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Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Franco Panizo

By FRANCO PANIZO

If the U.S. Men’s National Team forwards play against Honduras on Feb. 6 as well as they did this weekend, Los Catrachos are in trouble.

Three Americans found ways to make impacts for their respective clubs, including Herculez Gomez. A day after his grandmother passed away, Gomez started for Santos Laguna and set up an insurance goal in their 2-0 win over Leon on Friday. Gomez made a well-timed run in behind the defense before selflessly heading the ball across goal instead of at it, and teammate Oribe Peralta finished the play off with a header of his own.

Jozy Altidore did not set up a goal, but he did find the back of the net for the 15th time in the Eredivisie campaign on Friday. Altidore tied his career-high for goals in a season when he got on the end of a through ball and clinically turned his hips before slotting home AZ Alkmaar’s third goal in a 4-1 triumph against VVV Venlo. Aside from marking the second consecutive game in which Altidore has scored, the tally was the 23-year-old’s 19th across all competitions.

Clint Dempsey also continued his stellar run of form, scoring his fifth goal in as many games since the start of the new year. Dempsey netted for the eighth time this season across all competitions when he cut Tottenham’s two-goal deficit against Leeds United in half on Sunday. Unfortunately for Spurs, they never found the equalizer and were bounced out of the FA Cup.

Here’s how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:

ENGLAND

Premiership

  • Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Everton’s 2-1 win vs. Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made fives in Tottenham’s 2-1 loss vs. Leeds United in the FA Cup on Sunday.
  • Clint Dempsey started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL for Tottenham.

 

  • Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa’s 2-1 loss vs. Millwall in the FA Cup on Friday.
  • Eric Lichaj started and played 90 minutes for Aston Villa.
  • Geoff Cameron did not dress in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Sebastian Lletget and West Ham United did not play this weekend.

Championship

  • Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 2-1 loss vs. Everton in the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Stuart Holden came off the bench and played nine minutes for Bolton Wanderers.
  • Jonathan Spector did not dress in Birmingham City’s 2-1 win vs. Burnley on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.
  • Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City. He is recovering from a leg injury.
  • Conor Doyle dressed but did not played in Derby County’s 3-0 loss vs. Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday.
  • Zak Whitbread did not dress in Leicester City’s 1-1 draw vs. Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup on Saturday. He is recovering from an injury.

League One

  • Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 1-1 draw vs. Scunthorpe United on Saturday.
  • Mike Grella came off the bench and played one minute in Scunthorpe United’s 1-1 draw vs. Carlisle United on Saturday.

SPAIN

La Liga

  • Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Malaga CF’s game vs. Mallorca on Saturday.

Segunda Division

  • Carlos Bocanega started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Racing Santander’s 3-1 loss vs. Cordoba on Saturday.

ITALY

  • Michael Bradley started and played 90 minutes in AS Roma’s 3-3 draw vs. Bologna on Sunday.

GERMANY

Bundesliga

  • Steve Cherundolo did not dress in Hannover 96’s 2-1 win vs. VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. He is recovering from knee pains.
  • Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday. He is currently serving a three-game suspension.
  • Fabian Johnson did not dress in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 2-1 loss vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
  • Danny Williams dressed but did not play for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
  • Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s 3-0 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
  • David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 0-0 draw vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday.
  • Michael Parkhurst dressed but did not play in FC Augsburg’s 0-0 draw vs. Schalke 04 on Saturday.

NETHERLANDS

  • Jozy Altidore started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in AZ Alkmaar’s 4-1 win vs. VVV Venlo on Friday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJDkFw5ggBs?feature=player_embedded]

PORTUGAL

  • Tony Taylor did not dress in G.D. Estoril Praia’s game vs. Olhanense on Sunday.
  • Caleb Patterson-Sewell dressed but did not play in Vitoria Setubal’s 2-0 loss vs. CD Nacional de Madeira on Sunday.
TURKEY
  • Maurice Edu started and played 90 minutes minutes in Bursaspor’s 4-1 loss vs. Istanbul Buyuksehir BSK on Saturday.

BELGIUM

  • Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-0 win vs. KSC Lokeren on Saturday.

MEXICO

  • Herculez Gomez started, played 84 minutes and had an ASSIST in Santos Laguna’s 2-0 win vs. Leon on Friday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORNH9ndN1b0?feature=player_detailpage]

  • Hector Joya did not dress for Santos Laguna.
  • Jose Torres started, played 70 minutes and received a yellow card in Tigres UANL’s 2-0 win vs. Queretaro on Saturday.
  • Jonathan Bornstein did not dress for Tigres UANL.
  • Edgar Castillo started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Club Tijuana’s 2-0 win vs. Pachuca on Saturday.
  • Joe Corona started and played 45 minutes for Club Tijuana.
  • Greg Garza did not dress for Club Tijuana.
  • DaMarcus Beasley started, played 45 minutes and received a yellow card in Puebla’s 4-0 loss vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
  • Michael Orozco Fiscal did not dress for Puebla.
  • Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America’s 2-1 loss vs. Atlas on Saturday.

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What do you think of these performances? What was more impressive, Dempsey’s goal, Altidore’s finish or Gomez’s assist? Which forwards would you start against Honduras?

Share your thoughts below.

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