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Americans Abroad: A Look Ahead

Benny Feilhaber (JTisiphotos.com) 

Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com

 

By FRANCO PANIZO

Benny Feilhaber has made a smooth transition back into AGF Aarhus' lineup since recovering from an ankle injury that threatened his World Cup hopes, but while Feilhaber has enjoyed individual success, his club has not.

Since returning from the winter break in March, Aarhus has won just once in ten games, and now sits just two points out of the relegation zone. Feilhaber will likely start a third consecutive game as Aarhus looks to bounce back from a three-game losing streak against Koge.

Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson's regular season with Aris Salonika is over, but the two American attackers will be aiming for domestic glory in the Greek Cup final. If Aris manages to trump Panathinaikos, Johnson and Adu will become the second set of Americans to get winner's medals this season, joining Rangers duo Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley.

While Adu and Johnson will be looking to lift hardware together, U.S. national team stars Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey will do battle as Everton faces Fulham in the top match-up of Americans.

Here is a rundown of who the Americans Abroad will be playing this weekend:

FRIDAY

Luis Robles and Kaiserslautern play Hansa Rostock

David Yeldell and TUS Koblenz play St Pauli. (Yeldell is out injured.)

SATURDAY

Jonathan Spector and West Ham United play Wigan Athletic.

Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Portsmouth. (Holden is out injured.)

Marcus Hahnemann and Wolverhampton Wanderers play Blackburn Rovers.

Jozy Altidore and Hull City play Sunderland.

Kenny Cooper and Plymouth Argyle play Nottingham Forest.

Frank Simek and Sheffield Wednesday play Cardiff City.

Jay DeMerit and Watford play Reading. (DeMerit is out injured.)

Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Gillingham.

Jemal Johnson and Stockport County play Huddersfield Town.

Mike Grella and Leeds United play Milton Keynes Dons.

Eric Lichaj and Leyton Orient play Millwall.

Jon-Paul Pittman and Wycombe Wanderers play Swindon Town.

Oguchi Onyewu and AC Milan play Palermo.

Steve Cherundolo, Sal Zizzo and Hannover 96 play Bayer Leverukusen. (Zizzo is out injured.)

Jared Jeffrey and Mainz 05 play Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Michael Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach play Bayern Munich.

Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 play Hertha Berlin. (Jones is out injured.) 

Charlie Davies and Sochaux play Boulogne.

Carlos Bocanegra and Stade Rennes play Paris Saint-Germain.

Eddie Johnson, Freddy Adu and Aris Salonika play Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup final.

Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek play Viking.

Edgar Castillo and Tigres UANL play Jose Francisco Torres and Pachuca. (Castillo is out injured.)

Michael Hoyos and Estudiantes La Plata play River Plate.

SUNDAY

Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Birmingham.

Tim Howard and Everton play Clint Dempsey and Fulham.

Dominic Cervi and Celtic play Dundee United.

DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu and Rangers play Hibernian.

Daniel Williams and SC Freiburg play VfL Wolfsburg.

Matt Taylor and FSV Frankfurt play FC Augsburg.

Gale Agbossoumonde and Sporting Braga play Naval 1 Maio.

Benny Feilhaber and AGF Aarhus play Koge.

Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland play Sonderjyske.

Marcus Tracy, Chris Rolfe and Aalborg BK FC Copenhagen. (Tracy is out injured.)

Alejandro Bedoya and Orebro SK play Halmstad.

Clarence Goodson, Hunter Freeman and IK Start play Honefoss.

Herculez Gomez and Puebla play Toluca. Gomez is suspended due to his ejection from last week's match.

Marco Vidal and Indios de Ciudad Juarez play Pumas UNAM.

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Which Americans Abroad match are you most looking forward to? Which players do you see having a big impact? Do you see Feilhaber and Aarhus avoiding relegation this season? Think Adu and Johnson will get playing time en route to winning the Greek Cup? How will Dempsey and Howard fare against one another?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m getting worried about Spector’s play. I’m a fan, but he is having a torrid time at left back for West Ham. It’s great that he is getting consistent playing time, but who knows where his head will be this summer if the Hammers go down while he is putting in poor performances.

    Reply
  2. Give Adu more time. Give him an off-season and one full season with the same team and see what he does.

    If he fails to make an impact in 12 months then bring him home.

    Reply
  3. Whatever happened to the transfer rumours of Benny Feilhaber going to Spain? Have there been any new transfer rumours since then?

    Reply
  4. shouldn’t it read :”Kenny Cooper sits in the stands in street clothes and watches Plymouth Argyle play Nottingham Forest”??

    wonder if his dad is angling to get him some bench time in MLS.

    Reply
  5. I’d hate to be M. Bradley this weekend. Hope Cisse puts in a couple(seems to be the only French stiker scoring goals) but i hope Aris can win, especially if EJ or Adu can manage to score.

    Reply
  6. Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek play Viking.

    Do they get to put horns on their heads, and ride in boats that look like dragons?

    Sorry, couldn’t resist.

    Reply
  7. Hoping Grella steps up after Beckford leaves Leeds.. I think he has the talent and could make a huge impact in 4 years.

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  8. I get the fact that DeMerit is captain of his squad, but that dude needs to get outta the Championchip League…. it seems like every week he’s getting one injury or another. It’s like playing in Scotland for crying out loud!

    If he played in France or Spain he’d still do well but have a better chance of coming home from the office in one piece

    Reply
  9. While they have received some playing time, I would not call their time in Greece a resounding success. Going on loan to a new team every six months is not good for any player. Somehow, they need to find a better, long term situation where they can be fully integrated into a team and earn a permanent starting role. I think Eddie Johnson’s move to Cardiff was more successful, and I would like to see him play in the Championship again. As for Adu, nowhere in Europe has seemed to work out for him. Maybe a move to the Dutch league.

    As for their USMNT chances, I’d say they’re both long shots for the roster. Even with the lack of quality strikers, Johnson looked very poor in his last appearance for the US. Regarding Adu, I think he’s behind fringe players like Bedoya for an outside mid/forward spot.

    Reply
  10. Johnson has seen more time than Adu, but neither has really stood out as yet. As I understand it, Johnson’s loan ends this summer and he’ll go back to Fulham (then presumably move on somewhere else – unless Aris wants to buy him, which I’d say is 50-50). Adu’s loan continues til summer 2011. I don’t think either is in USMNT contention until they prove they’re better than the other options, although Johnson was called up for the Holland game.

    Reply
  11. What is the consensus on Adu/Johnson’s time in Greece? Do they both expect to stay there? Is doing will for this clubs going to improve there national team of upward club mobility chances?

    Reply
  12. Franco you might need to start including Tony Taylor for Estil, he played second half of last game and might start the one this week.

    Reply
  13. Feilhaber! I forgot about him.

    Who else is in danger of relegation? Cherundolo and Zizzo, Altidore (on loan), Spector, Hahnemann, Demerit, Cooper, Pittman, Simek, Jemal Johnson, Lichaj (on loan). Wow, that’s…….a lot.

    In good news, however, Grella and Whitbread might move up.

    Reply

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