Photo by Joe Toth/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa entered their Saturday showdown with Chelsea as heavy underdogs.
They left elated and as late winners.
The Villans handed Chelsea the first league loss in their last 15 matches by picking up a 1-0 victory at Villa Park that served as a pleasant surprise to the home supporters. Fabian Delph provided the winner for Aston Villa in the 82nd minute, but the performances from Guzan (who had two saves) and the defense were equally as important in picking up the shocking shutout win.
Down a rung in the Championship, there was a showcase of American defenders in Sheffield Wednesday’s 4-1 triumph vs. Birmingham City. Oguchi Onyewu started and went the distance for the triumphant Owls while Spector and Packwood had shifts they would like to forget. Spector played the entire 90 minutes for Birmingham but received a yellow card, and Packwood also played the full match but scored an own goal.
Fabian Johnson was another player who did not enjoy his finest outing on Saturday. Johnson started at right back for Hoffenheim against Mainz and assisted on a fine goal, but he was also at fault for conceding one in what was an eventual frustrating 4-2 loss for Hoffenheim.
Here is how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton’s 2-1 win vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Sunderland’s 0-0 draw vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 3-1 win vs. West Ham United on Saturday.
- Brek Shea did not dress for Stoke City.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win vs. Chelsea on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 loss vs. Arsenal on Sunday.
- Cody Cropper did not dress in Southampton’s 4-2 win vs. Norwich City on Saturday.
- Sebastian Lletget did not dress in West Ham United’s 3-1 loss vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes in Sheffield Wednesday’s 4-1 win vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.
- Danny Williams did not dress in Reading’s 0-0 draw vs. Derby County on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Duane Holmes started and played 29 minutes in Yeovil Town’s 3-0 loss vs. Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
- Will Packwood started, played 90 minutes and scored an own goal in Birmingham City’s 4-1 loss vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
- Jonathan Spector started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card for Birmingham City.
- Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 2-0 loss vs. Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Eric Lichaj did not dress in Nottingham Forest’s 0-0 draw vs. Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. He is recovering from a groin injury.
- Zak Whitbread dressed but did not play in Derby County’s 0-0 draw vs. Reading on Saturday.
- Gboly Ariyibi did not dress in Leeds United’s 2-1 loss vs. Burnley on Saturday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 4-2 loss vs. Mainz 05 on Saturday.
- John Brooks dressed but did not play in Hertha Berlin’s 3-0 loss vs. Hannover 96 on Saturday.
- Timmy Chandler did not dress in FC Nurberg’s 2-1 loss vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Steve Cherundolo did not dress in Hannover 96’s 3-0 win vs. Hertha Berlin on Saturday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- David Yelldell dressed but did not play in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 loss vs. Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Bundesliga 2
- Alfredo Morales started and played 90 minutes in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 1-0 loss vs. FSV Frankfurt on Friday.
- Bobby Wood dressed but did not play in TSV 1860 Munich’s 2-2 draw vs. FC Erzgebirge Aue on Saturday.
- Andrew Wooten started and played 90 minutes before being substituted in FSV Frankfurt’s 1-0 win vs. FC Ingolstadt 04 on Friday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro Bedoya dressed but did not play in FC Nantes’ 0-0 draw vs. Lille on Saturday.
NETHERLANDS
- Aron Johannsson started and played 60 minutes in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-1 loss vs. Twente Enschede on Sunday.
- Juan Agudelo started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Utrecht’s 2-2 draw vs. NEC Nijmegen on Sunday.
TURKEY
- Jermaine Jones dressed but did not play in Besiktas’ 2-2 draw vs. Rizespor on Saturday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 4-0 win vs. KV Oostende on Sunday.
DENMARK
- Conor O’Brien did not dress in Odense BK’s 1-1 draw vs. Viborg FF on Sunday.
- Babajide Ogunbiyi dressed but did not play in Viborg FF’s 1-1 draw vs. Odense BK on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started and played 90 minutes in Rapid Vienna’s 1-0 win vs. SV Josko Ried on Saturday.
MEXICO
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes in Puebla’s 1-0 loss vs. Tigres UANL on Sunday.
- Michael Orozco started and played 90 minutes for Puebla.
- Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 1-0 win vs. Puebla on Sunday.
- Jonathan Bornstein dressed but did not play in Atlante’s 5-0 loss vs. Pumas UNAM on Sunday.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 2-1 loss vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
- Paul Arriola started and played 90 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Alejandro Guido started and played 90 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Herculez Gomez started and played 64 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Fernando Arce Jr came off the bench and played nine minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Joe Corona did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Joaquin Alonso Hernandez did not dress in Monterrey’s 1-0 loss vs. Morelia on Saturday.
- Gabriel Farfan started and played 68 minutes in Jaguares de Chiapas’ 2-2 draw vs. Club America on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? How impressed are you by Guzan and the Villans’ win over Chelsea? Think Johnson should be looked at as a possible solution to the right back dilemma on the U.S. Men’s National Team?
Share your thoughts below.