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Americans Abroad Weekend Preview: De La Torre, Richards, and more

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La Liga club Celta Vigo is starting to inch itself away from the relegation picture and Luca De La Torre’s involvement over recent weeks has been a major reason for it.

De La Torre and his Celta Vigo teammates will welcome Atletico Madrid to town on Sunday in the latest tough challenge for them this winter. De La Torre has started in three-consecutive matches for Celta Vigo, registering assists in victories over Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis over the past two weeks. The 24-year-old had to wait for his moment during the first half of the season, but now looks to be finding his groove at an important time for the Spanish club. A victory over fourth place Atletico Madrid won’t propel Celta Vigo into the top-ten of the league table, but it will move it seven points clear of the relegation zone.

In England, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace face rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson and Fulham take on Nottingham Forest. Daryl Dike and Auston Trusty will square off in the EFL Championship.

In Spain, Yunus Musah and Valencia take on Athletic Bilbao.

In France, Erik PalmerBrown and Troyes will try and slow down an in-form Folarin Balogun.

In Germany, Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund take on Werder Bremen. Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin face off with RB Leipzig.

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


England


Premier League

Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Leeds United host Manchester United on Sunday.

Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Matt Turner and Arsenal host Brentford on Saturday.

Christian Pulisic is OUT (Injury) for Chelsea.

Championship

Josh Sargent and Norwich City visit Bristol City on Saturday.

Daryl Dike and West Bromwich Albion visit Auston Trusty and Birmingham City on Friday.

Ethan Horvath and Luton Town visit Coventry City on Saturday.

Zack Steffen and Middlesbrough visit Cardiff City on Saturday.

Duane Holmes is OUT (Injury) for Huddersfield.

Lynden Gooch is OUT (Injury) for Sunderland.

League Two

Jonathan Tomkinson and Stevenage host Bradford City on Saturday.


Germany


Bundesliga

Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund visit Werder Bremen on Saturday.

Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin visit RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg visit Schalke on Friday.

Joe Scally and Borussia Moenchengladbach visit Hertha Berlin on Sunday.

John Brooks, Justin Che and Hoffenheim host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Timmy Chandler, Paxten Aaronson and Eintracht Frankfurt visit Cologne on Sunday.

2. Bundesliga

Julian Green, Timothy Tillman and Greuther Furth visit Karlsruher on Friday.

Terrence Boyd and Kaiserslautern visit St. Pauli on Sunday.

George Bello and Arminia Bielefeld host Holstein Kiel on Friday.

3. Liga

Johan Gomez, Nico Carrera and FSV Zwickau visit MSV Duisburg on Saturday.


Spain


La Liga

Yunus Musah and Valencia host Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Luca De La Torre and Celta Vigo host Atletico Madrid on Sunday.


Italy


Serie A

Sergino Dest and AC Milan host Torino on Friday.

Serie B

Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessmann, Andrija Novakovich and Venezia host Spal on Saturday.

Anthony Fontana and Ascoli host Perugia on Saturday.


France


Ligue 1

Tim Weah and Lille host Strasbourg on Sunday.

Folarin Balogun and Stade Reims host Erik Palmer-Brown and Troyes on Sunday.


Netherlands


Eredivisie

Ricardo Pepi and FC Groningen visit Richie Ledezma and PSV on Saturday.

Djordje Mihailovic and AZ Alkmaar host Excelsior on Friday.

Taylor Booth and FC Utrecht visit Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday.


Portugal


Liga Portugal

Reggie Cannon and Boavista host Casa Pia on Monday.

Alex Mendez and Vizela host Chaves on Friday.


Scotland


Cup

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic host St. Mirren on Saturday.

Malik Tillman, James Sands and Rangers host Patrick Thistle on Sunday.

Ian Harkes is OUT (Injury) for Dundee United.

Joe Efford is OUT (Injury) for Motherwell.


Belgium


Pro League

Mark McKenzie and Genk host Royal Antwerp on Sunday.

Bryan Reynolds and Westerlo host Gent on Saturday.

Marlon Fossey and Standard Liege host Kortrijk on Sunday.

Sam Vines is OUT (Injury) for Royal Antwerp.


Hungary


NB I

Henry Wingo and Ferencvaros visit Kisvarda on Saturday.


Austria


Bundesliga

Sebastian Soto and Austria Klagenfurt visit Austria Vienna on Sunday.


Croatia


1. HNL

Rokas Pukstas and Hajduk Split visit Varazdin on Saturday.


Turkey


Super Lig

Haji Wright is OUT (Back Injury) for Antalyaspor.


Israel


Ligat HaAL

Josh Cohen and Maccabi Haifa host Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona on Saturday.


Brazil


Gaucho

Johnny Cardoso and Internacional visit Brasil de Pelotas on Saturday.


Mexico


Liga MX

Sebastian Saucedo and Toluca host Cruz Azul on Sunday.

Alejandro Zendejas is OUT (Injury) for Club America.

Comments

  1. Aaaaahhhhh……Remember the days when some people GAVE TR NO RESPECT….they said he was too slow, that he wasn’t good in the air, that he didn’t fit a flawed system, that he wasn’t our top defender and that Fulham were only waiting for the transfer window to replace him….lol (never going to live that down). Pre and Post world Cup, my man keeps on slapping the naysayers in the face and performing at the highest level….at an age were most retire

    35-year-old Tim Ream in Fulham’s 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest đź‘€

    – 74 touches
    – 55/61 passing (90%)
    – 1 key pass
    – 8/11 long balls
    – 1 dribble
    – 1 foul drawn
    – 4/4 duels won
    – 2 tackles
    – 3 interceptions
    – 4 clearances

    One of the most consecutive starters (with Jedi) among US players in the best league in the world, for a 7 the place EPL Team, that’s only 4 point behind 5 the place Tottenham. Like fine wine 🍷…… Congratulations!!!!!

    Reply
    • Mr. bizzy,

      You’re exaggerating.

      Timmy is having a great year but he has always been very good and very solid for Fulham. Timmy’s coaches at Bolton used to get upset with the USMNT coaches because they always said the US coaches did not know what to do with him. The expression is casting pearls before swine. This is nothing new.

      The difference is Marco Silva. Silva has done an unbelievable job with the entire team. They are all playing well and when that happens it really raises your personal confidence. Having Jedi around him regularly also does not hurt.

      As for the USMNT, in Qatar Timmy had qualities they desperately needed ( and not just at the CB position) , a very high football IQ, good ball control, the ability to pass out of the defense, and most of all, an unflappable, classy , professional demeanor. And again his relationship with Jedi did not hurt.

      Timmy has played four above average games for the USMNT, his last four in Qatar. Those four were also the best games he has ever played for the USMNT. If you can think of any other games that were worthy of note please let me know.

      I don’t know if this was what Gregg had planned this all along or if he suddenly woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare vision of Aaron Long trying to shut down Harry Kane.

      What I do know is that sometimes the best decisions you make are the ones that are forced on you.

      As for 35 year old Ream’s USMNT future, age is not necessarily a deal breaker. Tiago Silva is 39 and Chelsea don’t seem to be looking to unload him yet. At this point it all depends on whoever is the manager and if Ream can maintain his good form.

      If it is Gregg we can expect a continued effort to prove Long and Miles are viable international CB’s

      Reply
      • “Mr. bizzy,
        You’re exaggerating.”
        WHAT PART?
        1. People GAVE Tim Ream NO RESPECT.
        2. They said he was too slow.
        3. They said that he wasn’t good in the air.
        4. They said that he didn’t fit a flawed system
        5. They said that he wasn’t our top defender
        6. They said that Fulham were only waiting for the transfer window to replace him

        So what part is exaggerating?

        Vacqui….Did you even understand my post or is this like a captain obvious moment lol

      • “Mr. bizzy,
        You’re exaggerating.”
        WHAT PART?
        1. People GAVE Tim Ream NO RESPECT.
        2. They said he was too slow.
        3. They said that he wasn’t good in the air.
        4. They said that he didn’t fit a flawed system
        5. They said that he wasn’t our top defender
        6. They said that Fulham were only waiting for the transfer window to replace him

        “So what part is exaggerating?”

        Mostly the whole thing.
        Timmy has been a very good defender for a very long time going back to his days at Bolton. But I have never seen him have a standout game for the USMNT until Qatar.
        I always felt it was because he just did not fit whatever the manager of the moment was doing or there was someone better, such as the younger, in form JAB, another left footer.

        Qatar was about good timing. JAB had run over Gregg’s dog, and Timmy was having a career year with a really well organized Fulham. He remains a very skilled, sober, competent , unflappable defender at a time when the USMNT has few PLAYERS let alone defenders, who fit that bill.
        I don’t know what Gregg’s plan was for him initially but by the time Qatar rolled around. Gregg had no choice but to give him a run.

        “1. People GAVE Tim Ream NO RESPECT.

        That’s nonsense. Ream was very highly rated at both Bolton and Fulham. As I have pointed out elsewhere, the coaches at Bolton thought the USMNT managers were pinheads for not using him intelligently. They resented having their player called up and then not used or not used properly.
        That’s like borrowing your friend’s Lamborghini Countach and using it to deliver pizza.
        The NO RESPECT tag should be applied to whoever was dreaming up the so called USMNT defensive scheme.

        ” 2. They said he was too slow.”

        They said Bocanegra was slow and he was. Timmy has been “slow” since he was at NYRB. If they say you’re slow that generally means you’re not otherworldly fast. However slow/fast you are , you have to find ways to deal with it. Obviously, Timmy has figured out how to deal with his speed or lack thereof. Fulham did not keep him around so long because he’s a nice guy.

        “3. They said that he wasn’t good in the air.”

        As center halves go, he isn’t. He isn’t terrible and when he needs to be he’s competent enough but it’s not what he relies on to pay the bills

        “4. They said that he didn’t fit a flawed system”

        Nobody fits a flawed system, how could they?
        I believe you’re referring to Gregg wanting to play a high line. In Qatar, as I recall, the line was not at the height normally associated with an Uncle Gregg team, but I could be wrong. Besides what “they” really said was Gregg wanted to play a high line and Timmy wasn’t a fit for that. It seems Uncle does not always get what Uncle wants.
        I don’t remember if Gregg tried Timmy out in a high line prior to Qatar and it failing. As we can see from Timmy’s whole career, put him in an organized system and give him some time in it and he’ll figure it out. That does not necessarily describe the USMNT’s normal situation. I have no inside info but it seems to me that at Qatar, Gregg, faced with the reality finally staring him in the face, had a come to Jesus moment and realized that Long and Walker weren’t going to be able to do his preferred high line.
        And Timmy had been so consistently good at Fulham it was just impossible to ignore him any longer.
        And Timmy has been having this career year for club and country with Jedi alongside him the entire time. That is not a coincidence. Not even close.
        One thing we know about Uncle Gregg, he’s very stubborn but he isn’t stupid. He can read handwriting on walls and he’s very sensitive to how he is perceived by the media.

        “5. They said that he wasn’t our top defender”

        He’s not.
        I get he’s labeled a defensive midfielder but Tyler is our top defender.
        Tim is a very good defender, who has, this season, really turned it on at Fulham and just had the World Cup of his life. I believe that the vast majority of USMNT fans were very pleasantly surprised by Timmy’s performance in this World Cup.

        Can he last as long as Thiago Silva (39) of Chelsea? I hope so.

        “6. They said that Fulham were only waiting for the transfer window to replace him”

        I had not heard that

        “Vacqui….Did you even understand my post or is this like a captain obvious moment lol”

        Mr. bizzy,

        We’re not sitting in a bar discussing this.

        If we were then it might be possible to interpret your vocal and visual nuances.

        Frankly, I’m too lazy or stupid to interpret such nuances off of print on a screen. So I just take your posts at face value.

        Most everything about the USMNT at Qatar was at least somewhat surprising.

        Why?

        Because that team had never been tested against anyone worth a fuck. And in competitive circumstances.

        Uruguay? Tough team but it was a friendly. They stopped caring about halfway through the second half and real life isn’t like that.

        No country I know of takes friendlies anywhere near as seriously as the USMNT fan base does. Which should concern you for 2026.

        We don’t know if Gregg thought all those bad things about Ream because I don’t remember him ever talking about Timmy.

        Uncle Gregg said those things about Brooks and he didn’t go to Qatar but I never heard Gregg say anything about Timmy playing death metal in the locker room.

        For the record the various genres of metal coming out of Europe these days? Some of it is very irritating and disturbing.
        Perhaps someone took Gregg’s comments about Brooks and transposed them to Timmy. I don’t know and I don’t care.

        The most important thing about Timmy is he showed y’all the value of professionalism, experience, intelligence and excellence, traits that a lot of people associated with the USMNT don’t value very much.

        Possibly because they rarely see it.

        How do I know this? Just go out there and follow what everyone is looking for in a USMNT manager.

        And then ask yourself if Gregg fits any of it. And if not then how did he ever get hired in the first place?

  2. Don’t know if people know, but Timmy Tillman is finalizing a deal with LAFC. Don’t think he is involved with Feurth much more.

    Reply

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