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Americans Abroad: Weekend Preview

By FRANCO PANIZO

If Tim Howard and Everton are to extend their seven-game unbeaten streak on Sunday, they will have to do so against one of the hottest offensive teams in the Premiership right now.

The Toffees are set to host Chelsea in their final match of 2012, and Howard will likely need to put forth a big performance in order to stymie a team that has scored 14 goals in their last three games across all competitions. Everton are in fifth place and two points shy of Chelsea in the Premiership standings, so a surprise win for the Toffees could see them jump into third at about the halfway point of the season.

Another match worth keeping an eye on is Stoke City’s clash with Southampton on Saturday. No, Geoff Cameron will not be available for that match due to yellow card accumulation, but that could open the door for Maurice Edu to end his playing time drought. Edu has not seen the field for the Potters since making his lone 10-minute appearance for the club in an Oct. 7 scoreless draw with Liverpool.

Zak Whitbread, meanwhile, will attempt to make another consecutive start for Leicester City. The injury-prone centerback has quietly started in 13 straight games, and he seems a safe bet to get the nod against in Leicester’s battle with Burnley on Saturday.

Here is who the Americans Abroad face this weekend:

SATURDAY

Clint Dempsey, Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Sunderland.

Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Wigan Athletic.

Sebastian Lletget and West Ham United play Reading.

Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu and Stoke City play Southampton.

Tim Ream, Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Jonathan Spector, Will Packwood and Birmingham City.

Zak Whitbread and Leicester City play Burnley.

Conor Doyle and Derby County play Charlton Athletic.

Robbie Findley and Nottingham Forest play Crystal Palace.

Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Bury.

Robbie Rogers and Stevenage play Notts County.

Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United play Tranmere Rovers.

SUNDAY

Tim Howard and Everton play Chelsea.

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Which of these games are you most looking forward to? Expecting Howard and Everton to pull off an upset victory? Do you see Edu playing for Stoke City?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. any word on when Dempsey will return? Really pulling for Edu, one of my favorites but he really needs to get some PT!

    as for Timmy, hopefully he shuts down Chelsea and shaves the porno stash ASAP.

    Reply
    • Spurs don’t need Dempsey, as they have Bale (per Mark Lawrenson);

      Brilliant Bale
      What Gareth Bale is doing differently this season is the amount of times he comes through the middle. To get a player who is ostensibly a wide man to realise he can go through the middle of teams and score means that he has another side to his game. He has learnt that if he comes in from wide, he has more area to play in, he can run at centre-backs and find gaps. Besides his fantastic pace, ability to go past people and send in dangerous crosses he is now finding areas where he has more space and more time, and he can destroy teams.

      Hmmmmm! Isn’t this what Demps did last couple of years at Fulham? But then again, Bale is a Brit, so now its “brilliant”.

      Reply
      • Bale is a wide player, with tremendous pace. When he got in the middle of the field against AV, he unleashed all sorts of chaos.

        I do not think the Bale praise counts as eurosnobbery or a slight on Dempsey.

      • I love Dempsey, but you’re reaching for this one man. The guy is just saying that Bale has taken his game to another level as he’s evolved as a player. Two years ago his only attack was to blow past the defender and beat him with pace, and now that he’s cutting inside effectively it’s made him even more difficult to stop. Dempsey doesn’t have Bale’s pace so he’s made a living tucking in and finding space his whole career. I love the guy, but it’s apples to oranges. Bale is like a baseball pitcher who throws 100mph that has developed a nasty curve, and Dempsey is a pitcher who throws 92mph and has always mixed it well with his curve. Both are damn good, regardless of who is American and who is Welsh, but calling Bale brilliant isn’t being unfair to Dempsey at all.

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