By FRANCO PANIZO
If Michael Bradley is to help Borussia Moenchengladbach break their recent string of dreadful performances, he'll likely have to outdo a fellow American central midfielder that he could play alongside next month.
Bradley is likely to face U.S. national team prospect Jermaine Jones when Schalke 04 hosts Moenchengladbach. Both teams are in dire need of a victory after less-than-stellar starts to the season, so winning the midfield battle could be pivotal in helping decide the outcome of the match.
Another intriguing American match-up on tap will be when Clint Dempsey and Fulham square off against Tim Howard and Everton. Having scored his first goal of the Premiership season last week, Dempsey will hope to find the back of the net again when he faces a shaky Everton defense that is hungry to record its first cleansheet.
Benny Feilhaber will also be worth keeping tabs on as he and AGF Aarhus take on Koge. Currently enjoying a good run of form, Feilhaber will be aiming to score his fifth goal in eight days as Aarhus attempts to remain atop the Danish second division.
Here is a rundown of who the Americans Abroad will be playing this weekend:
FRIDAY
Luis Robles and Karlsruhe play FSV Frankfurt.
SATURDAY
Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson and Fulham play Tim Howard and Everton.
Jonathan Spector and West Ham United play Tottenham Hotspur.
Conor Doyle and Derby County play Crystal Palace.
Mike Grella and Leeds United play Sheffield United.
Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Hull City. (Whitbread is out injured.)
Frank Simek and Carlisle United play AFC Bournemouth.
Anton Peterlin and Plymouth Argyle play Rochdale.
Dominic Cervi and Celtic play Hibernian.
Oguchi Onyewu and AC Milan play Genoa.
Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt play Nurnberg.
Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 play Michael Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Amaechi Igwe and FC Ingolstadt 04 play SpVgg Greuther Furth.
Carlos Bocanegra and St Etienne play Lyon.
Charlie Davies and Sochaux play Marseille.
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play KV Mechelen.
Marcus Tracy, Chris Rolfe and Aalborg BK play Sonderjyske. (Rolfe and Tracy are out injured.)
Edgar Castillo and San Luis play Chiapas.
Jose Torres, Herculez Gomez, Marco Vidal and Pachuca play Sammy Ochoa and Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G.
SUNDAY
Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Manchester United.
Marcus Hahnemann and Wolverhampton Wanderers play Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Eric Licaj and Aston Villa.
Maurice Edu and Rangers play Aberdeen.
Daniel Williams and SC Freiburg play VfL Wolfsburg.
Steve Cherundolo, DaMarcus Beasley and Hannover 96 play Kaiserslautern.
Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Manchester United.
Marcus Hahnemann and Wolverhampton Wanderers play Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Eric Licaj and Aston Villa.
Maurice Edu and Rangers play Aberdeen.
Daniel Williams and SC Freiburg play VfL Wolfsburg.
Steve Cherundolo, DaMarcus Beasley and Hannover 96 play Kaiserslautern.
Kenny Cooper and TSV 1860 Munich play FC Augsburg. (Cooper is out injured.)
David Yeldell and MSV Duisburg play FC Union Berlin.
Freddy Adu and Aris Salonika play Ergotelis.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland play AC Horsens.
Benny Feilhaber and AGF Aarhus play Koge.
Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek IF play Kongsvinger.
Sonny Guadarrama and Atlante play Pumas UNAM.
Kenny Cooper and TSV 1860 Munich play FC Augsburg. (Cooper is out injured.)
David Yeldell and MSV Duisburg play FC Union Berlin.
Freddy Adu and Aris Salonika play Ergotelis.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland play AC Horsens.
Benny Feilhaber and AGF Aarhus play Koge.
Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek IF play Kongsvinger.
Sonny Guadarrama and Atlante play Pumas UNAM.
MONDAY
Jozy Altidore and Villarreal play Malaga.
Ryan Miller and Halmstads BK play Gefle IF.
Steve Clark and Honefoss BK play Clarence Goodson, Hunter Freeman and IK Start.
Jozy Altidore and Villarreal play Malaga.
Ryan Miller and Halmstads BK play Gefle IF.
Steve Clark and Honefoss BK play Clarence Goodson, Hunter Freeman and IK Start.
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Who do you see winning the Bradley-Jones match-up? Which club do you see winning? Think Howard and Everton will grab their first cleansheet of the season against Fulham? Believe Feilhaber will score this weekend?
Share your thoughts below.
oh, and also our contingent of Americans playing at Estoril in the Portuguese Segundo Division. Kamani Hill used to get featured in this segment playing in the 2nd div. why not these guys?
I have a questions for Ives, or Franco if your reading.
What exactly constitutes an american playing abroad to be noted in this feature. By the looks of it it looks like it whether the player was american born or their intention to play for the US team, Their squad status and the league status. So i guess my question is, do the following players listed and/or their leagues not seem to be not worthy because of their quality?
Finnish Veikkausliiga: Daniel Antunez, Mason Trafford, Lamar Neagle
Israeli Premier League: Bryan Gerzicich
Ligue 2: Quentin Westberg
Bundesliga: Mainz 05, Preston Zimmerman, Jarred Jeffery
Russian Premier League: Eugene Starikov
Eerste Divisie: Charles Kazlauskas
Tippeligaen: Erik Benjaminsen, Kenneth Di Vita Jensen
Polish Ekstraklasa: Jeremiah White
I’d really appreciate an answer, im just pretty curious. Thanks
(SBI-It’s pretty simple. We’re not following every single league in Europe, and we’re not following players who are youth or reserve players and haven’t come close to even dressing for the first team.)
Bornstein sucks and Ream wont get called up because of the MLS playoff race. His time will come in January
Well i can tell that i don’t know by the fifa league rankings : ).
Really though, do you personally think that any of those leagues are beyond MLS? There’s an excuse that lots of times these players, use those leagues as platforms to jump to higher leagues in europe, but the only legitimate case i know of someone who’s succeeded in that aspect is Charlie Davis.
Can you imagine collectively all the americans who are sitting on benches in Scandinavia or have been playing there for several years if their talent was spread throughout the league, how much more quality are league would have? Hunter Freeman, Clarence Goodson, Alejandro Bedoya (though he could be another success story) Marcus Tracy, Jerimiah White, Chris Rolfe and another good plenty of solid MLS contributes who have spent quality years in there prime their for higher wages.
Agree 100%.
Altidore mcbride
Demps. Ld
Jones bradley
bornstin boca ream churandolo
Thanks
how do you know that?
Recently, Quentin Westberg signed with Evian in Ligue 2, the second division in France. He was the number 1 at Troyes last year, but was dropped at the end of the season. Evian are in Ligue 2, so he should be listed up there, as well.
I sure hope McBride gets an honorary send off against Poland. Sure earned it. Heck even let him wear the captain’s armband.
Connor Doyle is definitely 1 for the future.
But right now we should work on 2011 Gold Cup and face it Findley may be called up. Buddle and Gomez will for sure. So will EJ. EJ is a lucky mofo. Mainly since we don’t have any quality strikers, he will always get a call up. dude hasn’t scored in almost forever.
O/T but would u guys say EJ is the biggest American flop in Europe in years? or is it Josh Wolff?
Poor Spector but his poor form is to blame. It will take an entire season on the bench to rectify his mistakes this year. He’s young so he’ll be alright. He should try a move abroad like Germany or so. I’m sure some low ranked team would snag him.
“West Ham United play Tottenham Hotspur and Jonathan Spector will watch from the stands.”
Fixed that for you.
Kamara is available also. More likely to see him than EJ, as he was pretty poor last game.
Another American in action in Europe this week
MONDAY
Charles Kazlauskas and Helmond Sport play FC Zwolle
No idea. Nothing from American News Outlets, so unless anyone follows the Italian Press, i have no idea if he’s on their radar. I know he wasn’t selected for their Champions League Roster, so that’s not a good indication he’s in their plans.
Anybody know anything about Onyewu’s prospects for playing time? Is it a lost cause? Is he still hopeful? Is he physically back to normal? Milan’s defence hasn’t been stellar by any stretch …
I just hope benny doesn’t opt to stay at his club because their success in the second division and their probable move back to the Superliga. He needs to move on to a more challenging league and to continue to put pressure on his time for a move.
All i know is that the league can’t afford to loose players and talent like Findley to leagues in Scandinavia anymore. Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and Greece, I don’t mind as much, but Poland, Israel and any country in Scandinavia, absolutely don’t have a better league then ours
They couldn’t come into an agreement with a La Liga club, probably over financial reasons. They probably didn’t want to take such a low transfer fee, for such a quality player. Isn’t his contract expiring over the winter, like Goodson?
I tink ej would have done 10000xx better job than findley. Ej can play in most euro leagues findey I dnt tink. He’ll ever make it there.
Hercules Gomez as well. I wouldn’t say on performance more so then the fact that he’s just getting minutes
I see your point. Its so deflating to see where we are right now with our options at forward. But I strongly believe that we shouldn’t hand out minutes to players at such a young age who aren’t quite deserving of minutes. I personally feel like Jozy
Alitidore has been a little spoiled. You can’t argue that he makes an impact in games for the nats, but he always fails to do the most important thing for club and country that a striker should do. Score. If we needed a player that was sorely out there to hold up the ball, and flick on passes during the WC, then i would of gone with Brian Ching. I feel like until he starts scoring he shouldn’t be handed a starting role up top. Though i wouldn’t mind seeing him subbed in, but really, treated like any other striker.
Conor Doyle is one for the future definitely, but your right most MLS clubs are gonna be playing their last games of the season at that point, and even if MLS haults for the Inter. Friendlies, most MLS clubs won’t want to release their players before the start of the playoffs. So i guess the players in contention are the ones out of the playoff picture? Justin Braun comes to mind right off the back. Also Santino Quaranta. Someone Nobody’s talked about is Sebastian Le Toux, who’d id love to see in uniform.
Also, Brian McBride. I hope he gets called into camp and gets his honorary cap, wouldn’t be bad to have a vet presence like that in your locker room. If not then i think Brian Ching should be called up.
Yea, there’s really to premise to think Charlie Davies will ever be the same Charlie Davies. Of Course we’ll all wish him the best and hope it happens, but as a soccer community, we need to learn how to move on from pinning ourselves down on particular soccer players.
*any player
28 actually. The friendlies during October and November are FIFA international sanctioned dates, which means Leagues around the world will be taking hiatuses. That being said, And player is at risk in a friendly (just ask Stuart H.), but at some point or another we’re gonna have to integrate Jones into our system. He’ll be getting a call up from bob baring injury.
And with that, I think i’d say im tired of seeing Bradley and his 4-4-2 formation. He needs to diversify. I wouldn’t mind seeing Landom as a withdrawn striker right behind the opposing midfielders used again. With most of our midfielders being using as holding midfielders at their clubs, i can’t see 3 central midfielders working out.
What makes you think the top class Davies is coming back?
To think EJ could have been brought along to the WC. After scoring just 5 goals in 16 matches for a mid-tabled Greek team. But then again Findley was brought along even though he barely scored this season in MLS no less.
we need to get american strikers on steroids or something. Come on Davies, we need you. Altidore, you better balls up dude.
He signed in 08 I believe for 3 years so summer 2011. I’m sure they won’t let him go on a freebie.
He has the style as well. I just know he could make it. Aarhus played hardball with him this summer and got egg on their face.
Benny has to find a better league. Does anyone know when his contract is up?
You have a fair point. EJ has failed so far but he’s worked quite hard and has had bad luck to not at least get enough mins as a sub.
He will get a call up in October for following reasons
1) We have no other strikers scoring or getting PT in Europe
2) Gomez can barely play for his team in Mexico
3) Buddle and Findley will be busy with MLS
He won’t deserve it but he will get a call up.
Same here. He has the right mentality to succeed in a night mid table team in Ligue 1 or La Liga somewhere.
*kinda, not gonna
Jones is an option but he’s 27 and often injured. I doubt he will play for us until the Gold Cup. I just don’t think he’ll risk PT with Schalke to play in friendlies in October, November and March and etc
But yes Bradley, Edu, Holden, Feilhaber not to mention the even younger guys.
We need to play a 4-5-1 until Charlie Davies comes back
Im gonna stuck in between whether Johnson should get minutes at all. Sure he set up that free kick for Dembele and all, but in a more extended appearance late in the last game, he really didn’t show much confidence. At this point in time, i don’t know if just isn’t capable of putting in a decent performance or if its just a confidence factor that makes his play week. Some people really want to see Johnson in training camp for the October friendlies (and im sure he’ll be featured) but does he really merit one just because he’s getting garbage minutes at the end of games?
I would hope that Benny F is 1 of the best players in the 2nd division. I just pray that some team preferably a Ligue 1 or La Liga club pick him up in January
the AS Etienne and Lyon Derby is one of the most heated in France. Its gonna be the best seeing ASSE’s defense go up again Gourcuff, Ederson, and the traitor Gomis 😛
Come on Dempsey. Score a hat trick against Timmmmay.
EJ could start but more likely Dempsey to play up top supported by Gera but probably EJ will get like 20mins to play.
Dembele out for 2 weeks. AJ is due to return in a week. Elm is the only other striker and he’s a Zamora-lite kinda striker.
I hope Benny Feilhaber’s hat-trick is an indicator of a GREAT weekend to come, both for Benny and for all the Yanks abroad.
I hope that’s not the only tandem we see in the midfield in any of our up coming friendlies or the gold cup. Holden, Edu, Jones, Bradley and Fenihalber all need to be put into different combinations with each other in the midfield.
Totally agree. Why some teams play on Monday is a mystery to me
Boca’s team is at the top of the league. 15% of the season gone. Boca just fits in perfectly in France.
Friday night games in Germany is genius. More European nations should have games on Friday night.
I can’t wait to see Bradley vs. Jones as they will be playing together next summer in the Gold Cup.
A.S.S.E vs Lyon is gonna be the highlight of Saturday!
Watching Fulham and Everton and Bolton and Man U wont be bad watches either, as well as a midfield match up between Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley