently) performed poorly for usmnt, and so kind of played his way out of a call-up. doesn’t mean he won’t ever earn another one.

      • He’s also very injury prone, was dropped by his Premier League team (Norwich), and isn’t seeing consistent playing time yet.

        He would be helpful, but he’s not better than Boca. He’s just as slow and not as smart. Would probably be better than Goodson at the moment though.

  10. Mr. Panizo, thank you for such a great feature! Would it be possible to either include what position they started the match in or what position they played when subbing in? There are a lot of newer names on this list and I confess for about half the names I’m not sure what position they play, or if they’re playing on the club level the position they have cone to play on that national sides. Thanks!

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      • True, but I was commenting more on overall results. Few wins, no goals, etc.

        Mix did go the full 90 in a solid win for Rosenborg. Hopefully we’ll see him in January camp, especially since the Tippeligaen ends mid-November.

      • I’ll be shocked if Mix isn’t included. His CM style would be perfect for Klinsi’s 4-1-2-3 formation. He’d be in place of Jones. But he bests Jones in creativity, possession, and passing. And his ability in the final third is better.

        Jones has the experience, engine, and defensive abilities. Plus his offensive side isn’t bad when he’s playing to speed.

    • Agree not our best weekend…nonetheless, Jermaine Jones did manage to not pick up a yellow card this weekend-the first time since the late 1990’s?

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  11. Glad to see Lichaj is a supersub. Sooner or later he will start again.

    Oh and the Friedel/Lloris mess is out of hand. why break his record if u planned to start him for the following match.

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      • Assuming Lambert is sure Guzan is #1 then Given makes way too much money.

        Villa probably can’t afford to tie up that much in a back up keeper. If they were challenging for honors it would be different.

      • Exactly. I believe Given is one of the highest earners. Bent and Agbonlahor for sure and then Given. Guzab is really cheap comparably. Given is way too much cash just sitting on the bench

      • Ream is highly overrated. He’s lucky to get the lucrative contract that he got. Many of us got attacked last year with comments such as “you don’t know better than the Bolton coach”. Now he is struggling for playing time in the Championship so maybe some of us did know better than the coach.

      • At the time of the transfer Ream didn’t have the adequate skills to be a top noch defender. Klinnsmann realized it after a few games. Ream lost his spot for USA before losing his spot for Bolton. If he vastly improves his skills and is able to play for Bolton/USA in the future then great. By your logic, there’s some players in USL that have a chance to improve and play in EPL why not pay 3 million for them?

      • The smartest people was MLS and NYRB, they got 3 million for him. He sucked in MLS and he sucked for the USMNT.

      • Yeah. How many games did he play for the USMNT again? I’ll tell you. EIGHT. He was a terrific player for the Red Bulls at age 24. This season has been disappointing for sure. But I really don’t understand the casual fan who wants to write a guy off completely without having really seen him play. And I can say you haven’t seen him play, because if you had, you wouldn’t write him off. Whatever, if it takes a player to stumble for you to feel good about yourself, have a ball.

  12. Preußen Münster’s Matthew Taylor is tied for the most goals in the Bundesliga’s 3.Liga with nine.
    Time for a natl. team call up 😛

    Reply

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