Several American players are playing in key European club match-ups this weekend, but none are taking part in as important a clash as Tim Howard is in the Merseyside Derby.
Everton and Liverpool are enduring poor starts to the season and neither can afford a loss when the teams meet on Sunday at Goodison Park. Liverpool won the meeting at Goodison last season, but Howard and the Toffees will look to keep the Reds struggling.
Other intriguing games on tap featuring Americans include Jozy Altidore and Villareal facing a surprisingly-tough Hercules team, and Stuart Holden and Bolton's home fixture against Stoke City.
Here is a rundown of who the Americans Abroad play this weekend:
FRIDAY
Quentin Westberg and Evian Thonon Gaillard play Angers.
Sammy Ochoa and Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G. play Atlas.
SATURDAY
Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Stoke City.
Marcus Hahnemann and Wolverhampton Wanderers play Jonathan Spector and West Ham United.
Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson and Fulham play Tottenham Hotspur.
Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Chelsea.
Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Queens Park Rangers. (Whitbread is out injured.)
Conor Doyle and Derby County play Preston North End.
Mike Grella and Leeds United play Middlesbrough.
Anton Peterlin and Plymouth Argyle play Notts County.
Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Exeter City.
Maurice Edu and Rangers play Motherwell.
Oguchi Onyewu and AC Milan play Chievo Verona.
Steve Cherundolo, DaMarcus Beasley and Hannover 96 play Bayern Munich.
Daniel Williams and SC Freiburg play Werder Bremen.
Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 play VfB Stuttgart. (Jones is suspended for the match)
Luis Robles and Karlsruhe play VfL Bochum.
Charlie Davies and Sochaux play Montpellier.
Marcus Tracy, Chris Rolfe and Aalborg BK play Sonderjyske. (Tracy and Rolfe are out injured.)
Jose Torres, Herculez Gomez, Marco Vidal and Pachuca play Morelia.
Edgar Castillo and San Luis play Queretaro.
Sonny Guadarrama and Atlante play Tigres UANL.
SUNDAY
Tim Howard and Everton play Liverpool.
Dominic Cervi and Celtic play Dundee United.
Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt play Kaiserslautern.
Michael Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach play TSG Hoffenheim.
Amaechi Igwe and FC Ingolstadt 04 play Alemania Aachen. (Igwe is out injured.)
Kenny Cooper and TSV 1860 Munich play RW Oberhausen. (Cooper is out injured.)
Carlos Bocanegra and St Etienne play Nice.
Freddy Adu and Aris Salonika play AEK Athens.
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play Cercle Brugge KSV.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland Brondby.
Ryan Miller and Halmstads BK play Mjallby.
Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek IF play Haugesund.
Clarence Goodson, Hunter Freeman and IK Start play Kongsvinger.
Steve Clark and Honefoss BK play Rosenborg.
MONDAY
Jozy Altidore and Villarreal play Hercules.
David Yeldell and MSV Duisburg play Arminia Bielefeld.
Benny Feilhaber and AGF Aarhus play Hjorring.
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Think Howard and Everton will add to Liverpool's woes? Believe Altidore will get playing time vs. Hercules? Should Holden start against Stoke after starting both of the U.S. national team's matches this week?
Share your thoughts below.
Grab the knife handle in Liverpool’s abdomen and twist, Timmy.
If I remember correctly, the conservative medical estimates right after the accident were that it would be 12 months before Charlie would be able to start training.
Then he had that miraculous initial recovery that much ballyhooed race to get fit for the World Cup. Charlie raised a lot of expectations (unrealistically) with his Twitter campaign to get to South Africa but you have to feel he’s more or less right where he should have been all along.
The Gold Cup seems a little too soon. I’d say next season makes more sense. Whether it will be with Sochaux who knows?
unrelated, but US pulled its bid for WC 2018…hopefully that means US gets it for 2022.
It’s only a matter of time before someone asks. But it’s always in the back of my mind. It’s been one year since the accident. I’d expect him to get into the 1st team in around 6 months, so maybe April. Making the Gold Cup squad is a realistic goal for Charlie, but one he will have to work hard at. I’m just hoping he doesn’t turn into Owen Hargreaves and never fully recovers.
Right. I was just saying that he actually isn’t facing Montpellier, since he’s not in the 18, that’s all. I don’t think it should be modified or anything like that, but I always read in the weekend review about “When is CD9 gonna play”
Also, according to this article, the president of Sochaux says it will be another six months till we know if Charlie will fully recover, and that he is currently not a Ligue 1 caliber player.
http://www.socceramerica.com/article/39944/sochaux-president-only-time-will-tell-whether-dav.html
Not trying to be negative, but we USMNT fans have to give Charlie more time and cannot expect a sudden return to pre-accident form and fitness in the coming weeks and months.
According to Sochaux’s manager, he will not see any first team action until at least the start of the new year.
Would be nice to see jozy gets some mins. He did score in a friendly hope villareal see moe in him now. And man do I wish davies was back,
Davies not named in 18 for Sochaux. The reserves have a friendly schedule, so I assume he’ll be playing with them.
Howard vs LadyBoy Walk on the Pitch Torres..
would be nice.but don`t want to sound like a fool
Howard`s biggest threat would be nobiody, Liverpool are just bad to watch this season ba
is Marco Vidal on the nats radar? I don’t much about him….
Cooper should be back from injury by next month and Tracy is injured til 2011 they expect
I had the same thought about Rolfe. I liked watching him play and hoped he’d do well in Europe. Seems like he’s been on the injury list for a long time.
Grella doesn’t play for Leeds anymore, he was loaned to Carlisle.
I’d love to see an update on some of our long term injured players like Cooper and Rolfe – where are they in their recovery time, what can we expect when they get back into the mix, etc.