By FRANCO PANIZO
There was plenty of noise during last month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup about the U.S. Men’s National Team’s centerback positions.
Well, there might be even more in the months to come.
The English Premier League began its marathon of a season this past weekend, and one of the bigger storylines involving the Americans Abroad contingent was the performance of Geoff Cameron. The versatile Cameron was deployed in central defense for Stoke City and performed well, almost holding Liverpool scoreless before Philippe Coutinho struck in the 86th minute to hand the Potters a 1-0 loss.
While the defeat was a blow to Stoke, the thought of potentially seeing Cameron at centerback in the coming weeks will likely be a boost to U.S. fans. Many of them are hoping for change at centerback after seeing John Brooks and Ventua Alvarado struggle the Gold Cup, and Cameron could make a strong case for himself if he continues to get repetitions at the position and play as well as he did on Sunday.
Another area of much interest for American supporters right now is goalkeeper. Tim Howard has said he wants to return to the U.S. fold, but will have to supplant former apprentice Bad Guzan. Both veteran netminders were in action on Saturday, with Howard making three saves in a 2-2 draw with Watford and Guzan coming up with two stops in a 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth.
The German Bundesliga is not yet underway, but clubs from that country were involved in DFB Pokal action this weekend. Andrew Wooten had the biggest contribution of any American in this round of the tournament, as he played 120 minutes for SV Sandhausen on Sunday before converting the winning attempt in the penalty kick shootout. Sandhausen outlasted Bahlinger SC, 5-3, on spot kicks after a scoreless draw.
Here is how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes, and made three saves in Everton’s 2-2 draw vs. Watford on Saturday.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes, and made two saves in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win vs. AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.
- DeAndre Yedlin did not dress in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 loss vs. Manchester United on Saturday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss vs. Liverpool on Sunday.
Championship
- Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 2-1 win vs. Reading on Saturday.
- Tim Ream did not dress in Bolton Wanderers’ 0-0 draw vs. Derby County on Saturday.
- Eric Lichaj started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 loss vs. Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday.
- Danny Williams started and played 90 minutes in Reading’s 2-1 loss vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.
- Emerson Hyndman dressed but did not play in Fulham’s 1-1 draw vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play Arminia Bielefeld in DFB Pokal on Monday.
- Fabian Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach play St Pauli in DFB Pokal on Monday.
- Timmy Chandler did not dress in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3-0 win vs. Bremer SV in DFB Pokal on Saturday.
- Aron Johannsson did not dress in Werder Bremen’s 2-0 win in extra time vs. Wurzburger Kickers in DFB Pokal on Saturday.
- Alfredo Morales came off the bench, played 32 minutes, and received a yellow card in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 2-1 loss vs. SpVgg Unterhaching in DFB Pokal on Sunday.
2. Bundesliga
- Terrence Boyd and RB Leipzig play VfL Osnabruck in DFB Pokal on Monday
- Bobby Wood started and played 76 minutes in FC Union Berlin’s 2-1 loss vs. Viktoria Koln in DFB Pokal on Saturday.
- Andrew Wooten started, played 120 minutes, and scored his spot kick in SV Sandhausen’s 5-3 penalty kick shootout win following a 0-0 draw vs. Bahlinger SC 1929 in DFB Pokal on Sunday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro Bedoya came off the bench and played 15 minutes in FC Nantes’ 1-0 win vs. Guingamp on Saturday.
NETHERLANDS
- Rubio Rubin came off the bench and played two minutes in FC Utrecht’s 3-2 loss vs. Feyenoord Rotterdam on Sunday.
- Desevio Payne and FC Groningen did not play this weekend.
NORWAY
- Zarek Valentin started, played 90 minutes, and had an ASSIST in FK Bodo/Glimt’s 3-1 win vs. IK Start on Sunday.
- Danny Cruz came off the bench and played four minutes for FK Bodo/Glimt.
- Cole Grossman started and played 90 minutes in Stabaek IF’s 2-0 win vs. Stromsgodset on Sunday.
- Ethan Horvath came off the bench and played 17 minutes in Molde FK’s 2-2 vs. Odd on Sunday.
- AJ Soares did not dress in Viking FK’s 2-0 win vs. Sarpsborg 08 on Saturday.
MEXICO
- Michael Orozco started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 1-0 win vs. Santos Laguna on Friday.
- Paul Arriola came off the bench and played 20 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Alejandro Guido came off the bench and played 10 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Joe Corona started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card, and had an ASSIST in Veracruz’s 2-1 win vs. Jaguares de Chiapas on Friday.
- Greg Garza dressed but did not play in Atlas’ 3-0 loss vs. Monterrey on Saturday.
- Jose Torres came off the bench and played nine minutes in Tigres UANL’s 2-2 draw vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Monterrey’s 3-0 win vs. Atlas on Saturday.
- Ventura Alvarado came off the bench and played two minutes in Club America’s 3-0 win vs. Pachuca on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein started and played 90 minutes in Queretaro’s 1-1 draw vs. Dorados de Sinaloa on Saturday.
- Gabriel Farfan did not dress in Jaguares de Chiapas’ 2-1 loss vs. Veracruz on Friday.
- Miguel Ibarra came off the bench and played seven minutes in Club Leon’s 2-0 loss vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
- William Yarbrough dressed but did not play for Club Leon.
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What do you think of these performances? Do you see Cameron as a candidate to start at centerback for the USMNT in the coming months? Who impressed you more this weekend, Guzan or Howard?
Share your thoughts below.
Evan Hovarth subbed in when the first string keeper got sent off.
Watched the 90 minutes Cameron played. Played fine but honestly was not tested a whole lot in the toothless game. Coutinho’s goal is the best goal of the weekend and will be up there for best goals of the season.
If a player is starting at CB in the BPL, they certainly should be called in. No question.
However, I cannot get over his poor performance vs Portugal last summer. His lack of focus resulted in both goals. He is awful at handling crosses (first Portugal goal and other instances in that game). If you watch the infamous last second goal to tie it, he is ball watching the whole freaking time, not looking back once as CR was teeing up that cross.
I question Cameron’s toughness and focus as a CB.
I find it telling that Ream and Hyndman did not play.
Is that a sign that they are indeed being transferred?
Awesome to see B Wood starting right off the bat. Really rooting for that kid.
Kev,
Every candidate for the USMNT centerback position has made some sort of stupid, costly error while playing centerback for the USMNT. This incudes Chad Marshall, Michael Parkhurst and Clay Goodson.
It is an article of faith on SBI that USMNT players cannot make more than one mistake per position (Cameron has more than one at centerback) before being labeled untrustworthy for the rest of their career.
This is unfortunate as the US does not have a lot of depth and this policy effectively eliminates all of the present candidates.
They can bring up the under 20’s such as Miazga and CCV whose main virtue is that they haven’t made a mistake yet since they haven’t played.
I still remember the days when Gale Agbossamunde was going to solve all of the USMNT’s centerback woes.
great post, totally agree
This is pretty silly. We just watched a comedy of errors with Brooks and Alvardo, Cameron is starting consistently in the PL and we want to rule him out because of a game that took place over a year ago? Sure, the game against Portugal wasn’t Geoff’s finest but it’s not like the other CB candidates have been perfect.
Ream is injured also BTW.
Who said anything about ruling out?
I said that he certainly should be called in.
I said that I cannot get past the poor performance in the world cup.
I have no defense for Alvarado or Brooks aside their young age. Even so, Brooks has experience.
(anyway, you also probably dont want to hear this but our problems vs Jamaica were beyond the CBs.)
But Cameron made worse fundamental errors that were on the biggest stage. And by the way, those were just the mistakes that were capitalized on. Watch the highlights from that game alone and your will understand.
So quick to disagree……never said anything about ruling out of the position.
The bright side is that if he continues to start at CB for Stoke consistently, he can learn and hone in on skills at one position. His advantage and disadvantage has been his versatility.
CB is very unique – probably the most mentally challenging position on the field. At this level, I disagree with the notion of plugging guys in.
Thank you for the Ream update. I did not realize he is hurt.
goalie, forward, sweeper and coach are all very mentally challenging.
so is being a top notch broadcaster!
Kev, Cameron didn’t play center back against Portugal. he actually played central mid against them in the world cup.
I believe it was beisler who got shoved down by lukaku on the game winner.
Sorry sorry sorry. I was confusing Portugal with Belgium.
on that game tying goal, it was probably the only time in the game that the USMNT was totally stretched and completely out of position and shape. for me that’s why Portugal scored…so much freakin space after that ball got stuck up in the US attacking corner
As much as I’ve been puzzled by Lichaj’s continued exclusion from the USMNT, I caught some of the Forest game and wow…he struggled. Gave away the ball on his first three or four touches, and then got shook on the one goal of the game.
Ream apparently has a thigh injury which is why he didn’t play this weekend.
I believe Joe Corona had the game winning assist in the Veracruz’s win. Tom Marshall, ESPN Mexican analyst, said Corona has been playing well as the holding midfielder for the Tiburones.
I’m a Joe Corona fan and I think he is often over looked. In the Gold Cup game he played (Panama I think) he was awful the first half and I thought he might be subbed out. However, I think that was due to the fact that it was his first game action in some time and first international action in an even longer time.. I think it was over looked because of the outcome of the game and the overall US performance, but Corona had a real good second half. I still think he is better than Mixx and is best as a CAM
“Jonathan Bornstein started and played 90 minutes in Queretaro’s 1-1 draw vs. Dorados de Sinaloa on Saturday.”.
“Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Monterrey’s 3-0 win vs. Atlas on Saturday.”
…never say die attitude. No matter what anyone thinks to establish yourself as a starting full 90 minute player in a league with a team like Queretaro or Monterrey (with a whole bunch of Mexican players in the pipeline) is impressive. Good job fellas!!!
And one of the most underrated players Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 2-1 win vs. Reading. No matter how long he is out, whether it’s injury or club issues, he always comes back and redeems his spot, and that’s at a championship level (a lot of players can’t even sneeze and they’ll be left off the roster lol)
That is the truth. All three deserve recognition for, different settings and circumstances, their persistence and the ability to ride out the chaos that is professional football. And all the while coming out the other end with consistent minutes and quality play
good call man
Caleb Stanko was left off. He played a couple of minutes this weekend.
Brooks on the bench today for Hertha.
Do yall thing Cameron will continue to start a CB once Shawcross returns, I believe Shawcross is Stokes captain so I assume he has a place in the starting lineup. Could Shawcross and Cameron play together?
This is my concern. With Johnson at RB… and Shawcross returning… not sure where this leaves Cameron, except left out.
That said, Cameron played very well.
He might have been able to step up a bit more quickly on Coutinho (on the goal), but not sure that would have mattered with that strike!
Cameron has seemed to always find a way into the starting lineup at Stoke even when he is supposedly not “first choice” anywhere
Cameron’s versatile and is a solid player wherever he plays so I think he’ll get plenty of minutes again this year.
This is Cameron’s fourth season at Stoke. I looked it up so you don’t have to. His first season he played in 37 league games, then 35 his second year. Last year it was 27 because, as I recall, Bardsley came in and started at RB , but Cameron still managed to play a lot after the first month or so. My recollection is that his contract extension was for 3 years. I don’t think Mark Hughes would want him around that long just to sit on the bench or play in the reserves.
Huth , Shawcross’s long time partner is gone so in theory Cameron has an opening.
Unfortunately is think Hughes sees him as Stoke’s version of Wes Brown/John OShea. When those two were at Man United they played all across the backline and , in OShea’s case in midfield.
The standard for being a regular at a mid table club like Stoke is somewhere in the 40 appearances range across all competitions. I took that from Clint’s Fulham teams.
Clint, Murphy, Hangeland and Dembele all averaged in the mid 40’s or so.when they were going good.