WASHINGTON — D.C. United fans for weeks now have been awaiting the arrival of reinforcements to help end this club's dramatic downward spiral. At training Tuesday, former U.S. national team defender Frank Simek was presented as one possible piece of that roster retooling puzzle.
Stuart Holden played his first league game in almost two years in Bolton's win over Peterborough United, while Frank Simek's Carlisle United had a game to forget in their loss to Walsall.
Both Tim Ream and Stuart Holden hope to feature in Bolton's home match against Peterborough United, while Frank Simek's Carlisle United look to claw their way out of the bottom half of the League One standings.
The international date puts England's club soccer spotlight on the lower leagues, as Mike Grella and Scunthorpe host Brentford, and Frank Simek's Carlisle United takes on Notts County.
Jonathan Spector and Will Packwood look to lead Birmingham City to victory against Cardiff City, while Frank Simek and Carlisle United take to the road and play lowly Bury.
Brad Guzan and Eric Lichaj look to lead Aston Villa against Manchester City in League Cup play, while Frank Simek and Carlisle United welcome Clint Dempsey and Tottenham to Brunton Park.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City beat Bolton in midweek Championship action, while Frank Simek and Carlisle United drew with Crewe Alexandria down in League One.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City hope to rebound after a frustrating weekend against Tim Ream's Bolton, while Frank Simek and Carlisle United look to climb the standings with a win against Crewe Alexandria.
Mike Grella and Scunthorpe United notched their first point of the season in their draw with
Sheffield United, while Frank Simek and Carlisle United were victorious over Hartlepool United.
The UEFA Champions League group stage is within reach for two Americans, but their teams will
need to overcome first-leg deficits if they are to maintain hopes of competing on Europe's biggest
stage and join the likes of Americans Jermaine Jones and Michael Parkhurst in the tournament
field.
FC Nordsjaelland may have routed Silkeborg IF in their match this weekend, but Michael Parkhurst
was at the front and center to helping them cruise to victory.
Parkhurst played a vital part in Nordsjaelland's early success in their 6-1 win on Saturday,
setting up the opener from the right flank in the third minute before scoring the eventual winner
three minutes later.
Seb Hines and Middlesbrough hurt their promotion dreams with a draw against Doncaster, while
Stevenage dented Frank Simek and Carlisle United's own hopes for Championship soccer next season.
Seb Hines and Middlesbrough continue their promotion push against Doncaster Rovers, while Frank
Simek and Carlisle United take on Stevenage in a game with promotion aspirations.
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.
Tim Ream and Bolton crashed out fo the FA Cup with a loss to Tottenham, while Frank Simek and
Carlisle United beat Milton Keynes Dons in League One play.
Tim Ream and Bolton play an emotional FA Cup game against Tottenham, while Frank Simek and Carlisle
United look to solidify their playoff spot against Milton Keynes Dons.
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.
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.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City host Chelsea in an FA Cup replay, while Frank Simek and
Carlisle United hope to get back to winning ways against lowly Rochdale in League One action.
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.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City beat Barnsley in Championship play this midweek, while Frank
Simek and Carlisle United went down hard to Brentford in League One.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There was a larger-than-usual contingent of Americans Abroad in action this Monday, as the English League Championship and leagues in Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and Germany all had matches throughout the day.
In Norway, Mix Diskerud helped his case for a potential national team call-up this summer, scoring in the 53rd minute of his side Rosenberg's 4-0 win over Brann.
Now that the Timbers are second in the allocation order thanks to last Wednesday's trade with Chivas USA they have clearly signaled their intent to bring in a big name player. Mix Diskerud was first and foremost in people's minds but he has options in Europe and if he ends up back on the continent there are still a number of possibly returning US internationals that the Timbers could bring on board.
Yeesh, Frank Simek is seriously unlucky. And I was preparing to file a report today about how he'd
gotten back to training.Now starting over, we both are...- Greg Seltzer
Anton Peterlin was the only American in action in England during the weekend, as Frank Simek, Mike
Grella, Jemal Johnson and Jon-Paul Pittman were all out of action for their respective teams.
Word broke today from the assembled D.C. United press that the team has two trialists in camp: English striker Akpo Sodje and American defender Frank Simek. Simek is a right back who has played for Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League Championship and has spent the last three seasons with Carlisle United in League One.
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.
