Top Stories

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Juan Agudelo FC Utrecht (FC Utrecht)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Juan Agudelo’s life-long dream of playing in Europe is now a reality.

A mere hours after being cleared to play for FC Utrecht, Agudelo played in his first club game on European soil on Saturday in a 1-0 loss to Roda JC Kerkrade. Agudelo came off the bench and played 32 minutes for Utrecht, showing glimpses of quality but also clear signs of offseason rust. The defeat was Utrecht’s fourth straight in league play and dropped them to 11th place in the Eredivisie.

Club Tijuana saw a more favorable streak continue on Friday, as they defeated Morelia, 1-0, to extend their unbeaten run at home to 16 games. Edgar Castillo and Herculez Gomez were the two Americans to contribute to the Xolos’ cause, with Castillo going the distance at left back and Gomez playing 67 minutes up front before being replaced.

Another pair of U.S. Men’s National Team pool players made impacts for their respective clubs by scoring game-winners. Timmy Chandler netted the decisive goal in a 4-0 triumph for Nurnberg over Hoffenheim, and Oguchi Onyewu scored his first in a Sheffield Wednesday jersey in a 2-1 FA Cup triumph vs. Rochdale.

Here is how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

ENGLAND

FA Cup

  • Tim Howard dressed but did not play in Everton’s 4-0 win vs. Stevenage on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey dressed but did not play in Fulham’s 1-1 draw vs. Sheffield United on Sunday.
  • Jozy Altidore started and played 90 minutes in Sunderland’s 1-0 win vs. Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.
  • Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss vs. Chelsea on Sunday.
  • Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City.
  • Brad Guzan and Aston Villa did not play this weekend.
  • Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur did not play this weekend.
  • Cody Cropper did not dress in Southampton’s 2-0 win vs. Yeovil Town on Saturday.
  • Sebastian Lletget and West Ham United did not play this weekend.
  • Will Packwood started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 2-1 loss vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Spector did not dress for Birmingham City. He is recovering from an injury.
  • Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 1-0 loss vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.
  • Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Eric Lichaj started and played 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 0-0 draw vs. Preston North End on Friday.
  • Brek Shea and Barnsley did not play this weekend.
  • Oguchi Onyewu started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Sheffield Wednesday’s 2-1 win vs. Rochdale on Saturday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE-Z91IhxN8?feature=player_detailpage]

  • Duane Holmes came off the bench and played 26 minutes in Huddersfield Town’s 1-0 loss vs. Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
  • Gboly Ariyibi and Leeds United did not play this weekend.

Championship

  • Zak Whitbread dressed but did not play in Derby County’s 1-1 draw vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
  • Danny Williams started and played 90 minutes in Reading’s 2-0 loss vs. Ipswich Town on Saturday.

GERMANY

  • Steve Cherundolo did not dress in Hannover 96’s 3-1 loss vs. VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.
  • Fabian Johnson started and played 45 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 4-0 loss vs. FC Nurnberg on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04’s 3-0 win vs. Hamburg SV on Sunday.
  • Timmy Chandler started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in FC Nurberg’s 4-0 win vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvgdos5UcU?feature=player_embedded]

  • John Brooks did not dress in Hertha Berlin’s 1-0 loss vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

FRANCE

  • Alejandro Bedoya started and played 76 minutes in FC Nantes’ 0-0 draw vs. Stade de Reims on Saturday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Aron Johannsson started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in AZ Alkmaar’s 1-0 loss vs. PSV Eindhoven on Saturday.
  • Juan Agudelo came off the bench and played 32 minutes in FC Utrecht’s 1-0 loss vs. Roda JC Kerkrade on Saturday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan dressed but did not play in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-0 loss vs. Club Brugge on Sunday.

MEXICO

  • Michael Orozco started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Puebla’s 3-2 loss vs. Jaguares de Chiapas on Sunday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes for Puebla.
  • Jose Torres came off the bench and played 39 minutes before being substituted in Tigres UANL’s 2-1 loss vs. Pumas UNAM on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Atlante’s 1-1 draw vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday.
  • Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 1-0 win vs. Morelia on Friday.
  • Herculez Gomez started and played 67 minutes for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
  • Paul Arriola dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
  • Joe Corona did not dress for Club Tijuana.
  • Joaquin Alonso Hernandez did not dress in Monterrey’s 2-0 loss vs. Toluca on Sunday.

—–

What do you think of these performances? Did you like how Agudelo performed in his Utrecht debut? Impressed by Xolos’ home winning streak?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Ives, need to add ZELALEM to this list! His first team debut for Arsenal is potentially the biggest “Americans Abroad” news of the week, if he eventually gets a cap with us. The kid played soccer in Maryland, both for club and High School. Klinsmann has been after him, competing against the Mannschaft.

    Reply
      • Man oh man. It’s been a minute since the USMNT has had a teenage savior to get our hopes up on.

        Zelalem doesn’t have US citizenship. He could apply for it, but considering his ability, he’ll probably play for one of the other national teams he’s eligible for rather than waiting for US citizenship.

      • Well, if he were to apply for US citizenship, he’d have to wait 5 years (3 if he marries a US citizen). He’d also have to live in the US for the majority of that time.

        That would mean giving up his Arsenal career and move to MLS.

        I’m not a citizenship scholar and there may be other options available to him that I’m not aware of, but he can’t exactly flip a switch and become a citizen.

        I don’t think its worth it to get our collective hopes up.

      • He’s already in the process of getting citizenship if everything goes right he should have it this year. Also he considers himself american

      • Where did you read that he’s already in the process of getting citizenship? Another factor which I think is telling on the citizenship is that an ESPN write mentioned if the rules in Germany allow him to keep his German passport then it would be favorable. Otherwise I doubt he becomes a US citizen since it would jeopardize his work permit

      • @Edwin

        Germany (like the US, surprisingly) doesn’t officially recognized dual citizenship.

        If you’re an American with 2 passports, though, nobody’s gonna try to revoke your citizenship, and you can obviously use whichever you want.

        There’s some concern that, if Zelalem were to get an American passport, Germany might revoke his citizenship, but most knowledgeable individuals says that’s pretty unlikely.

  2. And on the topic of Fabian Johnson, with his Hoffenheim contract ending in June it would not be a surprise if Hoffenheim let’s him transfer out before the January transfer window closes. Borussia Gladbach apparently wants him and BVB Dortmund announced today that after Blazykovsk!*&%’s injury, that they might bring in one or two players, a midfielder and and defender. Would be great to see Fabian at Dortmund. And also Jermaine Jones, who I bet after the melt-down with Schalke would have no problem now playing for Dortmund.

    And, yes, I still think Besler is better than Manuel Friedrich and could cut it at Dortmund, if not as a starter at least as back-up to Hummels and Subotic, both still out injured. Klinsmann needs to give Klopp a telephone call and tout a couple of players.

    Reply
  3. Are we going to find out how Fabian Johnson ended up with a broken hand during the Nurnberg game that needed to be operated on yesterday? I do like your theory, Nate Dollars, but would imagine that somehow Fabian’s hand got stomped on. Did anyone see the game?

    Reply
  4. Holland really is an ideal country for a yank considering a move to Europe. Sharpen skills and tactics in Holland…but don’t waste that development time at a bottom feeder after leaving Holland.

    Reply
    • You’ve got to show for the ball to score. Jozy looked like one of those U10s I used to coach who always ran parallel to or away from the action, continually putting themselves out of the play.

      Reply
      • I gotta say I was trying to tell him that when a teammate has the ball, if he can not see the ball and his teammates face, there is no way he will receive a pass and he must move. I did not see that happening enough. When Bob Bradley was coaching a youth team here, one of the defenders said he hated playing with Bob, because every time the player won the ball Bob was in a position to receive a pass and the player felt bad that he was not always good enough to make the pass. I am afraid Jozy was not always in those good spots as Bob liked to call them.

  5. Also worth noting that Shea scored a goal in his team’s friendly against an Irish side. While not a tough team, he could use the confidence booster.

    Reply
      • Not true… his stock was high coming into the season after a steadily improved Gold Cup (starting with rock bottom against Cuba), but a horribly timed preseason tackle basically undid his entire preseason and he needed this loan to get some PT.

      • Not many knowledgable football fans put much stock into his Gold Cup performances, given that the level of competition was probably equivalent to MLS or lower.

    • Not to mention it was a great goal.

      His control to start the run, moving between players and finishing were all superb.

      Granted, it wasn’t a tough side but still, it’s nice to see him scoring.

      I truly hope he is in Brazil and is our super sub. He plays that role so well that it’s worth the spot IMHO.

      Reply
  6. Schalke won 3-0, and it appears Jones’ days there a over. Rumors are he might not be able to find a deal before the European window closes and could end up in Russia.

    Reply
    • He took a nasty knock a couple of weeks ago. He came off the bench last week but did not look 100%. Saw somewhere where he was left this week due to an ankle injury.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to bryan Cancel reply