By AVI CREDITOR
American midfielder Benny Feilhaber has been ruled out of action for the next 10 days as he recovers from an ankle injury that he picked up in practice on Monday.
AGF Aarhus doctors have determined that Feilhaber has cartilage damage in the ankle, according to the team's Web site. He will have his ankle examined again after the resting period, and then the next course of action will be determined.
The latest prognosis all but rules Feilhaber out of the U.S. men's national team's friendly with the Netherlands on March 3, a match that is just two weeks away.
In other Wednesday soccer news:
HODGSON: DEMPSEY'S "PROGRESS IS GOOD"
Clint Dempsey's knee rehabilitation is going well, as Fulham manager Roy Hodgson reiterated Wednesday that the American midfielder should return to action prior to the end of the Premier League season.
"His progress is good, and he is working very hard to recover," Hodgson told the Associated Press. "The medical staff are very happy with him."
Dempsey hurt his knee Jan. 17 against Blackburn and has six goals and three assists this season.
VIEIRA FACES SUSPENSION
Newly-acquired Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira could be facing some forced time off.
Vieira has been charged by the English Football Association with violent conduct after he appeared to kick Stoke City's Glenn Whelan in the groin from the ground during a challenge in Tuesday's Premier League contest.
Vieira did not receive a card for the challenge, but the FA reviewed the incident on video and made its decision. Vieira faces a three-match suspension, although he could appeal the charge by Thursday.
CAHILL DOUBTFUL FOR EVERTON
Everton may be without midfielder Tim Cahill when it takes on Manchester United this Saturday. Cahill suffered what manager David Moyes called a "calf strain" against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday, though the team does not yet know the severity of the injury.
Cahill has come on strong of late, meshing with on-loan Landon Donovan. Cahill has two goals and two assists since the American joined the Toffees in early January, and he has four goals and three assists on the season.
BIRMINGHAM RENEWS HART LOAN
On-loan goalkeeper Joe Hart has been stellar for Birmingham City this season, helping the Blues to eighth place in the current Premier League standings.
The team that owns his rights, Manchester City, has declined Birmingham's offer to buy Hart outright but has agreed to extend his loan through next season.
Hart has nine games in which he's made at least five saves and is a big reason why Birmingham is enjoying a successful campaign.
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Who do you want to see in the U.S. midfield against the Netherlands? Happy to hear more positive news about Dempsey? What did you think of Vieira's actions? What do you think Cahill's injury means for Donovan?
Share your thoughts below.
Freddy is not an intelligent player? I’d like to know how you came to that conclusion. I remember watching him against Spain and Argentina and this kid brought the game to these teams. He plays balls that half the players on the US Nats couldn’t dream of playing. I don’t get where you get off saying he’s not an intelligent player. Freddy is a long shot for the world cup because he hasn’t played consistently in the past two years, plain and simple, not because of his lack of talent or intelligence. And you say Torres is more successful? he actually doesn’t start every Pachuca game, and if he’s so successful why is BB so hesitant to play him? let’s not bring personal biases into the convo when it comes to players. If Freddy was playing regularly there’d be no question, things just didn’t work out the way we all thought he would, but to think he’s not intelligent? maybe you should watch him play more…he may not be the best defender in the world, but why are people so freaking obsessed with attacking players defending? that’s why we have freaking defenders.
The point is, those guys know how to take advantage of their small size and increased quickness.
Freddy doesn’t. He’s not much smaller than Donovan or Torres, who are more succesful than him but he doesn’t seem to have learned from watching them. Adu is not a very intelligent player.
Maybe he needs someone to coach him on it but I suspect those other guys figured it out on their own or at least went to someone and asked them for help.
Take the entire body of his work with the US “SENIOR” team and it is not very impressive. Basically you add up his negatives, defensively clueless,inept and unwilling, weak, short, slow, unfit, tactically unsophisticated, and then compare them to his positives, good ball control, good passing ability, good dribbling skills, and its easy to see why he’s still a long shot for the World Cup.
So Adu is the same as Davies except for the speed and the strength? What are you smoking?
That’s like saying the only reason your Jeep is better than my golf cart is that it is faster and stronger but otherwise they are the same vehicle.
Adu is quick i.e. capable of quick bursts of movement over a short distance but is not fast i.e you will catch him if he has to run over more than a few yards.
Charlie is very strong because he apparently was a wrestler in high school and college so he knows how to use his body to move people around. And he is a fitness freak. It doesn’t look like that is Adu’s thing.
Adu could have been working out all this time on his own building up his fitness and strength, even if he wasn’t playing bu t it doesn’t look like he was doing that.
This is a very physical game. I don’t care how skilled Adu is if he doesn’t make the commtiment to increasing his strength and work on his body, he has no one to blame but himself when all these international defenders push him around.
Part of the intent of Friendlies is to improve the communication and understanding between Core players and back-ups/fringe players. For that reason I fully expect Jozy, Landon, Bradley, Boca, to play nearly the full 90 Vs the Netherlands.
I belive that Holden or Beasely will start on the wing opposite Landon, with whoever doesn’t start subbed in after 60 min.
Paired with Bradley will likely be Clark or Edu depending on who’s healthy. If one/both aren’t fit only then will we see JFT playing central Mid.
Defense will likely be Bornstein, Boca, DeMerit, Spector. (Dolo coming back from injury, Gooch still out), may see Castillo as a LB sub but will deffenatly not start over BB’s adopted son JB.
Strikers besides Jozy will depend greatly on the play of those involved in the El Salvador match. Whoever shows well in that will likely be starting with Jozy come the 3rd.
Donovan, Torres, Edu and Holden. Donovan is the engine that makes the team go so he’s going to start, but the others are players BB needs to see. MB doesn’t need to start, he’s going to be on the plane.
For the same reason I think BB would at least consider starting Castillo at LB (with Spector and DeMerit in the middle and Dolo on the right). We know what we have with Bocs, so we can see how Spector does in the middle.
As far as Cahill, I think that likely closes the book on Donovan extending his loan. Without Fellani and Cahill, I’m not sure Everton has a chance for Europa even with Mandon and Arteta playing like their hair is on fire, and also unlikely to fall into the relegation zone so why pay the bucks this year to buy him? Wait for the TV money and buy him after the World Cup to use him all next season.
Viera foul should have been a straight red with at least a 3 game suspension. It’s on the same lines as his contemporary Zidane.
What is up with the French’s temper? Is there any resentment between the Britons and French? Serious question.
I see that Patrick Viera has picked up where he left off in the Premiership.
Who is Eric the _______, and why should I enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent?
He’s a 22 year old PROSPECT. Look at all the other keepers England have tabbed as the next Banks, Seaman, whatever (such as Carson, blah, blah, blah). Let’s talk about this BOY when he’s 28 or 29, if you can remember his name in five or six years.
get real. he will NEVER play in the World Cup this year. NEVER
So you’d go with my first midfield line-up then?
I hope, in the long run, you are right and I am wrong. I really,really do. But as of right now he has not developed the skill of shielding and using his lower body to protect the ball and hold possession.
Plus all three players you mention are much thicker from the waist down then Adu.(especially Arshavin) And Messi is a once in a generation player so let’s just leave him off this list.
Go USA Nats. because no one roots harder for them then me.
I watched Freddy at DC in the confed cup last year against Honduras, and then Charlie came in around 60th minute – to suggest that they are they same type of player is absurd. charlie would beat Freddy by about 10 yards in a 40 yard dash. Freddy had some nice touches, but he is way too slow for a guy his size to be able to have an impact. Charlie cam in and instantly changed the game with his speed and stregnth and energy
Tough time for Benny Feilhaber.Hope he recovers soon. The team really needs him.To create your own football memorabilia online
“Just maybe”
Rightttttttttttt.
Adu is playing that game, either a sub or starter. Who is so good that they are better than an In-form Adu, besides Donovan and Dempsey?
I just find it hard to believe Adu wont get any minutes vs Holland.
im gunna type this in caps so people who think Holden not getting minutes on a team on the brink of relegation somehow kills his stock
HES PLAYING WITH 10times BETTER PLAYERS, BETTER COACHING, and HES GOING TO BE BETTER THAN HES EVER BEEN
and the kid rises to the occasion under pressure. hes proven that several times. Is he a starter? not likely, but hes going to get minutes in the WC every game
Maybe
Torres-Bradley-Edu-Donovan…
that could work…
but does Edu who has not been getting minutes because of injury for long time rise above holden, adu, and beasley….man…gosh i just got more confused.