CONCACAF Abroad: Weekend Rewind

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

With the German Bundesliga off for the winter break, it was quite the surprise to see four CONCACAF Abroad players score in the penultimate week of the 2008 year.
 
Trinidadians Kenwyne Jones and Jason Scotland enjoyed excellent weekends as they both scored for the second consecutive week. Scotland net the lone goal for Swansea City as they drew level with Blackpool on Saturday. Jones' goal, which came in the 84th minute, makes it his third in two weeks and his fourth in the EPL this season. Not too shabby for a 24-year-old forward.
 
The other two CONCACAF Abroad representatives that scored this past weekend were Grenada's Jason Roberts and Jamaica's Ricardo Gardner, whose impressively struck goal was the eventual game-winner for Bolton against Porsmouth.
 
While most CONCACAF Abroad countries have much to smile about, the Mexican fans might be a little distraught after the majority of their players failed to participate in their respective sides' action. Out of the ten available Mexicans (three were off duty due to the winter break), only three saw time on the field. Though the trifecta of Andres Guardado, Omar Bravo and Guillermo Franco got playing time, they only accumulated 112 minutes this weekend with Guardado amassing for 90 of those minutes.
 
Here's how the rest of the CONCACAF Abroad did this past weekend:

CANADA

• Julian de Guzman dressed but did not play in Deportivo La Coruna's 4-1 win vs. Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.

• David Edgar dressed but did not play in Newcastle's 2-1 win vs. Tottenham on Sunday.

• Paul Stalteri did not dress in Tottenham's 2-1 loss vs. Newcastle United on Saturday.

• Rob Friend and Borussia Monchengladbach were off this week.

• Daniel Imhof and VFL Bochum were off this week.

• Kevin McKenna and FC Cologne were off this week.

• Nik Ledgerwood and 1860 Munich were off this week.

• David Hoilett and St. Pauli were off this week.

• Josh Simpson and Kaiserslautern were off this week.

• Atiba Hutchinson and FC Copenhagen are on winter break until March.

• Kenny Stamatopolous and Tromso are currently out of season.

• Michael D'Agostino did not dress in Blackpool's 1-1 draw vs. Swansea City on Saturday.

• Olivier Occean and Lillestrom are currently out of season.

• Patrice Bernier and FC Nordsjaelland are on winter break until March.

• Issey Nakajima-Farran and FC Nordsjaelland are on winter break until March.

• Mike Klukowsi did not play in Club Brugge's 5-1 loss vs. Royal Excelsior Mouscron on Saturday.

• Adrian Cann and Esbjerg are on winter break until March.

• Andrew Ornoch and Esbjerg are on winter break until March.

• Tam Nsaliwa started, played 90 minutes and drew a yellow card in AEK Athens' 3-2 win vs. Ergotelis on Sunday.

• Marcel De Jong started and played 90 minutes in Roda JC's 5-2 loss vs. FC Groningen on Saturday.

• Richard Hastings started, played 90 minutes and drew a yellow card in Inverness' 3-0 loss vs. Aberdeen on Saturday.

COSTA RICA

• Gilberto Martinez started and played 90 minutes in Brescia's 1-0 win vs. Grosseto on Friday.

• Bryan Ruiz started and played 90 minutes in KAA Gent's 2-1 loss vs. Standard Liege on Sunday.

• Randall Azofeifa came off the bench and played 26 minutes in KAA Gent's 2-1 loss vs. KV Standard Liege on Sunday.

• Alvaro Saborio and FC Sion Sitten were off this week.

GRENADA

• Jason Roberts started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Blackburn's 3-0 win vs. Stoke City on Saturday.

HONDURAS

• David Suazo started and played 90 minutes in Benfica's 0-0 draw vs. CD Nacional de Madeira on Monday.

• Maynor Figueroa and Wigan were off this week.

• Wilson Palacios and Wigan were off this week.

• Julio Cesar Leon did not dress in Parma's 1-0 win vs. Cittadella on Friday.

• Edgar Alvarez came off the bench and played 41 minutes in Pisa's 1-0 loss vs. Piacenza on Saturday.

JAMAICA

• Marlon King started, played 90 minutes and drew a yellow card in Hull's 4-1 loss vs. Sunderland on Saturday.

• Ricardo Fuller started and played 90 in Stoke's 3-0 loss vs. Blackburn on Saturday.

• Ricardo Gardner started, played 83 minutes and scored a GOAL in Bolton's 2-1 win vs. Portsmouth on Saturday.

• Nyron Nosworthy started and played 90 minutes in Sunderland's 4-1 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.

• Damion Stewart started and played 90 minutes in Queens Park Rangers' 3-2 win vs. Preston North End on Saturday.

• Jason Euell started and played 90 minutes in Southampton's 2-0 loss vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

• Claude Davis did not dress in Derby County's 1-0 win vs. Watford on Saturday.

• Deon Burton came off the bench, played 29 minutes and drew a yellow card in Charlton's 1-0 loss vs. Norwich City on Saturday.

• Luton Shelton and Valarenga are currently out of season.

• Rudolph Austin and SK Brann are currently out of season.

MEXICO

• Rafael Marquez did not dress in Barcelona's 2-1 win vs. Villarreal on Sunday.

• Andres Guardado started and played 90 minutes in Deportivo La Coruna's 4-1 win vs. Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.

• Omar Bravo came off the bench and played 3 minutes in Deportivo La Coruna's 4-1 win vs. Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.

• Ricardo Osorio and VFB Stuttgart were off this week.

• Pavel Pardo and VFB Stuttgart were off this week.

• Carlos Salcido did not dress in PSV Eindhoven's 1-0 win vs. Feyenoord Rotterdam on Sunday.

• Giovani Dos Santos did not dress in Tottenham's 2-1 loss vs. Newcastle United on Sunday. He was out with an ankle sprain.

• Carlos Vela dressed but did not play in Arsenal's 1-1 draw vs. Liverpool on Sunday.

• Nery Castillo did not dress in Manchester City's 2-1 loss vs. West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

• Guillermo Franco came off the bench, played 19 minutes and drew a yellow card in Villarreal's 2-1 loss vs. Barcelona on Sunday.

• Hector Moreno did not dress in AZ Alkmaar's 1-0 win vs. FC Utrecht on Friday.

• Aaron Galindo and Eintracht Frankfurt's were off this week.

• Antonio DeNigris did not play in Ankaraspor's 1-1 draw vs. Antalyaspor on Sunday.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

• Kenwyne Jones started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Sunderland's 4-1 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.

• Carlos Edwards came off the bench and 1 minute in Sunderland's 4-1 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.

• Dwight Yorke dressed but did not play in Sunderland's 4-1 win vs. Hull City on Saturday.

• Darryl Roberts started and played 90 minutes in Denizlispor's 1-1 draw vs. Ankaragucu on Sunday.

• Stern John started and played 90 minutes in Bristol City's 2-1 loss vs. Burnley on Saturday.

• Jason Scotland started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Swansea City's 1-1 draw vs. Blackpool on Saturday.

• Russell Latapy dressed but did not play in Falkirk's 3-0 loss vs. Celtic on Sunday.

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What did you think of this week's performances? Missing the Bundesliga much? Impressed with Gardner's finish against Pompey? Thrilled by Kenwyne Jones' scoring streak?

Share your thoughts below.