By FRANCO PANIZO
Brad Friedel made waves with his comments about Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey this week, but it's his team that has been making waves in the Premier League recently. Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur have not lost in the Premiership since the second week of the season, but they'll have to see off tricky Stoke City this weekend if they are to continue their run of good form.
Tottenham visits Stoke in a match that could pit Friedel against the likes of Peter Crouch, Kenwyne Jones and Wilson Palacios. The third-place Spurs are aiming to improve on their 10-2-1 record, and Friedel will likely play a key role if that is to happen.
Friedel's former understudy, Brad Guzan, is also set to man his team's pipes this weekend. Guzan and Aston Villa take on struggling Bolton Wanderers on Saturday in a game that will mark Guzan's first-ever start in the Premiership. Should Guzan help the Villans secure three points, Aston Villa could jump to eighth in the league standings.
It's not all about the goalkeepers. An intriguing battle between German-American field players is set to unfold when FC Nurnberg faces TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Timmy Chandler will go up against international teammates Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams, and he will attempt to shut them down in order to help sputtering Nurnberg win for just the second time since Sept. 11.
Here is who the Americans Abroad play this weekend:
Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04.
Luis Robles and Karlsruher SC play MSV Duisburg.
Matt Taylor and SC Paderborn 07 play Hansa Rostock.
Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play Eintracht Braunschweig. (Wood is out injured.)
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play KV Mechelen.
SATURDAY
Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann and Everton play Arsenal.
Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa. (Holden and Lichaj are out injured.)
Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Newcastle United.
Clint Dempsey and Fulham play Swansea City.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Doncaster Rovers.
Conor Doyle and Derby County play Bristol City.
Robbie Findley and Nottingham Forest play Crystal Palace.
Daniel Potts and West Ham United play Reading.
Mike Grella and Brentford play Hartlepool United.
Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Scunthorpe United. (Simek is out injured.)
Anton Peterlin and Walsall play Charlton Athletic.
Maurice Edu, Alejandro Bedoya, Carlos Bocanegra and Rangers play Hibernian.
Dominic Cervi and Greenock Morton play Partick Thistle.
Timmy Chandler and FC Nurnberg play Fabian Johnson, Danny Williams and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 play David Yelldell and Bayer Leverkusen.
Quentin Westberg and Evian Thonon Gaillard play Toulouse.
Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar play De Graafschap.
Oguchi Onyewu and Sporting CP play CD Nacional de Madeira.
SUNDAY
Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Stoke City.
Michael Bradley and Chievo Verona play Udinese.
Terrence Boyd and Borussia Dortmund play Kaiserslautern.
Edson Buddle and FC Ingolstadt 04 play St Pauli.
Jonathan Bornstein and Tigres UANL play Santos Laguna in the second leg of the Mexico Apertura Liguilla final. Tigres UANL is up on aggregate, 1-0.
MONDAY
Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt play SpVgg Greuther Furth.
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Which matches are you most looking forward to? Expecting Friedel and the Spurs to easily dispose of Stoke City? How do you see Guzan faring against Bolton? Who do you see having the biggest match between Chandler, Johnson and Williams?
Share your thoughts below.