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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

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photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

On a weekend where there were few positives to take away, Sacha Kljestan returned to RSC Anderlecht's starting lineup as the club won big to take over first place in the Jupiler Pro League.

Kljestan started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Anderlecht's 4-1 victory over last place Royal Charleroi SC. The win raised Anderlecht to the top of the table with 37 points, one more than Genk, who lost on Friday.

Hannover 96 didn't grab first place in the Bundesliga, but it did keep within striking distance of a Champions League spot with a 3-0 win over SC Freiburg. Steve Cherundolo returned to the starting eleven after serving a one-game suspension and DaMarcus Beasley came off the bench for a six-minute cameo for Hannover.

Clint Dempsey was the lone American Abroad to score this weekend. Dempsey netted his fifth goal of the Premiership season by heading home the equalizer in Fulham's 1-1 draw with Birmingham. Dempsey is on pace to outdo his personal best of seven goals in a season.

Here is how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

England

PREMIERSHIP

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton's 4-1 loss vs. West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
  • Clint Dempsey started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and a scored a GOAL in Fulham's 1-1 draw vs. Birmingham on Saturday.

 

  • Eddie Johnson came off the bench and played 17 minutes for Fulham.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Aston Villa's 4-2 loss vs. Arsenal on Saturday.
  • Brad Guzan dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
  • Eric Lichaj dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
  • Marcus Hahnemann dressed but did not play in Wolverhampton Wanderers' 3-2 win vs. Sunderland on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Spector did not dress in West Ham United's 3-1 win vs. Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
  • Stuart Holden did not dress in Bolton Wanderers' 2-2 draw vs. Blackpool on Saturday. He was recovering from a thigh injury.

CHAMPIONSHIP

  • Conor Doyle dressed but did not play in Derby County's 2-1 loss vs. Burnley on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread did not dress in Norwich City's 4-1 win vs. Ipswich Town on Sunday. He is recovering from a calf injury.

LEAGUE ONE

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 3-2 win vs. Tamworth in the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella did not dress for Carlisle United.
  • Anton Peterlin and Plymouth Argyle did not play this weekend.
  • Jemal Johnson and Milton Keynes Dons did not play this weekend.

Scotland

  • Maurice Edu and Rangers' game vs. Dundee United was postponed because of a frozen pitch.
  • Dominic Cervi did not dress in Celtic's 2-2 draw vs. Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday.

Spain

  • Jozy Altidore dressed but did not play in Villarreal's 3-0 win vs. Real Zaragoza on Saturday.

Italy

  • Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in AC Milan's 1-1 draw vs. Sampdoria on Saturday.

Germany

BUNDESLIGA 

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 3-0 win vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley came off the bench and played 6 minutes for Hannover 96.
  • Michael Bradley started and played 90 minutes in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 4-1 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones started, played 45 minutes and received a yellow card in Schalke 04's 5-0 loss vs. Kaiserslautern on Saturday.
  • Ricardo Clark dressed but did not play in Eintracht Frankfurt's 4-1 loss vs. Bayern Munich on Saturday.
  • Daniel Williams dressed but did not play in SC Freiburg's 3-0 loss vs. Hannover 96 on Saturday.

BUNDESLIGA 2

  • Kenny Cooper and TSV 1860 Munich play SpVgg Greuther Furth on Monday.
  • David Yeldell started, played 90 minutes and made one save in MSV Duisburg's 2-0 win vs. Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
  • Luis Robles started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Karlsruhe's 4-0 win vs. RW Oberhausen on Sunday.
  • Amaechi Igwe did not dress in FC Ingolstadt 04's 1-0 win vs. FC Union Berlin on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.

France

LIGUE 1

  • Carlos Bocanegra started and played 90 minutes in St Etienne's 1-1 draw vs. AS Nancy Lorraine on Saturday.
  • Charlie Davies did not dress in Sochaux's 3-0 win vs. Caen on Sunday.

LIGUE 2

  • Quentin Westberg dressed but did not play in Evian Thonon Gaillard's 2-0 win vs. Grenoble on Friday.

Belgium

  • Sacha Kljestan started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in RSC Anderlecht's 4-1 win vs. Royal Charleroi SC on Saturday.

Denmark

SUPERLIGA

  • Michael Parkhurst started and played 90 minutes in FC Nordsjaelland's 1-1 draw vs. Sonderjyske on Sunday.
  • Marcus Tracy and Aalborg BK play AC Horsens on Monday.
  • Chris Rolfe and Aalborg BK play AC Horsens on Monday.

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What do you think of these performances? Do you see Kljestan staying in Anderlecht's starting eleven for the foreseeable future? In what position will Hannover, Cherundolo and Beasley finish the season? How many goals do you see Dempsey scoring this season?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I just wonder if Dempsey ever tries to make a move from Fulham. Sure, it’s a great fit for him, but damn their service to him when he’s a striker is pathetic AND they’re teetering on drop zone again…what other team in the league would suit him where he’d get playing time? Certainly not a top 4 team??

    Reply
  2. Dempsey has 5 goals in 15 league matches and I believe 6 goals in 17 matches overall. Definitely the team leader.
    He could score over 10 goals if he continues at this rate by season’s end.

    Reply
  3. They are like Fiorentina last year; make a great CL run, won their group, lost controversially to Bayern, but finished mid-table in Serie A. They just didn’t have the depth to throw everything at the CL and then compete in Serie A.

    Reply
  4. Playing 4 central midfielders all at once would be a bad idea. Only Holden has any creativity what-so-ever of those 4 so there would be little to No forward movement/wing play with a formation like that.

    Best way to get as many of our players into positions where they can excell would be to play something like:

    ——————Jozy/TBD?——————

    –Dempsey—————————Donovan–

    ——————Holden———————

    ——–Jones———–Bradley————–

    –Boca——Ream?——-Gooch/Good—–Dolo–

    —————-Tim/Brad———————

    Subs:

    Benny/Tores for Holden

    Bedoya for Donovan

    Mix for Dempsey

    Edu for Jones/Bradley

    Bornstein for Boca (No other options yet)

    Lichaj for Dolo

    Gonzalez for Gooch/Goodson

    DeMerit/Opara for Ream

    Reply
  5. I can’t figure out Schalke. I believe they’re 1st in their Champions League group, but they just can’t win a game in the Bundesliga.

    Reply
  6. is dempsey playing striker for fulham everygame or 2ndary striker or what?

    if BB cant play our players in the positions they are excelling in… ie: holden at CM and demps at striker,

    how can we expect the usmnt to ever play to their potential? its so sad… dempsey finds the goal so well its sickening to ever see him as non-existant in some usmnt matches/WCQs

    its altidore,dempsey and no one else is close to being a starting striker except maybe buddle? if that.

    our midfield is so strong/deep, dempsey has to be a striker

    I say

    ——Dempsey—–
    Donavon—-Holden—-Bedoya?Rogers?
    —Bradley——-jones

    or do the obvious

    —–Altidore—-
    Lando—Holden–Dempsey
    —Bradley—Jones and Edu if any of those are hurt

    Our passing and creation of goals has been lacking so much, i watch EPL games and I wish one of those coaches were the USMNT coach

    our MF is so deep, torres, benny, Edu, Bedoya, Rogers, Mix?

    Dempsey is the only striker I see who sniffs out goals and doesnt blow easy opportunities, or shift landon and dempsey to striker.

    Im tired of seeing such horrible play after these guys can go to the best league in the world and be one of the most important players on their team, contributing every game, it doesnt make sense. It has to be the overall playing style BB is incorporating, not the setup.

    WE HAVE TO CREATE GOALS and not blow opportunities, easier said than done of course, but everytime i watch the USMNT its landon playing hero and saving our asses

    I say F it

    —-Donavon—Dempsey—
    ——Holden——-
    –Bradley—Jones—Torres/Benny/Rogers/Bedoya

    But I hope Altidore finds his form, I just feel donavon and Dempsey NEED the ball in a threatening position for the USMNT to dominate, and Altidore doesnt seem to have that vision or decision making ability/chemistry on how to create for others instead of blowing it

    Reply

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