By FRANCO PANIZO
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa look to have all but won in their battle against relegation.
The Villans picked up a big road victory that moved them five points clear of the drop zone on Saturday, defeating Norwich City, 2-1, at Carrow Road. Guzan contributed to Aston Villa’s cause with a one-save performance while compatriot Eric Lichaj came off the bench and played 63 minutes for injured defender Matthew Lowton.
Alejandro Bedoya also saw his team pick up three points and they did so mainly because of him. Bedoya continued his red-hot form on Sunday, scoring the lone goal in Helsingborg IF’s 1-0 win against Syrianska FC. The latest left-footed strike from Bedoya gave him three goals in league play and five across all competitions this season, and it also strengthened his case for inclusion on the U.S. Men’s National Team’s roster for the upcoming friendlies and World Cup qualifiers.
Bedoya wasn’t the only player to find the back of the net. Andrew Wooten netted twice to help lift SV Sandhausen to a 3-1 victory over FC Ingolstadt on Saturday. Wooten now has seven goals for the 2. Bundesliga club that is set to be relegated at season’s end.
Here’s how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:
Premiership
- Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Sunderland on Monday.
- Brek Shea and Stoke City play Sunderland on Monday.
- Sebastian Lletget did not dress in West Ham United’s 0-0 draw vs. Newcastle United on Saturday.
- Clint Dempsey started and played 72 minutes in Tottenham’s 1-0 win vs. Southampton on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play for Tottenham.
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Everton’s 0-0 draw vs. Liverpool on Sunday.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Aston Villa’s 2-1 win vs. Norwich City on Saturday.
- Eric Lichaj came off the bench and played 63 minutes for Aston Villa.
Championship
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in Birmingham City’s 1-1 draw vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. He is recovering from an ankle injury.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City. He is recovering from a leg injury.
- Conor Doyle did not dress in Derby County’s 1-0 win vs. Millwall on Saturday.
- Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes before being substituted in stoppage time in Bolton Wanderers’ 2-2 draw vs. Blackpool on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden dressed but did not play for Bolton Wanderers.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Leceister City’s 3-2 win vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
League One
- Frank Simek and Carlisle United’s season is over.
- Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United’s season is over.
SPAIN
La Liga
- Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Malaga CF’s 1-0 loss vs. Granada on Saturday.
Segunda Division
- Carlos Bocanega started and played 90 minutes in Racing Santander’s 2-1 loss vs. Almeria on Sunday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley started and played 90 minutes in AS Roma’s 1-0 win vs. Fiorentina on Saturday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started and played 45 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 2-2 draw vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday.
- Danny Williams did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He is recovering from an ankle injury.
- Timmy Chandler dressed but did not play in FC Nurnberg’s 2-0 loss vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
- Michael Parkhurst dressed but did not play in FC Augsburg’s 2-0 loss vs. SC Freiburg on Sunday.
- Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Schalke 04′s 1-0 win vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-0 win vs. FC Nurnberg on Saturday.
- Steve Cherundolo dressed but did not play in Hannover 96′s 2-2 draw vs. Mainz on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
- Joe Gyau did not dress in St Pauli’s 0-0 draw vs. MSV Duisburg on Sunday.
- John Anthony Brooks started and played 90 minutes in Hertha Berlin’s 3-2 win vs. FC Erzgebirge Aue on Friday.
- Alfredo Morales started and played 90 minutes for Hertha Berlin.
- Andrew Wooten started, played 90 minutes and TWO GOALS in SV Sandhausen’s 3-1 win vs. FC Ingolstadt on Saturday.
- Bobby Wood dressed but did not play in TSV 1860 Munich’s 3-0 win vs. FC Union Berlin on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Jozy Altidore started, played 60 minutes and received a yellow card in AZ Alkmaar’s 4-0 win vs. PEC Zwolle on Sunday.
PORTUGAL
- Tony Taylor and G.D. Estoril Praia play Benfica on Monday.
- Caleb Patterson-Sewell did not dress in Vitoria Setubal’s 1-0 loss vs. Academica de Coimbra on Sunday.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov did not dress in FK Rostov’s 2-0 loss vs. Kuban Krasnodar on Saturday.
TURKEY
- Maurice Edu did not dress in Bursaspor’s 4-2 win vs. Orduspor on Saturday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-0 win vs. Standard Liege on Sunday.
DENMARK
- Clarence Goodson started and played 90 minutes in Brondby IF’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
- Charlie Davies came off the bench and played one minute in Randers FC’s 1-0 win vs. AGF Aarhus on Sunday.
- Conor O’Brien dressed but did not play in FC Nordsjaelland’s 2-2 draw vs. Silkeborg IF on Friday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd dressed but did not play in Rapid Vienna’s 3-1 win vs. SK Sturm Graz on Sunday.
SWEDEN
- Alejandro Bedoya started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Helsingborg IF’s 1-0 win vs. Syrianska FC on Sunday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eulwwTxvvgw?feature=player_embedded]
- Brian Span started and played 66 minutes in Djurgarden IF’s 5-1 loss vs. Atvidabergs FF on Saturday.
NORWAY
- Josh Gatt and Molde FK play IK Start on Monday.
- Steve Clark started and played 90 minutes in Honefoss BK’s 1-1 draw vs. Tromso on Sunday.
MEXICO
- Herculez Gomez came off the bench and played 29 minutes in Santos Laguna’s 2-1 loss vs. Morelia on Saturday.
- Benji Joya did not dress for Santos Laguna.
- Joaquin Alonso Hernandez came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Monterrey’s 5-1 loss vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
- Michael Orozco Fiscal started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Puebla’s 3-2 win vs. Queretaro on Saturday.
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes for Puebla.
- Jose Torres started, played 87 minutes and received a yellow card in Tigres UANL’s 2-0 win vs. Club America on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress for Tigres UANL.
- Edgar Castillo started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in Club Tijuana’s 4-0 win vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INhLUA8qm_s?feature=player_embedded]
- Joe Corona came off the bench and played 14 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Alejandro Guido did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America’s 2-0 loss vs. Tigres UANL on Saturday.
BRAZIL
- Freddy Adu did not dress in Bahia’s 1-0 win vs. Juazeiro Ba in the second leg of the Baiano semifinals on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Impressed with Guzan and Lichaj’s outings in Aston Villa’s big win over Norwich City? Starting to think Bedoya should be called in for the USMNT’s World Cup qualifying roster?
Share your thoughts below.