By Graig Carbino
ALBANY, NY (Nov 17, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- A few weeks back I touched on the idea that specific situations and circumstances (injuries, player preference, etc.) have the biggest effect on playing time when it comes to any American players working abroad. This past weekend’s worth of action easily reinforced that point.
Clint Dempsey was in the thick of things at Fulham, starting for only the second time this season. He was dangerous all afternoon and gave Tottenham left-back Gareth Bale a terrible time with his marauding runs down the Fulham right. Dempsey went 88 minutes before being replaced by Zoltan Gera, the player whose spot Dempsey took in the starting XI.
Eddie Johnson started for the second consecutive week in the Cardiff City attack and was praised by manager Dave Jones for his contribution to the team’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Jones said “I am very pleased for Eddie Johnson, who has received a lot of flack since coming to the club. Today we saw him lead the line superbly. He won a lot of balls in the air, made good runs and brought others into the play. He has needed time to get up to pace but now we may be able to see the best of him.”
The same goes for Michael Bradley and Danny Szetela. Bradley started and played the full match for Borussia Monchengladbach’s shocking come-from-behind 2-all draw with powerhouse Bayern Munich. Bradley made one of his typical late runs into the box to get on the end of a Roberto Colautti and nod home the late equalizer. Szetela returned to the Brescia starting fold and featured for the entire match against US Avellino.
Situation is defined as “the combination of circumstances at a given time.” The combination was just right for many Americans playing abroad this mid-November weekend.
Moving on very quickly, I couldn’t finish an American Abroad update without touching on the Landon Donovan situation. In short, it’s time to go. Donovan has done everything and more for MLS and soccer as a whole in this country. He obviously desires a situation where he can test himself day in and day out, not just once a week on game days. Bayern Munich seems like a great fit. If that doesn’t work out though, I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t find a few suitors in England, Spain or Italy. Hey, if Joey Barton can find work, why not LD?
Americans Abroad Report Card
English Premier League: Clint Dempsey was back in the starting line-up for Fulham and played 88 minutes of their 2-1 home win against Tottenham Hotspur. Simon Davies and Andy Johnson scored for Fulham while Fraizer Campbell tallied for Spurs. Dempsey was lively for Fulham and forced Tottenham goalie Gomes into a sprawling save from his 25-yard shot in the early stages of the contest.
Tim Howard was in goal for Everton in their 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. Gary O’Neil opened the scoring for ‘Brough in the 8th minute only to be answered in the 65th minute by a fortuitous goal from Yakubu. The Nigerian deflected a Mikel Arteta free kick into the net with his back to knot the match at one.
Brad Friedel started for Aston Villa’s 2-0 win at Arsenal while Brad Guzan served as his backup. A 70th minute Gael Clichy own goal opened the scoring before Gabriel Agbonlahor sealed the game ten minutes from time. Jonathan Spector remains out through injury and did not feature for West Ham United’s dour nil-nil draw with Portsmouth.
The Championship: Marcus Hahnemann started in goal for Reading in their 2-0 win over Sheffield United. Bobby Convey did not make the game day roster. Goals from Kalifa Cisse and Kevin Doyle saw the Royals to victory. Hahnemann made four saves in the win.
Jay Demerit started and played 90 minutes for Watford in a 2-1 loss to Barnsley. Tommy Smith opened the scoring for Watford in the 52nd minute before goals from Miguel Mostto and Stephen Foster sent Barnsley to victory.
Eddie Johnson started for the second consecutive game in Cardiff City’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Michael Chopra and Joe Ledley scored for Cardiff while Sean Scannell tallied for Palace. By all reports Johnson played his best match for Cardiff, even drawing a late penalty kick that Chopra was unable to convert.
Frank Simek did not make the bench for Sheffield Wednesday in their 3-nil loss to Derby County. Kris Commons, Miles Addison and Jordan Stewart scored for Derby.
Germany: Steve Cherundolo started and went 90 minutes for Hannover 96 in their 1-1 draw with VfL Bochum. Sal Zizzo was an unused substitute for Hannover. Jan Schlaudraff scored for Hannover before a Florian Fromlowitz own goal evened the match at one.
Michael Bradley started and went the full 90 for Borussia Monchengladbach in their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich. Luca Toni and Franck Ribery had staked Bayern out to a 2-nil lead before late goals from Rob Friend and Bradley himself leveled matters for ‘Gladbach.
Neven Subotic started and scored twice for Borussia Dortmund in their 4-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Tamas Hajnal and Felipe Santana also scored for Dortmund. Bryan Arguez was not involved for Hertha Berlin in their 2-1 win over Hamburg SV.
Grover Gibson was a 54th minute substitute for Ahlen in their 2-2 draw with FC St. Pauli in 2.Bungesliga action. Phillip Heitholter and Kevin Großkreutz scored for Ahlen while Marius Ebbers and Florian Bruns tallied for St. Pauli.
David Yelldell started and played 90 minutes in goal for TuS Koblenz in their 3-0 loss Mainz. Matt Taylor started and played 57 minutes in attack for Koblenz. A Matej Mavric own goal starting the scoring before goals from Srdjan Baljak and Miroslav Karhan eased Mainz to victory.
Gregg Berhalter started and went 90 minutes for 1860 Munich in their 1-nil loss to FC Augsburg. Daniel Baier scored the Augsburg goal. Heath Pearce and Hansa Rostock take on Luis Robles and Kaiserslautern on Monday at the Fritz-Walter Stadion.
Scotland: Maurice Edu was an unused substitute for Rangers in their 2-1 win over St. Mirren. DaMarcus Beasley did not make the game day roster. Kris Boyd and Steven Davis scored for Rangers and Franco Miranda scored for St. Mirren.
France: Carlos Bocanegra started at his usual left back position for Rennes in their 2-1 win over Monaco. Freddy Adu came on for Monaco in the 69th minute but could not find the equalizing goal. Moussa Sow and Jimmy Briand scored for Rennes while Leandro Cufre converted a penalty kick for Monaco. Andrew Jacobson was not named to the squad for Lorient’s 3-2 win over Marseille.
Spain: Jozy Altidore did not make the bench for Villareal in their 2-2 draw with Malaga. Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente scored for Villareal while Duda and Helder Rosario scored for Malaga. Altidore departed Spain yesterday to meet up with the US squad for their Wednesday World Cup qualifier against Guatemala in Denver.
Belgium: Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes for Standard Liege in their 1-1 draw with KSC Lokeren on Sunday. Deiudonne Mbokani scored for Liege while Moussa Maazou tallied for Lokeren.
Italy: Danny Szetela started and went the full 90 for Brescia in their 1-1 draw with US Avellino. Andrea Caracciolo scored for Brescia in the first minute of the game and that strike looked to be the game winner until Tamas Vasko leveled matters in the 78th minute.
Graig Carbino covers American Abroad and writes a weekly column for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at graiger11@yahoo.com
