By FRANCO PANIZO
If you were curious as to why Michael Parkhurst was not in FC Nordsjaelland's gameday roster this past weekend, wonder no more.
A staple in his team's defense, Parkhurst suffered a toe injury prior to Nordsjaelland's 2-1 win over Silkeborg IF on Sunday. The severity of the injury is still unknown and no timetable has been given for Parkhurst's recovery.
Should the injury keep Parkhurst out for any substantial amount of time, he could miss out on the U.S. men's national teams friendlies and World Cup qualifiers this summer.
Here are more stories from around the soccer globe:
MUAMBA DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL
Almost a month to the day after he suffered a cardiac carrest during a game, Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba was released from the hospital on Monday. Muamba was cleared to leave the hospital for the first time since collapsing in Bolton's FA Cup match versus Tottenham Hotspur on March 17, and a picture of him shaking hands with two of the doctors that looked after his well-being was released. One of the doctors, Andrew Deaner, was a Tottenham fan who jumped out of his seat and raced onto the field to aid Muamba, who is now recovered from the incident that almost took his life last month.
VAN PERSIE, ROONEY, AGUERO HEAD PFA SHORTLIST
The shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award was released, and Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero are some of the nominees. Other players on the list include Joe Hart, David SIlva and Scott Parker. One player who was not nominated despite enjoying a stellar season is Fulham's Clint Dempsey. The winner will be announced at the annual PFA award ceremony on Sunday.
ZUBELDIA REPLACES BASILE AS RACING COACH
Alfio Basile's successor at Argentine club Racing has been appointed. Luis Zubeldia was named head coach of Racing on Monday, two days after Basile resigned due to the club falling at the hands of archrival Independiente in embarassing fashion. Zubeldia joins Racing from Ecuadorian club Barcelona, and will be the youngest coach in Argentina's first division at 31 years-old.
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Do you expect Parkhurst to return to full health and make the U.S. roster for this summer's games? Wondering why Dempsey is not on the shortlist? How do you see the fairly young Zubeldia faring at Racing?
Share your thoughts below.
“Michael Stypulkoski.
I’m a Fulham supporter, but by no means a Dempsey fanboy. While it isn’t a travesty that he wasn’t shortlisted, he just as easily could have been. To say that he “does not belong” in the same group as these players is, frankly, absurd.”
Not if you look at the facts and take the “US players never get no respect “emotion out of it.
This PFA award seems very similar to the MVP awards in American sports. What do all the players on the list have in common? They all play for title and/champion’s league spot contenders. Dempsey’s problem is he plays for a mediocre club. That is why he wants to transfer.
My concerns about Parker are already expressed and Joe Hart is a keeper. They play different enough roles from Dempsey that it is a bit hard to compare them to him except that both of them have played very well for title and Champions league contenders, while Dempsey, good as he is, can’t help Fulham get any higher than 10th or so.
Which leaves attacking players David Silva, Kun Aguero, RVP and Wayne Rooney. Except for RVP, who is about the same age, all are younger and would cost more to buy than Dempsey. However, the award is about what kind of season these guys had.
RVP, it could be argued, is so injury prone he has basically been a part time player in contrast to Deuce who always shows up. However the award is for this one year and RVP has outscored Dempsey by quite a bit, and has led Arsenal to a higher finish than Fulham.
Silva, a World Cup and European Championship winner, is arguably the creative attacking force behind city’s title drive and, while he is more a creator rather than a scorer, he has 8 goals and 17 assists. Clint has 22 goals and at least 6 assists. So you can argue their goal production is nearly equivalent.
While I think of Dempsey as a poor man’s Rooney, right now Rooney is scoring at a greater rate and Man. U is in the title hunt.
Aguero has outscored Clint and has helped revitalize their title drive.
If the short list is limited to six people then tell me who Clint replaces?
If you ignore Park and Hart and just focus on the attacking players, all of them either out- produced Clint or have their teams at a higher level. Would you replace David Silva with Clint?
So no, Clint does not belong on this particular list yet. Now should he transfer to one of the Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea or any other title contender, have the same kind of year as he has just had with Fulham, then maybe you have a case.
As a Spurs fan, I can say with some confidence that Parker does not belong on this list. I love him, but he’s had an up and down year, and is probably not even the best player on the team, let alone top 6 in the league. I’m not sure whether Dempsey is top 6, but he’s certainly had a better year than Parker.
I’m a Fulham supporter, but by no means a Dempsey fanboy. While it isn’t a travesty that he wasn’t shortlisted, he just as easily could have been. To say that he “does not belong” in the same group as these players is, frankly, absurd.
Since they only named six guys, Dempsey may have made their top 10 but you probably will never know.
I am a USMNT and Dempsey fan but it’s clear many Dempsey fans are just looking to be offended.
Here is the list:
Nominees for Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year award 2011-12: Sergio Aguero (Man City), Joe Hart (Man City), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), David Silva (Man City).
As far as I can tell the only player on that list who might have had an comparable year to Dempsey is Parker. He isn’t a scorer so you might consider the fact that he is the inspirational leader of a Spurs team that will have its highest finish in years.
Fulham are stuck at 10th, in comfortable mediocrity.
The list is a pretty elite group, one that Dempsey does not belong in just yet.
16 league goals, 5 assists so far this season. Clint definitely should have been in the shortlist of 10 or so.
Bull$hit Dempsey not making it…
The new USA home jersey is out. IMO it’s Fugly! F-ing NIke man. Really?
CAN NOT believe that Dempsey DID NOT make the list! What does he have to do, be in the top 5 goal scorers?
(Check)
Be the most in form player leading your team?
(Check)
Come on. Joe Hart and Scott Parker ahead of Dempsey? CTFO!
The Brits are still upset with the revolutin, and also with the goal Clint scored against them in the 2010 World Cup. Can Dempsey launch a write-in campaign?
Very sad about the Racing debacle and that the coach has to pay. Basile is a great coach and football mind. Thanks Teo Gutierrez you are a great player but at the same time an idiot and a locker room cancer
Truly. The initial ‘best-case’ prognosis was that he would live with both irrevocable mental and bodily damage due to how long he lacked oxygen to his brain. Remarkable and inspiring. I think the death in Italy shows how quick responses from paramedics and sheer luck really played a part in Muamba’s survival.
i think RVP should win it, but ridiculous that Dempsey didn’t make the list
The Muamba story is simply nothing but amazing. Best of luck to him in his continued recovery.