photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Nearly two and a half years after the accident that almost claimed his life, Charlie Davies made
his official return for Sochaux.
Having last played in a Ligue 1 game on Oct. 3, 2009, Davies completed his return to Sochaux by
coming off the bench in its 1-0 defeat to Stade Rennes.
Brad Friedel, amongst his peers, still going strong at 41 years old
A recent post by Jamie Trecker poses the question will the USA ever win the World Cup? And when
will the USA ever produce its own Pele, if ever?
Trecker goes on to say that the USA has always produced top quality goalkeepers, the country's
most visible export to overseas leagues in this sport.
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.
Kenny Cooper opened his New York Red Bulls account on Tuesday, doing so against his former club in
the process.
Cooper scored the opening goal in the Red Bulls' 2-0 preseason victory over FC Dallas in Cancun,
Mexico, a game that was postponed from Monday because of field conditions.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Sacha Kljestan has quietly put together a solid season for RSC Anderlecht, but he made some
noise in the club's latest win on Sunday.
Kljestan scored his third goal of the season (fourth across all competitions) in Anderlecht's
4-2 win over Racing Genk when he fired home a free kick from 30 yards out.
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.
STARTERSLandon Donovan set up both Everton goals today as they knocked Fulham out of the FA Cup. Clint
Dempsey was a non-factor for Fulham, who are terrible away from home. And of course Tim Howard
guarded the entrance to the cave like a momma bear as usual for Everton. And a 4th American was
even on the team sheets today as Marcus Hahnemann was the Everton back up keeper.
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.
Everton have risen to the top of likeliest destination for National Team players in the Premier
League, bringing in Ingolstadt forward Edson Buddle for a week-long trial. USA goalkeepers Tim
Howard and Marcus Hahnemann already play for the club, with Landon Donovan joining them on an MLS
off-season loan deal.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht returned to league action this weekend for the first time
since December, and they both picked up right where they left off.
RSC Anderlecht continued its winning ways with a 3-0 victory over third-place Club Brugge on
Sunday.
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.
photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
A trio of Americans saw the field for one team this weekend, but it is not the trio you might
first think of.
Mexican-Americans Edgar Castillo, Joe Corona and Greg Garza received minutes for Club Tijuana in
its Clausura opener, a 1-1 draw with Morelia.
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 Gerhard Steenkamp/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Aston Villa finished 2011 with a big upset victory over Chelsea, and Brad Guzan played a part in
making that happen.
In his fifth start of the season, Guzan helped the Villans stun Chelsea, 3-1, 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
A week after enduring one of his worst performances of the season, Clint Dempsey responded in a
big way.
Dempsey lifted Fulham to victory over Bolton Wanderes on Saturday, scoring a goal and assisting
on another in the 2-0 affair. Dempsey found the back of the net with a well-placed header before
sending Costa Rican teammate Bryan Ruiz in on goal with a nifty pass.
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
There were several noteworthy performances from the Americans Abroad contingent this weekend,
but none was better than the match put in by Oguchi Onyewu.
Onyewu was the only American to find the back of the net this past weekend, as he hit the winner
in Sporting CP's 1-0 victory over CD Nacional de Madeira.
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.
Brad Guzan is getting a big, fat, juicy chance to show he can
be a man of the moment, a talent worthy of starting consideration in one of the world's top
leagues.
Guzan is Aston Villa's backup goalkeeper. And even if you
wouldn't know Aston Villa from one of James Bond's Aston Martins, you should care about how Guzan
performs.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Jozy Altidore has been no stranger to scoring nice goals this season, but the one he bagged this
weekend is arguably among his best of the year.
Altidore finished off a beautiful passing sequence in AZ Alkmaar's match against Heerenveen when
he got an open look from close range after a beautiful first touch that got him by a defender.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Timmy Chandler may have scored a goal on Saturday, but he wasn't the only U.S. men's national
team defender to make an impact with his left foot.
Jonathan Spector helped rescue Birmingham City from defeat, assisting on an 87th-minute
equalizer in the club's 2-2 draw with Blackpool.
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.
As people across the United States get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, we give you some extra food
for thought as we look at the year by the numbers. Here's 11 from '11:
- A total of 46 players earned at least one cap for the full team; under Klinsmann, 28 players
got at least one game.
This post by TSG staff
MLS continued it's full court marketing press by issuing it's unprotected list just a day after
the MLS Cup final.
2012's Jack Jewsbury...
Some fascinating players on the take (for the take?). Here's a feasible team based upon a
balance of "Don't get blown out" and "Priming for growth.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Brondby IF won its first game since early October in shocking fashion this past weekend, and it
can partially thank Clarence Goodson for that.
Along with going the distance and limiting first-place FC Copenhagen to one goal, Goodson scored
the opener in Brondby's 2-1 victory 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
Jozy Altidore has reason to celebrate, and not just because it's his birthday.
Altidore found the back of the net for the first time since Sept. 29 by capping the scoring in
AZ Alkmaar's 3-0 victory over ADO Den Haag on the day he turned 22 years old.
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
If you saw Clint Dempsey score in Fulham's game against Wigan Athletic on Saturday, you didn't
just see him hit a winner.
You saw him make history.
Dempsey's first-half strike in Fulham's 2-0 win versus Wigan gave him 36 league goals in his
Premiership career, tying the U.
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
If Chris Rolfe is trying to make his way back into the U.S. men's national team picture, he did
a good job of helping his cause this weekend.
Rolfe, who has not represented the United States since 2008, scored two goals in a 90-minute
performance against Odense BK.
By FRANCO PANIZO
It's been over a year since Herculez Gomez last represented the U.S. men's national team, but
that drought could soon end after Gomez's latest goal-scoring performance.
For the fourth straight game that he's played in, Gomez scored a goal.
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.
The bench is kind of the "Honorable Mention" category of the All-Time team. Players (and coaches)
that were in the running but didn't quite make the cut.
Marcus Hahnemann - GK (1997-1999): Hahnemann was the first player that developed at the
Rapids and moved on to better pastures. Marcus stepped in after a bad 1996 season and gave the team
a rock to build from.
STARTERSThe rumor going around is that one USA opponent in the November international friendly week will be
France.
dN
South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane has committed one of the great blunders in modern football
history! The national team played their final game in African Cup of Nations qualifying last
Saturday thinking they only needed 1 point to qualify because they held a wide margin in the goal
differential tie breaker if 2 other potential teams won their games.
By FRANCO PANIZO
The Americans Abroad have made a habit out of scoring goals this season, and this weekend was no
different.
Clint Dempsey was one of the players to find the back of the net, scoring the fifth goal in
Fulham's 6-0 demolition of Queens Park Rangers.
Little introduction needed for tomorrow's match, which marks the 216th Merseyside Derby. Last
season's encounter at Goodison was farcical from a Liverpool perspective, with the hosts dominating
the match and deservedly earning a 2-0 victory that sent the Reds into the bottom three. Thankfully
fortunes have changed, but what's sure to be the same is the fiery temperament that's come to be
associated with the match-up, especially in recent years.
