Photo by ISIphotos.com
Danny Szetela’s five-year professional career has included many things. From the dispersal draft that landed him with the Columbus Crew as a 16-year old, to the transfer that saw him go from MLS to Spanish club Racing de Santander, to his first U.S. national team cap and an appearance in the Olympics.
One thing that had been missing is a goal. Szetela finally added his first professional goal this weekend, scoring what wound up being the game-winner in Brescia’s 3-2 win over Triestina.
Szetela’s goal was one of many bright spots for Americans Abroad this weekend. You had Michael Bradley earning the start and playing 90 minutes for Borussia Moenchengladbach. You also had Jozy Altidore getting off the bench and playing 10 minutes for Villarreal. You had goalkeeper Luis Robles making his first career start for Kaiserslautern in a 4-1 win against Ahlen on Friday. Lastly, you had Charlie Davies scoring a goal on Monday for Hammarby, less than a week after scoring a goal for the U.S. national team.
While there were good weeks, there was at least one very bad week for TUS Koblenz goalkeeper David Yelldell, who gave up NINE goals in Koblenz’s 9-0 loss to Hansa Rostock. Unfortunately for Americans Abroad, none of those nine goals were scored by Heath Pearce, who failed to get off the bench for Rostock.
Here is how all the Americans Abroad did this weekend:
ENGLAND
PREMIER LEAGUE
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made eight saves in Everton’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Aston Villa’s 0-0 tie vs. Portsmouth on Sunday.
- Brad Guzan dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
- C!int Dempsey came off the bench and played 17 minutes in Fulham’s 0-0 tie vs. Sunderland on Saturday.
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in West Ham’s 1-0 loss to Hull on Sunday. He is still recovering from a hip injury.
COCA COLA CHAMPIONSHIP
- Marcus Hahnemann started, played 90 minutes and made nine saves in Reading’s 2-1 loss to Preston on Saturday.
- BobbycConvey did not dress for Reading.
- Jay DeMerit did not dress in Watford’s 3-0 win vs. Southampton on Saturday.
- Frank Simek did not dress in Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-0 win vs. Sheffield United on Sunday. He is close to returning from ankle surgery.
- Eddie!Johnson came off the bench and played one minute in Cardiff City’s 2-0 win vs. Charlton on Saturday.
SCOTLAND
- DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu and Glasgow Rangers were off this weekend.
- Mike Videira did not dress in Hamilton’s 2-1 loss to St. Mirren on Saturday.
GERMANY
BUNDESLIGA
- Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96’s 5-2 loss to TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday.
- Sal Zizzo did not dress for Hannover 96.
- Neven Subotic started and played 90 minutes in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-3 tie vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday.
- Michael Bradley started and played 90 minutes in BorussiaIMoenchengladbach’s 2-2 tie vs. VFL Bochum on Friday.
- Brian Arguez did not dress in Hertha Berlin’s 2-1 win vs. VFB Stuttgart on Saturday.
BUNDESLIGA 2
- Heath Pearce dressed but did not play in Hansa Rostock’s 9-0 win vs. TUS Koblenz on Sunday.
- Matt Taylor started and played 62 minutes for TUS Koblenz.
- David Yelldell started, played 90 minutes and made four saves for TUS Koblenz.
- Gregg Berhalter started and played 90 minutes in 1860 Munich’s 3-1 win vs SpVgg Greuther Feurth on Sunday.
- Luis Robles started, played 90 minutes and made zero saves in Kaiserslautern’s 4-1 win vs. Ahlen on Friday.
- Grover Gibson did not dress for Ahlen.
SPAIN
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 10 minutes in Villarreal’s 0-0 tie vs. Espanyol on Saturday.
ITALY
SERIE B
- Danny Szetela came off the bench, played 37 minutes and scored his first professional goal in Brescia’s 3-2 win vs. Triestina on Saturday.
FRANCE
LIGUE 1
- Carlos Bocanegra started and played 90 minutes in Rennes’ 0-0 tie vs. Auxerre on Sunday.
- Freddy Adu came off the bench and played eight minutes in Monaco’s 2-1 loss to Nice on Saturday.
- Andrew Jacobson did not dress in Lorient’s 3-2 loss to Paris St. Germain on Saturday.
LIGUE 2
- Quentin Westberg dressed but did not play in Troyes’ 0-0 tie vs. Strasbourg on Saturday.
BELGIUM
- Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Standard Liege’s 2-1 win vs. RAEC Bergens Mons on Saturday.
DENMARK
- Danny Califf started and played 90 minutes in FC Midtjylland’ 2-1 win vs. AGF Aarhus on Monday.
- Jeremiah White started and played 90 minutes for AGF Aarhus.
- Benny Feilhaber did not play for AGF Aarhuse.
- Lee Nguyen did not play in Randers’ 1-1 tie vs. Vejle on Sunday.
- Tally Hall dressed but did not play for Ejsberg’s 4-2 loss to Odense BK on Sunday.
NORWAY
FIRST DIVISION
- Troy Perkins started and played 90 minutes in Valarenga’s 3-1 win vs. Lillestrom on Monday.
- Adin Brown did not play in Aalesunds’ 1-0 win vs. Bodo Glimt on Sunday. He is out for the season with an injury.
SECOND DIVISION
- Cam Weaver did not dress in Haugesund’s 1-0 loss to Kongsvinger on Sunday.
- Clarence Goodson came off the bench in IK Start’s 1-1 tie vs. Sogndal on Saturday.
- Kyle Veris started and played 90 minutes in Hodd’s 1-0 loss to Honefoss on Sunday.
- Jay Needham started and played 90 minutes in Alta’s 3-2 win vs. Sarpsborg on Sunday.
SWEDEN
- Charlie Davies started, played 88 minutes and scored a goal in Hammarby’s 3-0 win vs. Djurgarden on Monday.
- Ryan Raybould did not dress in Gefle’s 3-2 win vs. Sundsvall on Monday.
- Colin Burns started and played 90 minutes in Ljunskile’s 3-0 loss to Halmsted on Sunday.
- Etchu Tabe started and played 90 minutes for Ljunskile.
MEXICO
- Jose Francisco Torres came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Pachuca’s 3-0 loss to Toluca on Sunday.
- Michael Orozco did not dress in San Luis’ 5-2 loss to Tecos on Friday.
- Sammy Ochoa did not dress for Tecos.
- Marco Vidal did not dress in Indios de Ciudad de Juarez’s 0-0 tie vs. Club America on Saturday.
- Daniel Hernandez started and played 90 minutes in Chiapas’ 1-0 loss to Santos Laguna on Sunday.
- Jesus Padilla{did not dress in Chivas de Guadalajara’s 1-0 win vs. Atlante on Saturday.
- Sonny Guadamara did not dress in Morelia’s 2-0 win vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
American-born Players Playing for Other Countries
- Giuseppe Rossi (Italy) started and played 73 minutes in Villarreal’s 0-0 tie vs. Espanyol on Saturday.
- Edgar Castillo (Mexico) started and played 90 minutes in Santos Laguna’s 1-0 win vs. Chiapas on Sunday.
- Joe Lapira (Ireland) started and played 80 minutes Nybergsund’s 5-0 loss to Moss on Sunday.
- Brede Hangeland (Norway) started and played 90 minutes in Fulham’s 0-0 tie vs. Sunderland on Saturday.
- Boaz Myhill (Wales) started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Hull City’ 1-0 win vs. West Ham on Sunday.
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If there are players I forgot to list feel free to list them below. Please remember that I’m trying to focus on first divisions and, in some cases, second divisions, so keep that in mind when suggesting players for the list.
Which performances impressed you? Which disappointed you? Are you starting to get worried by the lack of playing time for Altidore, Adu and Bradley?
Share your thoughts below.
Yossarian,
Thanks. I thought he was just in a US camp a month or two ago.
Ed Ho,
Benny has been injured all season
I want to know more about this Ryan Guy kid that plays in Ireland. I know he’s not on the nats radar or anything, but I’m still curious.
AS, I completely disagree with Bocanegra at Left Back. You clearly didn’t see him play there for Fulham last year.
BTW – does Fielhaber continue to fall or what? Can’t even dress for a bad team in Denmark.
Hill is on trial with Bodo Glimt in Norway.
Hey ives, what ever happened to Kamani Hill who I believe still plays for VfL Wolfsburg?
A German Paper is saying that Germany has shut the door on Neven Subotic (I’ll have to take Brooks Peck’s word for it. I don’t speak or read German.)
I don’t think the fact that our best performance came from a Serie B player should be a source of pride.
EJ… gettin’ a minute!
Kpugs,you would sell your mother for 10 cents. Everyone here thinks your an ass.
As far as Neven Subotic, I thought I saw an article brief too that he might not qualify but can’t find it quickly. Is that for real, or is this when Germany appeals and then he’s approved? Or are they not interested in him now?
He’s (supposedly) still eligible for Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, so I wonder where we stand vs those choices (with his dad promoting Serbia).
Hey Sayreville, thanks for catching the Robles line. I’ve made the change.
Charlie Davies, I’m glad to see him score again. He is looking really good for us right now, I hope he gets maybe a start for the US team in there next qualifier.
Ives, you have Luis Robles as DNP but I think he made his pro debut this weekend.
For anyone who reads these comments…
Davies started, played 88 minutes, and scored a goal in Hammarby’s 3-0 win over DjurgÃ¥rden.
Charlie Davies with a goal today
and why didn’t heath get any playing time?
bradley is getting playing time ives. I worry that dempsey, adu, altidore, and onyewu aren’t getting enough P T. why didn’t oguchi play anyway?
I like the fact that ives has don the section with Americans playing for other countries. People that want to follow them can and people who don’t just skip over it.
I mean France not Fenance silly me, I was hoping someone would catch that!!!
Danny Calliff couldnt make it in Germany or Fenace thats why none of those teams ever mention looking at him. He is terrible if you saw his performance last wekk against T&nT and wasnt ever even the top denfender in the MLS.
When is Danny Califf going to move to a more intense league like Germany or France? He certaintly could make it in a bottom table team.
Cherundolo must be a hero at Hannover. It’s his 10thseason. Remarkable. It’s the first and only club he has been a part of.
What would have happened if EJ joined Derby in summer07? Would he have scored a few goals or would his lack of talent been revealed earlier than now?
What happened to EJ? Seriously is he on drugs or just needs them? He should have moved to France or Germany instead of the EPL. He wasn’t ready.
I know Zak Whitbread plays in a lower division in England but he’s getting some good pub on ESPN about a possible transfer in the winter.
I did Adam, that’s why I asked.
What the heck is going on w/ Timmy this year? Is it too early to be concerned.
Huge sigh of relief that MB got 90. I was beginning to get Feilhaber flashbacks. I hope he played well enough to earn consistent minutes.
Leonid Krupnik, who I understand is a naturalized U.S. citizen, played at Cal and was briefly with the then-MetroStars, went 90 minutes for Maccabi Haifa – the current point leader and multiple-time champion of the Israel Premier League. If we are to include people like Brede Hangeland (who rules by the way), we should include naturalized citizens. Roni Gafni, who also plays Maccabi Haifa and has an Israeli cap to his name, was born in the United States; he did not appear this weekend.
Leonid Krupnik, who I understand is a naturalized U.S. citizen, played at Cal and was briefly with the then-MetroStars, went 90 minutes for Maccabi Haifa – the current point leader and multiple-time champion of the Israel Premier League. If we are to include people like Brede Hangeland (who rules by the way), we should include naturalized citizens.
i thought i saw somewhere this weekend something about subotic NOT be able to play for germany…. maybe i partied a little too hard tho. the weekend was a little blurry. Anyone else see anything on that?
Ryan Guy (San Diego native, and USD graduate), scored a hat trick for St. Patrick’s Athletic, in the Irish Premier Division. St. Patrick’s Athletic is currently in first place.
http://www.stpatsfc.com/news.php?id=2677
Ryan Guy with St. Pat’s in Ireland scored a hat-trick on Saturday. I know it’s not the best of leagues, but if we’re including the Norwegian Second Division, why not the Irish Premier Division? Chris Konopka and Lance Friesz, both GK, also play there.
Jay-Z, good eye on the Dempsey thing. That was actually an intentional plant as part of my attempts to catch people who have been lifting my content and posting it elsewhere. Since you have revealed it I will have to remove. Thanks.
And John, Mig22 explained the section best. I don’t see why anybody really cares whether or not that group is listed. It is what the header describes it as and it’s not going anywhere.
Oh, and KPugs, don’t be so sure about Subotic and Germany.
Ryan Guy 23-year-old right winger for St. Patrick’s Athletic scored a hat trick this weekend versus Shamrock Rovers. He also scored the game winner in St. Patrick’s first ever away European win this summer in UEFA Cup qualifying.
The wins and losses for Yanks Abroad was dismal this week.
@John:
Grouping the Americans that play for other nations was a compromise solution by Ives (recommended by one of the SBI Mafia I believe) to stop the incessant whining about whether or not those players should be classed as Americans Abroad. This is a really beaten to death subject so I’m pretty sure it’s going to stay as it is now.
BTW – did anyone notice that ESPN Soccernet’s match summaries now show the position of each of the players (i.e., left back, right central defender, etc – rather than just “D”, “M” or “F”)? The match summary for the Auxerre game has Boca playing Left Back for Rennes. Does anyone know if this is where he’s been playing all year for Rennes?
I’ve been of the opinion that our best lineup for US MNT games is Boca at left back, instead of Pearce, and DeMerit or Simek or someone else playing beside Gooch in the center. I wonder if that is more likely if Boca plays left back for his club side all year.
Jacob…Subotic is going to play for Germany, he has all but said it. Just think of it this way until further notice. That’s what I’m doing–and if he ends up playing for the U.S., it will make that announcement that much sweeter since I’m expecting the worst.
Jay-z, get a frigging life. Armchair blog editing is the lowest form of idiocy, just under hurling your own poop.
Ives, a suggestion…
I enjoy reading your updates on Americans playing abroad but I think that you should just leave off the American born players playing for different countries. Do you really think Brede Hangeland has even a tinge of American patriotism in him? Ditto with Boaz Myhill. And I am not even going to comment on Guisseppi Rossi since we very well know which country he wishes to play for.
Just confine comments on the Americans, who are proud to be known as such, when playing overseas.
Most impressive to me is Bocanegra’s Rennes pitching another shutout. Rennes has given up only 7 goals this season – tied for fewest in Ligue 1 – and 4 of those goals were by Marseille in the first game of the season. In Rennes’ last 8 games, they’ve only given up 3 goals. And Boca has started every Rennes game this season.
I’d say that, at this point in time (and based solely on results – I haven’t actually seen Rennes play), Bocanegra is playing the best out of all of the US’s players playing abroad – even better than Timmy Howard and Brad Freidel.
Ives, a quick suggestion…
Every week when you put out these updates, it seems that Charlie Davies’ team plays the next day or some time later in the week.
In future updates, could you maybe tell what he did in the previous week’s game?
I think a lot of us are excited about him and would like to keep close tabs on his progress.
I didn’t want to sound too pushy.
Seriously, Jay-Z, do you have nothing better to do then criticize Ive’s spelling? Talk about nit-picking.
Is Dempsey now spelling his name with an exclamation mark instead of an L? Is this his way of trying to show Hodgson that he’s an exciting player and deserves to start?
Anyone know what the reason for Onyewu’s DNP was?
Hi my name is Jacob a and I’m going to stalk ices until he personally responds to me.
Clarence Goodson’s team IK Start was promoted the Norwegian top divsion on Saturday. He has returned from mono and now looks to play 90 in each of the last two matches to gain full fitness.
Nice week abroad for Yanks. Good to see Mexican authorities let Torres back into the country 🙂
Altidore getting ten minutes off the bench for the top team in Spanish football is pretty huge in my opinion. If he is a sub all year on a top team in Spain at his age there is nothing wrong with that. Did anyone see Bradley’s performance? It would be nice to see him being a regular in Germany.
Yelldell 4 saves and 9 goals…ouch.
For real though, is something coming about the Subotic deal, Ives? No problem if you don’t, just used to you providing great info on these things. (Great work with this, by the way)