AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Howard trumps Friedel in FA Cup showdown

By Ravi Ubha
(Archive)

February 16, 2009

A roundup of notable U.S. players in action in Europe over the past two weeks:

England

Premier League

Neil Simpson/Empics

Tim Howard, center, was in fine form against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Brad Friedel, Aston Villa: Friedel had barely anything to do in goal in his return to Blackburn on Feb. 7, as Villa won 2-0. Sunday was a different story.

Everton ended Villa's 15-game unbeaten streak by prevailing 3-1 in their F.A. Cup fifth-round encounter at Goodison Park. Not helped by his defense, Friedel conceded off a corner kick in the fourth minute and penalty in the middle of the first half. Another defensive blunder, with Everton leading 2-1, allowed Tim Cahill to put the game away late in the second.

Friedel and teammates have another big week. Chelsea, two points behind Villa in the race for third, visits Saturday in manager Guus Hiddink's first match in charge. Villa hosts CSKA Moscow on Wednesday as the UEFA Cup resumes.

Season: 32 games played (0 substitute appearances).

Tim Howard, Everton: Howard blanked Bolton as part of a 3-0 win Feb. 7 and was between the sticks again Sunday despite feeling the effects of a thigh injury sustained on international duty against Mexico midweek.

He was unfortunate not to stop James Milner's penalty in the eighth minute, though he pulled off a stunning diving save to deny Norwegian striker John Carew when the Toffees clung to a one-goal lead in the second half.

"Tim came back from the USA's match with a terrible leg injury and went to bed Saturday night with a big ice pack on it to bring down the swelling," Everton manager David Moyes said. "Frankly, he had no chance of playing at that point. But he wanted to give it a go and made a crucial save that was the turning point."

Everton, which won the last of its five F.A. Cups in 1995, has a good shot at reaching the semis after being given a home draw against either West Ham or Middlesbrough in the next round.

Season: 31 (0)

Clint Dempsey, Fulham: Dempsey and Fulham missed a good opportunity to register a first away win in the league this season, held to a 0-0 draw at Wigan on Feb. 7. Wigan lost three players to injury in the first half and was further short-handed after selling key members Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios in the January transfer window. Dempsey started in midfield and collected the first yellow card of the tussle.

Back from international duty in the U.S., Dempsey entered as a second-half substitute in Saturday's 1-1 F.A. Cup draw away at high-flying Swansea of the Championship. The hosts dominated and were unlucky not to score at least three goals.

The winner of the replay gets none other than Manchester United, at home , in the quarterfinals.

Season: 16 (8): 4 goals.

Brad Guzan, Aston Villa: Guzan backed up Friedel against Blackburn and Everton, though he did start against surging Doncaster of the Championship in a fourth-round F.A. Cup replay Feb. 4 that ended 3-1.

Guzan had little chance on Jason Price's effort at the end of the first half and kept out John Spicer's 20-yard drive early in the second as Villa, which led 2-1 at the time, appeared shaky at the back.

Season: 5 (0)

Jonathan Spector, West Ham: Spector continues to struggle for playing time at Upton Park since returning from a major hip injury. The defender/midfielder was an unused substitute against former club Manchester United on Feb. 8 and Middlesbrough on Saturday. The Hammers scored late to earn a 1-1 tie against Boro, necessitating a replay up north.

Season: 0 (1)

Championship

Jay DeMerit, Watford: Watford's lone game of the fortnight was Saturday, and what a spectacle it was. With DeMerit sterling in central defense, the Hornets came within 20 minutes of topping Chelsea in the F.A. Cup.

Sub Tamas Priskin opened the scoring midway in the second half to delight the locals at Vicarage Park, only for Frenchman Nicolas Anelka to reply with a stunning hat-trick to give the Blues a 3-1 victory.

Now the focus turns to the league. Watford lies in the relegation zone with games in hand on most of its rivals.

"[The performance against Chelsea] should now push us on for the last 16 matches," Watford boss Brendan Rodgers said.

Season: 25 (1): 1

Marcus Hahnemann, Reading: Hahnemann is close to full fitness. Unfortunately for him, a waterlogged pitch meant he couldn't feature in a reserve game against Gillingham on Feb. 11.

When Hahnemann is ready, Reading manager Steve Coppell must decide whether to bring him back as the No. 1 or persist with Aussie Adam Federici. Federici has kept four clean sheets and barely put a foot wrong since Hahnemann suffered his calf injury in early December.

"If Marcus comes back in, it would be fair enough," Federici said. "All I can do is keep playing well."

Season: 23 (0): 0

Bobby Convey, Reading: Unable to crack the lineup, the winger left Reading by mutual consent and signed with the San Jose Earthquakes.

Convey's best days at Reading came in 2005-06, when the 25-year-old helped the Royals earn promotion to the Premier League. A knee injury and Stephen Hunt's emergence limited his prospects thereafter.

"For one season Bobby did terrifically well, then injuries affected his momentum," Coppell said. "Bobby was the impetus for Stephen to play so well over the last couple of years. Bobby goes with our best wishes."

Convey made more than 110 appearances for Reading after joining from D.C. United in the summer of 2004.

Season: 6 (3): 0

Eddie Johnson, Cardiff City (loan from Fulham): Johnson hopes to make the lineup when Cardiff visits Arsenal in their fourth-round F.A. Cup replay Monday in London. The forward is still seeking a first goal in English soccer.

Season: 5 (14): 0

Frankie Simek, Sheffield Wednesday: Simek, a right back, missed the Sheffield derby Feb. 7 and Saturday's 1-0 loss at Doncaster thanks to a hamstring strain suffered in December.

"The American could be in senior contention by the end of February," Sheffield Wednesday said on its Web site.

Season: 2 (1): 0

League One

Jemal Johnson, MK Dons: Isn't it time Johnson gets at least a look from U.S. coach Bob Bradley?

The speedy winger tormented Hartlepool on Saturday, setting up Dean Lewington's winner in the 86th minute. The Dons, now seven points clear in the race for automatic promotion, added another in injury time to triumph 3-1 at home.

Johnson also started in a 1-0 win at Stockport County on Feb. 3.

Season: 18 (9): 6

Spain, Primera Liga

Jozy Altidore, Xerez (loan from Villarreal): Altidore has yet to make his debut for the second division leaders; the striker wasn't included in the squad in victories over Albacete and Salamanca.

Season: 3 (4): 1

Italy, Serie B

Danny Szetela, Brescia (loan from Racing Santander): The holding midfielder was an unused substitute in a 0-0 home draw against fellow promotion-chasers Bari, and a 1-0 loss at relegation contenders Ascoli over the weekend.

Brescia slid to fifth in the standings, five points adrift of leaders Livorno.

Season: 8 (2): 1

Serie C1

Gabriel Ferrari, Perugia (loan from Sampdoria): Ferrari, a forward, isn't having the best of times at Perugia. He was an unused substitute in Sunday's 4-1 loss at Gallipoli and played the final nine minutes in a 0-0 home draw against Pescara on Feb. 8.

Season: 2 (8): 0

Germany, Bundesliga

Joern Pollex/GettyImages

Landon Donovan, right, replaced an injured Luca Toni for Bayern against Hertha.

Steve Cherundolo, Hannover 96: Cherundolo returned to the squad Saturday following a hip injury, though he didn't feature in a pulsating 3-3 draw at home against Stuttgart. Hannover fell behind 2-0, took a 3-2 lead in the 85th minute, then conceded the equalizer two minutes later. Perhaps more damaging was a 3-1 loss at strugglers Energie Cottbus on Feb. 8.

Hannover sits a rather uncomfortable four points above the drop zone.

Season: 14 (1): 0

Landon Donovan, Bayern Munich (on loan from L.A. Galaxy): Donovan failed to open his Bayern account Saturday, denied by Hertha Berlin keeper Jaroslav Drobny on a breakaway. It turned out to be pivotal, as Hertha later scored to snap a 1-1 tie and take the Bundesliga lead.

Donovan saw more playing time than expected, replacing injured Italian international Luca Toni in the 35th minute.

Donovan had also replaced Toni in a 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Feb. 8. Miroslav Klose notched a deserved winner in the 87th minute; Bayern registered more than 30 shots.

Season: 0 (4): 0

Michael Bradley, Borussia Moenchengladbach: Bradley scored both goals in the U.S.'s 2-0 win over Mexico and netted again Saturday, registering a 79th-minute equalizer as Moenchengladbach gained a valuable point by tying Werder Bremen 1-1 away. Bradley chested the ball past keeper Tim Wiese from a Marko Marin free kick in a game in which Bremen had 35 shots.

Bradley played 90 minutes when Moenchengladbach held then-league leaders Hoffenheim to a 1-1 draw Feb. 7, a result that ended a five-game losing streak.

Bradley & Co. still sit last in the division, four points from safety.

Season: 12 (2): 2

Bryan Arguez, Hertha Berlin: In the U.S. U-20 camp in Florida, Arguez didn't dress against Bayern Munich and Arminia Bielefeld.

Season: No appearances

Sal Zizzo, Hannover 96: Zizzo, a winger, was an unused substitute against Cottbus and left out of the squad versus Stuttgart due to a hamstring injury.

Season: 0 (3): 0

France, Ligue 1

Freddy Adu, Monaco (loan from Benfica): Not picked by Bradley to face Mexico, Adu again didn't make the squad the past two weeks against Lorient and Marseille.

Season: 1 (9): 0

Carlos Bocanegra, Rennes: Forget about the title. Rennes will now do well to qualify for the Champions League.

With Bocanegra in the lineup in defense, Rennes suffered an embarrassing 1-0 loss at last-place Le Havre on Feb. 7, conceding in the last minute. Still reeling, Rennes needed a strike two minutes from the end to draw Nancy 1-1 at home Saturday.

Four games without a win sent Rennes to sixth, five points off a Champions League spot.

Season: 26 (1): 0

Belgium, Jupiler League

Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege: All of Belgium awaits Sunday, when defending champion Standard meets Anderlecht. Onyewu and teammates lead Anderlecht atop the standings by two points, having played one game more.

Standard heads into the encounter without allowing a goal domestically in four games, blanking Courtrai 2-0 on Feb. 6 and Tubize 4-0 on Saturday. Onyewu started both in the center of defense, as usual.

Season: 30 (1): 3

Scotland, Premier League

DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers: Beasley, who revealed he was close to joining Schalke 04 last month, didn't make the squad against Celtic on Sunday.

Season: 4 (5): 0

Maurice Edu, Rangers: Edu, a promising midfielder, did make the squad against Celtic but didn't feature in the 0-0 draw at Parkhead.

Season: 2 (0): 0

Denmark, Superligaen

Season resumes in March

Danny Califf, FC Midtjylland:

Season: 16 games played, 0 goals

Jeremiah White, Aarhus:

Season: 17 games played, 2 goals