Big, bad Brad Friedel posted another victory last weekend as he and Aston Villa kept on rolling.

Friedel was one of few bright spots for Americans Abroad last weekend. How bad were things? Consider this linep of Americans:

------------------------------Jozy Altidore-----------------------------

DaMarcus Beasley-----------Freddy Adu-------------Clint Dempsey

---------------------Michael Bradley---Maurice Edu------------------

Heath Pearce------Jay DeMerit----Jonathan Spector---Frank Simek

-------------------------------Brad Guzan------------------------------

Like that team?

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Big college games, MLS East showdown and a couple of big traditional derbies. All times ET; home teams listed first

TOP FIVE GAMES

- 8 p.m. Fri., Maryland-Wake Forest, Fox Soccer Channel: Consensus top two men's teams in an ACC clash.

- 8 p.m. Fri.

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Attention all U.S. national team fans, if you have seen Clint Dempsey please contact SBI. He has gone missing since returning to Fulham. At least missing on the field.

Dempsey has found a seemingly permanent place on the bench at Fulham, making him one of several key American players to ride the pine last weekend without getting a single minute of action.

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Everton drew, Forest drew and Landon Donovan demolished D.C. But the weird one was over in England, where Reading got a goal even though the ball went well wide. Manager Steve Coppell has offered to replay the game; U.S. keeper Marcus Hahnemann isn't so sure. (BBC)

And a milestone on the U.

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Trying a new format this week that hopefully won't take me so long next week. Feedback welcome. All times ET; home teams listed first

TOP FIVE GAMES

- Friday, 7 p.m.: Notre Dame-St. John's, CSTV XXL: Top-five men's teams clash in the Big East.

- Friday, 8 p.

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This weekend was a memorable one for Americans Abroad as two recent MLS transfers made their European club debuts, while a few other Americans found the net.

Maurice Edu (pictured) made his debut for Glasgow Rangers on Saturday in a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock while U.S. Olympic teammate Jozy Altidore impressed in his La Liga debut for Villarreal.

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Yep, as promised, U.S. international Jonathan Spector becomes the first guest Top 5 Lister in NSC history... wow, when I say it like that, it sounds really important. And so it is. I was all set to drop my own "Top 5 Summer Transfer Winners" when the West Ham defender submitted his picks for the wiliest, craftiest handfuls he's ever had the chance to square up against in competition. Click to continue reading...

I know you're all waiting for info... so am I. When I have something, you'll know first. MINI-UPDATE: I still believe Oguchi Onyewu is on the move as we speak, I'm still digging on this one. There has been some talk of a Jonathan Spector loan move to noted Championship side Nottingham Forest, but I've been unable thus far to pin down his agent so far. Click to continue reading...

Here's a link to an article that contains the U.S. National Team's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago. The squad looks very similar to the recent one that was called up for the Guatemala game and I still would like to see some different players included. I don't really know what is accomplished by including Brian Ching, Eddie Lewis, and Frankie Hejduk. Click to continue reading...

OUR TEAMS

Everton (1-1-0, 10th in Premier League): Home vs. Portsmouth (10 a.m. ET Saturday, Setanta). Who did Portsmouth annoy to get a schedule that starts with Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton? In any case, Everton picked up Ecuadorian midfielder Segundo Castillo on loan from Red Star Belgrade, but the player they're really chasing is Victor Obinna, last seen with Nigeria at the Olympics.

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Here is Jack Bell's article from the New York Times that reviews each player's performance in the game with a rating scale of 1-10, which is commonly done in soccer. To begin, I believe that Jack's ratings vary a bit too much. Its usually pretty rare that players on the same team get a score of 3 and also 8. Click to continue reading...

The US Olympic has played its first warm up matches, and Coach Peter Nowak will be sweating over his lack of options on the back line. Nowak has only four true defenders on the roster, and has played Maurice Edu in the center of defense to make up for the shortfall. One player who might have changed the team's outlook will not represent the US in China. Click to continue reading...

Plenty of Southern California representation on the Olympics roster announced today by Coach Peter Nowak.

Locals include soon-to-be-ex-Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Fontana's Maurice Edu (Toronto) and former Bruins Marvelle Wynne (Toronto), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo) and Benny Feilhaber (Derby County).

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GOALKEEPERS (2): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (7): Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire),
Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

note: final squad yet to be announced


Men's Olympic Group B Schedule

Date Match-up Venue Kickoff (Local/ET) Aug. Click to continue reading...

By JAMES CLARKAn occasional Pardew's Guardian feature leading up to the August kickoff:1) Is George McCartney's position as West Ham's left back secure? The Northern Irishman (pictured above, top) has been an ever-present name in the starting 11 over the last couple of seasons, and deservedly so. Click to continue reading...

Smithfield's own Sergio Flores is seeing success in USL-2 while playing with Baltimore based Crystal Palace USA.

After heading to South America to pursue a professional playing career in Bolivia - and Argentina? - Flores returned to his home state of Utah to take part in RSL's inaugural season in 2005. Click to continue reading...

In the last week speculation has increased that FC Dallas Attacking Midfielder Brek Shea, a standout of recent US Youth National teams and the 2008 MLS Combine has drawn the interest from Alex Ferguson of Manchester United. While this sounds glamorous, Shea would be just the latest youngster plucked from American shores by United in the last several years.

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Here's a partial list of U.S. left backs of the past 10 years:

Jeff Agoos, Chris Albright, Wade Barrett, Gregg Berhalter, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Dan Califf, Bobby Convey, Ramiro Corrales, Todd Dunivant, Frankie Hejduk, Cory Gibbs, Eddie Lewis, John O'Brien, Pearce, Regis, Ryan Suarez, Jonathan Spector and Greg Vanney. Click to continue reading...

U.S. national team defender Jonathan Spector is facing surgery to repair a torn labrum, surgery that could sideline him from three to six months and would force him to miss the Olympics.

If Spector does wind up having surgery, which appears likely, it would be a big blow to the U.

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US vs. England
Wednesday, 3pm ET/12pm PT
TV: ESPN Classic, Galavision (delayed 7pm ET)

England's coach Fabio Capello has named John Terry as captain for tomorrow's match against the USA at Wembley. Terry becomes Capello's third English captain in as many games.

Capello said: "I told him he'll be the captain and he was very, very happy. Click to continue reading...

Tonight is the night. The U.S. Under-23 men's national team can clinch a place in the Olympic Games with a win against Canada. The Americans have a healthy squad and have all hands on deck now that Jonathan Spector has joined the team.

The only question remaining now is who will Peter Nowak start?

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For those of you who may have missed it, Jonathan Spector is in Nashville and ready to take the field for the U.S. national team in its must-win Olympic Qualifying semifinal against Canada on Thursday.

Fresh off his second straight 90-minute performance from West Ham, Spector is expected to slide into a central defense position for the USA and will be called on to neutralize Canadian star striker Will Johnson.

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I get annoyed when I hear fans of the US Soccer program state that we need to put more young players in the English Premier League. Yes, we need to put more players in Europe, but no we do not have to put more young, developiong players in the Premier League. Take the list of players who have gone to Premier League clubs from the US at a young age: Jovan Kirovski, John Thorrington, Frank Simek, Zac Whitebread ,Kenny Cooper, and Jonathan Spector and contrast that with the list of players who have gone to Holland or Germany at a young age: John O'Brien, Gregg Berhalter, DaMarcus Beasley, Cory Gibbs, Steve Cherundolo, Chad Deering, and Michael Bradley.

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Busy weekend for the Yanks Abroad: Danny Szetela dressed but didn't play in Racing Santander's 2-0 win over Osasuna. Michael Bradley scored Heerenveen's first goal in the Frisian's 2-2 tie with FC Utrecht. It's his seventh Eredivisie goal of the season. Damn. Johann Smith didn't dress for Bolton after returning from loan. Click to continue reading...

STANDINGS Saturday, December 8th Portsmouth 3, Aston Villa 1 Pompey is starting to look like the squad I had originally predicted at the beginning of the year. Both Sulley Muntari and Niko Kranjcar have almost full adapted to EPL play and are now driving that midfield to productivity. It was Muntari's day though scoring two in the 40th and 61st minute and putting the [. Click to continue reading...