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Americans Abroad: Midweek Rewind

By FRANCO PANIZO Rapid Vienna has had a disastrous showing in the Europa League, but the same cannot be said for forward Terrence Boyd. Boyd continued his strong start to his first professional season on Thursday, scoring his third goal in the competition to give Rapid Vienna a 2-1 lead over Mix Diskerud and Rosenborg BK. The goal was Boyd’s 11th of the season across all competitions, but it would not stand as the winner as Rosenborg responded by scoring twice to hand already-eliminated Vienna its latest loss in the group stage of the tournament. Oguchi Onyewu was another player who had a notable outing this week, as he started in Malaga’s Champions League clash with Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday. Onyewu went the distance in the 2-2 draw, a result that assured Malaga a first-place finish in their group. It was not all good news, however. Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht suffered a 3-1 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, and that result eliminated them from the competition. Kljestan started and went the distance in the demoralizing defeat. Here’s how the Americans Abroad fared during the midweek action: UEFA Champions League

  • Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 3-1 loss vs. AC Milan on Wednesday.
  • Jermaine Jones started and played 90 minutes in Schalke 04’s 1-0 win vs. Olympiakos on Wednesday.
  • Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes in Malaga’s 2-2 draw vs. Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday.
  • Michael Parkhurst started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Nordsjaelland’s 5-2 loss vs. Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

UEFA Europa League

  • Clint Dempsey started and played 63 minutes in Tottenham Hotspur’s 0-0 draw vs. Lazio on Thursday.
  • Brad Friedel did not dress for Tottenham Hotspur.
  • David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Metalist Kharkiv on Thursday.
  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96’s 0-0 draw vs. Twente Enschede on Thursday.
  • Alejandro Bedoya started and played 90 minutes in Helsingborgs IF’s 3-1 loss vs. Levante on Thursday.
  • Terrence Boyd started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Rapid Vienna’s 3-2 loss vs. Rosenborg BK on Thursday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIOKF6kHji8?feature=player_detailpage]

  • Mix Diskerud started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Rosenborg BK’s 3-2 win vs. Rapid Vienna on Thursday.
  • Josh Gatt started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Molde FK’s 2-1 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Thursday.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 3-1 loss vs. Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday.
  • Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United’s 2-1 loss vs. Bury on Tuesday.
  • Robbie Rogers came off the bench and played 23 minutes in Stevenage’s 1-1 draw vs. AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Liga MX

  • Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America’s 2-0 loss vs. Toluca in the first leg of their semifinals series on Thursday.
  • Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 2-0 loss vs. Leon in the first leg of their semifinals series on Thursday.
  • Joe Corona started, played 67 minutes and received a yellow card for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
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What do you think of these performances? Impressed with Boyd having 11 goals at this point in his first professional season? Do you see Onyewu breaking into Malaga’s lineup during the knockout stage of the Champions League?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. biff,

    What makes you think Schalke are even interested in Deuce? It’s not as if Deuce is Raul, a far more accomplished player than Clint.

    Deuce is responsible for his career, not his agent. Clint is a grown up and, it seems to me if you are going to praise him for his success, then you can’t start blaming his agent because the Spurs move isn’t working out.

    Reply
    • GW: There were credible reports last spring and early summer that Schalke was particularly interested in Dempsey. And then the dream move to Liverpool started to look likely. I don’t know if Schalke backed off after Liverpool popped up, but that is possible. And I am not saying that Schalke is still interested in Clint. I am only saying that there is a chance that Schalke could lose Huntelaar and Holtby in January (or in June), and if one or both of those players leave then Schalke will be in an emergency situation and will need to bring in reinforcments who are ready to hit the ground running for the Bundesliga and the Champions League and who better than Clint Dempsey, who would be a perfect fit for Schalke.

      Reply
      • Credible reports?

        Schalke has never expressed any interest in Clint.

        German teams rarely splash the kind of money Dempsey would cost, especially for a player that isn’t highly thought of outside of Fulham, unfortunately.

      • biff,

        “I am only saying that there is a chance that Schalke could lose Huntelaar and Holtby in January (or in June), and if one or both of those players leave then Schalke will be in an emergency situation and will need to bring in reinforcments who are ready to hit the ground running for the Bundesliga and the Champions League and who better than Clint Dempsey, who would be a perfect fit for Schalke.”

        What you actually saying is that you are more observant and intelligent than Schalke’s management.

        I’m sure you are as good as you believe yourself to be but chances are Schalke’s management also probably know a thing or two about how to run a pro team.

        Are you saying you anticipated the loss of Huntelaar and Holtby and Schalke did not?

        If they did and are preparing for it then it’s not exactly an emergency situation is it?

        I’m sure Dempsey would do fine but don’t tell me he is the best choice to”hit the ground running “in the BL and the Champions League, two competitions he has NO experience in.

        It is also a new country and everyone needs time to adjust for that. Dempsey had adjustment issues with Spurs and he didn’t even leave his city. I’m sure you can make a credible argument for Clint but whether the Schalke management would agree with you is highly debatable in my view as an ignorant outsider.

        And what are “credible reports”? When it comes to transfer rumors for players in Europe here is a relevant quote:

        Lloyd: What do you think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me… ending up together?
        Mary: Well, Lloyd, that’s difficult to say. I mean, we don’t really…
        Lloyd: Hit me with it! Just give it to me straight! I came a long way just to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
        Mary: Not good.
        Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
        Mary: I’d say more like one out of a million.
        [pause]
        Lloyd: So you’re telling me there’s a chance… *YEAH!*

  2. And speaking of Schalke, and no, I am not yet pressing the panic button for Dempsey at Tottenham, but I think a door might be opening in January at Schalke for a forward/attacking midfielder with the qualities of a Clint Dempsey. Both forward Klaas Jan Huntelaar and attacking midfielder Lewis Holtby have contracts that end in June and both have not yet signed contract extensions. If Schalke wants to get any money out of them at all, they would need to sell in January and then would quickly need to bring in reinforcements for the CL knock-out rounds.

    I saw the Tottenham-Lazio match yesterday and, quite frankly, it was not a good showing for Clint–or for the whole AVB-coached team, for that matter. (In my opinion) Clint looked out of sorts and nervous and not particularly happy and I think it affected his play. His first-touch was not very good and I felt he was being ignored yet again by teammates when he was open with space to maneuver. The whole Tottenham team (except Hugo Loris) looked totally uninspired with no team chemistry.

    I felt last summer that Schalke would be a perfect fit for Dempsey. If Huntelaar and/or Holtby would leave in January, I think Clint should think about cutting his losses at Tottenham and making a move and get out of the Premier League for a totally fresh start before WC 2014 and I think he would fit with the Bundesliga, plus he could play with his buddy Jermaine Jones. Trouble is, after the Liverpool debacle last summer, I don’t have much faith in Dempsey’s agent, did not seem like the most competent agent in the world.

    Reply
      • Agreed. After the game yesterday for the first time I just had the feeling that Tottenham and AVB are not a good fit for Dempsey and the Tottenham players, well, you know, and maybe Clint should be doing some serious thinking about the time between now and WC 2014 and I think Dempsey would be loved in the Bundesliga.

        One thing I forgot to mention in the post above is that apparently Tottenham managment is going to make at least 20 million pounds available to AVB in January to bring in new faces. Not sure exactly what that would mean for Dempsey, but my gut feeling is probably not good. I guess Dempsey apparently wanted to keep his family in London, but two and one-half years in Germany would be a good experience also and if he would play at Schalke he could, like Raul did and Jermaine Jones does, live in Dusseldorf, which is decent big city and has a great international school for his little daughter…

  3. Just want to note that I believe (SBI fave 🙂 Jermaine Jones had the assist on the winning goal for Schalke. And Schalke’s win is good news for the USMNT as it means Jones and team have made it through to the knock-out (round-of-16) in the Champions League.

    Reply
  4. Yea, Gooch was like a former himself! In 2006 WC he made a perfect head pass to Rosicki for the second Czechs’ goal against us, in the recent game vs Zenit it was his poor clearance that was followed by the second Zenit’s goal vs Malaga. His consistence through these years is just amazing. When he is not making assists to opposing teams he tends to fade away from important game sequences. Rare and between are his heroics in defending, so I would not bet that he could be of any use to USMNT in the future. He was too slow and unfortunate before, he is even more slow and unfortunate now.

    Reply
    • while he’s never been a world-class (or even a versatile) defender, onyewu helped lock down the back for the US for a long time (really, up until his injury).

      in fact, the pairing of him and boca might be considered the best CB combo we’ve had in the last 20 years (and for the foreseeable future).

      i believe you dissing him now says more about you than it does about him.

      Reply
      • PD,

        Ah yes the inevitable cheap shot.

        How good is your Spanish?

        The guy seems to be a Malaga fan who does not rate Gooch.
        Are you suggesting only Americans are allowed to be cruel and negative to Americans Abroad?

        At the height of his powers Gooch was at best a solid international defender. His criticism of Gooch is far milder than the garbage American fans have dumped on Gooch and other Americans Abroad over the years.

  5. Missed today’s games, saw Kljestan and Onyewu. Gooch’s performance was very encouraging. He looked as good as he has in a long time. Let’s hope he can stay healthy and in form and we have another capable center back for the national team.

    Reply
    • +1 I am still surprised that Dortmund let him go to Austria so cheaply and am wondering whether Dortmund might have inserted a buyback clause in the transfer contract.

      Reply
      • I think Boyd’s lack of ball skills make manager’s underrate him and not pay attention tomhismother excellent talents.

      • Mr. G,

        You make it are sound as if you are better at evaluating talent than guys who make a living at it.

        And maybe you are.

        However, is it possible Boyd currently has a particular set of skills that did NOT fit into whatever needs the management at Dortmund was faced with?

        Is it possible that skill and talent are not the only factors that go into player personnel decisions for a club like Dortmund. After all they very probably have access to a broader, deeper pool of talent than USMNT fans are used to seeing? Even a team like Dortmund can’t keep everyone.

        Dortmund has done a pretty good job recently at developing their talent and supplying their first team.

        I’m pretty sure they did not underrate anything about Boyd and that they had a reason for letting Boyd go.

  6. Tijuana will be disappointed- losing 2-0 on the road. Defended well most of the match and had a few chances, but just fell apart defensively for about 5 minutes in the second half. Maybe they can do the business at home.

    Reply
  7. We had four guys play 90 minutes in champ league games, and only one of them is a regular starter for us. We’ve come a long ways yankees.

    Reply
    • THIS. Though I do think that Parkhurst and Sasha (and Spector for that matter) really deserve more minutes… Hopefully this summer will see that happen.

      Reply
  8. Boyd is the real deal. Heard mix ran things in the MF which is good. Sorry for Sacha and Gatt being eliminated, both with a lot to give to USMNT. Glad Gooch played well. Most significantly….. JJ NO YELLOW CARD!!!!!

    Reply

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