Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
There has been plenty of talk this year over who is better between Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. Now, that discussion will become reality.
No, this weekend will not serve as the determining factor in that debate, but it will pit Howard and Guzan against one another in a match-up of the top two American goalkeepers. Howard and Everton are set to visit Aston Villa on Saturday in a game they are hoping will mark a second straight victory in league play, but Guzan and the Villans will try to make sure that does not happen as they attempt to end their current two-game winless streak.
Terrence Boyd will also be involved in an intriguing duel this weekend, though he will not be squaring off against a compatriot. Boyd and Rapid Vienna travel to take on Austria Vienna in the latest installment of the heated Vienna Derby on Sunday, and the Green-Whites are in desperate need of three points against their rivals after failing to win their last three matches in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Two other fixtures worth watching take place in Mexico on Friday and Belgium on Sunday. Edgar Castillo, Herculez Gomez and the rest of Club Tijuana first host Jose Torres and Tigres UANL in a Liga MX clash that could see as many as seven Americans take the field, while Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht invite Pro League leaders Standard Liege in a mouth-watering encounter at Stade Constant Vanden Stock.
Here is who the Americans Abroad battle this weekend:
FRIDAY
Timmy Chandler and FC Nurnberg play VfB Stuttgart.
Alfredo Morales and FC Ingolstadt 04 play SpVgg Greuther Furth.
Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Lille.
Babajide Ogunbiyi, Mike Grella and Viborg FF play FC Vestsjaelland.
Herculez Gomez, Joe Corona, Edgar Castillo, Greg Garza, Paul Arriola and Club Tijuana play Jose Torres, Jonathan Bornstein and Tigres UANL.
SATURDAY
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Tim Howard and Everton.
Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu, Brek Shea and Stoke City play Manchester United.
Duane Holmes and Huddersfield Town play Leeds United.
Tim Ream, Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Ipswich Town. (Holden is out injured.)
Oguchi Onyewu and Queens Park Rangers play Burnley.
Zak Whitbread and Derby County play Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City. (Spector is out injured.)
Danny Williams and Reading play Millwall.
Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Yeovil Town.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Augsburg play Bayer Leverkusen.
John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play Bayern Munich.
Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 play Fabian Johnson, Joe Gyau and TSG Hoffenheim.
Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 play Borussia Dortmund.
Eugene Starikov and FK Tom’ Tomsk play Terek Grozny.
Josh Gatt, Ben Spencer, Ethan Horvath and Molde FK play Mix Diskerud and Rosenborg BK. (Gatt is out injured.)
DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Orozco and Puebla play America.
Alonso Hernandez and Monterrey play Jaguares de Chiapas.
SUNDAY
Jozy Altidore and Sunderland play Newcastle United.
Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Hull City.
Michael Bradley and AS Roma play Udinese.
Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play Karlsruhe.
Aron Johannsson and AZ Alkmaar play PEC Zwolle.
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play Standard Liege.
Terrence Boyd and Rapid Vienna play Austria Vienna.
Conor O’Brien and Odense BK play Brondby IF.
Brian Span and Djurgarden IF play Gefle IF.
Steve Clark and Honefoss BK play Brann.
Freddy Adu and Bahia play Atletico Paranaense.
MONDAY
Andrew Wooten and Kaiserslautern play VfL Bochum.
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Which of these matches are you most looking forward to? Who do you see winning between Howard’s Toffees or Guzan’s Villans? Think Boyd scores in the Vienna Derby?
Share your thoughts below.
Just to add to the mystery surrounding Klinsmann’s snubs of Eric Lichaj, the story linked below says that Lichaj early this season beat out Chile international Gonzalo Jara for the starting right back spot at Nottingham Forest and has kept it since then. Lichaj had to sit out last week for yellow card accumulation, giving Jara a chance to finally start. So it will be interesting to see which player Nottingham coach Billy Davies chooses to start this weekend.
No doubt Klinsmann, if possible, would have by now already called in benchwarmer Jara for a look, sort of like the Teddy Bear treatment he gave Alfredo Morales and others who were not playing for their clubs.
http://www.nottinghampost.com/Billy-Davies-Gonzalo-Jara-chance-win-Forest-place/story-19959291-detail/story.html
The conspiracy continues. F*ck it, ya know? Write your congressman
Obviously, there is a reason Lichaj has not been called into camp with the USMNT. Is it technical, is it attitude, is it fitness, who knows but this constant questioning of why Klinsmann does not bring him in is getting annoying on this site. I like Lichaj. I think he is a great player too but I trust Klinsmann on why he has not brought him in. Whatever the reason.
Well, one possible explanation for the continuing Lichaj snubs is that Klinsmann is paving the way to bring Timothy “Bad Chemistry” Chandler back into the team. Rather than call in Lichaj for a test at right back or to play Premier League right back Geoff Cameron, Klinsmann continues to play Brad Evans out-of-position at right back, although it is clear to most USMNT fans that Evans is not the right back solution for next summer’s World Cup. If Klinsmann would give Lichaj and/or Cameron chances at right back and they would do well, then Klinsmann would have a harder time justifying bringing back Chandler. Not saying that this is definitely the reason, just one possible explanation for the mystery. If Klinsmann in November snubs Lichaj yet again but calls up Chandler, then, well, you know.
This is a link to the Chile national team caps for Gonzalo Jara, the guy Lichaj was beat out (thus far) for starting right back at Nottinham Forest. But Chile is not a very good national team, so not really a big deal for Lichaj to outperform a Chilean international at the club level.
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=229439/index.html
I’d be nice to see him on the bench, even if only.
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Gooch on tv, Sat 10am BeINSport.
These previews and roundups are the best and I really appreciate it… but didn’t you used to put the time and t.v. network the games were going to be on?
No, never. That’s what Friday’s Soccer on TV post is about.