By FRANCO PANIZO

If Brad Guzan retains his spot in Aston Villa's starting lineup this weekend, we are in for a treat.

Guzan and the Villans host Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Everton on Saturday in arguably the biggest match-up involving Americans this weekend.

It may have been mere consolation in a 2-1 loss at Chivas, but Herculez Gomez used his brainpan to doubly great effect by conjuring this 77th minute strike. It was not only his first goal since joining the club prior to this Clausura, but also one of the nastiest headers I've seen in a long time. Basically, he chipped the keeper with a volley - using his noggin.

Clint Dempsey has just put Fulham up 2-1 on Newcastle at the hour. Try to contain your surprise.UPDATE: Make it two for Deuce and a 3-1 Fulham lead after he buckets a slip pass from 15 on 65 minutes. If you're keeping score, that makes his: third against Newcastle this season, his ninth in the last 11 games overall, his eighth in league play this term and 13th across all competitions (matching

It's the worst-kept soccer secret in the English-speaking world, but somehow nobody has officially announced yet. Here's the skinny: Tim Ream's Bolton deal - now fully done and approved - will keep him at the Reebok until the summer of 2015.I'm sure eventually these two clubs will admit what we already know and have a jersey picture party or something.

Yes, that is Oguchi Onyewu's nickname with Sporting CP fans and the local media - even though he neither captains them nor the USMNT. And this is how one supporter artistically views our man Gooch today...- Greg Seltzer

Fulham ace Clint Dempsey has just expertly turned home a Bryan Ruiz slip pass to put the hosts up 1-0 on 68 minutes.At least one clip to come...- Greg Seltzer

By FRANCO PANIZO

Days after his head coach cited a lack of progress as a reason for his benching, Jozy Altidore responded in a big way.

In his first start for AZ Alkmaar in 2012, Altidore bagged a brace in the club's 3-3 draw with Heerenveen. Altidore scored the game's opener when he received the ball with his back to goal, turned and fired a shot to the near post.

It's not all that surprising that an American scored at Goodison Park on Wednesday. After all, Everton's match against Bolton marked Landon Donovan's return to the Toffees. Thing is, Donovan wasn't the one to find the back of the net.

In open play, goalkeeper Tim Howard unleashed a long kick from his own box that took a perfect bounce from about 25 yards out and got carried by a furious wind over Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan into the goal.

[Photo: Press Association]A deft area finish put Fulham up 1-0 over FA Cup guests Charlton and Deuce into the scoring lead for Americans in Europe with 10 goals across all competitions this term.Clip when I find it...- Greg Seltzer

photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

If at first you don't succeed, try again.

That is the approach Sochaux is taking in terms of Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu.

Having had a previous bid worth an estimated $774,400 turned down, Sochaux has launched a second bid for the U.

U.S. Under-23 national team defender Gale Agbossoumonde has endured a rough road in his quest for regular playing time since turning pro two years ago. With a recent stint at Eintracht Frankfurt failing to deliver him playing time, Agbossoumonde looked poised for a move to Major League Soccer.

Ha! Tim Ream's wife Kristen should know by now American soccer nuts are a skittish type.Here's the just-confirmed skinny: All agreements are in place for the move to Bolton. The frustration Mrs. Ream had yesterday was in regards to rescheduling her hubbie's UK work permit hearing. It would seem that Wanderers are trying to get approval before announcing anything.

While it's possible something else wiggled through the window, it appears Edson Buddle rejoining L.A. and Charles Renken heading to the Portland Timbers will stand as our late fireworks.As I was informed to be likely, the DaMarcus Beasley move to Nancy did not come off, most likely because Puebla execs are too busy trying not to go to jail.

Sporting Kansas City's quest to repeat as Eastern Conference regular season champions began today with a 2-1 pre-season victory against the San Jose Earthquakes in the pre-season opener for both clubs.

Kansas City midfielder Konrad Warzycha delivered the game-winning goal, converting a free kick to break a 1-1 deadlock.

You may not get every Photoshopped reference contained within (I didn't), but I think we all get the Guardian readers' general gist concerning Clint Dempsey's star status in England.- Greg Seltzer

Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com

For Charlie Davies, perhaps not securing a full transfer or loan extension was the best tactic to take this winter after all.

Davies has been included on Sochaux's first-team roster for the club's league game at Stade Rennes on Saturday, marking a major milestone for him and his quest to break back into the club's lineup.

If you're a lifelong fan of Rangers, or just accustomed to following them for having American players, this is a rough day. The shockwaves could be plentiful- Greg Seltzer

If you have been wondering why Jozy Altidore has been relegated to the bench for AZ Alkmaar, it looks you now have an answer.

According to a report from the Netherlands, AZ manager Gertjan Verbeek has preferred to start Charlison Benschop over Altidore in recent weeks due to Altidore's lack of progress.

A few weeks after an ominous Leeds United debut, Robbie Rogers is back in action.

The American winger played in a club friendly against Carlisle United and scored on Tuesday, marking his return to the field for Leeds after suffering a concussion in his debut on Feb. 18. After coming on as a 79th-minute substitute, Rogers clashed heads with Doncaster Rovers' Tommy Spurr on a 50-50 ball and had to be taken off in stoppage time.

Perhaps you have noticed that when it comes to playing abroad, Americans tend to glom together at various Yankee-friendly clubs. Who am I kidding? NSC readers see all.Well, Greg noticed too and asked me to put together a table of the All-American clubs of the world. There are the usual suspects and just as many journeyman stories as world-beating ones.

Perhaps embarrassed by knocking home his 13th goal (and seventh opening strike) of the EPL season with his knee just two minutes in against Norwich, Fulham ace Clint Dempsey quickly followed it up with an elegant assist to Damien Duff.Let's see which happens first: the clip surfacing or another Deuce tally.

Like busting through the bathroom door with an axe, Jozy Altidore poked his head through for the opening goal in AZ's match at Vitesse on 32 minutes. Despite his 11th of the Eredivisie season, the Cheese Farmers have now fallen behind 2-1 early in the second half - so this post may not be done yet. - Greg Seltzer

There isn't going to be a bigger story involving an American soccer player this summer than the one surrounding Clint Dempsey and his club future.

After tallying his 22nd goal in all competitions to rescue yet another point for Fulham against Chelsea on Monday, Dempsey's stock continues to grow in value as he heads toward the final year of his Fulham contract.

It has been a frustrating season for U.S. international midfielder Stuart Holden, who has had to face another long-term injury while trying to build on his early success in the Premier League. That injury has not changed his stature as one of Bolton's more important, personable players, though.

I may be getting phone ear, but it allowed me to hear many interesting things along my travels through the back corridors the last few days - much more than I let drop in this week's summer transfer window preview Postcard. Let's spill a few more items... Not exactly a great secret at this point, but it does from all appearance seem that Terrence Boyd is heading to Rapid Vienna very shortly.

Was there really any doubt that Clint Dempsey wasn't going to run away with this award?
As some of our commentors pointed out during the voting, it seemed a bit one-sided. Not just because of their own qualifications, but the over-whelming case that could be made for Sir Deuce.
With nearly 40 goals for Fulham in the English Premier League and counting Clint Dempsey has made the biggest splash of any American aboard, ever.

Sochaux has made a second offer for Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu. Consider this full confirmation reporting. That is all for now. Over and out.See? I needed 145 characters for that.- Greg Seltzer

This post will not contain a full play-by-play, but will cover the three Americans I'm presuming will all start (today's Postcard From Europe, a follow-up historical stats report dedicated exclusively to the goalies, has been delayed for this result). It should also retain the full usual measure of snark.

photo by Neil Tingle/ISIphotos.com

Shay Given has recovered from his groin injury and has returned to training for Aston Villa, but that does not necessarily mean he is going to supplant Brad Guzan as the Villans' starting goalkeeper.

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish is keeping his options open in terms of who to start between the goal posts on a permanent basis as a result of Guzan's string of strong performances since filling in for Given since early December.

Landon Donovan continued his strong run of form for Everton on Saturday, delivering his best performance since re-joining the Toffees in Everton's 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

Donovan laid off a beautiful defense-splitting pass to set up Victor Anichebe's equalizer in a match that also so Donovan's LA Galaxy teammate, Robbie Keane, make his Aston Villa debut.

Everton is in dire need of attacking help, and once again turned to an American to try and help turn things around.

The Toffees have handed Edson Buddle a week-long trial, and will be hoping to find a goal-scoring bargain at a time the squad is struggling to generate goals.

With Martin Luther King's legacy being commemorated across the country, it's an eye-opening shame that blatant forms of racism still exist around the world, specifically in the soccer forum.

Over the weekend, U.S. midfielder Maurice Edu and Rangers teammate Kyle Bartley were the subject of racial abuse via Twitter, an incident that resulted in the arrest of a 41-year-old man who was due to appear in a Scottish court on Monday.

It was widely thought that after regaining his fitness following hip surgery American and Aston Villa fullback Eric Lichaj would head on loan to Leeds United, where he enjoyed overall success in his first stretch with consistent first-team minutes while on loan there last year.

In a game filled with attacking superstars, it was a pair of gritty defenders that decided the latest edition of El Clasico.

Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal turned around a 1-0 halftime deficit as Barcelona defeated eternal rivals Real Madrid, 2-1, at the Estadio Bernabeu in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey Wednesday.

By FRANCO PANIZO

It took Clint Dempsey nine years to score the first hat-trick of his career, a feat he accomplished on January 7 in an FA Cup win over Charlton Athletic.

It did not take much longer for him to do it again.

Dempsey became the first American to net a hat-trick in the Premiership on Saturday.

Tim Ream's time in MLS has come to a close.

After spending the first two years of his professional career with the New York Red Bulls, Ream is set to sign with Bolton Wanderers after being granted a work permit on Monday. Ream will join Bolton on a transfer worth an estimated $3 million, the highest amound ever paid for an MLS defender.