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Americans Abroad Weekend Preview: Brooks battles Pulisic, and more

Two of the in-form U.S. Men’s National Team players in European play will square off for the first time this season.

John Brooks and Wolfsburg face a tough test on Saturday with the arrival of Christian Pulisic and Borussia Dortmund. Wolfsburg are coming off back-to-back wins in all competitions, posting clean sheets in both. Brooks has appeared in every Bundesliga match so far this season for Wolfsburg and will try to help his side quiet a dangerous Dortmund attack.

Dortmund remains perfect in domestic play, posting a 6-0-3 record so far. Following a 2-2 draw with Hertha Berlin a week ago, Dortmund edged Union Berlin 3-2 midweek in the German Cup with Pulisic playing a hand in all three of his team’s goals. This will be the first domestic meeting between the two U.S. players since March 2017 when Brooks was still with Hertha Berlin.

Elsewhere, Julian Green and Greuther Furth will hope to bounce back from a league loss a week ago while Lynden Gooch and Sunderland face Plymouth Argyle. DeAndre Yedlin and Newcastle seek to end their winless run in the EPL as they face Watford.

Weston McKennie and Schalke battle Hannover which could see Bobby Wood also get in on the action. Andrija Novakovich missed last week’s match for Fortuna Sittard but hopes to be part of the team’s plans against FC Zwolle this weekend.

Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad:

France

LIGUE 1

Timothy Weah and PSG face Lille on Friday.

Matt Miazga and Nantes face Guingamp on Sunday.

Theoson-Jordan Siebatcheu and Rennes face Caen on Saturday.

Ligue 2

Quentin Westberg and Auxerre face Metz on Monday.

England

PREMIER LEAGUE

DeAndre Yedlin and Newcastle United face Watford on Saturday.

Danny Williams and Huddersfield Town face Tim Ream and Fulham on Monday.

Premier League 2 (U-23)

Luca De La Torre and Fulham face Sunderland on Friday.

Gboly Ariyibi and Nottingham Forest face Hull City on Saturday.

EFL CHAMPIONSHIP

Antonee Robinson and Wigan Athletic face Leeds United on Sunday.

Eric Lichaj and Hull City face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Swansea City face Rotherham United on Saturday.

Geoff Cameron and QPR face Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Duane Holmes and Derby County face Birmingham City on Saturday.

EFL LEAGUE ONE

Lynden Gooch and Sunderland face Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Germany

BUNDESLIGA

Christian Pulisic and Borussia Dortmund face John Brooks and Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Jonathan Klinsmann and Hertha Berlin face RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Weston McKennie and Schalke face Bobby Wood and Hannover on Saturday.

Fabian Johnson and Borussia Monchengladbach face Alfredo Morales and Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.

Caleb Stanko and Freiburg face Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Timothy Tillman and Nurnberg face Augsburg on Saturday.

Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt face Stuttgart on Friday.

Aron Johannsson and Werder Bremen face Mainz on Sunday.

2. BUNDESLIGA

Julian Green and Greuther Furth face Bochum on Friday.

Terrence Boyd, McKinze Gaines and Darmstadt face Magdeburg on Saturday.

Joe Gyau and Duisberg face Paderborn on Saturday.

Andrew Wooten and Sandhausen face Dynamo Dresden on Friday.

REGIONALLIGA

Josh Sargent and Werder Bremen II face Holstein II on Sunday.

Chris Gloster and Hannover II face Hamburg on Saturday.

U-19 BUNDESLIGA

Sebastian Soto and Hannover face Hamburg on Sunday.

Chris Richards and Bayern Munich face Heidenheim on Saturday.

Mexico

LIGA MX

Jose Torres and Puebla face Guadalajara on Friday.

William Yarborough and Club Leon face Omar Gonzalez and Atlas on Sunday.

Joe Corona and Club America face Toluca on Saturday.

Alejandro Guido, Rubio Rubin and Club Tijuana face Michael Orozco and Lobos on Saturday.

Ventura Alvarado and Necaxa face Pachuca on Saturday.

Eduardo Fernandez and Tigres face Morelia on Friday.

Portugal

segunda LIGA

Keaton Parks and Benfica B face Pacos Ferreira on Saturday.

Spain

SEGUNDA DIVISION

Shaq Moore and Reus Deportiu face Lugo on Saturday.

Sweden

ALLSVENSKAN

Romain Gall and Malmo face Goteborg on Sunday.

Kofi Sarkodie and Trelleborg face Ostersunds on Monday.

Alex DeJohn, Andrew Stadler and Dalkurd face Djurgarden on Monday.

Denmark

SUPERLIGAEN

Jonathan Amon and Nordsjaelland face Michael Lansing and Aalborg on Sunday.

Emmanuel Sabbi and Hobro face Odense on Friday.

Netherlands

EREDIVISIE

Andrija Novakovich and Fortuna Sittard face FC Zwolle on Sunday.

Erik Palmer-Brown and NAC Breda face Heracles Almelo on Saturday.

Desevio Payne and Excelsior face FC Groningen on Friday.

Eerste Divisie

Kyle Scott and Telstar face Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday.

Belgium

PRO LEAGUE

Kenny Saief and Anderlecht face Waasland-Beveren on Sunday.

Ethan Horvath and Club Brugge face Genk on Saturday.

Brendan Hines-Ike and Kortrijk face Gent on Saturday.

Juan Torres and Lokeren face Eupen on Sunday.

Scotland

Premier League

Emerson Hyndman and Hibernian face St. Johnstone on Saturday.

league one

Kevin Silva and Raith Rovers face Brechin on Saturday.

Austria

BUNDESLIGA

Josh Gatt and Rheindorf Altach face Rapid Wien on Sunday.

South Korea

K-LEAGUE

Mix Diskerud and Ulsan Hyundai face Jeonbuk on Sunday.

Switzerland

SWISS PRO LEAGUE

Kekuta Manneh and FC St Gallen face FC Sion on Sunday.

Comments

  1. Gedion Zelalem came on for arsenal u23s today(it was in the 90 min) but still a good sign, that’s one for the u21s in mid week and now the u23s today hope he stays healthy.

    Reply
    • Perfect short chipped pass over the center defense. Sublime touch. I justwish he was more aggressive going to get on the ball.

      Reply
  2. Queens Park Rangers started its domestic campaign horribly but have skyrocketed up the EFL Championship table in recent week……..because of midfielder Geoff Cameron. MIDFIELDER GEOFF CAMERON….key word, Midfielder ?

    Funny how I called that years ago. Having the ability to play and maintain at CB, RB or as a midfielder in the EPL and now, at 33, still making an IMPACT in the championship league. Yet an MLS jogger, who isn’t even making an impact anymore in this league, was rated higher than he was. ?

    Congrats Cam ??? ?? ??

    Reply
    • Which is why he should have started for Gonzalez at CB or for Arriola and played as dual DMs with Bradley. The issue that night was largely tactical by playing Nagbe and Arriola so wide and Pulisic so high left Bradley alone on an island. Cameron a better player would have had the exact same problem, which is why he plays as a dual DM for QPR.

      Reply
      • Cameron was named Man of the Match for Stoke in their EPL games against Liverpool and Chelsea (2017) in narrow home defeats and his play as a holding midfielder made his re-signing a top priority for manager Mark Hughes

        Against liverpool 2017

        ————BERAHINO——————–WALTERS————–

        ARNAUTOVIĆ——–ALLEN———-CAMERON—–SHAQIRI

        Against Chelsea 2017

        ————BERAHINO——————–WALTERS————–

        SOBHI———–ALLEN———-CAMERON——- ARNAUTOVIĆ

        No need for Cameron and Bradley on the field. We needed a superior DM (that could actually defend and break up tackles) on the field to connect the defense and midfield, hence the better of the two on the pitch (Allen is a central midfielder who CAN play CAM or DM also).

      • Glad you brought those two matches up since Stoke was using a 4-4-2 Double 6 more commonly called an empty bucket. Check Soccerway and Transfermkt they’ll confirm this.
        Trinidad played five in the midfield overwhelming the US. The two outside midfielders kept Nagbe and Arriola occupied leaving Bradley to deal 3 on 1 for large portions of the match. Cameron is a tougher tackler but with the acres of space Arena’s formation dictated he would have never been close enough to tackle anyone. How to close down that space? Add a second DM and take away a striker. This is beginning manager level stuff but Arena was either unconcerned about the impending loss or incapable of making a basic switch that any JV coach would have made. After the first 20 minutes, it was apparent that Nagbe should be moved inside and Pulisic dropped to the wing. Then make a change at halftime and put on an actual DM to further shore it up. 1-1 draw and we are in the WC. Bradley had a poor game but he was set up to fail, as Cameron would have too. Bradley’s play was a symptom, Arena’s formation was the disease that caused the death. Even squeezing Arriola and Nagbe inside and pushing Zusi and Villa forward would have closed down the space and still provided width, but “The Bruce” sat there like “The Lump” doing nothing. Playing Cameron a better CB than Omar hopefully he wouldn’t have kicked the ball into his own net on a not that difficult cross.

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