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Americans Abroad: Weekend Preview

By FRANCO PANIZO

When Jozy Altidore steps onto the field for AZ Alkmaar this weekend, he will be looking to do more than just help the club grab its second win in its last five games.

He will also be aiming to score for the first time in Eredivisie in more than a month.

Though he has delivered a pair of game-winning assists during the same time frame and scored twice in Thursday’s cup game, Altidore has not found the back of the net in a league match since Sept. 30. He will try to end that dry spell and add to his eight league goals when AZ host VVV Venlo on Sunday. AZ could use a big, goal-scoring performance from Altidore, as they currently sit in 10th place in the league table with 12 points earned from 10 games.

Joe Gyau is another player who will be aiming to have a strong outing. The former U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team winger, who started and went the distance in St Pauli’s DFB Pokal tilt on Wednesday, could further make a case for himself to be a staple in the club’s starting lineup should he make another good impression with a big game against TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday.

Wondering what other match might be worth watching this weekend? Look no further than Schalke’s game against TSG Hoffenheim, which should pit Jermaine Jones and Danny Williams against one another in what may be the best midfield battle involving Americans Abroad this season.

Here is who the Americans Abroad will play this weekend:

FRIDAY

Alfredo Morales, John Anthony Brooks and Hertha Berlin play FC Ingolstadt 04.

Andrew Wooten and SV Sandhausen play TSV Eintracht Braunschweig.

Eugene Starikov and FK Rostov play Zenit St Petersburg.

Herculez Gomez, Benji Joya and Santos Laguna play Cruz Azul.

SATURDAY

Tim Howard and Everton play Fulham.

Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu and Stoke City play Norwich City.

Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Sunderland.

Clint Dempsey, Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Wigan Athletic.

Jonathan Spector, Will Packwood and Birmingham City play Ipswich Town.

Conor Doyle and Derby County play Blackpool.

Zak Whitbread and Leicester City play Watford.

Tim Ream, Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Cardiff City. (Holden is out injured.)

Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Ebbsfleet United in the FA Cup.

Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United play Gillingham in the FA Cup

Robbie Rogers and Stevenage play Rotherham United in the FA Cup.

Oguchi Onyewu and Malaga play Rayo Vallecano.

Carlos Bocanegra and Racing Santander play AD Alcorcon.

Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 play FC Augsburg.

Timmy Chandler and FC Nurnberg play VfL Wolfsburg.

Fabian Johnson, Danny Williams and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim play Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04.

Joe Gyau and St Pauli play TSV 1860 Munich.

Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play KV Mechelen.

Terrence Boyd and Rapid Vienna play SK Sturm Graz.

Conor O’Brien and SonderjyskE play Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland.

Josh Gatt and Molde FK play Tromso.

Ventura Alvarado and Club America play Jose Torres and Pachuca.

Jonathan Bornstein and Tigres UANL play Monterrey.

Joe CoronaEdgar CastilloGreg Garza and Club Tijuana play Michael Orozco Fiscal and San Luis.

SUNDAY

Michael Bradley and AS Roma play Palermo.

David Yelldell and Bayer Leverkusen play Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar play VVV Venlo.

Tony Taylor and Estoril Praia play Academica de Coimbra.

Caleb Patterson-Sewell and Vitoria Setubal play Sporting CP.

Charlie Davies and Randers FC play AC Horsens.

Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF play Odense BK.

Alejandro Bedoya and Helsingborgs IF play Gefle IF.

Brian Span and Djurgardens IF play IFK.

Sean Cunningham and Stabaek IF play Lillestrom. (Cunningham is out injured.)

Steve Clark and Honefoss BK play Sandnes Ulf

Mix Diskerud and Rosenborg BK play Stromsgodset.

DaMarcus Beasley and Puebla play Atlas.

MONDAY

Chad Barrett and Valerenga play Sogndal.

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Which of these games are you most looking forward to? Do you see Altidore scoring this weekend? Think Gyau will start? Who will win the midfield battle between Williams and Jones?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Sooner or later Gooch will get a run of some games. Either in the league or the CL or in the cup competitions. He just needs an injury from 1 of the centerbacks

    Hope Dempsey scores Saturday. He definitely needs it.

    Jozy as well

    Reply
    • Heck – lets hope Deuce gets a hat trick.

      Dempsey is 3rd on the Tottenham squad in goals with 2 – behind Gareth Bale with 3 and Defoe with 5 – EPL stats. He has only started 5 EPL games, while Bale and Defoe have both started 9.

      Deuce is doing just fine – all you Chicken Little’s who think the sky is falling need to relax a little.

      Reply
  2. You morons know that H Gomez was born in LA and grew up in Las Vegas, right? Why wouldn’t he speak English articulately?

    Biff says:
    “I know Herc speaks English (and I agree he is quite articulate, one of the best on the USMNT).”

    Reply
      • Jozy can score 100 goals for all Klinsmann and his fanboys care about, but does he show “poise,” “grit,” “hustle,” the “right” attitude? Does he help out on defense? Does he dress right? Smile enough? Hustle off the field when substituted?

        It really reminds me of the more racially-tinger crap old sportswriters still put out from time to time, when a guy who is paid to score goals, scores goals week in and week out and yet is strongly criticized by the coach, who belittles his club accomplishments….

        if people just went with the argument that Jozt hasn’t yet produced for the USMNT under the coach, let’s try something different (Gomez), but keep him in the fold-that’s one thing, but this whole other heap of garbarge, unrelated to what the striker’s primary, if not the sole function is one the team is just beyond me…

        Also, clearly it’s Ok for Timmy Chandler to blow off the team when he was needed most (Gold Cup, WCQ) yes still have Klinsi try to coax him into playing by still talking to him, but forget Jozy-since they no longer even talk….

        whatever

  3. Speaking of Herculez Gomez, does anyone else think that Herc would be a good fit for Schalke? Because speculation is growing that Liverpool is planning in January to make a move for Schalke’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, whose contract ends in June. I think Gomez is exactly the sort of player Schalke Coach Huub Stevens likes and Schalke already has several Spanish speaking players and I think Gomez’s contract expires next summer also, meaning his transfer fee would be reasonable.

    Reply
    • I wouldnt know about schlake or whether gomez would be good fit or not, but im sure when the time comes jurgen will set up a trial or two for herculez

      Reply
      • He’s surpassed expectations beyond belief these past 3 yrs. I dont know what the ceiling is for him as far as club football is concerned, but he sure has risen to the plate in a very quick span

      • Yes, I do think herculez Gomez has the quality for Schalke. That said, I don’t think Herc is near the level of Huntelaar, who when he is hot is an amazing striker (and who would team up very well with Luis Suarez at Liverpool). But I think Gomez is at least as good as two of Huntelaar’s back-ups at the lone striker position, Teemu Pukki and Chinedu Obasi.

        http://www.schalke04.com/teams/team.html

        Attacking winger position is a different story. Shalke has some great wingers, such as Jefferson Farfan and 18-year-old Wunderkind Julian Draxler.

        But as I said, I think Stevens would like Gomez’s work ethic and his skills, and Gomez with his experience, including now US international experience, would be able to make an immediate contribution.

        DISCLAIMER: I will admit that since May I have become a huge fan of Herc Gomez.

      • Schalke is one of the 10 best teams in the world at the moment. Can Herc contribute to a team playing at that level? I’m sure he could. But I’m not familiar enough w/ Schalke and how they play to make that determination. I haven’t heard of any of Huntelaar’s back-ups. So I’ll defer to biff on that one.

      • Ahh, well, I could be, like, you know, totally wrong…

        …I’m hoping that Santo Laguna does not make the Mexican playoffs so that Herc Gomez can join the USMNT for the Russia match. Will be scouts there, as some Russian players are on the radar of clubs. This January will be one of Herc’s last chances for a good move.

      • Jermaine Jones is a starter for Schalke.

        I think anyone who starts regularly for the US at this point has the quality to contribute at a top club. We’re now a team that expects to make it to the knockout stage of the World Cup. The reason we get so nervous about our NT players going to big clubs is that we’d greatly prefer for a player to be regular starters for his club, or at worst the first backup at his position.

    • biff,

      Herc is actually quite fluent with English, just like Stevens, so he doesn’t need to have Spanish speaking players around to help him acclimate. He’d have JJ around for that.

      Reply
      • I know Herc speaks English (and I agree he is quite articulate, one of the best on the USMNT). Yes, Huub Stevens can speak English, but it is not so good. I heard him trying to speak English during an interview last summer when the team visited the USA and it was rough going. So my point was only that Schalke does have a system in place so that Spanish speaking players can communicate in a German speaking environment and also that Herc would be able to speak at an even level with several Spanish speaking players. That said, probably most of the players on the team speak English to varying degrees.

        Yeah, you’re write, JJ and Herc buddying around, both about the same age…

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