In what was one of the better, more recent weekends for Americans overseas, we take a look back at what happened.
DNP = did not play
FRIDAY
Fabian Johnson (Gladbach | GER): 90′ in 1-0 loss to Mainz.
Jorge Villafana (Santos Laguna | MEX): 90′ in 2-0 win over Queretaro. Also had an assist on the second goal. Villafana is quietly having a strong start to the season in a position that is desperately weak for the USMNT. Could we see him sooner than later?
Luis Gil (Queretaro | MEX): Started, 64′ for the former RSL man. More meaningful minutes, although perhaps not the greatest performance on the night. He was quiet throughout his time on the pitch.
Jonathan Bornstein (Queretaro | MEX): 90′ in 2-0 loss. See: Villafana.
SATURDAY
Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City | ENG): In the 18, DNP.
Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town | ENG): In the 18, DNP.
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa | ENG): 90′ in the FA Cup for Guzan. It’s good to see him get minutes, but a 4-0 loss to Manchester City won’t help or hinder his case much.
Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest | ENG): 90′ and a yellow for Lichaj. There is still no good reason why he hasn’t been called up. The USA is shallow at fullback and Lichaj has been one of the most consistent performers this season.
Danny Williams (Reading | ENG): 90′ and a GOAL for Danny. Reading win 4-0 and again the question begs: when will he start playing for the USA like he does for Reading?
Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes | FRA): 90′ for Bedoya in a narrow 1-0 win. A solid performance all around. He will be key this year for the USA.
Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt | GER): In the 18, DNP.
Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund | GER): Entered in the 68′ for his Bundesliga debut. Successfully attacked 4/5 times and drew defenders off for the second goal with his run. He looked completely in his element. Get excited folks. There’s a lot of potential here.
Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt | GER): 90′ for Morales who, despite his team losing, had an outstanding performance that was overshadowed by the debut of fellow American Pulisic for the opposing team. Same question as Danny: when will he show up for the USA? His performances have been important for his club this season – they nearly pulled off a big result at Dortmund.
John Brooks (Hertha Berlin | GER): Brooks played 90′, but Hertha get a bad result away to Bremen. A 3-3 draw, with a 3-1 lead at one point, is simply going to have to be a result that must be forgotten. In good news, Brooks re-signed with Hertha and ensured his good future with the Berlin club.
Joel Sonora (Stuttgart II | GER): Having only signed with the German club a week ago, Sonora is already getting minutes. Came on in the 84′ and saw out the match. Watch this space.
Jose Torres (Tigres | MEX): In the 18, DNP. Dust in the wind?
William Yarbrough (Club Leon | MEX): Another 90′ for Yarbrough. With Guzan out of favor and Hamid’s injury, now is a great time to try to secure the #2 or #3 spot for the USMNT. Playing consistently for your club is the first step. Check.
Miguel Ibarra (Club Leon | MEX): In the 18, DNP. Story of his time so far at Leon.
Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca | MEX): 90′ in 3-1 W. He’s back – and maybe even better than ever. If he keeps this up, he’s a lock for Qualifiers in March.
Edgar Castillo (Monterrey | MEX): Entered in the 65′. Didn’t really make a difference.
Ventura Alvarado (Club America | MEX): Not in the 18 after a rough match last weekend. Rumors flying that he was to join up with the USMNT, but hasn’t showed up yet. There’s trouble in Mexico City, folks.
Joe Corona (Dorados de Sinaloa | MEX): In the 18, DNP.
Desevio Payne (FC Groningen | NED):
Desevio Payne | FC Groningen | Photo courtesy of fcupdate.nl
Started, played 90′ in what was another of the great success stories of the weekend. Payne filled in at LB (RB is his best position), and while he started off a bit shaky, he recovered very well for a strong second half. Minutes for the youngster are good. Really good.
Gedion Zelalem (Rangers | SCO): Entered in the 77′. The talk is that Zelalem has hit a bit of a rough patch in form of late, but hopefully he can work through it. Didn’t have much of an impact in his limited minutes, but wasn’t invisible.
SUNDAY
Tim Howard (Everton | ENG): In the 18, DNP. Cup match, so he was rested. Everton move on.
Cody Cropper (MK Dons | ENG): In the 18, DNP.
NOTES
- Chelsea FC announced over the weekend the transfer of Matt Miazga to the club. They also announced that John Terry will be released at the end of the season. Do these two coincide? Perhaps. Miazga most likely has 6 months to adapt to the game in England or face a loan. One of America’s brightest prospects, this is a huge move for Miazga and by default, the USMNT. After impressing in the last year for the U20’s, USMNT, and RBNY, a lot of hope is resting on his shoulders. The future is now.
- Erik Palmer-Brown has been loaned to FC Porto for one year, Sporting Kansas City announced today. Palmer-Brown is another young, exciting centerback who will benefit from his time in Portugal. FC Porto are a club well known for developing players and finding talent. Palmer-Brown fits the club almost perfectly. He will face a battle for playing time with the first team and will likely feature often for FC Porto B, but the value of the experience is key. Especially given his importance to the next U20 cycle and if Porto opt to purchase him or if Juventus come calling again.
Featured image courtesy of Skysports.com
