By FRANCO PANIZO
Tim Howard and Everton have conceded three goals in back-to-back games, and things are not about to get any easier for them.
Looking to return to winning ways after dropping their last two games across all competitions by a combined scored of 6-2, the Toffees will be hoping that their defense puts forth an improved outing when they go on the road to face rivals Liverpool on Saturday. Howard will likely serve as a key figure in the first Merseyside Derby match of the season, as the Reds attempt to get their attack going after a subpar start to the season that has yielded just seven goals and a 2-3 record.
Brad Guzan is also in store for a tough one, as he leads Aston Villa into battle against Premiership leaders Chelsea. The Villans are aiming to rebound from their first defeat of the campaign, a 3-0 loss to Arsenal, and will need Guzan to be on top of his game again in order to grab a victory on the road against a star-studded Blues team that is undefeated in seven matches across all competitions this season.
Not all the more interesting action will be taking place in England. There could be an intriguing duel between U.S. Men’s National Team teammates Timmy Chandler and Julian Green in Sunday’s Bundesliga encounter between Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg, but Green will have to prove he is recovered from the bruised ribs he suffered earlier in the week in order to be available for selection.
Down a division in Germany, Andrew Wooten will try and extend his recent game-winning scoring tear. Wooten has netted three decisive goals in as many games for SV Sandhausen, and he surely will not mind doing it again when they square off with TSV Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.
Here is who the Americans Abroad take on this weekend:
FRIDAY
Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play SpVgg Greuther Furth.
Andrew Wooten and SV Sandhausen play TSV Eintracht Braunschweig.
Joe Corona, Greg Garza, Paul Arriola, Alejandro Guido, Fernando Arce Jr, Amando Moreno, John Requejo and Club Tijuana play Veracruz.
Jonathan Bornstein and Queretaro play Toluca.
Ventura Alvarado and Club America play Santos Laguna.
SATURDAY
Tim Howard and Everton play Liverpool.
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Chelsea.
Cody Cropper and Southampton play Queens Park Rangers.
Jozy Altidore and Sunderland play Swansea City.
Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Arsenal.
Jonathan Spector, Will Packwood, Brek Shea and Birmingham City play Emerson Hyndman and Fulham.
Tim Ream and Bolton Wanderers play Zak Whitbread and Derby County.
Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Brighton & Hove Albion.
David Yelldell and Bayer Leverkusen play SC Freiburg.
Fabian Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach play SC Paderborn 07.
Joe Gyau and Borussia Dortmund play Schalke 04.
Alfredo Morales and FC Ingolstadt 04 play Karlsruhe.
Aron Johannsson and AZ Alkmaar play ADO Den Haag. (Johannsson is out injured.)
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play Zulte-Waregem.
Conor O’Brien and FC Magna Wiener Neustadt play SV Josko Ried.
Josh Gatt, Ethan Horvath and Molde FK play Zarek Valentin and FK Bodo/Glimt. (Gatt and Valentin are out injured.)
Jeb Brovsky and Stomsgodset play Viking.
Alonso Hernandez and Monterrey play Edgar Castillo and Atlas.
Herculez Gomez, Jose Torres and Tigres UANL play Pachuca.
SUNDAY
Danny Williams and Reading play Wolverhampton Wanderers. (Williams is out injured.)
John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play FC Augsburg.
Julian Green and Hamburg SV play Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Terrence Boyd and RP Leipzig play Fortuna Dusseldorf. (Boyd is out injured.)
Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Lyon.
Rubio Rubin and FC Utrecht play FC Twente.
Michael Stephens, Andrew Jacobson and Stabaek IF play Lillestrom.
Mix Diskerud and Rosenborg BK play Aalesund.
Gabriel Farfan and Jaguares de Chiapas play Pumas UNAM.
Michael Orozco and Puebla play Chivas de Guadalajara.
MONDAY
Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Newcastle United.
Freddy Adu and FK Jagodina play Novi Pazar.
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Which of these matches are you most anticipating? Expect Howard and the Toffees to come up victorious? Do you see Green being deemed healthy enough to at least play? What are the chances that Wooten scores a fourth consecutive late winner?
Share your thoughts below.
I wonder if it’s too early to start wondering if Howard will be starting next game?
Why wouldn’t he?
Because he and the defense have had a shambolic start to the season.
Way more blame on the D than on T-How though, won’t see him replaced unless there’s an injury, or it’s a cup comp or Howard curses out the Queen…
What I want to know is why on every article like this one are all those playing in England, even if its the 2nd or 3rd division always listed first?
A whole lot of Preemie snobbery, if you ask me.
This really bothers you huh?
If you look at Sunday the first player listed is Danny Williams who plays in the Championship not the Premier League.
My guess is the UK is geographically closest to New Jersey.
That is, what do you call it, ….splitting hairs GW. You did note that I said even if its the 2nd or 3rd division.
A whole lot of British snobbery, if you ask me.
You can’t call it Preemie snobbery because American soccer focus has always been very slanted towards the UK in general, even before there was a Premiership.
Americans Abroad and similar listings on other sites have always focused more on the UK for a very simple reason, they speak English.
It’s not so much snobbery as convenience. I’m willing to bet most of you don’t read Portugese, German, Italian, Dutch or French, etc. etc,.
Geoff Cameron is back to full training with Stoke. I doubt he will be ready by Monday’s game but I thought I would mention that.
I saw him on TV the other day, color commentary on a game in the US. Don’t remember which game or channel, all the games roll into one at my age.
Him = Stuart Holden
Hopefully Joe Gyau and Julian Green get some more playing time this weekend, are any of those games on Gol TV?
How long have we stopped listing Stuart Holden? It’s pretty amazing that he is still a Bolton Wanderers player
I don’t think he is. they released him and have some type of agreement where if he gets back to health he can try out or something.
Yup he was released over the summer, although Bolton offered to help with his ongoing rehab. I’m not sure whether they have a documented agreement currently, as Stu has stepped away to do TV work, but I’d think it’s highly likely that Bolton would be willing to come to the table if Stu gets back to health and feels comfortable giving it another go.