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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Clint Dempsey 6 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Clint Dempsey just cannot stop scoring.

Four days after scoring the lone goal in the U.S. men's national team's first-ever win against Italy, Dempsey buried two chances in Fulham's 5-0 rout of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Dempsey's goal total now stands at 12 (18 across all competitions), making him the seventh-leading scorer in the Premiership this season.

Dempsey was not the only American to find the back of the net. On a weekend that saw four Americans score, Jozy Altidore continued to make a case for him winning back his starting role with AZ Alkmaar by scoring the winner in a 3-1 triumph over SC Heracles Almelo. Altidore now has 14 goals across all competitions in his first year with the club.

Jermaine Jones and Edgar Castillo did not get on the scoresheet, but they did set up goals in their respective games. In his first Bundesliga game back from an eight-week ban, Jones delivered an assist in Schalke 04's 2-1 loss to SC Freiburg. Castillo grabbed his second assist of the season after heading the ball to a teammate following a dribbling run that left two defenders in his rear-view mirror.

Here is how the Americans Abroad did this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made 4 saves in Everton's 1-1 draw vs. Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

  • Marcus Hahnemann did not dress for Everton.
  • Clint Dempsey started, played 90 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in Fulham's 5-0 win vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made 2 saves in Tottenham Hotspur's 3-1 loss vs. Manchester United on Sunday.
  • Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa's 1-1 draw vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
  • Eric Lichaj dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
  • Stuart Holden did not dress in Bolton Wanderers' 2-0 loss vs. Manchester City on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes for Bolton Wanderers.
  • Zak Whitbread started and played 90 minutes in Norwich City's 1-0 loss vs. Stoke City on Saturday.

  • Adam Henley dressed but did not play in Blackburn Rovers' 1-1 draw vs. Aston Villa on Saturday.

Championship

  • Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City's 2-2 draw vs. Derby County on Saturday.

  • Conor Doyle did not dress in Derby County's 2-2 draw vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.
  • Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest's 1-1 draw vs. Barnsley on Saturday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.

  • Daniel Potts dressed but did not play in West Ham United's 2-0 win vs. Cardiff City on Sunday.
  • Robbie Rogers did not dress in Leeds United's 1-0 loss vs. Southampton on Saturday. He is recovering from a concussion.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 2-0 loss vs. Notts County on Saturday.
  • Anton Peterlin started and played 72 minutes in Walsall's 1-1 draw vs. Leyton Orient on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella started and played 68 minutes in Bury's 3-3 draw vs. Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

SCOTLAND

  • Maurice Edu did not dress in Rangers' 2-1 loss vs. Heart of Midlothian on Saturday. He was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
  • Carlos Bocanegra started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card for Rangers.
  • Alejandro Bedoya dressed but did not play for Rangers.
  • Dominic Cervi did not dress in Celtic's 1-1 draw vs. Aberdeen on Saturday.

ITALY

  • Michael Bradley started and played 90 minutes in Chievo Verona's 1-1 draw vs. Juventus on Saturday.

GERMANY

Bundesliga

  • Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 2-2 draw vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday.
  • Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and had an ASSIST in Schalke 04's 2-1 loss vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday.

 

  • Timmy Chandler started and played 69 minutes in FC Nurnberg's 1-0 win vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday.
  • Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's 1-1 draw vs. FC Cologne on Sunday.

  • Danny Williams did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Joe Gyau did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Terrence Boyd did not dress in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 win vs. Mainz on Saturday.
  • Alfredo Morales came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Hertha Berlin's 1-0 win vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday.
  • David Yelldell did not dress Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 win vs. Bayern Munich on Saturday.
  • Andrew Wooten came off the bench and played 22 minutes in Kaiserslautern's 0-0 draw vs. VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.

2. BUNDESLIGA

  • Luis Robles did not dress in Karlsruher SC's 5-0 loss vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.
  • Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play St Pauli on Monday.
  • Matt Taylor came off the bench, played 72 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in SC Paderborn 07's 3-0 win vs. Alemannia Aachen on Saturday.

 

FRANCE

  • Quentin Westberg did not dress in Evian Thonon Gaillard's 2-0 win vs. St Etienne on Saturday.
  • Charlie Davies did not dress in Sochaux's 1-1 draw vs. Valenciennes on Saturday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Jozy Altidore started, played 78 minutes and scored a GOAL in AZ Alkmaar's 3-1 win vs. SC Heracles Almelo on Saturday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydHOuD2dmuY?feature=player_embedded] 

PORTUGAL

  • Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Sporting CP's 1-0 loss vs. Vitoria Setubal on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.

RUSSIA

  • Eugene Starikov did not dress in Zenit St Petersburg's 2-2 draw vs. CSKA Moscow on Saturday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes RSC Anderlecht's 4-0 win vs. Cercle Brugge KSV on Sunday.

  • Mikkel Diskerud did not dress in KAA Gent's 2-0 win vs. KV Mechelen on Saturday.

DENMARK

  • Michael Parkhurst started and played 90 minutes in FC Nordsjaelland's 1-1 draw vs. AGF Aarhus on Saturday.
  • Clarence Goodson started and played 90 minutes in Brondby IF's 1-0 win vs. SonderjyskE on Sunday.
  • Chris Rolfe started and played 85 minutes in Aalborg BK's 1-1 draw vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
  • Conor O'Brien dressed but did not play in SonderjyskE's 1-0 loss vs. Brondby IF on Sunday.
  • Brad Rusin did not dress in HB Koge's 2-1 loss vs. Horsens on Sunday.

MEXICO

  • Jose Torres did not dress in Pachuca's 0-0 draw vs. Atlas on Saturday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
  • Herculez Gomez started, played 77 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Santos Laguna's 5-2 win vs. San Luis on Saturday.

 

  • Sonny Guadarrama did not dress Atlante's 1-0 loss vs. Tigres UANL on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein dressed but did not play in Tigres UANL's 1-0 win vs. Atlante on Saturday.
  • DaMarcus Beasley came off the bench and played 21 minutes in Puebla's 2-1 loss vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday.
  • Adrian Ruelas did not dress in Jaguares de Chiapas' 2-0 loss vs. America on Sunday.
  • Michael Orozco Fiscal dressed but did not play in San Luis' 5-2 loss vs. Santos Laguna on Saturday.
  • Edgar Castillo started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in Club Tijuana's 2-0 win vs. Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G. on Friday.

 

  • Joe Corona came off the bench and played 45 minutes for Club Tijuana.

  • Greg Garza came off the bench and played 7 minutes for Club Tijuana.

——-

What do you think of these performances? How many goals do you see Dempsey scoring this season? Think Altidore is on the brink of winning back his starting role? Whose assist impressed you more, Jones or Castillo's?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. You are missing what I think is the best scenario. He moves to a championship side team in other land, like Italy or Spain. His style would fit in well there me thinks. I would love to hear others’ thoughts on that, but I know this thread is a few days old.

    Reply
  2. You are judging Gomez on too small a sample size.

    In the World Cup the US was never really set up to take maximum advantage of Gomez’s skills.

    Nevertheless, if he does not make that nice dummy run late in the Slovenia game and draw a defender away from MB90, maybe MB does not score and we lose the Slovenia game, and go out of the Cup.

    So “complete nonfactor” is unfair and inaccurate. He contributed a small but vital part.

    Reply
  3. It was a great run, but what the heck did he do with the ball in the end?

    Looks like it was only a fluke that the ball ended up on the chest of his teammate.

    And we still have no real evidence that he can defend.

    Lichaj looks like the much stronger candidate from what I’ve seen (which admittedly is not much).

    We need to have outside backs who can cover the middle when necessary and Lichaj has shown this ability.

    Reply
  4. he only didnt look good because we havent seen a lb/rb do those kind of things on the NT…last i checked cherundulo isnt that type of player and we both Carlos wasnt like that either…mostly because americans dont believe in having the fullbacks do those kinda things, its more for the hispanic type of play(see maicon, dani alves…). if he plays with a LM infront of him(NOT SHEA) who understands that LBs push up…BOTH of them can be a whole lot of danger….with that said…
    until lichaj gets back we should see chandler on the right(because steve is getting old) and fabian/edgar on the left

    no?

    Reply
  5. Stu AND the other half of that world class midfield Lee Chung Yong. They lost both of their mids about the same time. Stu to another knee issue and Lee to a broken leg in the last preseason match.

    Reply
  6. Because he is overrated. Okay, he saved a goal on the line in MLS. That is like the only thing he has done. He has been awful internationally. That is where the hate is coming from. John is way better than him and he is being sent back to MLS. I have no idea what he does to get highly rated and everyone during the gold cup was saying he was so good in the Paraguay friendly, but when he played in the Gold Cup said he sucked and stuff. But when he goes to EPL people want to jump on the bandwagon and say he is good again.

    Reply
  7. I agree with you on Friedel. Reyna and Keller sort of. Reyna had a bad world cup 2006. Keller had a good club career, but he did great in the gold cup against Brazil. Other then that his international career was mediocre.

    Reply
  8. I agree that most of the big clubs have strikers already in place, but considering his play this season I’m not sure how bigger teams don’t find room for him.

    Scenarios: Chelsea dumps the old guard this summer and look for a new identity. They put Demps in to play behind young Sturridge.

    ManU: The Red Devils use Rooney in the same role that the USMNT employs Duece. As they currently have no real player to put in when Rooney is out they look to Duece as poor man’s Rooney and a possible winger/chicharito replacement if needed. ManU competes in all competitions so Duece would have no trouble finding playing time and it’s a big need for ManU.

    Liverpoole: I think he slots right in behind Suarez.

    These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. Point being is that there is a market for Duece with the big teams.

    Reply
  9. Clint has missed 2 or 3 penalties in the last year I believe. (Including the big one against Chelsea in stoppage time that would have won the game)

    Reply
  10. I don’t think I would call my response condescending. I would call it sarcastic.

    And what ideas am I making up or projecting?

    Reply
  11. ? Not sure I understand the animosity toward Dembele and Jol. Jol knows the player he has in Dempsey and Dembele. They are both great players, they do very different things. Dempsey can finish and Dembele can’t. Dembele can do things with has feet that few players outside the elite dribblers like Robinho, Messi, Ronaldo etc. can do. But he can’t finish.

    Reply
  12. Agree Sandtrout, they have the talent to do exactly that, especially if Porgrebnyak keeps playing the way he does. That’s really all Fulham were missing to be a team challenging for Europe – a top class striker.

    Reply
  13. Spurs arnt the team for demps, unless they lose Luca or Van der Vart which hopefully does not happen. Liverpool, Arsenal or non-EPL team are his best options, aside from the best option which is stay with Fulham and take them back to the Europa League!

    Reply
  14. agreed with thread, Castillo is improving but still down the depth chart. He also should be considered at LM similar to the role DMB has had in the past and shea has currently. could be a good fill someday

    Reply
  15. edson buddle has delivered when called into the US Squad if he gets in top form at LAG he should and will be Jozy’s #2 until boyd, wooten, davies, etc starts starting and playing well at their clubs. Herc Gomez is a great player in great form down in Mexico and could be called in for qualifying games, but I wouldn’t put him over buddle in the depth chart.

    that said Seattle Sounders should be on alert! Santos vs. SSFC wed.

    Reply
  16. Except that Jozy’s first touch came off the defender’s knee/shin. Still a good finish, but I’m not sure we can say that was all Jozy’s master plan.

    Reply
  17. I wonder if the cuts will be performance-based, salary-based, or both.

    Were I Mo Edu, I would be pissed if my club blocked a transfer to France and then got administered and cut me because I was too expensive.

    Reply
  18. Dempsey: amazing. But Jozy’s goal was no less so! That left-footed touch and turn? The same one that led to the layoff to Dempsey vs. Italia? World-class. That’s a Drogba move.

    Reply
  19. I could see Fulham being next year’s Newcastle, with a solid spot in the Europa League and striving to go higher.

    Reply
  20. I’m sorry you felt I was abrasive but surely you didn’t expect otherwise after your condescending response.

    Correct?

    In terms of being surprised? I welcome debate, just not people making up or projecting their own ideas to help support their opinion.

    Reply
  21. I’m really happy for Ream playing for an EPL side, but he looked lost defensively in that role. Don’t get me wrong, when he got the ball and had space, he played some brilliant balls, especially a couple through balls to that Japanese kid on the wing, but when he was in tight spaces, he struggled.

    Defensively, he was just outmatched, as was the entire Bolton team. He worked hard and had a couple of decent interventions, but he was mostly lost in that role. Hopefully, he (and Bolton) can work on their shape and start competing.

    Bottom line, they miss Stu BADLY!!!

    Reply
  22. With the bankruptcy (or administration) of Rangers, do we see any of our 3 yanks leaving? Bedoya could use a change of scenery and I have to believe that Boca is one of the higher paid players

    Reply
  23. They were playing Man City. Figuring this is going to be their tactics against the elite teams in the EPL. A lot of teams have played defenders at the D mid spot. If you remember, Vincent Kompany played as a D mid for Man City a couple of years ago.

    Reply
  24. But what strikers? And what is with this fascination with holding players to how they played in one situation, if that were the case Jose Torres shouldn’t play for the US anymore, same with Edson Buddle.

    Reply
  25. Wow, that is an impressive attack by Castillo. Don’t know what his size has to do with it. Philip Lahm is a smaller left back and still makes runs like that against big Bundesliga players. Despite Castillo’s rough outings for the USMNT last autumn, I thought he showed promise. If he keeps playing like that Klinsmann will no doubt give him a second chance and we are going to have some intense competition for spots on the left side that can only be good for the USMNT going forward–Chandler (switch-hitter), Johnson, Lichaj, Shea, Castillo and, who knows, maybe Beasley will make a comeback.

    Reply
  26. Why are people projecting their own thoughts as a reply to nothing I said.

    Where did I say the “USA needed another holding midfielder”?

    In fact, I went so far as to say I don’t rate him on the national team level.

    Reply

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