Americans Abroad: Dempsey scores on English keeper Green again
A little less than four months after scoring a goal on Green's infamous blunder in the World Cup, Dempsey beat the British keeper again, scoring the opening goal in Fulham's 1-1 draw with West Ham on Saturday.
This goal was more about Dempsey's finishing than it was about Green's ball handling. The American worked a give-and-go combination with Simon Davies, running onto a chip inside the area and coolly lobbing a left-footed touch just out of the diving Green's reach and inside the right post.
Dempsey wasn't the only American to grab some headlines this past week. Alejandro Bedoya scored 16 seconds into Orebro's match last Tuesday, only to pick up two yellow cards and be ejected midway through the second half. Jermaine Jones also picked up two yellow cards and was ejected in his match over the weekend for Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04.
Dempsey, Bedoya and Jones will share the same locker room later this week, as the three were among 18 European-based players called in by U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley for the upcoming friendlies against Poland and Colombia. For Jones, who was born in Germany, it will mark the first time that he will suit up for the United States.
Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj also will be a first-timer to dress for the U.S. senior side. The other European-based players to receive the call were: Brad Guzan, Jonathan Spector, Eddie Johnson, Stuart Holden, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Benny Feilhaber, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Michael Parkhurst and Clarence Goodson.
Here's how they and the rest of the Americans playing club soccer abroad fared this past week (season statistics encompass all competitions):
Premier League
Clint Dempsey, M, Fulham -- Started, played 90 minutes and scored the opening goal in the 33rd minute of Fulham's 1-1 draw with West Ham on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 6 starts, 3 goals
Brad Friedel, GK, Aston Villa -- Started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Villa's 2-1 loss to Tottenham on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 7 starts, 31 saves, 12 goals allowed, 2 clean sheets
Brad Guzan, GK, Aston Villa -- In the 18-man gameday roster, did not play in Villa's 2-1 loss to Tottenham on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts, 12 saves, 5 goals allowed
Marcus Hahnemann, GK, Wolverhampton -- Started, played 90 minutes and made eight saves in Wolves' 2-0 loss to Wigan Athletic on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 7 starts, 27 saves, 12 goals allowed
Stuart Holden, M, Bolton -- Started, played 90 minutes in Bolton's 1-1 draw with West Brom on Saturday. Earlier in the week, Holden signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at Bolton through 2013. SEASON: 8 games, 7 starts
Tim Howard, GK, Everton -- Started, played 90 minutes, wasn't credited with any saves but still earned his second consecutive clean sheet in Everton's 2-0 victory over Birmingham on Saturday. The victory was the Toffees' first in league play this season. SEASON: 7 games, 7 starts, 15 saves, 7 goals allowed, 2 clean sheets
Eddie Johnson, F, Fulham -- Started, played 77 minutes in Fulham's 1-1 draw with West Ham on Saturday. The start was Johnson's first for the Cottagers in league play since March 22, 2008, a span that included loan spells at Cardiff City and Aris Salonika (Greece). He did start a League Cup match for Fulham last September, before being loaned to Aris. SEASON: 5 games, 1 start
Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa -- Not in the 18 for Villa's 2-1 loss to Tottenham on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Jonathan Spector, D, West Ham -- Not in the 18 for West Ham's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Championship
Conor Doyle, F, Derby County -- In the 18, did not play in Derby County's 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough on Tuesday. Not in the 18 for Derby County's 0-0 draw with Swansea City on Saturday. SEASON: 6 games, 2 starts
Mike Grella, F, Leeds United -- Not in the 18 for Leeds' 6-4 loss to Preston North End on Tuesday or for Leeds' 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games
Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City -- Not in the 18 for Norwich City's 4-3 victory over Leicester City on Tuesday or for Norwich City's 3-0 victory over Bristol City on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
League One
Anton Peterlin, M, Plymouth Argyle -- Not in the 18 for Plymouth Argyle's 3-2 victory over Swindon Town on Tuesday or for Plymouth Argyle's 1-0 loss to Hartlepool United on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games, 3 starts
Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 4-0 victory over Hartlepool United on Tuesday. Simek also started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 1-0 loss to Peterborough United on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 10 starts
League Two
Jemal Johnson, F, Port Vale -- In the 18, came on as a 66th-minute substitute in Port Vale's 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday. Johnson was also in the 18 and came on as a 58th-minute substitute in Port Vale's 2-1 loss to Oxford United on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games
La Liga
Jozy Altidore, F, Villarreal -- Started, played 85 minutes in Villarreal's 2-1 victory over Club Brugge in Thursday's UEFA Europa League group stage match. Altidore put in a very active, physical shift, but he missed out on a few golden chances to score his elusive first goal for The Yellow Submarine. Altidore made the gameday roster but didn't play in Villarreal's 2-0 victory over Racing Santander in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 4 games, 3 starts
Serie A
Oguchi Onyewu, D, AC Milan -- Not on the UEFA Champions League roster for AC Milan, which played Ajax Amsterdam to a 1-1 draw in Tuesday's group stage match. Onyewu also did not make the gameday roster for Milan in its 1-0 victory over Parma in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Bundesliga
DaMarcus Beasley, M, Hannover 96 -- In the 18, did not play in Hannover's 1-0 loss to St. Pauli on Friday. SEASON: 1 game
Michael Bradley, M, Borussia Monchengladbach -- Started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Monchengladbach's 1-1 draw with VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. SEASON: 8 games, 8 starts, 2 goals
Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 -- Started, played 90 minutes in Hannover's 1-0 loss to St. Pauli on Friday. SEASON: 8 games, 8 starts
Ricardo Clark, M, Eintracht Frankfurt -- Not in the 18 for Frankfurt's 2-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart. SEASON: 2 games
Jermaine Jones, M, FC Schalke 04 -- In the 18, came on as a 66th-minute substitute in Schalke's 2-0 victory over Benfica in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League group stage match. Jones also started, received two yellow cards and was ejected in the 53rd minute of Schalke's 2-1 loss to Nurnberg in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 8 starts, 1 goal
Daniel Williams, D, SC Freiburg -- In the 18, did not play in Freiburg's 3-2 victory over FC Cologne on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games
2. Bundesliga
Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe SC -- Started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Karlsruhe's 1-1 draw with FC Ingolstadt 04 on Friday. Robles made his team and season debut, getting a chance to start after Karlsruhe had yielded 12 goals in its previous four games. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 5 saves, 1 goal allowed
Dave Yelldell, GK, MSV Duisburg -- Started, played 90 minutes, made two saves and earned the clean sheet in Duisburg's 3-0 victory over RW Oberhausen on Friday. SEASON: 8 games, 8 starts, 20 saves, 6 goals allowed, 3 clean sheets
3. Liga
Matt Taylor, F, Rot Weiss Ahlen -- Started, played 86 minutes in Rot Weiss Ahlen's 0-0 draw with Saarbrucken on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 5 starts, 2 goals
Ligue 1
Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne -- Started, played 90 minutes in St. Etienne's 1-1 draw with Marseille on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 7 starts
Charlie Davies, F, FC Sochaux -- Not in the 18 for Sochaux's 3-0 victory over Lens on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Eerste Klasse
Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht -- In the 18, did not play in Anderlecht's 1-0 loss to Hajduk Split in Thursday's UEFA Europa League group stage match. Not in the 18 for Anderlecht's 5-1 loss to Standard Liege in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts, 2 goals
Liga de Honra
Bryan Arguez, M, G.D. Estoril Praia -- Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-0 victory over Penafiel on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Greg Garza, D, G.D. Estoril Praia -- Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-0 victory over Penafiel on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Tony Taylor, F, G.D. Estoril Praia -- In the 18, did not play in Estoril's 2-0 victory over Penafiel on Saturday. SEASON: 6 games, 1 start, 2 goals
Premier League
Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC -- Not in the 18 for Celtic's 3-1 victory over Hamilton Academical on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC -- Started, played 90 minutes in Rangers' 1-0 victory over Bursaspor in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League group stage match. Edu also started and played 90 minutes in Rangers' 2-1 victory over Heart of Midlothian in league play on Saturday. Both Rangers and Celtic extended their Scottish Premier League season-opening winning streaks to seven matches. The bitter rivals both have one more league match before squaring off against each other on Oct. 24. SEASON: 9 games, 7 starts
Super League
Freddy Adu, F, Aris Salonika -- Not on the UEFA Europa League roster for Aris, which dropped a 2-1 result to Rosenborg in Thursday's group stage match. Adu was also not on the gameday roster for Aris' 1-0 victory over PAOK Salonika in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games
Primera Division
Edgar Castillo, D, San Luis -- In the 18, came on as a 70th-minute substitute and picked up a yellow card in San Luis' 1-0 victory over Tigres on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 1 goal
Herculez Gomez, F, Pachuca -- In the 18, came on as an 83rd-minute substitute in Pachuca's 3-1 victory over Atlante on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 1 goal
Sammy Ochoa, F, Estudiantes Tecos -- Started, played 52 minutes in Tecos' 0-0 draw with Chiapas on Friday. SEASON: 10 games, 5 starts, 1 goal
Jose Francisco Torres, M, Pachuca -- In the 18, came on as a 68th-minute substitute in Pachuca's 3-1 victory over Atlante on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 5 starts
Marco Vidal, M, Pachuca -- Started, played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 3-1 victory over Atlante on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts
Primera Division
Michael Hoyos, M, Estudiantes La Plata -- In the 18, came on as a 60th-minute substitute in Estudiantes' 2-0 victory over Gimnasia La Plata on Wednesday. Not in the 18 for Estudiantes' 1-0 victory over San Lorenzo on Sunday. SEASON: 5 games, 3 starts
Premier Division
Ryan Guy, F, St. Patrick's Athletic FC -- Started, played 82 minutes and had a hand in setting up both of St. Patrick's Athletic's goals in the team's 2-2 draw with Sporting Fingal on Saturday. SEASON: 31 games, 29 starts, 6 goals
Superliga
Michael Parkhurst, D, FC Nordsjaelland -- Started, played 90 minutes in Nordsjaelland's 1-1 draw with Esbjerg on Sunday. SEASON: 9 games, 9 starts
Chris Rolfe, F, Aalborg BK -- Not in the 18 for Aalborg's 2-1 loss to Odense BK on Monday. SEASON: 0 games
Marcus Tracy, F, Aalborg BK -- Not in the 18 for Aalborg's 2-1 loss to Odense BK on Monday. Aalborg has just nine points through 11 matches and is in last place in the Superliga a third of the way through the season. SEASON: 0 games
Danish First Division
Benny Feilhaber, M, AGF Aarhus -- Started, played 90 minutes in Aarhus' 0-0 draw with Naestved on Saturday. Feilhaber had his three-game goal-scoring streak snapped in the draw. SEASON: 11 games, 10 starts, 5 goals
Allsvenskanliga
Alejandro Bedoya, M, Orebro SK -- Started, scored a first-minute goal but also picked up two yellow cards and was ejected in the 70th minute of Orebro's 1-0 victory over Kalmar FF on Tuesday. Bedoya pounced on a rebound in the box and put Orebro ahead to stay just 16 seconds into the match but was given an early exit after receiving the two cautions. He was subsequently suspended for Orebro's 2-1 loss to BK Hacken on Sunday. SEASON: 22 games, 22 starts, 2 goals
Tippeligaen
Mikkel Diskerud, M, Stabaek IF -- Started, played 90 minutes in Stabaek's 2-1 victory over Aalesund on Sunday. SEASON: 26 games, 25 starts, 4 goals
Hunter Freeman, D, IK Start -- Started, played 90 minutes in Start's 1-1 draw with Tromsø on Sunday. SEASON: 24 games, 24 starts, 1 goal
Clarence Goodson, D, IK Start -- Started, played 90 minutes in Start's 1-1 draw with Tromsø on Sunday. SEASON: 22 games, 22 starts, 3 goals