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Americans Abroad Weekend Rewind: Jonathan Gonzalez, Alfredo Morales and more

 

Facing short rest following two quickfire matches, several members of the U.S. Men’s National Team were limited over the weekend, but several other players not included in recent World Cup qualifiers stepped up in a big way.

Alfredo Morales provided the lone goal scored by an American Abroad over the weekend by scoring in a 2-2 draw with Dynamo Dresden. Morales’ goal headlined German action, while Christian Pulisic played 45 minutes in a defeat to RB Leipzig and Bobby Wood played a majority of a loss to Mainz on Saturday.

In Mexico, Jonathan Gonzalez stole the show again, putting in a Man of the Match-winning performance against Omar Gonzalez and Pachuca. Gonzalez’s efforts led Monterrey to a 2-0 win while once again showing how vital the young American is to the club’s midfield.

Elsewhere, Geoff Cameron and Stoke City were on the wrong side of a beatdown, Matt Miazga started for Vitesse once again and Ethan Horvath and Club Brugge held on for a narrow win.

Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad:

GERMANY

BUNDESLIGA

Caleb Stanko did not dress in Freiburg’s 5-0 loss to Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-1 win over Hannover on Saturday.

Weston McKennie did not dress in Schalke’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday. (McKennie is injured)

Bobby Wood started and played 79 minutes in Hamburg’s 3-2 loss to Mainz on Saturday.

Christian Pulisic entered as a 45th minute substitute in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Fabian Johnson started and played 74 minutes in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 2-0 win over Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Aron Johannsson did not dress for Werder Bremen on Sunday.

John Brooks did not dress for Wolfsburg’s 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. (Brooks is injured)

2. BUNDESLIGA

Jerome Kiesewetter did not dress in Fortuna Dusseldorf’s 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

Alfedo Morales played 67 minutes and scored A GOAL in Ingolstadt’s 2-2 draw with Dynamo Dresden on Saturday.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x64jc3y

Haji Wright started and played 90 minutes in Sandhausen’s 2-0 loss to VfL Bochum on Saturday.

Andrew Wooten did not dress for Sandhausen on Saturday.

Julian Green did not dress in Greuther Furth’s 2-1 win over Erzebirge Aue on Sunday.

Terrence Boyd, McKinzie Gaines and Darmstadt face Nurnburg on Monday.

ENGLAND

PREMIER LEAGUE

Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 7-2 loss to Manchester City on Saturday.

Danny Williams entered as a 60th minute substitute in Huddersfield Town’s 2-0 loss to Swansea City on Saturday.

Emerson Hyndman did not dress in Bournemouth’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham on Saturday.

DeAndre Yedlin started and played 90 minutes in Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Southampton on Sunday.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Fulham’s 2-2 draw with Preston North End on Saturday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers started and played 90 minutes in Sheffield United’s 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Lynden Gooch dressed but did not play in Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with QPR on Saturday.

Eric Lichaj started and played 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 loss to Derby County on Sunday.

MEXICO

LIGA MX

Jonathan Bornstein started and played 90 minutes in Queretaro’s 2-2 draw with Puebla on Friday.

Joe Corona started and played 63 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 0-0 draw with Veracruz on Friday

Alejandro Guido dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana on Friday.

Michael Orozco dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana on Friday.

Jonathan Gonzalez started and played 90 minutes in Monterrey’s 2-0 win over Pachuca on Saturday.

Edgar Castillo did not dress for Monterrey on Saturday.

Omar Gonzalez started and played 90 minutes for Pachuca on Saturday.

William Yarbrough started and played 90 minutes for Club Leon in a 1-0 win over Tigures on Saturday.

Jose Torres dressed but did not play for Tigres on Saturday.

Jorge Villafana dressed but did not play in Santos Laguna’s 1-0 loss to Atlas on Sunday.

Ventura Alvarado dressed but did not play for Santos Laguna on Sunday.

NETHERLANDS

EREDIVISIE

Desevio Payne entered as a 45th minute substitute in Excelsior’s 2-1 win over ADO Den Haag on Sunday.

Shane O’Neill did not dress for Excelsior on Sunday.

Matt Miazga started and played 90 minutes in Vitesse’s 1-1 draw with Heracles on Sunday.

BELGIUM

JUPILER LEAGUE

Kenny Saief did not dress in Gent’s 2-0 win over Waasland-Beveren on Saturday.

Juan Pablo Torres did not dress in KSC Lokoren’s 1-1 draw with Sint-Truiden on Saturday.

Ethan Horvath started and played 90 minutes in Club Brugge’s 3-2 win over KV Oostende on Sunday.

DENMARK

DANISH SUPER LEAGUE

Perry Kitchen started and played 90 minutes in Randers’ 3-2 loss to FC Nordjaelland on Saturday.

SWEDEN

ALLSVENSKAN

Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in IFK Goteborg’s 2-0 win over Halmstads BK on Saturday.

Romain Gall started and played 88 minutes in Sundsvall’s 2-1 loss to Elfsborg on Sunday.

NORWAY

ELITESERIEN

Rubio Rubin and Stabaek face Sarpsborg on Monday.

Comments

  1. I know he didn’t light up the stage, but I’m curious why veteran, Bornstein, was left off the qualifying rosters if the older Beasley was called in. Now, I know Beasley has a more established resume, but he’s way past it, and Bornstein has quietly built up a good resume in Mexico.

    Reply
    • Why was Fabian Johnson called in to start against Costa Rica having played no minutes of club football after an injury, but he wasn’t called up for the final two games after having played a few games and appeared to be back to game form?

      Reply
      • And why was our best CB on the bench for the last game? Arena made a number of questionable decisions that were clearly mistakes.

    • After a couple glaring errors for the USMNT, I think it was too hard for any national team coach to call Bornstein up and face the inevitable fan reaction.

      I do think that Bornstein has quietly and steadily improved as a defender. It was Bob Bradley who took the one-time forward and used him as left back for Chivas and then called him up to the USMNT where he mostly did what was expected, but had a couple howlers that cost the US dearly. Fans jumped all over both him and Bradley; Klinsmann, as far as I can recall never called Bornstein in, despite having found only Fabian Johnson to cover the glaring deficiency at left back for the US. (And Bornstein was actually pretty good going forward from the left back position, he can dribble well in tight spots, has decent speed and a good left foot.)

      Reply
    • @AC and to further other comments.Why also wasn’t Chandler brought in during Yedlin’s injury? At least call him in and see who makes the lineup better.

      There is an answer for these questionable callups. MLS needs its stars and poster boys. The Wondos and Zusis and Nagbes get called in because it promotes MLS assets and makes the league more marketable to the US fan who sees its NT stars playing for the local club. More eyeballs for the TV rights deals and more butts in the stands for the owners.

      Out of curiosity I did some looking back on some past NT rosters that were managed by a former MLS coach and noticed some strange issues too in preference to MLSers.

      Going back to 2010, after the Davies accident we were really lost at the forward position and who would partner up top with Jozy. Part of the that problem was Bob Bradley’s, who was an Arena disciple, insistence on using a 442 (morphing to 4222 in game).

      BB called in Edson Buddle, Robbie FIndley, Jozy Altidore, and Herc Gomez at the FW position for 2010. Herc and Buddle were both used as subs and Findley and Altidore both started.

      Curiously, Eddie Johnson who was on the books with Fulham at the time although not getting regular playing time was left off after being called into the preliminary roster. So, not getting playing time for PL club versus call in Buddle and Findley? Gimme Johnson all day.

      MF was also questionable too. He had Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, MB, Edu, Fransico Torres, and Fielhaber as CMs on that roster. Clark and Bradley both started as CDMs with Bradley slightly more forward playing. Remember Clark getting pulled in the first half for Edu after BB finally realized he wasn’t up to the level. Edu was playing for Rangers the time and Holden had moved to Bolton in the previous winter window. The only CM on the roster who played in MLS at the time was Clark.

      That same 2010 roster could have seen this lineup had Bradley used a 433 instead of his old reliable 442. Here’s how it would have looked in a 433 with Feilhaber as CAM.

      Donovan———-Jozy—————Dempsey

      ——————-Feihabler——————–
      ———Bradley————-Holden———–

      Bocanegra–Onyewu—Demerit—Cherundolo
      ———————Howard————————


      The point for bringing all this up is that we’ve never really been maximizing our talent because we’ve never really gotten the right manager to use it or call it up. The manager needs to be able to clearly identify who his best options at certain positions will be and what formation and tactics to use and which players fit that best.

      When your manager picks Ricardo Clark(MLS) over Stuart Holden(EPL) or won’t change his formation and starts a player like Robbie Findley because he’s trying to bang a square peg into a round hole(preferred 442). This cycle it just the same as not calling in Chandler(Bundesliga) and starting Zusi(MLS) or Nagbe(MLS) over Johnson(Budesliga). Or, forcing the roster into a 442 diamond leaving our aging CDM with too much space to cover and no help.

      Reply
      • The issue with your logic is you assume making those changes automatically makes us better. Remember in 2009 we really were not playing well and stumbled upon the 4-4-2 that worked so well in the back end of Confederations Cup when it looked like we were eliminated. We got lucky to fall into that success, and that 4-4-2 carried over into qualifying wins too.
        Rico Clark had played some very good games for us during that whole cycle, and was a trusted partner to Bradley. He had a bad WC unfortunately. Stu Holden was relatively new to the squad and hadn’t earned the trust over 4 years like Rico did. None of us realized how good he was yet. That tournament came a year early for him where he was Bolton Player of the season 2010-2011.
        The Fwd line worked best in a 4-4-2 with Davies harrassing defenders and runing behind. His speed and work rate was key to the success. It also created space for Dempsey/Donovan to float in from the wings. BB went with Findley who was the closest skill set to Davies. He was a poor man’s Davies and that did not work either. You’re arguing that Eddie Johnson should have been called in over Buddle or Gomez but the two of them were absolutely lighting it up their club teams leadig into the World Cup. Gomez was co-leading scorer in Liga MX with Chicharito and Buddle was getting a goal a game ish in MLS. In retrospect, we could have made those changes and things may have worked out differently. Thats why they say hindsight is 20-20 though. Its very easy to play monday morning QB, but don’t forget there was very good reasoning the players you listed were on the roster/starting.

      • Reply to Joe-
        The more you try to extend your conspiracy the crazier it starts to sound
        -Ricardo Clark was playing in the Bundesliga for E.Frankfurt the season before the WC, he had been injured, but he had as much top league PT as Holden.
        -Holden had his leg broken by DeJong in March of 2010, he was subbed on as a 5th midfielder to see out the win, not sure he was up to going full minutes as the 2nd midfielder and didn’t fit Bradley’s 442 Bucket formation.
        -Yes Onyewu was also hurt, but CB wasn’t a huge area of depth for us, and Gooch had demonstrated he was our best CB during the Confed Cup in 2009, Holden had not established himself that way. And if your conspiracy holds he should have been left off for Chad Marshall since Chad was in MLS.
        -Finally, Eddie Johnson spent 2010 in the Greek League, after playing 24 minutes for Fulham from Aug. to December. As Johnson later admitted his attitude at this time in his career was terrible.
        -The 2010 World Cup squad included just four MLS players Findley, Buddle, Bornstein, and Donovan, which was one behind the most represented league, the EPL. Also, LD had played 10 matches in the EPL that Winter.
        -You are also using 2015 Benny Feilhaber, he wasn’t playing the CAM role in 2010, it wasn’t until he had been in KC for a couple seasons that he moved to that forward sitting position.

    • Jonathan Gonzales is the real deal. He covers a ton of ground quickly, tackles well, and distributes extremely well. He could be in Europe this time next year. He needs to be on the next game roster for the usmnt. Start Jonathan over Bradley.

      Reply

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