By FRANCO PANIZO
Tim Howard, Everton and Liverpool aren't too far from the relegation zone, and this weekend's
Merseyside Derby could determine which team continues to fight for safety for the remainder of the
season and which starts to climb the table.
Howard and Everton travel to Liverpool on Sunday in one of the marque match-ups of the
weekend.
photo by ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
DaMarcus Beasley signed with Puebla earlier this summer in the hopes of reviving his club
career, and that challenge begins for him this weekend.
Puebla opens its Apertura campaign on Saturday against Atlas, and Beasley will hope to make his
first start for the club.
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
FA Cup action resumes this weekend, and with it could come a tasty match-up involving two
American midfielders who are both in the midst of strong seasons.
Clint Dempsey and Stuart Holden could square off as Fulham hosts Bolton Wanderers with a spot in
the quarterfinals on the line.
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.
By FRANCO PANIZO
A familiar face in a new place. That's a recurring theme for the Americans Abroad contingent
this weekend.
From Michael Bradley to Eddie Johnson, nearly a handful of Americans will look to make debuts
with their respective new clubs.
Bradley could make his Premiership debut on Saturday as Aston Villa faces Fulham.
By FRANCO PANIZO
The chase for hardware in Europe continues this weekend, and a handful of Americans are still in
the mix.
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht are three points behind first-place Racing Genk in the Belgian
playoffs, but they can close the gap with a win against the league leaders on Saturday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
The German Bundesliga comes to a close this weekend, and Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt
are in a must-win situation if they are to return to the league next season.
Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt face league champion Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, and only an
upset win combined with other results can save the 17th-placed club.
By FRANCO PANIZO
There is a small chance Blackburn can get relegated on the Premiership's final matchday, but
Jermaine Jones will aim to erase that possibility and secure the Rovers' spot in the league.
Jones and Blackburn currently sit in 15th place in the Premier League, but they are not
guaranteed safety as they have only one more point than Wigan Athletic and Blackpool, both of which
are in the drop zone.
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 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
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
Eddie Johnson has been receiving sporadic minutes with Fulham as of late, but this weekend's FA
Cup action may be just what he needs in order to receive a start.
Fulham take on League One club Peterborough United, and that could give Johnson an opportunity
to get his first start since early October.
By FRANCO PANIZO
The U.S. national team won't be the only squad with new American faces in its lineup this
weekend.
Several players in the Americans Abroad contingent will be looking to make debuts with their
respective new clubs.
Jermaine Jones is one of those players, and he'll look to start for Blackburn when it faces West
Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Clint Dempsey and Fulham may have had a flat showing against Liverpool on Wednesday, but they'll
have a chance to quickly erase that from their memories in FA Cup action this weekend.
Fulham hosts Tottenham on Sunday, and Dempsey will look to spark the Cottagers' attack against
the likes of Ledley King and Michael Dawson after failing to find the back of the net against
Liverpool.
By FRANCO PANIZO
If Eddie Johnson is to end his nine-month scoring drought this weekend, he'll have to do so
against a fellow American.
Johnson and cellar-dwellers Preston North End face Hull City and Brad Guzan, who will look to
record his third cleansheet for the club.
By FRANCO PANIZO
U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley is expected to announce the roster for the upcoming
friendlies next week, and that means players abroad who are on the fringes will have one more
chance to earn a call-up.
Ricardo Clark is one of those players.
photo by Javier Garcia/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
When Clint Dempsey steps onto the field for Fulham on Saturday, he'll be looking to make history
by becoming the American with most goals scored in a Premiership campaign. There's only one
problem, though.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Oguchi Onyewu will hope to have fully recovered from the hip injury picked up against Argentina,
as FC Twente has a colossal match this weekend.
Currently trailing PSV Eindhoven by one point for the top spot in the Eredivisie, Twente has its
best chance to unseat the first place team as the two square off in one of Saturday's bigger
matches.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Oguchi Onyewu will hope to have fully recovered from the hip injury picked up against Argentina,
as FC Twente has a colossal match this weekend.
Currently trailing PSV Eindhoven by one point for the top spot in the Eredivisie, Twente has its
best chance to unseat the first place team as the two square off in one of Saturday's bigger
matches.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Clint Dempsey has made a habit of coming up big in marquee games, and Fulham will be hoping he
does so again as the club faces league-leading Manchester United on Saturday.
Having played to a 2-2 home draw in the second week of the season, Fulham will travel to Old
Trafford looking to pull out a result against a Manchester United side that just played in a UEFA
Champions League quarterfinal.
photo by Gerhard Steenkamp/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Fresh off scoring his first goal of the Swedish season, Alejandro Bedoya will head into this
weekend with one main goal in mind: Keep Orebro undefeated.
After recording two 1-0 wins to start the season, Orebro will take on Gefle in a match between
two teams currently in the top five of the Allsvenskan table.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Like many of the Championship and League One teams, Derby County has two games in a span of
three days this weekend, meaning Conor Doyle is likely to get a chance to score his first goal at
the club level.
The U.S. U-20 national team striker has not played for Derby County since assisting in the March
12 win against Swansea City, but that should change as Derby faces Burnley on Saturday and Norwich
City (and American centerback Zak Whitbread) on Monday.
By FRANCO PANIZO
It's been a tough season for Jonathan Spector and West Ham United, but they can still manage to
climb out of the basement and avoid relegation with a strong run during the final month of play.
That run will have to begin on Sunday as the Hammers go on the road to face one of the most
talented teams in the Premiership.
By FRANCO PANIZO
If there is one American who has flown under the radar despite putting together a solid but
quiet season in Europe, it is Carlos Bocanegra.
Bocanegra will end a strong first campaign with St Etienne this weekend when the club takes on
Paris Saint-Germain.
By FRANCO PANIZO
If there is one American who has flown under the radar despite putting together a solid but
quiet season in Europe, it is Carlos Bocanegra.
Bocanegra will end a strong first campaign with St Etienne this weekend when the club takes on
Paris Saint-Germain.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
