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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

By FRANCO PANIZO

It may not have been a dream performance, but for the first time in five months Brek Shea can say he played in a competitive game.

Three weeks removed from having made the move from FC Dallas to Stoke City, Shea made his debut for Premiership club in a 1-0 loss to Fulham on Saturday. Shea came off the bench in the 24th minute to replace injured teammate Matthew Etherington and was deployed on the left side of the Potters’ midfield. Shea showed some expected rust during his cameo, but overall it was a decent debut for a player who is still adjusting to his new surroundings and not yet fully fit or in form.

One youngster who fared better than Shea was Terrence Boyd. The 22-year-old forward scored his 10th league goal (14th across all competitions) in Rapid Vienna’s 3-3 draw with Red Bull Salzburg on Sunday. Boyd netted the first of Vienna’s three equalizers in the game by rising up and nodding home a perfect header just inside of the left post.

Boyd may have been the only one to find the back of the net this weekend, but he was not alone in making an impact for his club, as Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Timmy Chandler all delivered crucial assists for their respective teams. Bradley set up the winner in AS Roma’s 3-2 victory over Atalanta, Chandler helped Nurnberg earn a point after initially trailing for the second consecutive week by hitting a perfect pass, and Jones had the helper in Schalke’s opening goal in a 2-1 triumph against Fortuna Dusseldorf

Here’s how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Everton’s 2-1 loss vs. Norwich City on Saturday.
  • Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Aston Villa’s 2-1 loss vs. Arsenal on Saturday.
  • Eric Lichaj did not dress for Aston Villa.
  • Brek Shea came off the bench and played 66 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss vs. Fulham on Saturday.
  • Geoff Cameron started and played 51 minutes for Stoke City.
  • Sebastian Lletget and West Ham United play Tottenham on Monday.
  • Brad Friedel and Tottenham play West Ham United on Monday.
  • Clint Dempsey and Tottenham play West Ham United on Monday.

Championship

  • Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 2-0 win vs. Peterborough United on Saturday.
  • Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City. He is recovering from a leg injury.
  • Conor Doyle dressed but did not played in Derby County’s 2-1 loss vs. Watford on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread dressed but did not play in Leceister City’s 0-0 draw vs. Blackpool on Saturday.
  • Tim Ream did not dress in Bolton Wanderers’ 4-1 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.
  • Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 1-1 draw vs. Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United’s 2-1 loss vs. Hartlepool United on Saturday.

SPAIN

La Liga

  • Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Malaga CF’s 3-0 loss vs. Real Betis on Sunday.

Segunda Division

  • Carlos Bocanega dressed but did not play in Racing Santander’s 2-0 win vs. Mirandes on Saturday.

ITALY

  • Michael Bradley started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in AS Roma’s 3-2 win vs. Atalanta on Sunday.

[vimeo 60382169 w=500 h=281]

GERMANY

Bundesliga

  • Timmy Chandler started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and had an ASSIST in FC Nurnberg’s 1-1 draw vs. VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Schalke 04’s 2-1 win vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.

[vimeo 60338212 w=400 h=300]

  • Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 2-1 loss vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday.
  • Danny Williams dressed but did not play for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Augsburg’s 2-1 win vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday.
  • David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 0-0 draw vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Sunday.
  • Steve Cherundolo did not dress in Hannover 96’s 5-1 win vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.

2. Bundesliga

  • Andrew Wooten started, played 71 minutes and received a yellow card in SV Sandhausen’s 3-1 loss vs. SC Paderborn 07 on Sunday.
  • Bobby Wood came off the bench and played 37 minutes in TSV 1860 Munich’s 2-1 win vs. TSV Eintracht Braunschweig on Sunday.
  • Joe Gyau came off the bench and played eight minutes in St Pauli’s 3-0 win vs. FSV Frankfurt on Friday.
  • John Anthony Brooks and Hertha Berlin play Kaiserslautern on Monday.
  • Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play Kaiserslautern on Monday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Jozy Altidore started and played 90 minutes in AZ Alkmaar’s 1-0 loss vs. NAC Breda on Sunday.

PORTUGAL

  • Tony Taylor dressed but did not play in G.D. Estoril Praia’s 3-1 win vs. Sporting Lisbon on Friday.
  • Caleb Patterson-Sewell dressed but did not play in Vitoria Setubal’s 1-0 win vs. Beira Mar on Saturday.

TURKEY

  • Maurice Edu started, played 90 minutes and received TWO YELLOW CARDS in Bursaspor’s 2-1 loss vs. Gaziantepspor on Friday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan started and played 78 minutes n RSC Anderlecht’s 2-2 draw vs. Club Brugge on Sunday.

AUSTRIA

  • Terrence Boyd started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Rapid Vienna’s 3-3 draw vs. Red Bull Salzburg on Sunday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsh9miVTA-Y?feature=player_embedded]

MEXICO

  • Herculez Gomez started and played 90 minutes in Santos Laguna’s 1-0 win vs. Club America on Friday.
  • Hector Joya did not dress for Santos Laguna. He is currently with the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team.
  • Ventura Alvarado dressed but did not play in Club America’s 1-0 loss vs. Santos Laguna on Friday.
  • Jose Torres started and played 63 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 2-1 win vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein did not dress for Tigres UANL.
  • Michael Orozco Fiscal started, played 54 minutes and received a RED CARD in Puebla’s 3-0 loss vs. Monterrey on Saturday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley started and played 45 minutes for Puebla.
  • Joe Corona came off the bench and played three minutes in Club Tijuana’s 2-0 win vs. Atlante on Saturday.
  • Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
  • Edgar Castillo did not dress for Club Tijuana. He was serving a suspension for the ejection he received last week.

—–

What do you think of these performances? Do you see Shea earning a start for Stoke in the near future? How many more goals will Boyd score this season? Whose assist was most impressive?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Jones is in great form right now. Continues to assist or score. But man, I really hope Johnson and Williams can stay up. Like someone said above, Johnson would likely have no trouble moving to another club if Hoffenheim is relegated, but Williams could have a harder time.

    Reply
    • I wish Danny the best, too, but an in-form Edu is a better all-around player. Williams may be stronger and have a silkier touch, but *in-form* Edu covers more ground.

      That said, until the last ~6 months, Edu’s been hot and cold for the Nats. He would have a great game when the rest of the team had a stinker, and vice versa. His most recent appearances, however, have been pretty solid despite the fact that he made them while getting little to no club PT.

      It’s also looking nearly impossible for Hoffenheim to recover at this point.

      Reply
  2. When do you think Boyd will get picked up by a German team? At this point playing time is probably more important than being in a better league…

    Reply
  3. with our lack of width…shea playing is very very important, long may it last.

    interested that parkhurst didnt even dress…

    and the boca has been in the bench…not good.

    Reply
  4. I dont know why Boca went to spain hes just not good enough nor skilled enough he shouldve gone to a team in the UK where the style fits him better. Love the guy but he should’ve picked somewhere where he could fit in.

    Reply
  5. It seems that Bradley may have won over the new manager. I am certainly not surprised considering how well he has played this season.

    Reply
  6. card fest for the yanks this weekend

    Thought Shea’s debut was good, better than expected. The areas where he was shaky just had to do with the speed and physicality of the league which he will not have a problem adapting to, and pretty much did in the second half. He got off a very nice shot.

    Reply
  7. I saw the last part of the Bursaspor match when Edu picked up his two yellows. The ref for the game was the Turkish guy who often refs European games. I think he did Bayern at Madrid last year in the Champions League and is not afraid to show cards.

    Edu got the first yellow card for a handball on a free kick. Edu was in the wall in the box, so the opposing team got a penalty shot, which they made to take a 2-1 lead. When Edu jumped on the free kick, the ball definitely struck his arm. The replays were not at optimum angles, but the hand ball did not appear to be intentional and it appeared his arm was in front of his body anyway. But as noted, could not tell for sure because of the poor camera angle.

    Edu was playing very aggressively to help Bursaspor get the equalizer. I think the second yellow was a total crock of stuff. He and an opposition both went high for a ball in a 50-50 challenge, with the opposing player hitting the ground and rolling over about a million times like he had been hit by a truck. Totally fake, and then he did the squirm routine and Edu get the yellow-red card. The opposing player, when he got up a minute later after treatment and was limping off the pitch had his hand over his mouth talking to the assistant, making sure no lip-reading, and probably saying he was fit as a fiddle. And lo and behold, as soon as he stepped over the touchline, he raised his hand telling the ref he was ready to go back on the field and he played the rest of the game running full speed.

    Reply
    • In all seriousness, when that BS happens, why is there never any after-match discipline for the player? I mean, that’s the very definition of “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

      Reply
  8. Hoffenheim and Fabian Johnson and Daniel Williams are in deep, deep relegation stuff. Augsburg appears to be playing better and with much more spirit than Hoffenheim in their battle for the 16th place relegation playoff spot. But Augsburg in March and April are going to be playing stronger teams. This is going to be an interesting battle. I wonder whether Fabian and Danny have clauses in their contracts that lets them leave if Hoffenheim drops to the 2. Bundesliga. Parkhurst’s contract is valid for the 2. Bundesliga.

    Reply
  9. Jozy didn’t score which sucks. Only 2 months left. He’s on 16 league goals. Hopefully he can get to like 22-23 league goals. Would be enough for him to be sold to a top4 league.

    Reply
  10. How serious was the injury to Etherington?

    With how good Keimara did, is there any chance at getting an MLS alum weekly update the way you do a yanks abroad update?

    Is there a backstory to Bocanegra not playing?

    Reply
  11. Probably the worst week for our Yanks abroad. Credit to Shea for earning time. I didn’t think he had it in him to do so this early. Obvious rust but impressed to see him. Glad Boyd is back to scoring.

    Cameron had a poor performance. Heard Jozy didn’t fair better. Hope Gyau gets more playing time. Hope to see Holden on the bench next week and Wood starting again.

    Reply
      • Boca not playing, Lichaj not even dressing, Cameron having one of his worst games for Stoke, a lot of “did not dress” in the Championship, Gooch not dressing, Williams not getting game time, Parkhurst was out with an illness, Jozy was said to have had a bad game, Wood coming off the bench, Gyau still not seeing much time, Edu and Fiscal with reds, Beasley only playing until halftime, and Torres only getting to the 63rd.

        That’s pretty disappointing considering most of those players (Wood and Gyau the exceptions) I’ve seen people want in Klinsi’s next 23.

      • do me a favor and take a look at the american abroad’s from the build up to 2010 world cup and earlier before you talk about worst weeks ever.

      • 3 assists from first teamers. Deuce gets Europa league play. Brek make’s his EPL debut proving the club is actually interested in playing him.

        If that’s a bad week we’re doing alright.

      • AZ had a bad game. Of 45 minutes I watched around the Capitol One Cup final, he was isolated(like a number of recent Nats games), as Adam Maher still looks injured, and the rest of the team was out-of-synch, with NAC Breda dominating the mid-field . I’m not the only one who thought that; the announcer kept harping on it, too. The game could have easily ended 0-0, the only goal was a “right place at the right time” opportunity with one of the better shots I’ve seen this year(just outside the penalty box on the right, with a wicked dip into the top of left hand corner). Jozy didn’t cover himself with glory, but bad might be too strong a word to describe his performance.

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