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Americans Abroad: Weekend Preview

Alejandro Bedoya FC Nantes 21

 

By FRANCO PANIZO

Alejandro Bedoya might have been “exposed” while playing for the U.S. Men’s National Team this week, but he has no time to dwell on that.

Nantes resumes league play when it hosts Stade Rennes on Sunday, and Bedoya will be looking to make his second straight start for the Canaries in the match. The 28-year-old midfielder is coming off a rough performance in the Americans’ 4-1 loss to Brazil on Tuesday, but could bounce back in a major way and regain some confidence if he helps Nantes continue its solid start to the Ligue 1 campaign with another victory.

Danny Williams – Bedoya’s replacement and the lone U.S. goal-scorer in that humbling defeat to Brazil – is also eyeing a return to his club’s starting lineup. Williams has a tougher challenge, however, as he faces a shorter turnaround. Reading play Ipswich Town on Friday, and that short window for recovery could force Williams to start the game on the bench.

If you are wondering what other fixtures are worth watching, look no further than Saturday’s Premiership slate of action. Tim Howard and Everton get things underway by hosting star-studded and reigning league champions Chelsea, while Geoff Cameron and Stoke City hit the road with the hopes of recording their first win of the season via a massive upset of Arsenal.

Here is who the Americans Abroad do battle with this weekend:

FRIDAY

Danny Williams, Andrija Novakovich and Reading play Ipswich Town.

Fabian Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach play Hamburg. (Johnson is out injured.)

Jonathan Bornstein and Queretaro play Morelia.

Michael Orozco, Paul Arriola, Alejandro Guido and Club Tijuana play Chivas de Guadalajara.

Caleb Stanko and SC Freiburg play Kaiserslautern.

Terrence Boyd and RB Leipzig play SC Paderborn 07. (Boyd is out injured.)

Andrew Wooten and SV Sandhausen play VfL Bochum.

SATURDAY

Tim Howard and Everton play Chelsea.

Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Arsenal.

Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Queens Park Rangers.

Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Bristol City.

Cody Cropper and Milton Keynes Dons play Middlesbrough.

Gedion Zelalem and Rangers play Livingston.

Alfredo Morales and FC Ingolstadt 04 play VfL Wolfsburg.

John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play VfB Stuttgart.

Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt play FC Cologne. (Chandler is out injured.)

Bobby Wood and FC Union Berlin play Karlsruhe.

Ethan Horvath and Molde FK play Sandefjord.

Ventura Alvarado and Club America play Jose Torres and Tigres UANL.

Edgar Castillo and Monterrey play Cruz Azul.

Greg Garza and Atlas play Dorados de Sinaloa.

Gabriel Farfan and Jaguares de Chiapas play Miguel Ibarra, William Yarbrough and Club Leon.

SUNDAY

DeAndre Yedlin, Lynden Gooch and Sunderland play Tottenham Hotspur.

Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Leicester City.

Tim Ream, Emerson Hyndman and Fulham play Blackburn Rovers.

Aron Johannsson and Werder Bremen play TSG Hoffenheim.

Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Stade Rennes.

Desevio Payne and FC Groningen play SC Heerenveen.

Rubio Rubin and FC Utrecht play Vitesse Arnhem.

Rhett Bernstein, Erik Hurtado and Mjondalen IF play Tromso.

Zarek Valentin, Danny Cruz and FK Bodo/Glimt play Odd.

Cole Grossman and Stabaek IF play Rosenborg.

A.J. Soares and Viking FK play Valerenga.

Joe Corona and Veracruz play Pumas UNAM.

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Which of these matches are you most looking forward to? Do you see Bedoya bouncing back in a big way this weekend? Is the turnaround too short for Williams to start for Reading on Friday?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Thought I read that part of Yedlin’s loan terms was he cant play against Spurs. Or is it only cant play against Spurs in Cup matches? Should mention if he is unavailable like the injured guys so people dont blindly panic that another american cant make the bench in EPL.

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  2. I like how Franco railed on JK for throwing Ale under the bus but then reminds everyone in a completely unrelated story how bad Bedoya played. Its like Franco is trolling with his own articles.

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    • Yeah because a coach playing a player in a new position against the first time in his life against Brazil and then blaming him for not “not getting into his rhythm” is the same as a soccer journalist noting the tough game in article.

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  3. The easiest solution to the NATS midfield problem for me is to play Bedoya in an advanced position in the midfield with Michael Bradley in a deeper lying position where he’s more natural.

    Bedoya plays the position in the 5th or 6th best league in the world while Michael has always thrived in a deeper midfield role where he can distribute the ball freely and dictate the tempo of play.

    It really doesn’t make any sense anymore (not that is ever has) to continue to play Mikey in an advanced position when after a year he still hasn’t effectively made the transition. Meanwhile Bedoya is a guy who is used to playing up top and has always been most effective there, wether in the middle of on the wing.

    Of course under Klinsmann this will probably never happen.

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    • That’s exactly where he played against Peru, and couldn’t maintain any possession. I will say its one game, but if he really plays there often for Nantes as you say its a little surprising.

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    • “Of course under Klinsmann this will probably never happen.”

      This is one of the more confusing comments I have read on this site, and I don’t mean that insultngly. Alll I’m saying is that your suggestion (if I am reading this correctly, you are advocating for Bedoya – a career wide player – playing a CAM role for basically the first time in his career, in the most important game of the USMNT’s forseeable calendar) is a little…. uh… well…. risky.

      So it confuses me that you say that Klinsmann would never do this. I am hard pressed to think iof a single manager besides Klinsmann who might take such a bizarre risk

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      • Diego we agree on something very unusual. I just thought maybe I was missing something since I don’t get Ligue 1 games, there has been a lot of people pushing for Bedoya to start in the CAM role because its his natural position.

      • Have you watched him at Nantes much? They air about 35% of Nantes’ games on BeIn Sports and I can tell you that he’s played more in the middle this year then he’s played on the wing.

        Jurgen has never been patient enough to give our more attacking midfielders a proper chance. Mix Diskerud, Sascha Klejstan and Joe Corona have all played either on the wings or as a deep-lying midfielder. Benny Felihaber & Lee Nguyen have either never been capped under Klinsmann or given a proper chance.

      • You are right that Nantes has been doing this with Bedoya a bit. I can’t say he’s taken to it like a duck to water.

        Bedoya is a capable and intelligent player but this is the wrong point in the game for this.

  4. Fafa Picault and St. Pauli play MSV Duisburg on Saturday.

    Fafa is a former US-20 and Ft. Lauderdale Hatian-American who remains uncapped by either nation and is still eligible for either.

    Reply

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