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Americans Abroad: Weekend Preview

Clint Dempsey Fulham (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Only five points currently separate Clint Dempsey and Fulham from Jozy Altidore and cellar dwellers Sunderland, but that will probably soon change.

Dempsey is set to make his Premiership return on Saturday a little more than five months after leaving to sign with MLS, and will do so against Altidore and the rest of the Black Cats in a match filled with relegation implications. Dempsey is coming off a 90-minute performance for the Cottagers in the FA Cup in which he showed some expected rust, but he still seems the more likely of the two Americans to receive a start in this match given that Altidore has been used a substitute in recent league matches for Sunderland.

Another match with some intrigue for U.S. fans will be Monday’s fixture between Aston Villa and league leaders Arsenal. The Villans won their last league match against Sunderland, but will probably need a fine performance from Brad Guzan in goal to have a shot at picking up a result vs. the talented Gunners.

While Aston Villa are looking to extend their winning streak, the American contingent at Club Tijuana is aiming to grab its first victory of the Liga MX Clausura campaign. Tijuana settled for a scoreless draw vs. Atlas in Week 1, and will now try to knock off Club America team that won their season opener, 3-0. That especially holds true for Edgar Castillo, who previously played for Las Aguilas.

Here is who the Americans Abroad face this weekend:

FRIDAY

Zak Whitbread and Derby County play Leicester City.

Herculez Gomez, Joe Corona, Edgar Castillo, Greg Garza, Paul Arriola and Club Tijuana play Club America.

SATURDAY

Tim Howard and Everton play Norwich City.

Clint Dempsey and Fulham play Jozy Altidore and Sunderland.

Cody Cropper and Southampton play West Bromwich Albion.

Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Crystal Palace.

Gboly Ariyibi and Leeds United play Sheffield Wednesday.

Tim Ream, Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest. (Holden is out injured.)

Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Brighton & Hove Albion. (Spector is out injured.)

Brek Shea and Barnsley play Charlton Athletic.

Duane Holmes and Huddersfield Town play Millwall.

Danny Williams and Reading play Watford.

Oguchi Onyewu and Queens Park Rangers play Ipswich Town.

Jonathan Bornstein and Atlante play Veracruz.

Jose Torres and Tigres UANL play Pachuca.

SUNDAY

Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu and Stoke City play Liverpool.

Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Lorient.

DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Orozco and Puebla play Alonso Hernandez and Monterrey.

MONDAY

Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Arsenal.

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Which of these matches are you most looking forward to? Who do you see winning between Dempsey’s Fulham and Altidore’s Sunderland? Think Guzan and Aston Villa can pull off the upset vs. the Gunners? Already miss seeing Michael Bradley on this list?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. According to goal.com:

    “The 26-year-old spent one and a half seasons with the Giallorossi, making 41 league appearances, including 29 starts. The American joined Roma from Chievo Verona in 2012.”

    “Toronto has revamped its roster after seven disappointing seasons since becoming the first Canadian team to join the North American league. Over that span, TFC has a 51-105-56 record and has yet to reach the playoffs.”

    Therefore, he went from regularly starting in a top 4 league with a top 4 team that has some of the best players in the world that will most likely be in the CL next year to a team that has as almost as many loses as ties and wins TOGETHER in it’s history in a sub-par league with no quality talent or management and this is A GOOD MOVE ON HIS PART?

    This was about money and his family. End of story.

    As far as soccer, his career as an athlete and the USMNT, it couldn’t be worse. How one player is suppose to raise the collective game of the MLS (at least in the next year or two) is beyond me.

    Good for your pocketbook and family Mikey. They deserve it! I am happy for you and that part. The rest is just a total joke, no matter how you try to slice it.

    Reply
  2. Soccer America has it already… And NO live coverage on NBC Sports Network of the battle of the American strikers (Dempsey-Altidore) or Fulham vs Sunderland, tomorrow at 10 am… You’ll have to figure out which channel airs “NBC Extra Time” or watch it online on NBC Live Extra… Way to promote our American exports!!

    Reply
    • Soccer America has it already… And NO live coverage on NBC Sports Network of the battle of the American strikers (Dempsey-Altidore) or Fulham vs Sunderland, tomorrow at 10 am… You’ll have to figure out which channel airs “NBC Extra Time” or watch it online on NBC Live Extra… Way to promote our American exports!!

      Reply
  3. I am looking forward to the Sunderland/Fulham match. Will there be another body-slam? Should Altidore’s yellow card in the last match have been a red? I also always tune into Arsenal, my favorite team right now.

    Reply
    • Body slam? It appeared to me that Jozy didn’t even touch him and that Raphael was faking it. Raphael’s the one who should have gotten the yellow card. For diving.

      Reply
  4. So, let me get this straight… Dempsey and Fulham are playing Altidore and Sunderland on Saturday at 10 am but NBC Sports Network decides to air Spurs vs Crystal Palace instead? Way to go NBCSN!! Excellent way to show your support for American soccer!! Thums down NBCSN!!

    Reply
  5. Come on, folks at SBI. Why do you keep making mistakes? You forgot to list Mikey Bradley’s and Roma’s game this weekend against Genoa. Oh well. He’ll probably be riding the bench again anyway.

    Reply
      • My wrong. Your right. I forgot that De Rossi got the red card last weekend and will be sitting out against Genoa. That might open the door for MB to play, or at the very least to make a late game cameo appearance.

      • Now I get it.

        Biff, what you’re suffering from is what many contemporary psychoanalysts call denial. Denial is the first stage of a coping cycle. When an unwelcome change occurs, a trauma of some sort, the first impulse to disbelieve begins the process of coping. That denial, in a healthy mind, slowly rises to greater consciousness. Gradually becoming a subconscious pressure, just beneath the surface of overt awareness, the mechanism of coping then involves repression, while the person accumulates the emotional resources to fully face the trauma. Once faced, the person deals with the trauma in a stage alternately called acceptance or enlightenment.

      • Roma will deploy Bradley in a 4-4-2………..1

        …where the 1 observes the game across the Atlantic Ocean, while lighting stacks of money with his cigar.

      • He is going to burn his money with his cigar?

        I think you mean, “..while lighting his cigar with his stacks of money.”, which also would be strange when I come to think about it.

        Why burn your money? You aren’t Krusty the Clown after all. 😉

  6. can’t wait for the TJ home opener against America! i’m hoping Dempsey plays well and scores for Fulham, but we need Sunderland to win. hopefully Jozy can score…

    and can we PLEASE get some kind of anything regarding Agudelo, Gooch, and Edu?

    Reply
    • I saw an item someplace a couple of days ago, and I don’t know whether this is correct or not, but someone claiming that apparently Agudelo is legally contracted to Stoke, because he had signed the pre-contract and there was no clause in the contract saying it would be deemed invalid if he failed to get his work permit and so he therefore is under contract at Stoke and this is why Stoke is trying to arrange a loan to Anderlecht or other teams. I repeat: I do not know whether this is correct or not.

      Reply

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