AMERICANS IN EUROPE
Friedel paces Villa to win at Anfield
The soccer season in Europe is well and truly back. And so is our roundup of notable U.S. players. Here's the first installment.
England
Premier League
Paul Ellis/GettyImages
Brad Friedel was in inspired form against the Liverpool onslaught.
Friedel stopped everything that came his way, including three Steven Gerrard efforts, as Villa upset title contender (well, maybe not anymore) Liverpool 3-1.
"Brad was outstanding," Villa boss Martin O'Neill, who was slightly under pressure before the game, told ESPN. "He rolled back the years. He was fantastic against his old club, to perform like that at Anfield. He will be delighted with himself, and rightly so, and we are delighted with him."
Villa began the Premier League campaign with a 2-0 loss at home to Wigan on Aug. 15; Friedel was beaten by a stunning right-footed shot from Hugo Rodallega that opened the scoring.
Holding down the fourth spot for most of last season, then fading, Friedel and Co. will be hard pressed to crack the top six, even with the great result at Anfield.
Season: 2 games played (0 substitute appearances): 0 goals
Tim Howard, Everton: It's two league losses in a row for Everton.
However, no one is panicking, since the Toffees struggled big-time at the start of last season and recovered to finish fifth, also landing a spot in the F.A. Cup final.
Arsenal crushed Everton 6-1 during the opening weekend, with Howard let down in goal by some poor marking on set pieces. Brazilian Denilson got the ball rolling with a fantastic 25-yard shot that sailed into the corner.
Howard made an outstanding fingertip save off Chris McCann on Sunday, though it wasn't enough to prevent a humbling 1-0 defeat at Premier League rookie Burnley.
Howard collected a shutout in Thursday's 4-0 first-leg win over Czech side Sigma Olomouc in Europa League qualifying.
Season: 3 (0): 0
Clint Dempsey, Fulham: Despite a busy summer with the national team, Dempsey, who scored an impressive eight goals from midfield last season, has started off well.
His shot against Portsmouth on the opening weekend deflected off Bobby Zamora (Zamora claimed it) and went past a helpless David James in a 1-0 away win.
Dempsey netted in Thursday's 3-1 Europa League win against Russians Amkar Perm, curling a ball into the top corner, and played a role in the first goal.
Perhaps a little fatigued, Fulham was outclassed by Chelsea 2-0 at Craven Cottage on Sunday. Dempsey started up front and figures to get more playing time as striker thanks to Andy Johnson's injury.
Season: 3 (0): 1
Brad Guzan, Aston Villa: If Villa slides into midtable mediocrity early this season, Guzan might well usurp Friedel as the team's No. 1.
For now, he's a backup in the league and getting some time in Europe. Guzan was beaten by a Nikica Jelavic header seconds after kickoff in Villa's 1-0 loss at Rapid Vienna on Thursday.
Season: 1 (0): 0
Jonathan Spector, West Ham: The return of Julien Faubert, who was on loan at Real Madrid (yes, that's true), isn't good news for Spector -- the Frenchman has started both Premier League games at Spector's preferred right back.
The versatile Spector, though, entered as a second-half substitute in West Ham's 2-0 win against newly promoted Wolves on Aug. 15 after left back Herita Ilunga sustained a fractured cheekbone.
Spector started against Tottenham on Sunday and was to blame for Spurs' winner in the second half. He slipped and was beaten for pace by winger Aaron Lennon, who subsequently drilled a shot low into the corner.
Season: 1 (1): 0
Eddie Johnson, Fulham: Back at Fulham (and reunited with good pal Dempsey) following an inconsistent loan spell at Cardiff, the striker didn't make the squad against Portsmouth and Chelsea. He was an unused sub against Amkar Perm.
Andy Johnson's absence through injury should get him more time as a sub if nothing else.
Season: No appearances
Jozy Altidore, Hull (loan from Villarreal): Altidore finally got his work clearance and made an impact in his Premier League debut.
Coming on as a 60th-minute substitute Saturday against Bolton, the young forward wonderfully set up Kamel Ghilas' winner a minute later and generally caused havoc.
"The fans will take to him," Hull manager Phil Brown told reporters. "He's a big, bubbly character."
Three points were much-needed for relegation favorite Hull, which lost 5-1 to Tottenham in midweek.
Marcus Hahnemann, Wolves: Hahnemann, not surprisingly, has backed up Wayne Hennessey in goal in all three league games so far.
He's enjoying his time at Wolves after Reading, his home the previous seven years, released the 37-year-old in the offseason.
"It's been great," Hahnemann said in an interview. "I think everyone respects everyone on the team. There's a great team spirit, which is to be expected after being promoted because you just had such a good season."
Season: No appearances
Championship
Jay DeMerit, Watford: It's a transition season at Vicarage Road.
Brendan Rodgers left for Reading and was replaced as manager by DeMerit's former teammate, Malky Mackay. DeMerit has started all four league games in defense, with the financially strapped Hornets winning one, losing one and drawing two.
"If we can keep our squad healthy, then we have as good a chance as any to be up around the playoff spots at the end of the season and be in the top five to 10 teams," DeMerit told the Watford Observer in early August.
Season: 4 (0): 0
Frankie Simek, Sheffield Wednesday: Injured most of the last two seasons, the right back's task is to get back into the team.
Judging by the first three weeks, it won't be easy.
Simek's lone appearance was starting in a 3-0 win over Rochdale in the League Cup on Aug. 11.
Season: 1 (0): 0
League One
Jemal Johnson, MK Dons: Lo and behold, the speedy winger is back with the Dons. Released at the end of last season, Johnson was recalled when Paul Ince returned as manager. (He took Roberto di Matteo's spot.)
Johnson has started all five of the Dons' games and had a goal disallowed in Saturday's 2-1 win over high flyers Colchester.
Season: 5 (0): 0
Mike Grella, Leeds: Leeds, favored to gain promotion, has high hopes for Grella, a former standout at Duke University.
The forward was named man of the match in a 1-0 win against Darlington in the League Cup on Aug. 10, then signed a new three-year contract in his first full season at Leeds, former Champions League semifinalists.
"The manager told me that he obviously rated me and that if I worked hard, Leeds would be the place for me to grow and become a better professional," Grella told the club Web site.
He played the final six minutes in Saturday's 3-0 win over John Barnes' Tranmere.
Season: 1 (1): 0
Italy, Serie A
Oguchi Onyewu, A.C. Milan: Onyewu got a spot on the bench as the Serie A season began last weekend. Milan downed Siena 2-1 away.
The towering defender hopes to crack the starting lineup soon and says his new teammates have been supportive.
"They're really cool guys," Onyewu told the New York Times. "Easy to get along with. The coaching staff and everybody else has been very accommodating. I couldn't have anticipated the transition going any more smoothly than it is."
It's the big one this weekend -- Milan vs. Inter.
Season: No appearances
Serie C
Gabriel Ferrari, Foggia (loan from Sampdoria): Ferrari, a 20-year-old striker, played the final 35 minutes of Foggia's 0-0 draw at Verona over the weekend.
Season: 0 (1): 0
Germany, Bundesliga
Steve Cherundolo, Hannover 96: Cherundolo has regained his slot at right back after undergoing hip surgery last spring.
He's started three of Hannover's four games in all competitions, including Saturday's 2-0 win at Nuremberg, the club's first victory of the season. Unsure of whether he had swine flu (international teammate Landon Donovan did), the team omitted Cherundolo from last week's league game against Mainz.
Season: 3 (0): 0
Michael Bradley, Borussia Moenchengladbach: Bradley, a versatile midfielder, was also kept out of the lineup last week due to the swine flu scare. He returned in Saturday's 3-0 loss at Werder Bremen, collecting a yellow card that led to Bremen's opener. Bradley was replaced at halftime.
Season: 3 (0): 0
Sal Zizzo, Hannover 96: Zizzo, a 22-year-old midfielder on the fringes at Hannover, played the final 15 minutes versus Mainz. He didn't make the bench against Nuremberg.
Season: 0 (1): 0
France, Ligue 1
Charlie Davies, Sochaux: Davies, after scoring his first two Ligue 1 goals in a 3-2 loss at Bordeaux Aug. 15, made his first league start Saturday at newly promoted Montpellier.
He almost added to his tally; he was repelled twice by Montpellier keeper Geoffrey Jourdren in the opening seven minutes. Montpellier ended up winning 2-0 and Davies was subbed in the second half.
Season: 1 (2): 2
Carlos Bocanegra, Rennes: Bocanegra played all 90 minutes at left back in Rennes' 1-1 tie at home against title contender Marseille on Saturday. His early free kick set up a chance for Ismael Bangoura, who hit the crossbar.
Season: 3 (0): 0
Portugal, Liga
Freddy Adu, Benfica: Adu's stock continues to fall. Without a future at Benfica, he's looking for a new club.
A potential loan deal to Odense in Denmark fell through last week.
Season: No appearances
Kamani Hill, Vitoria Guimaraes: Hill, a former UCLA striker who made the move from German champion Wolfsburg in May, has been hampered by a hamstring injury suffered in preseason training.
Season: No appearances
Scotland, Premier League
DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers: Beasley has yet to make an appearance this season for the Scottish champ, and the Daily Express last week linked the forward with a move to Spain.
Season: No appearances
Maurice Edu, Rangers: The midfielder hopes to return next month following knee surgery that he underwent after last season.
Season: No appearances
Denmark, Superligaen
Danny Califf, FC Midtjylland: Midtjylland continues to lose -- and ship goals.
With Califf in defense, Copenhagen crushed Midtjylland 4-1 on Saturday. Midtjylland sits third-last, conceding 13 times in six games.
Season: 4 (1): 0
Jeremiah White, Aarhus: Aarhus is doing much better, snugly in second in the standings with four wins and two draws, trailing only Odense on goal difference.
White, a forward, played the opening 60 minutes in Saturday's 2-2 draw against Silkeborg.
Season: 3 (2): 0
Benny Feilhaber, Aarhus: The flashy winger played the opening 71 minutes against Silkeborg.
Season: 5 (1): 1
Michael Parkhurst, Nordsjaelland: Nordsjaelland lost its second straight game Sunday without scoring, on the wrong end of a 1-0 result at Sonderjyske.
Parkhurst, a defender, has started all six games in the new season.
Season: 6 (0): 0
Marcus Tracy, Aalborg: Tracy made his lone appearance, as a sub, when the Danish season began in July.
The striker was left out of the squad, again, in Sunday's 2-0 loss at Esbjerg.
Season: 0 (1): 0
Ravi Ubha is a London-based freelance journalist covering Americans abroad for ESPNsoccernet. He also covers tennis for ESPN.com.
