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Americans Abroad: Weekend rewind

Michael_bradley_the_associated_pres

Make it 20 goals in all competitions for Michael Bradley, who scored two more goals last weekend, including the game-winner in Heerenveen’s 4-3 win against Roda.

Bradley’s performance highlighted an up and down weekend for Americans in Europe. Fulham’s Fab Five suffered another relegation blow in a 2-0 loss to Newcastle while Tim Howard’s chances of having Everton secure a Champions League place took a hit in a 1-1 tie against Jonathan Spector’s West Ham United.

The newest player to be added to the board was winger Lee Nguyen, who started in a win for Randers in the Danish First Division.

Here is how the Americans in Europe did this weekend:

ENGLAND

  • Kasey Keller started, played 90 minutes and made nine saves in Fulham’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday.

    Brian McBride started and played 66 minutes for Fulham.

  • Eddie Johnson started and played 90 minutes for Fulham.
  • Clint Dempsey came off the bench and played 24 minutes for Fulham.
  • Carlos Bocanegra dressed but did not play for Fulham.
  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Everton’s 1-1 tie vs. West Ham United on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Spector came off the bench and played eight minutes for West Ham United.
  • Marcus Hahnemann started, played 90 minutes and made eight saves in Reading’s 2-1 win vs. Birmingham on Saturday.
  • Bobby Convey did not dress for Reading.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made 13 saves in Blackburn’s 3-1 win vs. Wigan on Saturday.
  • Eddie Lewis started and played 90 minutes in Derby County’s 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
  • Benny Feilhaber did not dress for Derby County.
  • Jay DeMerit started and played 90 minutes in Watford’s 1-1 tie vs. Plymouth on Saturday.
  • Matt Pickens dressed but did not play in Queens Park Rangers’ 3-3 tie vs. Wolverhampton on Saturday.

GERMANY

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96’s 1-1 tie vs. MSV Duisburg on Saturday.
  • Sal Zizzo did not dress for Hannover 96. He is with the U.S. Under-23 national team.
  • Heath Pearce came off the bench and played 11 minutes in Hansa Rostock’s 4-1 loss to VFB Stuttgart on Saturday.
  • Bryan Arguez dressed but did not play in Hertha Berlin’s 2-1 loss to Schalke 04 on Sunday.
  • Gregg Berhalter started, played 90 minutes and scored an own goal in 1860 Munich’s 3-1 loss to TUS Koblenz on Sunday.
  • Josh Wolff started and played 90 minutes for 1860 Munich.
  • Josh Grenier dressed but did not play for TUS Koblenz.
  • Neven Subotic started and played 90 minutes in Mainz 05’s 1-1 tie vs. TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday.

HOLLAND

  • Michael Bradley started, played 90 minutes and scored two goals, including the game-winner, in Heerenveen’s 4-3 win vs. Roda JC Kerkrade on Saturday.

ITALY

  • Gabriel Ferrari did not dress in Sampdoria’s 1-1 tie vs. Cagliari on Saturday.
  • Danny Szetela came off the bench and played 15 minutes in Brescia’s 1-0 loss to Triestina on Friday.

SPAIN

  • Giuseppe Rossi did not play in Villarreal’s 2-1 win vs. Levante on Sunday. He was with the Italian Under-21 national team (insert joke here).

FRANCE

  • Quentin Westberg dressed but did not play in FC Troyes 2-0 loss to Libourne on Friday.

PORTUGAL

  • Freddy Adu and Benfica did not play a league match last weekend.

BELGIUM

  • Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes in Standard Liege’s 2-0 win vs. RAE Bergen Mons on Sunday.

GREECE

  • Clint Mathis came off the bench and played seven minutes in Ergotelis’ 2-1 win vs. Atromitos on Saturday.

DENMARK

  • Danny Califf started, played 90 minutes and drew a yellow card in AaB’s 2-0 win vs. Viborg on Sunday.
  • Lee Nguyen started and played 54 minutes in Randers’ 1-0 win vs. Esbjerg on Sunday.

AUSTRIA

  • Nate Jaqua started and played 90 minutes in SC Rheindorf Altach’s 3-0 loss to LASK Linz Saturday.

If I missed someone, or if there is someone you would like to see added to the list, feel free to post their results and accomplishments in the comments section.

What do you think of Bradley’s goal-scoring ways? How about Clint Dempsey’s lack of playing time? And what about Josh Wolff becoming a regular starter at 1860 Munich, and earning a national team call-up in the process? Share your thoughts on all of these, and any other Americans Abroad, below.

Comments

  1. Wow, only two Rossi posts so far this week. Maybe people are finally getting used to the idea that he’s an American. (Although I have about as much hope for this as I do for Fulham staying up.)

    Put me down for wanting Orozco updates, too.

    Thanks for all the hard work, Ives.

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  2. Kosh71 – It may work. Konchesky is one hell of a wing D man. I love em. He has the cojones to play up and track back, and is probably the most solid D man they have. Stalteri can man the other wing, though that is where the weakness would be in the system. 4-3-3, you would need an Andreason on Stalteris flank to make up for his defensive deficiencies, and keep a Simon Davies on the other end of the pitch.

    Work for you?

    And yes, i am asking alot – but they did play 4-3-3 when they beat Everton (towards the end) and looked superb.

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  3. @ Chris – my point isnt that its impossible to have more than one – its that Bullard and Dempsey play a game of who can out do who when they try it out. Its just no good for Fulham, Bullard demands control of their pitch.

    SO. Put Dempsey up front with the Americans!

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  4. Glad to see I’m not the only one who’s baffled by some of Hodgson’s decisions. I can’t for the life of me figure out why he would prefer to play Adreason on the right instead of Dempsey. I have to think that what Dano said is right: Hodgson is playing the players he bought in an attempt to prove that he knows what he’s doing. That would also explain Johnson being in the lineup in spite of the fact that he’s been borderline awful. Also, Hangeland is clinging to his spot in the lineup in spite of an obvious dip in form over the last few games. I’m getting tired of hearing about Hodgson’s fantastic resume; from where I sit, the man’s a moron.

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  5. Ives, I think you must keep forgetting that Giuseppe Rossi is an Italian player not an American player. Just wanted to let you know so you can edit him out of Americans Abroad before other readers notice your mistake. You owe me one, pal.

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  6. I’d like to hear about Orozco, too, or any other American playing abroad who might have a chance to impact the national team. I don’t want the updates to be *only* nat’l team players/candidates, but if someone’s eligible and playing in Malaysia, the why not mention him. Maybe it becomes a two-parter every week: Americans in Europe and Americans everywhere else. Heck, Mark Schulte played in Chile for a while.

    Glad Szetela’s finally seeing some game time. I hope he figures into Racing’s plans more next year.

    While I agree that Fulham’s situation is bleak, they have one saving grace: they play all the other teams around them. Darn near every game from here on out is a 6-pointer, and if you can beat the people you’re chasing, instead of relying on someone else to do it, you’ve got no one to worry about but yourself. I could see them gaining 1 place, but I don’t think they can gain 2, and 18th still goes down. And Hodgson still gets canned.

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  7. I’m glad to see lee ngyuen playing when I seen him play he was really impressive. I hope he can get a call to the United States national team.

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  8. Berhalter’s was an own-goal. After he headed it off the crossbar, the ball came back at him and deflected off his body into the goal.

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  9. I can’t believe our striker situation is so bad that a guy (Wolff)with that strike reocrd can get a call-up to the national team. Embarassing.

    Fulham’s down boys. Quit teasing yourselves, its all about who gets off the sinking ship. My view:

    EJ stays

    McBride to MLS

    Dempsey gets picked up by someone coming up or other Prem low-life

    Bocanegra ditto

    Keller released next stop some 2nd division club in Europe then Seattle 09

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  10. What is the deal with Convey? Is it injury (usually is) or it is lack of form or fitness that keeps him from dressing for Reading?

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  11. Someone else posted last week that Hodgson seems to be sticking with the players he brought in for Fulham in an effort to save face. That might be one reason Boca and Dempsey haven’t been seeing the field. It makes sense to me, because Dempsey was a consistent performer for them most of the season, and while Boca had his shakey moments, Hangeland(sp?) certainly has had his up and downs as well. How EJ didn’t get subbed off this weekend, I’ll never know. After watching that game, I just can’t imagine Fulham finding a way to stay up. I know they’re not mathematically out of it, but they just don’t seem to be able to get results when it counts.

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  12. @ Dave and Eric,

    You can have more than one CAM in a variety of formations, even the 4-3-3 or the 4-2-2-2. In the 4-3-3 the 3 mids generally act in a triangle or inverted triangle (inverted triangle would be one D-mid, two A-mids), which can afford you two A-mids. 4-2-2-2 also allows for those two A-mids to feed the two forwards. Not sure what would work for Fulham as you still have to deal with the specific players and their individual skillsets, not just loosely defined position titles. Roy Hodgson actually explains the 4-3-3 on Uefa’s training ground videos online, haha, so he’s clearly familiar with it.

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  13. Ives, I know this is intended to track Americans in Europe, but it seems like now that the US finally has a rising Nats player in the Mexican league (Michael Orozco, San Luis) that readers would be interested to hear about his exploits on a weekly basis. I know that opens up more Rossi-style worm-cans of players born in the US but playing for Mexico (eg Edgar Castillo). But now that I know who that kid is I’d like to keep abreast of his play along with all the Euro pros – especially since his performances seem to indicate future consideration for the full Nats.

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  14. Fulham are just to damn frustrating to watch anymore. I’ve tried, but now it’s just a waste of time. Guess it won’t be a problem next year. . . ’cause they won’t be on tv anymore!

    Dempsey has gone from team savior to team sufferer. Am I just imagining that he was their best player, and now can’t seem to get a start anymore? Wake up Hodgson, you f’n dinosaur. Stop sitting there looking like your lost and don’t have any ideas left.

    Their midfield is garbage. No connection between the players, that includes Mr. Bullard. I know, free kick to secure a draw a couple of weeks ago, I saw it. But how many give aways and shots into row 20 can he produce each week? Oh wait, he’s the best player on the team, I can’t say that.

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  15. I hear what you’re saying Dave, but does Fulham have the pieces for a 4-3-3? You are asking an awful lot from those ouside backs who are not very good at doing their primary job to begin with. Bullard with free reign is nice but what about the other two logs – who will be serving up the turnovers with Swiss clocklike precision. Plus that is one heck of a narrow field, which can hurt even the best of them. I think Clint should be on the field…and Boca too considering that disgusting soft challenge from Hangelland (sp?) on the weekend. But Fulham in a 4-3-3…I don’t know, I just don’t know.

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  16. How far ahead in the Belgian league is Standard Liege? Last I saw it was something significant.

    Champs League next year… well… at least qualification.

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  17. Eric – when Dempsey and Bullard are both manning the middle, its becomes a constant bumping into each other – they both want to be that CAM, but there can only be one.

    Go 4-3-3

    Go Demps, EJ and McHead up top

    Give Bullard free reign in the mid field.

    Have andreason play back a tad in CDM

    And start Simon Davies, bench Danny Murphy, keep Keller in there (Niemi doesnt have the cojones Keller does)

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  18. Ives – pretty sure Clint was the first sub on for Fulham, and played alot more than 4 minutes. I think it was more like 14. He came on for McBride, as I predicted.

    Hodgson has not impressed me. He seems to have some rule that he can have no more than 3 Americans on the field at the same time. And that hurt on Saturday, with horrible defending leading to the first goal, and absolutely zero production from midfield, save for a few decent efforts from Bullard.

    Other than him, Fulham has very little going well in the middle. When you’re dealing with two forwards who aren’t particularly adept at taking on defenders, you need someone in midfield who can open up space for them…like…oh, I don’t know – Clint Dempsey?!

    They need him either out wide, or in the middle with Bullard. Something to give that midfield any sort of creative spark. They are dreadful to watch with Andreasen, Murphy, et al. in there.

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  19. Danny Szetela isn’t getting anytime with his new team. Doesn’t seem to be a great sign.

    I hope Freddy gets some more time with his 3rd new coach. No matter what though his time in Benfica has really helped him out.

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