A GlobalFootballToday.com special podcast on the “State of the USMNT” with Letty Salamanca (@LettyAS), Adam Uthe (@AUtheGFT), and Vincent La Rosa (@VinceLikesStuff).
Feb 092013
Feb 062013
The U.S. opens their Hex campaign today against Honduras on the road to Brazil 2014. Honduras holds home field advantage and is going all out for those three-points. The government in Honduras has even named today a national holiday in the country. The USMNT veterans have only had two days to prepare together, with most players not getting to San Pedro Sula until this past Monday.
Back in 2009 in the team’s World Cup qualifying game against Honduras, Conor Casey was the star of the game. Casey’s goal helped clench the U.S. a spot at the 2010 World Cup. The last time both teams faced each was in 2011 in a friendly that ended in a 1-0 victory for the USMNT marking the first win for the team under Jurgen Klinsmann.
This time around the team will be facing an even stronger Honduran-side, but will see the team operate in a similar formation to the one two years ago. Los Catrachos have included several MLS players on their roster, which means U.S. fans will be seeing familiar faces on the other side of the field. The large influence MLS has on the Honduran-side meant that the team’s roster selections did not come as a surprise. This will also serve as an advantage in Klinsmann’s team preparation for the break down of the opponent team’s operational tactics.
“You have strikers up front in Bengtson who can always harm an opponent, and you have Espinoza in midfield who has a lot of creativity and a wonderful touch. They have a very strong defense physically so that’s why we respect them. That’s why we’ve done our homework,” Klinsmann told press on Monday.
Honduras comes into the game with a strong defensive midfield. The U.S. will have to work through the midfield to score. The earlier the USMNT scores the better chances they will have in holding the lead during the game.
The game will mark the first time in several years the stars and stripes have played a qualifying match without Landon Donovan on the squad. Although his omission did not come as a surprise to most, U.S. fans will have start getting used to not seeing Donovan in the starting XI and the Dempsey/Donovan combo. Back in December after the 2012 MLS Cup, Donovan still was not sure on whether he wanted to continue playing.
U.S. fans will have one thing to look forward to. Today’s game will mark Chandler’s return to the U.S. men’s national team and will officially cap-tie him to the U.S. An official competitive match with the USMNT will finally end all worries of the 23-year-old’s commitment to the team. Chandler will help fill the role Steve Cherundolo plays on the team, after Cherundolo’s omission from the roster because of a knee injury.
“It’s a huge opportunity for Timmy and I think he’s simply just maturing. He’s growing into his role as a fulltime professional and that’s why we were very patient with Timmy to mature,” Klinsmann said.
Klinsmann included seven MLS players from January camp to his roster for the match. Similar to Honduras, the stars and stripes go into the match with a strong defensive midfield and a solid backline. The U.S. will have to place its efforts on attacking and getting the ball to Dempsey and Gomez in the front from the outer flanks to avoid a standoff in the Honduran defensive midfield.
USMNT Roster:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim ), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg – 3/0)
Midfielders: Michael Bradley (Roma), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Jose Torres (Tigres), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders)
Honduras Roster:
Goalkeepers: Donis Escobar (Olimpia), José Mendoza (Marathón), Noel Valladares (Olimpia)
Defenders: Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Víctor Bernárdez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman Chávez (Wisla Krakow), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Juan Carlos García (Olimpia), Juan Pablo Montes (Platense), Arnold Peralta (Vida), Orlin Peralta (Vida)
Midfielders: Jorge Claros (Hibernian), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Oscar Boniek García (Houston Dynamo), Luis Garrido (Red Star Belgrade), Alex López (Olimpia), Mario Martínez (Seattle Sounders), Aldo Oviedo (Real España)
Forwards: Christian Altamirano (Marathon), Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Carlo Costly (Veria), Roger Rojas (Olimpia), Georgie Welcome (Motagua)
My starting XI: Howard, Chandler, Cameron, Bocanegra, Johnson, Edu, Bradley, Jones, Torres, Dempsey, and Gomez.
My prediction: 2 (USMNT)- 1 (Honduras)
What are your predictions?
The better question is how long do you think it will take before Jermaine Jones receives a yellow card?
Jan 302013
If you managed to watch the entire match against the Canadians, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. If you are reading this review on last night’s game, you are probably not expecting a lengthy piece. At least we can all look ahead to next week’s game against Honduras instead of dwelling on last night’s scoreless draw against our northern neighbors.
The scoreless draw marks the U.S.’s second straight draw against the Reds and their 16th unbeaten game against them. Who ever said there was a rivalry between the two countries was definitely not talking about their soccer teams. Last night’s match showed no signs of sparks or spirit.
On the bright side, five players earned their first cap for the U.S.: Tony Beltran, Matt Besler, Justin Morrow, Will Bruin, and Alfredo Morales. Three of which are defenders and with time may grow into the national team.
Although no player was a standout in the match, there were a couple players who had a few bright moments including Benny Feilhaber, who made a difference as a second-half sub, and Omar Gonzalez, who takes my pick as the player who showed the most consistency during the game.
The Reds focused most of their emphasis this game on securing their backline. The Canadians must have had a wake-up call after being defeated last weekend by a Danish B-team. The player who stood out most last night was not an American but instead playing for the other team. As usual Dwayne DeRosario was Canada’s biggest threat to the U.S. and came close to netting in a goal, but U.S. goalkeeper Johnson was able to stop his shot.
The stars and stripes enter the final round of World Cup qualifying next Wednesday in an away match featuring the U.S. A-team in a game that could not in anyway be as dull as last night’s match.
My prediction of the names of players who may possibly be joining the veteran players in San Pedro Sula are: Eddie Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Grahman Zusi, Juan Agudelo, and Omar Gonzalez.
Jan 292013
The U.S. men’s soccer team take on their neighbors from the north tonight with a roster made up of mostly players from MLS, which includes a mix of new comers and experienced with the national team. Of these players, seven players are waiting for their first cap tonight. These include: Alfredo Morales, Will Bruin, Connor Lade, Tally Hall, Justin Morrow, Tony Beltran, and Matt Besler. Eddie Johnson will be leading his team tonight with the most caps.
After three weeks of training in January camp, the B-team is sure to deliver a solid performance against a relatively young and inexperienced Canadian side in their first game of the New Year and their final match before the start of Hexagonal play. The Reds recently lost 4-0 in a friendly to a second-string Danish team on Saturday. Last time Klinsmann’s team took on the Canadians, the match resulted in a scoreless draw between the two neighbors.
The stars and stripes A-team will be back on February 6th against Honduras in their first game of the Hexagonal.
Here are both teams’ rosters of available players for tonight:
USMNT
Goalkeepers: Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
Defenders: Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), A.J. DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes), Jeff Parke (Philadelphia Union)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (out of contract), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
CANMNT
Goalkeepers: Lars Hirschfeld (Valerenga), Roberto Stillo (Genoa), Simon Thomas (unattached)
Defenders: Ashtone Morgan (Toronto FC), Nana Attakora (FC Haka), Dejan Jakovic (D.C. United), Doneil Henry (Toronto FC), Mason Trafford (IFK Mariehamn), Andres Fresenga (Racing Club de Montevideo)
Midfielders: Matt Stinson (Toronto FC), Evan James (unattached), Emmanuel Gomez (Club Atletico Griffa), Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault (unattached), Russel Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps), Kyle Bekker (Toronto FC), Terry Dunfield (Toronto FC), Philippe Davies (Richmond Kickers), Nik Ledgerwood (Hammarby)
Forwards: Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Tosaint Ricketts (Sandnes Ulf), Frank Jonke (FF Jaro), Kyle Porter (FC Edmonton)
Jan 202013
No rest for the weary who try to cover the transfer beat!
Theo Walcott
The Arsenal winger’s future had been in doubt, but now we know he has signed a new three and a half year deal. Reports say Walcott will earn close to 100,000 pounds ($158,000) per week in wages.
Loic Remy
The French forward completed a move from Marseille to Queens Park Rangers last week for a “club record fee”. The deal is good for four and a half years.
Djibril Cisse
As a result of Remy’s arrival, QPR’s other veteran French forward has joined Qatar’s Al-Gharafa on loan until the end of the season.
Nene
The Brazilian winger will join Cisse at Al-Gharafa but on a permanent basis. Nene had been a regular for years at Paris-Saint Germain.
Martin Petrov
Bolton’s veteran winger will join Espanyol on loan until the end of the season.
Ruben Olivera
The Fiorentina midfielder joins Genoa on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move in the summer.
Louis Saha
The veteran French forward has been released by Sunderland and signed by South Africa’s Wits University.
Maurice Edu
The United States international will join Turkey’s Bursaspor on loan until the summer with an option to buy. Edu joined Stoke City last summer after leaving financially unstable Rangers.
Raffael
The Dynamo Kiev attacking midfielder joins Schalke on loan until the end of the season in Germany.
Robert Tresche
Hamburg’s midfielder will join Fortuna Dusseldorf on loan until the season ends.
Joel Robles
The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper joins Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season.
Vegard Forren
The Molde (Norway) center back has been signed by Southampton for an undisclosed transfer fee. It was widely reported that Forren was highly sought after by Liverpool as well.
Matias Campos
Granada’s Chilean fullback joins Udinese and has signed a four and a half year deal.
Thomas Rogic
The Australian attacking midfielder has completed a four and a half year move to Celtic from his native Central Coast Mariners.
Carlos Aranda
The Zaragoza forward has completed a permanent transfer to Granada.
Nicola Pozzi
The Sampdoria striker has joined Siena on loan until the end of the season.
Roland Lamah
The Belgium international joins Swansea City on loan from Osasuna until the summer of 2014.
Danny Wilson
Liverpool’s center back joins Hearts on loan until the end of the season.
Lucas Piazon
And finally, Chelsea youngster joins Malaga on loan until the end of the season.
Nov 262012
Clint Dempsey had a memorable weekend, which included being named U.S. Soccer’s Male Athlete of the Year and getting an assist for Tottenham Hotspur, while Fabian Johnson was the lone American abroad to score this past weekend.
ENGLAND
Tim Howard made three saves for Everton in their 1-1 draw against Norwich City on Saturday. The Toffees are 5th on the table with 21 points. Howard and Everton take on Arsenal on Wednesday before traveling to Manchester City on Saturday.
Clint Dempsey had an assist in Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 win over West Ham United. Dempsey was also recently named U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year. Brad Friedel did not start in goal for Tottenham on Sunday. Tottenham moves to 7th in standings. Friedel and his team host Liverpool on Wednesday before playing Dempsey’s former team Fulham on Saturday.
Brad Guzan was the starting goalkeeper for Aston Villa against Arsenal on Saturday in their scoreless draw. Eric Lichaj was subbed in for the final 39 minutes of the match. Villa sits in the relegation zone with 10 points. Aston Villa host Reading Tuesday before taking on Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Geoff Cameron picked up a yellow card in Stoke City’s 1-0 win over Fulham FC on Saturday. Maurice Edu was not on the game day roster for Stoke. Stoke moves to 12thin standings. The Potters host Newcastle United in Wednesday and travel to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Tim Ream went 78 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. Bolton travels to Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday and then host Ispwich Town on Saturday.
Jonathan Spector picked up a yellow card in Birmingham City’s 3-2 loss to Derby County on Saturday. Spector and his team sit two points below Tim Ream and Bolton Wanderers at 19th in standings. The Blues play against Blackpool on Tuesday before hosting Middlesbrough on Friday.
ITALY
Michael Bradley picked up a yellow card in AS Roma’s 1-0 shutout over last-place US Pescara on Sunday. AS Roma remain 5th in Serie A standings. Roma takes on relegation-threatened Siena on Sunday.
SPAIN
Carlos Bocanega was not on the roster for Racing Santander’s 4-1 defeat to Barcelona B on Sunday. He is still recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained during the U.S. soccer team’s friendly against Russia. Bocanegra is expected to miss six weeks of action, which will sideline him until early 2013. Racing sits at 17th in standings hovering two points from the bottom of the table.
Oguchi Onyewu was an unused sub in Malaga CF’s 4-0 victory over Valencia on Saturday. With the win the team moves to 4th in standings. Malaga travels to Getafe on Saturday.
GERMANY
Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 played to a 5-0 loss to first-place Bayern Munich on Saturday. Hannover moves down a spot to eighth in the league. Hannover host SpVgg Greuther Fürth on Tuesday before taking on Mainz on Saturday.
Jermaine Jones picked up a yellow card in Schalke 04?s 1-1 draw to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Schalke play Hamburg on Tuesday, and then host Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday. Schalke now move to third in the league.
Fabian Johnson scored Hoffenheim’s lone goal of the night in their 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The goal is Johnson’s third of the season. Danny Williams was a used sub in the game. Hoffenheim sit just above the drop zone in 16th place. The duo takes on Timmy Chandler and Nurnberg on Wednesday before hosting Bremen on Sunday.
Timmy Chandler went 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s scoreless draw against SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday. Chandler and his team travel to Leverkusen on Saturday. Nurnberg moves out the relegation zone with 13 points.
NETHERLANDS
Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar played to a 2-0 defeat against Feyenoord Rotterdam on Sunday. AZ stands at 12th in league standings and travel to on FC Utrecht on Sunday.
DENMARK
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland lost 1-0 to Esbjerg on Sunday. Parkhurst and his team move up to 2nd in the league. The team hosts Brondby and Clarence Goodson on Sunday.
Charlie Davies played eight minutes for Randers FC before picking up a red card in the 1-0 to Aalborg BK. Aalborg takes on first-place Copenhagen on Sunday.
BELGIUM
Sacha Kljestan picked up a yellow card in RSC Anderlecht’s 4-1 win over Germinal Beerschot on Saturday. Anderlecht remains at the top of the table with 37 points. They take on Cercle Brugg on Saturday in their last league game of the year before the winter break.
MEXICO
Jose Torres was officially transferred to Tigres UANL from Pachuca last Friday. After spending six years with Pachucha, Torres will now join former USMNT. Torres will begin competition with Tigres beginning in early 2013.
Edgar Castillo and Joe Corona led their team to a historic win against Leon to advance to Liga MX finals. With the 3-0 win on Sunday the team advances to finals 3-2 aggregate over Leon in semifinals. The Xolos play the first leg of the final on Thursday.
Nov 082012
From Miami the draw was made and the stage is set for the fourth and final round of World Cup Qualifying for CONCACAF as the six remaining nations found out who plays who when.
For the United States a tough start to qualifying as three of their first four matches are on the road. What is of note is that the dates against Mexico on the road and at home are different than in the last few qualifying cycles. Instead of a visit to Estadio Azteca in the summer months a more manageable trip during March than in the heat of summer.
The United States begins their qualification journey with a trip to San Pedro Sula, Honduras on February 22. In late March, the 22, the first home match is against Costa Rica followed by the all important trip to Mexico City on the 26. Into June and three matches which can make the journey to Brazil easy or otherwise; the 7th in Kingston at Jamaica, the 11th home to Panama, the 18th home to Honduras. Into September, the 6th, a visit to San Jose, Costa Rica and the new Chinese built and financed Estadio National de Costa Rica before the crucial home match against Mexico on the 10th. In October as qualifying concludes hosting Jamaica occurs on the 11th before the finale at Panama on the 15th.
Other matches of note, aside from the always highlighted USA-Mexico matches, the Clasico Centroamericano, between Costa Rica and Honduras, is first in Costa Rica on June 7th then the reverse fixture in Honduras on October 11th.
Oct 292012
Clint Dempsey, Terrance Boyd, and Herculez Gomez all found the back of the net this weekend, while other Americans competed in the first round of the Europa and Champions League.
ENGLAND
Brad Friedel made one save in Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Southampton on Saturday. This comes after not starting for Tottenham last Thursday in the team’s 1-1 draw against NK Maribor in the first phase of the Europa League. Clint Dempsey played the full match on Saturday and scored his second goal for Tottenham since joining the team in August. Dempsey’s stoppage time goal became the game winner for Tottenham against Southampton. On Wednesday, Friedel and Dempsey take on Norwich City in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup before hosting Wigan Athletic on Saturday. The team now jumps to fourth in the league just one point over Everton.
Brad Guzan made three saves in Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw against Norwich City on Saturday. Eric Lichaj played 36 minutes for Aston Villa. Villa hovers two points above the relegation zone in the 17th spot. Villa, now just two points above the relegation zone, takes on Swindon Town in midweek League Cup action, when they take the field next. On Tuesday, the Villans play Swindon Town in a Capital One match-up before traveling to Sunderland on Saturday.
Tim Howard made two saves for Everton in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday. The Toffees remain fifth place in the league and travel to Fulham on Saturday
Geoff Cameron played the full match in Stoke City’s scoreless draw against Sunderland on Saturday. Maurice Edu was not included on the game-day roster. The Potters drop to 13th in the league. They travel to Norwich City on Saturday.
Tim Ream played 90 minutes for Bolton Wanderers in their 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday. Just days before Ream and Bolton played to a 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton in midweek action. Bolton remains at 18th in the league and host table-leaders Cardiff City on Saturday.
Jonathan Spector was subbed in for Birmingham City in the final minutes of the team’s 1-0 shutout over Leeds United on Saturday. The Blues host Ipswich City on Saturday.
SPAIN
Oguchi Onyewu came on in the final minute of Malaga’s 1-0 win over AC Milan last Wednesday. Onyewu was an unused sub in Malaga’s scoreless draw against Espanyol in league play on Saturday. Los Boquerones host Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Carlos Bocanega went 90 minutes in Racing Santander’s 1-0 loss to Elche on Sunday. With the loss the team drops in the relegation zone in the 19th spot. Racing have gone five matches without a win. Bocanegra and Racing host AD Alcorcon on Saturday.
GERMANY
Steve Cherundolo was an unused sub in Hannover 96?s 3-2 loss to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday. On Thursday, Cherundolo played the full 90 in Hannover 96?s Europa League win over Alejandro Bedoya and Helsingborgs IF on Thursday. The Cherundolo and the Reds played to a 2-1 win in first leg of their match-up against Helsingborgs. Hannover drops to tenth in the league and will host FC Augsburg on Saturday.
Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 played to a 1-0 win over FC Nurnberg on Saturday. Timmy Chandler went 90 minutes for Nurnberg in the match. Last Wednesday, Schalke came out victorious in the first leg of their match-up with Arsenal with a 2-0 shutout Jermaine Jones and the Royal Blues take on Hoffenheim on Saturday along with Americans Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams. Chandler and Nurnberg have not had a victory in seven matches. They host VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Fabian Johnson and Danny William both went 90 minutes in Hoffenheim’s 3-0 defeat to Mainz on Saturday. Williams picked up a yellow card in the match. Hoffenheim sits at 14th in the league.
NETHERLANDS
A week after returning from suspension, Jozy Altidore made an assist in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-1 win over Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday. The win moves AZ to tenth in standings. Their Dutch /cup match against Sneek on Wednesday has been postponed. Altidore and AZ return to league play on Sunday when they host VVV Venlo.
DENMARK
On Friday, Michael Parkhurst was an unused sub in FC Nordsjaelland’s 1-0 win over Aalborg BK on Friday. Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland are third in standings one point behind second. The team travels to Sonderjyske on Saturday.
Clarence Goodson picked up a yellow card in Brondby IF’s 1-1 draw against FC Midtjylland on Sunday. Brondby is at the bottom of the table in the relegation zone. Goodson and Brondby have not had a win in 11 matches. They take on Odense BK on Sunday.
NORWAY
Mix Diskerud went 90 minutes in Rosenborg BK’s 2-0 defeat to Molde FK on Sunday. On Thursday, Diskerud picked up a yellow card in Rosenborg’s 2-1 loss to FC Metalist Kharkiv. The loss drops the team to second in standings. Rosenborg take on Stromsgodset on Sunday.
SWEDEN
Alejandro Bedoya went 78 minutes in Helsingborgs IF’s 3-1 win over GAIS on Sunday. Last Thursday, Bedoya and his team were defeated 2-1 by Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 in the first leg of their Europa League match-up. Helsingborgs sits at fifth in the Allsvenkanliga league. The team hosts IFK on Wednesday before traveling to Gefle IF on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
Terrence Boyd scored the game-winner in Rapid Vienna’s 2-0 win over SV Salzburg on Sunday. Boyd also picked up a yellow card in the match. Boyd and Vienna were defeated 4-0 by Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday in the first round of the Europa League. The team travels to SK Sturm Graz on Saturday.
MEXICO
Jose Torres had an assist and picked up a yellow card in Pachuca’s 1-0 shutout over Tigres UANL on Saturday. Pachuca sits at 13th on the table. Torres and Pachuca travel to Azteca on Saturday to take on Club America.
Herculez Gomez scored a goal for Santos Laguna in the team’s 3-2 loss to Monterrey on Saturday. Gomez also scored last Wednesday in Santos’ 1-0 win over Toronto FC in the CONCACAF Champions League. Herculez’s game winner eliminated Toronto FC from the competition. With the win, Santos advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Santos hosts Cruz Azul on Friday.
Oct 242012
The Americans are back with their club teams after returning from international duty and claiming a spot in the Hexagonal for the next round of World Cup qualifying.
ENGLAND
Brad Friedel made three saves for Tottenham Hotspur in their 4-2 loss to Chelsea on Saturday. Friedel was back in the starting line-up after not starting last game and ending his long streak of consecutive Premier League starts. Clint Dempsey played 74 minutes for the Spurs. The loss ends the team’s eight game un-defeated streak. Tottenham travels to take on NK Maribor on Thursday in the first round of the Europa League before taking on Southampton on Sunday.
Brad Guzan was back in the starting goalkeeper position on Saturday’s in Aston Villa’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham. Guzan made four saves in the match. Eric Lichaj played 28 minutes in the match and picked up a yellow card. Villa sits one point above relegation and have not had a league win in over a month. The team hosts Norwich City on Saturday.
Tim Howard made fives saves in Everton’s 1-1 draw against Queen Park Rangers on Sunday. Everton is in fourth in the league one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. The Toffees play Liverpool next week.
Geoff Cameron went the full 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 4-2 loss to Manchester United on Saturday. Maurice Edu was not on the game day roster for Stoke. The duo and Stoke host Sunderland.
Jonathan Spector picked up two yellow cards during in Birmingham City’s 1-1 draw against Leicester City on Saturday. Spector was sent of during stoppage time after picking up his second yellow of the match. Birmingham played to a 3-3 draw against Millwall on Tuesday. The Blues continue near the relegation zone and will go for the win on Tuesday against Millwall. Spector and the Blues travel to take on Robbie Roger’s former team Leed’s United on Saturday. Birmingham sits four points above relegation from the Championship in league standings.
Tim Ream played 90 minutes for Bolton Wanderers in their 3-2 win over Bristol City on Saturday. Ream made a foul in the match, which lead to a penalty kick for Bristol City Bolton tied 2-2 against Wolverhampton on Tuesday in midweek action. Ream and his team take on Middlesbrough Saturday. The Wanderers sit at the middle of the pack on the league table in 16th place.
ITALY
Michael Bradley came on in the final two minutes of AS Roma’s 4-2 win over Genoa on Sunday. Roma is 5th in the league behind Internazionale. Bradley and Roma host Udinese
on Sunday.
SPAIN
Carlos Bocanegra picked up a yellow card in Racing Santander’s scoreless draw against Lugo on Sunday. Bocanegra scored a goal in the first half of the match, but it was later called a foul. Racing moves to 15th on Segunda Division table. Bocanegra and Racing take on Elche on Sunday.
GERMANY
Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-3 draw against SpVgg Greuther Furth on Friday. Danny Williams did not play in the match because of his one game suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards. Hoffenheim drops a spot to 14th in standings. Hoffenheim takes on to Mainz Sunday.
Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 lost 3-1 on Saturday to Eintracht Frankfurt. Hannover is sixth in standing one point behind fifth place Bayer Leverkusen. Cherundolo and Hannover 96 host Borussia Monchengladbach Sunday. Cherundolo and Hannover take on Alejandro Bedoya and Helsingborgs on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League.
Timmy Chandler went the full 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s scoreless draw against FC Augsburg on Sunday. Chandler and Nurnberg take on Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 on Saturday. Nurnberg is 15th in standings and has not had a win in over five matches.
Jermaine Jones played the final 11 minutes in Schalke 04?s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. Jones and his team host Timmy Chandler and Nurnberg on Saturday. Schalke is third in the league just two points behind second. Jones and Schalke face a challenge on Thursday when they take on Arsenal in the first phase of the Champions League competition.
DENMARK
Michael Parkhurst played 17 minutes in FC Nordsjaelland’s 3-0 shutout over Silkeborg IF last Friday. The win moves Nordsjaelland to 3rd in standings. Parkhurst and his team played to a 1-1 against Juventus on Tuesday in the first phase of the Champions League. The team returns to league play on Friday when the host AaB.
SWEDEN
Alejandro Bedoya had an assist in Helsingborgs IF’s 1-1 draw against his former team Orebro SK on Sunday. Bedoya and Helsingborgs are fifth in league standings. The team takes on Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 on Thursday in a Europa League match-up. On Sunday, Helsingborgs travel to GAIS for league play.
MEXICO
Jose Torres went 90 minutes in Pachuca’s 1-1 draw to Monterrey on Saturday. Pachuca is now 14th in standings. Torres and Pachuca travel to U.A.N.L on Saturday.
Herculez Gomez played 45 minutes for Santos Laguna in their 4-1 loss to Toluca on Saturday. The loss drops Santos to 7th in standings. The team travels to Monterrey on Saturday.
Greg Garza went the full match for Club Tijuana last Friday, while Joe Corona played 25 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 2-2 draw to Cruz Azul last Friday. Edgar Castillo is out recovering from a foot injury. The team currently sits at second in the league and travel to Morelia on Saturday.
Oct 172012
What started out as a shock turned into a domination that American fans should be proud of as the United States came away from the final third round World Cup Qualifier with a 3-1 in over Guatemala at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Carlos Ruiz, who announced his retirement from international play in the media zone after the game, played the offside line perfectly as he was able to slip past the back line of the US to put the ball past Tim Howard and give the Guatemalan fan presence hope that they could get through to the hexagonal round of qualifying.
The response of the American side was excellent. They showed a spine that will be needed when the fixtures for the fourth stage, ‘The Hex’, gets underway.
The equalizer came from USMNT captain Carlos Bocanegra’s header off a corner shortly after the Ruiz goal. The zone defense by Guatemala was easy prey, but it was a lovely goal from Bocanegra with an assist from Clint Dempsey.
Dempsey proceeded to make the first half his own. He scored the go-ahead goal from short range off an Eddie Johnson cross.
Before the first half ended Michael Bradley chipped the ball over a Guatemalan defender and the goalkeeper for Dempsey to knock home to make it 3-1 and give Clint his second of the night.
Into the second half the United States was happy with the score line as it was and kept the ball to themselves. They did not allow any clear-cut chances for their opposition as they were able to coast through the second half to victory and a top spot in their group. Now they wait for CONCACAF to make the fixture decision for the fourth round matches.
While there is the question of when and where they will play all 10 remaining World Cup Qualifiers, American fans can take pride in the fact that their team dominated and that they are in an excellent position to progress even more with a friendly against Russia looming in the November FIFA date window.
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