Manchester City jumped back into the Premiership’s top spot by dismantling Aston Villa, and the thorough pummeling could have been a lot worse had it not been for Brad Guzan.
Guzan had a five-save performance in the Villans’ 5-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, and he was one of the few players on Aston Villa who looked like they belonged on the field. The U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper almost held City off the board in the first half, but the defending Premiership champions scored just before halftime before netting a barrage of goals in the second half.
Terrence Boyd scored the lone Americans Abroad goal this weekend, netting his 10th goal of the season across all competitions in Rapid Vienna’s 3-0 win vs. SV Mattersburg. Boyd capped the scoring in the match in the 37th minute, finishing a good passing sequence by Vienna with a simple strike from close range.
Eugene Starikov did not score, but he did play in his first competitive game at the club level in over a year. Starikov started and played 79 minutes in FK Rostov’s scoreless draw with Anzhi Makhachkala on Sunday, ending a playing time drought that dated back to Nov. 5, 2011.
Here’s how the Americans Abroad did this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Everton’s 2-1 loss vs. Reading on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham’s 5-2 loss vs. Arsenal on Saturday.
- Clint Dempsey came off the bench and played 45 minutes for Tottenham.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Aston Villa’s 5-0 loss vs. Manchester City on Saturday.
- Eric Lichaj did not dress for Aston Villa.
- Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play West Ham United on Monday.
- Maurice Edu and Stoke City play West Ham United on Monday.
Championship
- Tim Ream dressed but did not play in Bolton Wanderers’ 1-1 draw vs. Barnsley on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 3-2 loss vs. Hull City on Saturday.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City.
- Conor Doyle did not dress in Derby County’s 3-0 loss vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday. He is recovering from an appendix injury.
- Zak Whitbread started and played 90 minutes in Leicester City’s 6-0 win vs. Ipswich Town on Saturday.
- Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
League One
- Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 4-1 loss vs. Leyton Orient on Saturday.
- Robbie Rogers did not dress in Stevenage’s 4-1 loss vs. Sheffield United on Saturday.
- Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United’s 2-2 draw vs. Notts County on Saturday.
SPAIN
La Liga
- Oguchi Onyewu dressed but did not play in Malaga CF’s 0-0 draw vs. Osasuna on Saturday.
Segunda Division
- Carlos Bocanega did not dress in Racing Santander’s 3-0 loss vs. Villarreal on Saturday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley and AS Roma play Torino on Monday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Steve Cherundolo did not dress in Hannover 96’s 2-1 loss vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday.
- Jermaine Jones started and played 74 minutes in Schalke 04’s 2-0 loss vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-1 loss vs. VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.
- Danny Williams started and played 45 minutes for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Timmy Chandler started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Nurnberg’s 1-1 draw vs. Bayern Munich on Sunday.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-0 win vs. Schalke 04 on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
- John Anthony Brooks and Hertha Berlin play St Pauli on Monday.
- Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play St Pauli on Monday.
- Andrew Wooten started and played 90 minutes in SV Sandhausen’s 5-2 loss vs. VfL Bochum on Sunday.
- Joe Gyau and St Pauli play Hertha Berlin on Monday.
NETHERLANDS
- Jozy Altidore started and played 90 minutes in AZ Alkmaar’s 1-1 draw vs. FC Groningen on Saturday.
PORTUGAL
- Tony Taylor and G.D. Estoril Praia did not play this weekend.
- Caleb Patterson-Sewell dressed but did not play in Vitoria Setubal FC’s 5-3 penalty kick loss after a 2-2 draw vs. Vitoria Guimaraes in the fourth round of Taca de Portugal on Sunday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 1-0 win vs. KV Kortrijk on Sunday.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov started and played 79 minutes in FK Rostov’s 0-0 draw vs. Anzhi Makhachkala on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started, played 86 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Rapid Vienna’s 3-0 win vs. SV Mattersburg on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6CFaZiMh-E?feature=player_detailpage]
DENMARK
- Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Nordsjaelland’s 2-0 loss vs. AGF Aarhus on Friday.
- Clarence Goodson did not dress in Brondby IF’s 2-2 draw vs. Esbjerg on Sunday.
- Conor O’Brien started and played 90 minutes in SonderjyskE’s 3-2 loss vs. Silkeborg on Saturday.
- Charlie Davies and Randers FC play Odense BK on Monday.
NORWAY
- Josh Gatt did not dress in Molde FK’s 2-0 win vs. Fredrikstad on Sunday.
- Steve Clark started and played 90 minutes in Honefoss BK’s 4-1 loss vs. Rosenborg BK on Sunday.
- Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in in Rosenborg BK’s 4-1 win vs. Honefoss BK on Sunday.
- Sean Cunningham did not dress in Stabaek IF’s 3-1 loss vs. Stromsgodset on Sunday. He is recovering from a hip injury.
- Chad Barrett did not dress in Valerenga’s 2-1 loss vs. Viking on Sunday.
MEXICO
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 1-1 draw vs. Monterrey in the second leg of their quarterfinals series on Sunday. Club Tijuana won on aggregate, 2-1.
- Joe Corona dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza came off the bench and played 19 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America’s 2-1 loss vs. Tigres Morelia in the second leg of their quarterfinals series on Saturday. Club America won on aggregate, 3-2.
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What do you think of these performances? How bad would Aston Villa lost if not for Guzan? Expecting Boyd to go on a scoring tear in his next few games? Surprised this was Starikov’s first appearance in over a year?
Share your thoughts below.