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Americans Abroad: Weekend Preview

BradGuzanVilla (ISIPhotos.com)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Brad Guzan may be fresh off of helping the U.S. Men’s National Team pick up a historic World Cup qualifying point against Mexico at Azteca Stadium, but there will not be a moment’s rest for him.

Guzan faces Liverpool this weekend.

Guzan returns to club action on Sunday as Aston Villa host the seventh-placed Reds at Villa Park. The Villans are currently three points above the relegation zone and will need at minimum a draw to avoid any chance of falling back in.

Stuart Holden will have ample opportunity for playing time this weekend. Having just joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan, Holden could play in as many as two games with relegation implications in three days as the Owls host Barnsley on Saturday before traveling to take on cellar dwellers Bristol City on Monday.

Norway’s Eliteserien resumes play after a two-week break and Mix Diskerud is likely to reprise his role in Rosenborg BK’s midfield on Monday. Rosenborg hosts Brann and Diskerud will be looking to help move his club to 2-0 at the start of the season.

Here is who the Americans Abroad play this weekend:

FRIDAY

Jonathan Spector, Will Packwood and Birmingham City play Crystal Palace. (Packwood is out injured.)

Conor Doyle and Derby County play Bristol City.

Zak Whitbread and Leicester City play Millwall.

Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Shrewsbury Town.

Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United play Bristol City.

Conor O’Brien and FC Nordsjaelland play AGF Aarhus.

Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF play Esbjerg.

SATURDAY

Clint Dempsey, Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Swansea City.

Sebastian Lletget and West Ham United play West Bromwich Albion.

Tim Howard and Everton play Geoff Cameron, Brek Shea and Stoke City. (Howard is out injured.)

Tim Ream and Bolton Wanderers play Charlton Athletic.

Stuart Holden and Sheffield Wednesday play Barnsley.

Oguchi Onyewu and Malaga play Rayo Vallecano.

Michael Bradley and AS Roma play Palermo.

Michael Parkhurst and FC Augsburg play Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96.

David Yelldell and Bayer Leverkusen play Fortuna Dusseldorf.

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

Alfredo Morales, John Anthony Brooks and Hertha Berlin play VfL Bochum.

Tony Taylor and Estoril Praia play Moreirense.

Caleb Patterson-Sewell and Vitoria Setubal play Maritimo.

Eugene Starikov and FK Rostov play Dinamo Moscow.

Terrence Boyd and Rapid Vienna play SV Josko Ried.

Joe Corona, Edgar Castillo, Greg Garza and Club Tijuana play Toluca.

Herculez Gomez, Benji Joya and Santos Laguna play Queretaro.

SUNDAY

Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Liverpool.

Carlos Bocanegra and Racing Santander play Elche.

Timmy Chandler and FC Nurnberg play VfL Wolfsburg.

Andrew Wooten and SV Sandhausen play Kaiserslautern.

Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar play SC Heracles Almelo.

Maurice Edu and Bursaspor play Kasimpasa.

Charlie Davies and Randers FC play SonderjyskE.

Alejandro Bedoya and Helsingborgs IF play Brian Span and Djurgardens IF.

DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Orozco Fiscal and Puebla play Jose Torres, Jonathan Bornstein and Tigres UANL.

Ventura Alvarado and Club America play Chivas de Guadalajara.

MONDAY

Zak Whitbread and Leicester City play Barnsley.

Jonathan Spector, Will Packwood and Birmingham City play Wolverhampton Wanderers. (Packwood is out injured.)

Stuart Holden and Sheffield Wednesday play Bristol City.

Conor Doyle and Derby County play Leeds United.

Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United play AFC Bournemouth.

Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Sheffield United.

Joe Gyau and St Pauli play SC Paderborn 07.

Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play Genk in the Belgian playoffs.

Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF play AGF Aarhus.

Conor O’Brien and FC Nordsjaelland play FC Midtjylland.

Mix Diskerud and Rosenborg BK play Brann.

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Which of these games are you most looking forward to? See Guzan and Aston Villa getting a result against Liverpool? Think Holden will play at least 90 minutes in Sheffield Wednesday’s upcoming two games?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. For the record, Grella and Scunthorpe play AFC Bournemouth today, not Bristol City. City are, for the moment, in the Championship, while Sunthorpe are in League One.

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  2. Off topic but did you hear Brian Straus was laid-off today? I disliked his article for its timing and for his biased comments against Juergen but I dislike this news more.

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    • I did see that. I don’t like that he lost his job over that but he had to know there would be some fallout. I don’t think anyone has ever stirred the pot like that about the national team.

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      • Iggy, I don’t think he lost his job over that article. Sporting News is a dying publication so this was purely a money decision. I think 11 other staffers also lost their jobs today.

      • Did he really lose his job over the article? I thought it was restructuring and that Goal.com was going to be the source of Sporting News’ soccer coverage. If that’s the case, it’s simple cost cutting. Nothing more.

        I didn’t see an ounce of bias in that article. He had multiple sources so it was simply reporting what people were thinking and saying. There are probably plenty of people who diagree but the point the article made is that there are people associated with the team who are unhappy.

      • These multiple sources that you speak of can’t be taking seriously especially since he said they were anonymous so give me a break kid! That trashy article reeked of disdain for the manager, for whatever reason, and was a an attempt to stir the pot which i gotta admit worked to perfection! Sorry he lost his job be he needs to cover other sports in the future! By the way did he write a piece after the 2 recent games applauding the US for their play? I’m guessing he didn’t because that would be too much like right smh!

    • there is no way straus was fired for that article. “curse you, straus, for drastically increasing our page views!!!”

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    • Unfortunately Sunil says no on Johansson. Scandinavians are not allowed. But the good news is that we found yet another German born player from an American serviceman. The player has never met his father but he feels 110% American!

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      • Johansson has been recovering from surgery, I believe he is schedule to be with the A team for this weekend. Iceland won their qualifier match, so not sure if that will nudge him closer to them or us. Most people think he will remain with Iceland, I still hold hope for him to switch.

  3. Charlie Davies started for Randers in Denmarks top league the SAS-Ligaen and went the full 90 today.

    Had a couple classic Davies moments by driblling at pace for 30 plus yards while beating multiple players to fashion out goal scoring opportunities for his strike partner, who in turned flubbed both chances.

    Davies also flashed a vicious dipping volley over the crossbar, and had another chance taken off of his foot at the last second by an opposing CB’s last ditch effort.

    Definitely still has his world class speed. Once he put it into 6th gear not one of of the opposing defenders could catch him. Looked to be the best player on the field for either team today.

    Who knows a possible Gold Cup call-up wouldnt’ be a sruprise. A Davies and Agudelo partnership could be a devastating one-two punch for the US in the Gold Cup.

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    • I watched too…I would like to see CD9 dig deep and come back…for himself more than anything else..everything else will fall into place afterwards.

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      • I as well. Especially after watching his performance today. I mean it was a classic Charlie Davies performance.

        A performance that gets you thinking that maybe he is finally getting back to his old self.

        In my mind he should continue to see a lot of starts and minutes these last few months for Randers.

      • I watched as well and I have to say he looked good! A Gold Cup call-up would be amazing for him. If he can punch in a few goals here down the stretch it may prove to be a huge confidence builder!!

    • devastating to USMNT chances to score? Outside of the Carnival Cruise Stop island-countries, I don’t think a single opponent of USMNT is trembling at the thought of Charlie Davies-Agudelo…actually, given the scoring output of USMNT over the past 3 years, I don’t think any attacking partnership would be “devastating”

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    • You better believe Davies and Agudelo will start at the Gold Cup. We’re also planning to call up Robbie Findley and Gale Agbossoumonde for their stellar form and good looks, respectively. Now that Benny Feilhaber is out of the picture, we need a cute face to market to the ladies

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    • A big thanks for this recap. I saw the lineup and was curious. I still have my CD9 jersey from 2010, would love to dust off the cobwebs for the gold cup!

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  4. We can all breathe a huge sigh of relief. Timothy Chandler, who was (cough-cough) not able to accept Klinsmann’s invitation last week because he was (cough-cough) injured, is now fully recovered and will play for FC Nurnberg this weekend. Actually, Chandler had already miraculously recovered and was back training on MONDAY, March 25, the day before the USMNT played Mexico.

    http://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/inhalt.auftakt-in-die-trainingswoche-verletzte-wieder-fit.55c28651-7e0d-4fb3-8204-ab97784b34e4.html

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    • Chandler came out of his last game in the 84th minute with a hamstring injury. Your pathological dislike for the man is way past it’s bedtime.

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      • Chandler is ‘cap tied’ to the USMNT. LOL. Our German-American players have family connections to the USA. Get over it those that hate (Arena). They ARE American. Part of my own family are German citizens. I hope any American can spend time in another country for a length of time. They will become more sophisticated American’s themselves and less naive and arrogant.

      • cap-tied does not equal fully committed…. yes, clearly USMNT fans can stop fraking out about Germany poaching him, but if he were to suit up this weekend, questions about teh extent of the injury are legit in my view-it’d be same for American-born players as well

      • American fans are now welcome to the world of club vs country politics.

        You should be grateful. I can remember when US players weren’t worth clubs fussing about it.

        Now we get this intrigue, “is he really hurt”?.

        You can reference the recent hoo ha over Rio Ferdinand and England for pointers..

        The key thing to remember is that these clubs pay these guys salary so the country is really borrowing someone else’s player and most clubs are not happy about it.

        Hoffenheim are in relegation trouble so they are really unhappy about it.

        And before you start cursing these guys out for lack of commitment just try telling your boss you are going to leave in the middle of your busiest time to do the same thing you usually do but pro bono for another firm half the world away.

      • Ed,

        Don’t trivialize the seriousness of military service for your country by comparing it to the commitment required to play for the USMNT.

        There is a quantum leap’s worth of difference.

      • Sure the whole club & country thing is a dance but your whole ‘tell your boss you want to work pro bono’ argument doesn’t hold water. FIFA has regulations around this sort of thing; teams are required to release players on international dates. The issue is not the teams, its the players. I expect these guys to be equally passionate about helping the US qualify for the World Cup as they are in preventing relegation. And that means fighting to take part in qualifying. Afterall, if a player’s team is relegated, he can transfer. If the US doesn’t qualify for the WC, he doesn’t get to play in it.

        I’m beginning to think Chandler can’t be bothered to put in the effort to help the team reach the WC, but he’ll be more than willing to show up in Brazil next year. I’m not feeling the passion from him.

      • It’s not that clearcut. and it’s not the US Military.

        Clubs have many ways to exert behind the scenes pressure on the player.

        You try pissing off a guy like Sir Alex. He won’t be shy about reminding you who signs your checks.

        A lot of it depends on how much clout each player has with his club. If you are Messi or Ronaldo obviously you have a lot of clout.

        If you are a fringe player or a new starter then obviously you have a lot less clout.

        It’s no different from any workplace. We all have bosses; some are more flexible than others.

        It’s very ignorant to start waving the flag and label players who hesitate to alienate their managers as commie traitors who should have their passports revoked.

      • After seeing him play for us last time, he can stay injured forever.

        Maybe JK didnt really want him for this series?

      • Wouldn’t it be self defeating to be cap tied and then not help your team to qualify for the World Cup?

      • Are you suggesting that in order for an American to be sophisticated and without naivete and arrogance, they need to live abroad?

        If so, you may be afflicted with some of the ills from which you would save your countrymen.

        And, yes, I am American, and have lived (and played) abroad.

      • Travel is broadening regardless of what country you are from and what country you are visiting ,

        What I have noticed is that people tend to get out of it what they bring to it..

      • My point exactly, GW.

        Experiencing other cultures is good for everybody, not just Americans. That said, there is an amazing amount of cultural diversity to be found right here in our own 50 states.

      • Yeah, I guess this is only, what, the sixth or seventh time that Timothy has turned down a call-up claiming injury or that he needs rest or just quite simply does not like the long flight over from Europe. Gosh, and he’s only missed eight WCQ games. What a guy! All these sacrifices he’s making for the USMNT shows such strong commitment to the shirt. He definitely has already earned a spot on the roster for Brazil next summer so he can fulfill his childhood dream to play in a World Cup. Only a limited number of roster slots, but I am sure other players who have played their hearts out in WCQ games and never turned down call-ups would understand Timmy’s desire to go to Brazil. No doubt they would feel honored to be chosen by Klinsmann to step aside and stay home and have their slot for Brazil instead handed to Timothy Chandler. Probably Geoff Cameron and a whole bunch of other players will be begging Klinsmann to choose them for the honor.

  5. Timmy Chandler, Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams are out injured, right? Otherwise, they’d be suiting up for crucial Costa Rica and Mexico games this past week…

    sure would be a shocker to see them play 90 after missing two games with debilitating injuries

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    • Williams was out with a “stomach virus” so I’m sure he will be in the lineup and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chandler play, but I think Johnson will be on the sidelines.

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