By FRANCO PANIZO
Herculez Gomez may not have had a chance to help Santos Laguna in the first leg of the Clausura
Liguilla final, but the short turnaround before the second game could provide him a prime
opportunity to help push the club to a championship.
By FRANCO PANIZO
It is do-or-die time for Bolton Wanderers.
Staring relegation in the face, Bolton will only avoid the drop to the Championship if they win
their game at Stoke City and Manchester City tops Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. Tim Ream should
resume his role in central defense for the Trotters, and he will need to help shutdown the likes of
Peter Crouch and Kenwyne Jones to give Bolton a chance at staying in the EPL.
By FRANCO PANIZO
This time last year, Joe Corona and Club Tijuana were fighting to gain promotion to the top
division in Mexican soccer. Now, the team has its eyes on the Primera Division title, but it will
need a road comeback to keep that dream alive.
Corona is one of several Americans partaking in the liguilla this season, and he and fellow
Americans Edgar Castillo and Greg Garza will look to help Tijuana overturn a 2-1 deficit to
CONCACAF Champions League winner Monterrey in the quarterfinals of the Mexican playoffs.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Bolton Wanderers took a step in the right direction in their efforts to avoid relegation by
beating Aston Villa earlier this week, but grabbing another result this weekend could be vital if
they hope to stay up.
Bolton begin their home stretch to the season with a visit to Sunderland, where a win could go a
long way in helping Tim Ream and his team secure another season in the Premiership.
By FRANCO PANIZO
If Oguchi Onyewu wants to show U.S. men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann he is ready
for World Cup qualifying, this weekend likely provides the American centerback his best opportunity
to return to Sporting CP's lineup.
With the Portuguese club having played in the Europa League semifinals on Thursday, Onyewu could
get his first start since February when Sporting takes on CD Nacional de Madeira on Sunday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Two Americans are still in contention for the FA Cup, and both will try and punch their tickets
to the tournament final against some of the Premiership's most talented teams.
Tim Howard and Brad Friedel are a step away from playing for some hardware, but respective
matches against Chelsea and Liverpool await.
By FRANCO PANIZO
For two Americans dealing with the disappointment of being bounced out of the Europa League,
this weekend provides them an opportunity to rebound. Against each other.
Steve Cherundolo and Jermaine Jones will face off on Sunday trying to get back in the win column
after seeing their respective teams eliminated in the Europa League quarterfinals on Thursday.
photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
With the list of Americans Abroad continuing to grow with each passing year, it is becoming more
common to find duels between Americans.
This weekend provides a handful of them, and there will be at least one intriguing match-up on
each day.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Rangers' hopes of winning the league for a fourth consecutive season are all but over, but that
likely won't stop this weekend's match against first-place Celtic from being as fervent as
usual.
Rangers host Celtic on Sunday in a game that should still be intense despite Celtic's 21-point
lead in the league.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Tim Howard is eyeing silverware this season, but he will have to bounce back from a lopsided
loss earlier in the week in order to keep that dream alive.
Having suffered a 3-0 loss to rival Liverpool on Tuesday, Howard and Everton will try to rebound
when they host Sunderland in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on Saturday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Puebla beware. Herculez Gomez is starting to get hot again.
Just as he has done so often in the past couple of years, Gomez is starting to put together a
scoring run. He has found the back of the net three times for Santos Laguna in the past
week-and-a-half, and will look to add to that this weekend when DaMarcus Beasley and Puebla come
into town.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Michael Bradley was one of the key figures in the U.S. men's national team's upset win over
Italy on Wednesday in part because of his ability to contain Andrea Pirlo.
His club, Chievo Verona, will be hoping Bradley can replicate that type of outing this
weekend.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Timmy Chandler's future with Nurnberg may be up in the air, but the American is still likely to
be relied upon by the club this weekend.
Even with Nurnberg handing him an ultimatum earlier this week, Chandler is likely to be in the
club's lineup for its match against Werder Bremen on Saturday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Landon Donovan's second loan with Everton has gone just as well as anyone could have
imagined.
In his near two-month stay with the club, Donovan has helped the club string together a solid
run of results with his impressive performances while simultaneously silencing the critics that
constantly harp on him for playing in MLS.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Landon Donovan's time with Everton is nearing its end and while he may want to make an impact in
all of his remaning games with the club, this weekend's match might be at the top of his list.
Everton are set to face Chelsea in a match that will pit Donovan against the likes of John
Terry, Juan Mata and Florent Malouda.
By FRANCO PANIZO
The winter transfer window closed this past Tuesday, and a pair of Americans who secured moves
during it will be looking to make their debuts this weekend.
George John and Robbie Rogers could make their first appearances abroad for West Ham United and
Leeds United, respectively, as the Championship gets back into a full weekend swing.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have shared plenty of moments throughout their careers as the
top two attacking threats of the U.S. men's national team, but they will not be celebrating
together on Friday.
The two American stars are set to face off for the first time since 2006 when Everton and Fulham
do battle in the fourth round of the FA Cup (3pm, Fox Soccer Channel).
photo by ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
The German Bundesliga kicks back into full gear this weekend, and with it could come a direct
head-to-head duel between a pair of U.S. men's national team players.
Steve Cherundolo and Fabian Johnson could do battle when Hannover 96 and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
resume their Bundesliga campaigns on Saturday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Landon Donovan did not lead Everton to victory in his return match for the club, but he will not
have to wait long to get another chance at that.
Donovan and Everton will take on lowly Tamworth of England's fifth division in a third round FA
Cup match on Saturday.
Photo by Joe Toth/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Clint Dempsey has made quite the statement in 2011, and this weekend will provide him with a
chance to finish it in style.
Having enjoyed a career year, Dempsey's final game of 2011 will pit him and Fulham against
Norwich City in a match that could see the Cottagers inch closer to the top half of the Premiership
table.
By FRANCO PANIZO
If the Christmas weekend left you starved for soccer, Monday might just be enough to satisfy
your hunger.
Nearly a dozen games involving Americans Abroad are scheduled to take place on Boxing Day,
including Jonathan Spector's match against his former club, West Ham United.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Zak Whitbread is on the brink of doing something that he's only done once this season: Start
consecutive games.
A week after returning to Norwich City's lineup in a surprise victory over Newcastle, Whitbread
appears set to start for the Canaries when they play Tim Howard and Everton.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Brad Friedel made waves with his comments about Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey this week, but
its his team that has been making waves in the Premier League recently. Friedel and Tottenham
Hotspur have not lost in the Premiership since the second week of the season, but they'll have to
see off tricky Stoke City this weekend if they are to continue their run of good form.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Having been beaten by Kilmarnock in shocking fashion last week, Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu
and Alejandro Bedoya enter their match against Dunfermline Athletic with one thing in mind:
Winning.
Rangers is still four points clear of Celtic for first place in the Scottish Premier League, but
the Blues need to bounce back from last weekend's defeat.
photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
It must be Thanksgiving weekend, because there are some tasty match-ups involving the Americans
Abroad contingent this weekend.
Michael Bradley and Chievo Verona have one of the marquee games, as they take on AC Milan on
Sunday.
photo by Florian Eisele/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
If you came away from the U.S. men's national team friendlies wanting to see more of Fabian
Johnson, you'll likely get your chance on Sunday.
Johnson should make his way back into TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's lineup when it takes on
relegation-threatened Hamburg SV.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Domination.
That's one of the words that can best be used to describe Rangers' undefeated season, a season
that Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and the rest of the club will attempt to build on when they face
Dundee United on Saturday.
Currently nine points clear of second-place Motherwell with an 11-2-0 record, Rangers should
take another step towards claiming a fourth straight Scottish Premier League title if it can live
up to its expectations against Dundee.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Seeing German-Americans playing along one another on the U.S. men's national team is becoming
quite the trend, but for one weekend we'll see a portion of them doing battle.
Jermaine Jones is set to face off against fellow United States pool players Danny Williams and
Fabian Johnson when Schalke 04 and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim play on Saturday.
photo by Javier Garcia/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Three months into the season, Everton and Fulham are each just two points away from the
relegation zone, leaving Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey to attempt to help further their respective
club away from there this weekend.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Michael Bradley may not currently be a starter on the U.S. men's national team, but he'll have a
big chance to show head coach Jurgen Klinsmann that he's ready for more minutes.
Bradley and Chievo Verona take on league leader Juventus this weekend in a match that the U.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Tim Howard and Everton's start to the season has not been a flawless one, but the Toffees could
get momentum rolling if they come up with a win in one of the weekend's marquee matches.
Everton hosts Liverpool on Saturday in the first Merseyside derby of the season, and Howard is
sure to be tested as he goes up against Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Steven Gerrard and the rest of
Liverpool's attacking weapons.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Ever since Oguchi Onyewu was inserted into Sporting CP's starting lineup, the club has done
something it did only once during the opening month of the season: Win.
Onyewu has helped Sporting CP come out victorious in its last three matches across all
competitions, and as a result, he'll likely get the nod again when the club faces Vitoria
Setubal.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Carlos Bocanegra may be one of the most experienced players on the U.S. men's national team, but
he has likely been seeking advice from Maurice Edu in advance of Rangers' upcoming game.
Bocanegra is likely to get his first taste of the Old Firm rivalry on Sunday, as Rangers is set
to face Celtic in the first of three matches between the two teams scheduled this season.
photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
It's been a while since we've seen a U.S. men's national team player play in Serie A, but that
looks to change this weekend.
Michael Bradley is set to make his debut Chievo Verona debut on Sunday when the club takes on
recently-promoted Novara.
Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
With more Americans plying their trade abroad than ever before, it's becoming more frequent to
see battles between compatriots. This weekend is no different, and there's an intriguing one on tap
that involves two U.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Tim Howard missed out on the Premiership's opening weekend as Everton's game versus Tottenham
Hotspur was postponed due to rioting. But the wait to begin the season will end for Howard as he is
set to man the pipes against Queens Park Rangers.
By FRANCO PANIZO
English Premier League defenses beware: Clint Dempsey is back and ready to pick up where he last
left off.
Coming off a career season, Dempsey will begin his sixth season with Fulham on Saturday as the
Cottagers host Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Mix Diskerud may not have been called into the U.S. men's national team for its upcoming
friendly against Mexico, but he's making quite the case for himself to get the call in
September.
Diskerud continued his strong season with Stabaek IF on Friday, hitting the equalizing goal in
the club's 2-1 victory over Fredrikstad.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Jozy Altidore's club troubles are well documented, but the opportunity to put it all past him
begins this weekend.
Altidore kicks off his first season with AZ Alkmaar on Sunday, and he does so with a grueling
test against heavyweight PSV Eindhoven.
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
A new era in U.S. Soccer is soon to begin, and with it comes a clean slate for Americans
everywhere.
With a friendly against Mexico looming, the portion of Americans Abroad already in action will
want to make a good first impression on their soon-to-be named national team coach in order to earn
consideration.
