by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
It was another weekend to forget for the Americans Abroad contingent as many U.S. national team players failed to see action.
Oguchi Onyewu and Michael Bradley were just two of the top Americans to miss out on the weekend festivities, while Freddy Adu also failed to find some playing time in his first official game with new Portuguese club Belenenses.
As bad as the weekend was there were some positive performances, including Michael Orozco's. Orozco played 90 minutes and netted the lone Americans Abroad goal in San Luis' 4-0 disposal of Chivas de Guadalajara.
Here is how the rest of the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:
England
PREMIERSHIP
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made six saves in Everton's 2-1 loss vs. Fulham on Sunday.
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 26 minutes in Hull City's 4-1 loss vs. Sunderland on Saturday.
- Clint Dempsey started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 2-1 win vs. Everton on Sunday.
- Eddie Johnson did not dress in Fulham's 2-1 win vs. Everton on Sunday.
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in West Ham's 1-0 loss vs. Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Aston Villa's 1-0 win vs. Birmingham on Sunday.
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Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa's 1-0 win vs. Birmingham on Sunday.
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Marcus Hahnemann dressed but did not play in Wolverhampton Wanderers' 3-1 loss vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
COCA COLA CHAMPIONSHIP
- Jay DeMerit did not dress in Watford's 1-0 win vs. Barnsley on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.
- Frank Simek did not dress in Sheffield Wednesday's 1-1 draw vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
LEAGUE ONE
- Ian Joyce dressed but did not play in Southend United's 0-0 draw vs. Leeds United on Friday.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Millwall's 2-0 loss vs. Gillingham on Saturday.
- Mike Grella came off the bench and played 8 minutes in Leeds United's 0-0 draw vs. Southend United on Friday.
- Jemal Johnson and Milton Keynes Dons play Norwich City on Monday.
- Jon-Paul Pittman started and played 83 minutes in Wycombe Wanderers' 1-1 draw vs. Hartlepool United on Saturday.
Scotland
- Maurice Edu did not dress in Rangers' 0-0 draw vs. Motherwell on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.
- DaMarcus Beasley did not dress in Rangers' 0-0 draw vs. Motherwell on Saturday.
Italy
- Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in AC Milan's 0-0 draw vs. Livorno on Saturday.
Germany
BUNDESLIGA
- Michael Bradley dressed but did not play in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 1-0 loss vs. Nurnberg on Saturday.
- Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 0-0 draw vs. Werder Bremen on Sunday.
- Sal Zizzo did not dress in Hannover 96's 0-0 draw vs. Werder Bremen on Sunday.
- Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04's 2-1 win vs. FC Cologne on Sunday.
BUNDESLIGA 2
- Kenny Cooper started and played 45 minutes in 1860 Munich's 3-1 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday.
- Luis Robles dressed but did not play in Kaiserslautern's 4-1 win vs. MSV Duisburg on Friday.
- Matt Taylor did not dress in FSV Frankfurt's 3-2 loss vs. St. Pauli on Sunday.
- David Yeldell started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in TUS Koblenz's 2-1 loss vs. Hansa Rostock on Saturday.
France
- Carlos Bocanegra came off the bench and played 9 minutes in Rennes' 1-0 win vs. St. Etienne on Sunday.
- Charlie Davies started and played 59 minutes in Sochaux's 1-0 loss vs. Lille on Saturday.
Portugal
- Freddy Adu did not dress in Belenenses' 4-0 loss vs. Benfica on Sunday.
Denmark
- Benny Feilhaber started, played 90 minutes and drew a yellow card in AGF Aarhus' 1-0 loss vs. Brondby on Sunday.
- Jeremiah White did not play in AGF Aarhus' 1-0 loss vs. Brondby on Sunday.
- Dan Califf did not play in FC Midtjylland's 2-0 loss vs. FC Nordsjaelland on Saturday.
- Michael Parkhurst did not play in FC Nordsjaelland's 2-0 win vs. FC Midtjylland on Saturday.
- Marcus Tracy and Aalborg play Randers FC on Monday.
Norway
- Troy Perkins started and played 90 minutes in Valerenga's 3-1 loss vs. Fredrikstad on Sunday.
- Mikkel Diskerud started and played 68 minutes in Stabaek's 2-1 loss vs. Rosenborg on Sunday.
- Clarence Goodson started and played 90 minutes in IK Start's 1-1 draw vs. Bodo/Glimt on Sunday.
- Hunter Freeman started and played 90 minutes in IK Start's 1-1 draw vs. Bodo/Glimt on Sunday.
Sweden
- Alejandro Bedoya started and played 90 mi
nutes in Orebro SK's 1-0 win vs. Hammarby on Sunday.
Mexico
- Jose Francisco Torres came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Pachuca's 2-1 win vs. UNAM on Sunday.
- Michael Orozco started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in San Luis' 4-0 win vs. Guadalajara on Saturday.
- Edgar Castillo started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in UANL's 2-1 loss vs. Morelia on Sunday.
- Marco Vidal started and played 90 minutes in Indios de Ciudad Juarez's 1-0 loss vs. Toluca on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Worried by the lack of action? Already concerned about Adu's situation with his new club? Think Orozco should get a look at left back with the national team?
Share your thoughts below
fyi Spector was an unused sub for West Ham so he did dress. Zola was resting him.
Ives,
Just as an FYI, former US youth international Sammy Ochoa played a few meaningless minutes for Tecas yesterday in their blowout loss to the bipolar entity that is Club America.
Apparently he’s made the subs bench regularly and has earned a few appearnces off the bench this year.
Personally, I’d like to see him come back and play in MLS but given the differences in salaries, I understand why he doesn’t.
Adu ————-did not dress.
It’s here, get used to it.
Freddy Adu didn’t play last week…that’s it, his career is over, I knew he’d be a failure…let’s never talk about him again.
Unless he plays next week. Then he needs to be a NAT’s starter…should get the captains armband…he’ll be our saviour 🙂
Ives – don’t forget Kamani Hill in your updates for Portugal, I believe he plays for Vitoria Guimares.
Also, Dempsey is not bad on defense, the US attack is squarely planted on his and Donovans shoulders, and with them being relied on so heavily in the final third, you can’t expect him to be the same two way player he is in England.
Dempsey needs a system like the one at fulham to be successful with the USMNT. A central midfielder who can carve the defense, and a fullback behind him who can get forward to support the attack when he cuts inside. Until we have the same system that he plays with at fulham, you all will continue to bitch about him “not hustling”. The rest of the team needs to do the same, and put themselves into good positions, and create space with their runs. Until that, he will be a guy that shows up and does something spectacular occasionally.
Dempsey looked better than he has for either club or country in awhile vs. Everton. He was hustling, tracking back as most on here want him to and could have scored multiple times had his finishing been better. He also set up some dangerous chances. Most notable to Duff in the second half I believe…
He looked much more comfortable back on the left with Konchesky behind him. Duff was moved to the right and looked equally better there than when they were switched. Perhaps for the US it might be worth while to play him on the left and move Donovan to the middle, and start Holden on the right. It gives the US widtch and a playmaker in the middle who will hustle on defense as well.
I think the difference between Adu and Messi “running rampant” is the running part. Messi does it, Adu does not seem to want to do too much of it.
bigcatasroma,
In the Hull City – Sunderland match, Jozy came on in the 63rd minute and Kenwin Jones came on for Sunderand in the 73rd minute.
So I think your thesis is correct…
Isaac, Isaac, Isaac!
Couldn’t you at least give me credit for knowing there are small players in soccer? How could any real soccer fan not know there are many small players? Thanks for pointing out Messi for me. I guess that changes everything.
Seriously, I’m talking about small and or frail. Just because you are small doesn’t mean you can’t be strong.
Freddy Adu tweeted
“Looking forward to this weekend”
Hopefully that means the coach already told him he is playing in their next game
Dempsey played lights out. He was all over the field, didn’t hustle getting back (no surprise), pinched in every time they attacked (no surprise). Bradley HAS to either bench him, or move him to the left, with Donovan on the right. Dempsey looks like the shadow of himself when he plays at Fulham compared to the US.
Very disappointed with Gooch, Bradley, Adu, and Beasley.
Orozco delivers again. I wonder how many more MLS’ers get another undeserved shot before Orozco a Starter in a Higher viewed Mexican league gets more shots….since Orozco was excellent in his last US game @T&T in late 2008………makes you wonder what stopped him from playing in at least the Gold Cup.
Posted by: harry | September 13, 2009 at 06:55 PM
harry, again, your theory on the MLS is idiotic. He didn’t play in the Gold Cup, just like Torres, because of Mexican preseason. Seriously, the only MLS defender thats worth ripping on in the starting XI is Bornstein and we all know Orozco is not a natural left back. What are you going to do? Slide Bocanegra to the left and play Orozco over Marshall( assuming DeMerit is injured)? You’re like a Euro-snob. All Bradley is trying to do is get some of these MLS players to Europe so people like you will shut up…..and so they can get better but yeah.
Aristotle, because there isn’t a pint sized player who runs rampant for his club and country( although not currently). oh wait, my bad Lionel…..
I’ve been saying for a couple of years now that Adu will not improve anymore and people need to accept that he is just not that good. Every time I’ve said it I’ve been bombarded with abuse about what an idiot I am. How many more years will be necessary? In view of what people have been saying in the past it’s easy yo see a situation where Adu is 35 and people are still saying give him a chance, he’s still young! As long as the game allows size and weight to be a determining factor in the game players like Freddy and Beasley will just be wasted talent. Today’s game says that if a big slams into a small guy knocking him down or off the ball, it’s the small guy’s fault for being small. Everyone knows now. See Freddy. Knock Freddy down. Freddy stays on bench.
pulling foolish one-on-one moves in the middle of the field, losing the ball and then not getting back on D is in no way tied to the quality of the other 10 players…
boom, I don’t think the quality of players on your team has much to do with lack of effort and hustle.
Looks like Adu will never play again. They guy can’t make the bench of any team I guess.
Maybe time to come back to MLS or maybe USL.
hey boom,donovan seems to do just fine with the same usmnt players around him as dempsey.explain that one away!
Guardado played the full 90 for Deportivo for the person that asked about if any players in our hemisphere played this weekend after playing on Wednesday.
Dempsey plays better with Fulham than the US because he has quality players around him. It’s not that hard to figure out.
Orozco needs to be called up. Period.
So nobody played…
To Dman in re: US-Hon TV rights:
Apparently rightsholder is a closed-circuit PPV outlet (i.e., no buy-at-home option, period). They are still the sole rightsholder.
ESPN claims to have been rebuffed; rightsholder claims to have been ignored. At this point, your only chance to see the game live will be to find a public house which plans to carry it, and patronize said establishment the evening of the game.
I’m guessing that this is something of that species of PR created solely for the purpose of negotiating. There still could be a resolution.
yea, what is going on with that? any links to the story?
“Freddy Adu did not dress”
Another Adu year of civvies and spin
What’s all this talk about the Honduras game???
I see a few comments whats going on?
Why does Dempsey consistently play better for Fulham than USA? Could it be his coach, Hodgson, knows how to motivate him at Fulham more than Bradley?
He looked like a different player today than he did v T&T only 5 days ago!!
i cannot believe what is happening with the rights of the USA/Honduras game
jesus
According to Greg Seltzer,
Jay Needham scored for Atla IF yesterday.
24, versatile defender, and captain of that Swedish squad.
43 players, one goal.
This is a meaningless exercise.
vs. everton, rather…
Dempsey was man of the match vs. fulham, according to sky sports, so definitely not a bad day for him.
@harry
while your theory on adu may or may not be true…theres another player (bastos) in the exact same situation as adu (fringe benfica player on loan to belenenses) who played…so maybe youre being a lil paranoid on that one
Wow..Ok..I like Adu…I want Adu to do well..He has the potential to really help out the Senior team. But there is a reason he doesn’t play…its not a conspiracy..he just isn’t good enough. Thats it..end of story…I hope at some point a fire gets lit under him and he proves me wrong..but at this point I just don’t see it. Benfica would keep him if he was good enough, Monaco would have played him if he were good enough, and Belenenses would have played him if he was good enough…there..I’ve had my rant
Orozco played very well for me in football manager 09. That’s all I really know about that.
Orozco is frozen-out because of his red card in the Olympics.
He should be thawed immediately.
Orozco delivers again. I wonder how many more MLS’ers get another undeserved shot before Orozco a Starter in a Higher viewed Mexican league gets more shots….since Orozco was excellent in his last US game @T&T in late 2008………makes you wonder what stopped him from playing in at least the Gold Cup.
i bet their was a side deal between Benfica and Belenenses to not let Freddy play this game. what a bad situation that would be for Benfica ownership if Freddy Adu the player who got treated poorly with Benfica when he stopped playing at the 19th appearance so Benfica would not have to pay MLS an extra $4 Million when he made that 20th Appearance; stepped on the feild today against Benfica and did some damage while he is still contracted to benfica but Benfica dosent want him.
I live in the hinderlands so I won’t have a pay for view option most likley. Accordingly I say boycott the pay for view. this is bs.
Looks like Honduras is taking a page from Mexico’s playbook. I think it’s time for CONCACAF to step in. This is not good for the game.
Adu (this club) since im sure their was an arrangment where Adu couldnt play against Benfica
I don’t think that is true. IIRC Adu twittered that he would be allowed to play.
I thought it was worth mentioning that Gringo Torres had a assist in the game winning goal
@ bigcatasroma
Messi had limited minutes as well. Uh oh, should Argentina be worried that their top player isnt getting regular starting minutes!?! (im joking obviously)
Torres had an assist!
how is it that AC Milan’s season is getting worse, yet Onyewu goes from the subs bench to not even dressing? I hope Milan’s coach gets sacked. Im not totally concerned for Adu (this club) since im sure their was an arrangment where Adu couldnt play against Benfica.
Orozco has been having a very solid season. He should be called up for the October qualifiers.
I think that the lack of action is directly tied to the qualifiers on the other end of the planet for the Americans last week. They logged, what, like 10k miles of travel over the last 10 days (for the most part)?? That’s ludicrous – I guess since Dempsey took the qualifiers off, he could go the full 90 today :). Actually, I guess since Fulham tend to depend *so* heavily on him, also Everton (with Howard) and, amazingly, Sochaux (with Davies), they were the only ones with significant minutes.
I’d be more concerned if others from our hemisphere – Argentinians, Brazilians, Mexicans, whomever – across the European-based players in their camps, did not see an average/overall reduction in minutes this past weekend.
For example, as a Roma fan, I know that Julio Baptista didn’t start, was forced to come in after about 15 minutes today, but left before the game was up. And Juan played for Roma – but didn’t play for Brazil. That seems to be the norm for European clubs – unless the player is absolutely critical, players from the Americas seem to have gotten / get a break after international qualifiers. Or at least that’s how it seems.
Can anyone confirm or deny?