The USA announced their roster for the Cuba match, to be played at RFK Stadium on 10/11/08.  With advancement to the next round close to a sure thing, Bradley has taken a few more risks (well...I'd be happy to debate anyone on how "risky" they actually are) and called in some younger players.  I, for [. Click to continue reading...

Gooch put in a strong 90 minutes as Liege advanced to the UEFA Group Stage at the expense of Tim Howard and the Toffees.  The American matched up very strongly against Louis Saha and Yakubu and fought through a nose bleed in the final minutes to secure his teams win. My Thoughts: Great result for Onyewu [. Click to continue reading...

The American presence in the EPL continues to diminish by the week, and this time around Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard takes a few lumps.


DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu Rangers
Vs. Partick Thistle (Beasley 48 minutes, 1 assist)
Vs. Hibernian (DNP)
Beasley proved to be crucial in Wednesday's CIS Insurance Cup fixture as he set up the extra time winner against Partick. Click to continue reading...

Its Yank vs. Yank when Tim Howard and Everton travel to Liege to take on Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege, while Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes travel to Holland to finish the job against Twente in UEFA Cup action. Click to continue reading...

Everton FC has an Umbro Limited Edition Pink Short Sleeved 2008/09 Woman's Shirt. Buying this stylish shirt and allows the club and its fans to raise money for the Breast Cancer Campaign charity. 10% from the sale of this product will be donated to Breast Cancer Campaign (a charity registered in England). Click to continue reading...

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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Reina
Arbeloa Skrtel Carragher Dossena
Kuyt Alonso Gerrard Riera
Torres Keane

Goals:
Torres 59' 63'

Just as promised: hands up, I was wrong. Liverpool deployed the 4-4-2, with Alonso for Mascherano because of injury the only deviation from my guess at a squad, and Liverpool leave Goodison two-nil winners thanks to the genius of Fernando Torres. Click to continue reading...

This is one of those weekends that make you happy to be a soccer fan.

One of those weekends when the stars align and the European soccer schedules come together to give you a full menu of intense match-ups and can't-miss rivalries. It is Derby Weekend this weekend, with Milan, Liverpool and Barcelona treating us to the best their cities have to offer.

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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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The LB/Sideline View Readers vote for the 2008 Honda Player of the Year is in. I just sent my vote over, about 11 hours before the polls close.

If our readers' opinions are any indications, a certain English-based player will win in a landslide.

There were 26 first-place votes submitted - 18 of them were for Tim Howard. Click to continue reading...

Ballots are due very soon for the Honda Player of the Year award, given to the top U.S. men's player. That's a tough call considering that we're halfway through the games that count (qualifiers).

My ballot went as follows:

1st: Tim Howard. Bob Bradley's defense-first approach relies heavily on him to be perfect.

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Freddy got a start today and went 69 minutes for Monaco as they lost 1-0 to PSG in the French League Cup.  He played as a striker and by all accounts looked strong in attack.  He made sharp runs in the offensive third that unfortunately often went unrewarded by his teammates, as he was caught [...] Click to continue reading...

Tim Howard remains unbeaten on the road while a bizarre gaffe saw Reading being gifted a goal that missed the target by 12 feet against Watford. Click to continue reading...

James.. 18 hour COD4 session before Man City game?

The quality shot metric is a useful tool for analysing goalkeeper performance. It rewards keepers who face a greater percentage of close range shots and penalises those who face a succession of hopeful long range efforts.

Scott Carson is one notable beneficiary of more accurately assessing the type of shots keepers face. Click to continue reading...

Brad Friedel and Tim Howard continue to rack up the minutes in England, but their compatriots (see Dempsey, Edu and Johnson) can't seem to get a sniff...


Jay DeMerit, Watford

DeMerit had a terrible Tuesday as his hand ball in the box lead to the winning goal for Plymouth. Click to continue reading...

Not from me -- I'm not in a place where I can watch Setanta -- but from ToffeeWeb.

Informative stuff, though the current situation is not good for Tim Howard and company.

Click to continue reading...

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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Tim Howard look to continue their winning streak away from Goodison Park while Ian Joyce is set to make his professional debut for Southend United. Click to continue reading...

Busy day for me -- some behind-the-scenes work and Friday's story on the Galaxy.

COMING TODAY (all times p.m. ET, home teams listed first)

- UEFA Cup on TV, with a big game for Americans on FSC (all times p.m. ET):

Besiktas-Metalist, 1:30, Setanta
Tottenham-Wisla Krakow, 3, FSC
Napoli-Benfica, 3, Setanta Premium
Lorraine-Motherwell, 3:30, Setanta
Everton-Standard Liege, 5, FSC (delay -- yes, that's Tim Howard vs.

Click to continue reading...

What gives? Brad Friedel and Tim Howard are the only two Americans getting regular time in England. At least the pair of Yanks at Rangers are showing well. Click to continue reading...

Picture via Sky Sports Tim Cahill comes to the rescue again as Stoke City's set piece defending comes back to haunt them as despite coming back to level at two thanks to Rory Delap's throws, Everton leave the Britannia Stadium 3-2 winners. One goal from open play, four set piece goals, and an extremely entertaining game at [. Click to continue reading...

Mixed results for Americans in England as Reading and Watford continue to struggle on the road, while Tim Howard and Everton snatch three points in Stoke. Click to continue reading...

Picture via Sky Sports

Tim Cahill comes to the rescue again as Stoke City's set piece defending comes back to haunt them as despite coming back to level at two thanks to Rory Delap's throws, Everton leave the Britannia Stadium 3-2 winners.

One goal from open play, four set piece goals, and an extremely entertaining game at the Britannia Stadium.

Click to continue reading...

Tim Howard and Everton welcome new boys Stoke City, while the last Fulham Yank standing, Clint Dempsey welcomes Bolton to Craven Cottage in English soccer action. Click to continue reading...

Photo by ISIphotos.com

You wanted more goals? Check.

You wanted a dominating victory? Check.

You wanted to see Michael Bradley have a great game? Check.

You wanted to see Eddie Johnson play well?

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Tim Howard and US Men's National Team got a new record sixth-straight shutout against Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday evening in in Bridgeview, Illinois. Click to continue reading...

Sporadic commentary will follow ...

USA lineup: GK Tim Howard, D Carlos Bocanegra, D Oguchi Onyewu, D Steve Cherundolo, D Heath Pearce, M Clint Dempsey, M DaMarcus Beasley, M Michael Bradley, M Sacha Kljestan, F Landon Donovan, F Brian Ching.

On the bench: GK Brad Guzan, D Frankie Hejduk, D Dan Califf, M Ricardo Clark, M Eddie Lewis, M Maurice Edu, F Eddie Johnson

Not playing: D Michael Orozco, D Marvell Wynne

Not called in: M/F Freddy Adu, F Jozy Altidore, D Jimmy Conrad, etc.

Click to continue reading...

The U.S. national team is back on home soil after posting a pair of road wins to kick off CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. The Americans face Trinidad & Tobago tonight in a match-up of the top two teams in Group A (ESPN2/Galavision, 8pm).

The U.S. team has mustered a pair of 1-0 victories on the road, but will expect a more wide-open encounter from a Trinidad & Tobago side that has scored four goals in its first two matches (a win and a tie).

Click to continue reading...

Its sort of a slow news day (or week rather) in MLS. Tonight we have our third World Cup qualifier in Chicago against Trinidad and Tobago. The question is going into this game, who will Bob Bradley start? Keep some of the same from the Cuba game or change things up a bit at home? Both [...] Click to continue reading...

It's your call, you get to be Bob Bradley for a day, what would you do?  Who would you start?  What lineup would be most effective in getting the 3 points, and in the process hopefully more than one goal. Here's the Roster you can choose from: GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 2/2 SO), Tim Howard (Everton [. Click to continue reading...

Reuters Photo

Three points is three points I suppose. But tonight's game unlike last months qualifier in Guatemala City has me very concerned about the state of play regarding the US Team. Against a side that in its own stadium last month gave up three relatively quick goals to Trinidad and Tobago, the US had to grind out a result again dependent on some clutch goalkeeping and quite frankly some mistakes by the Cuban team.

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I look forward to seeing all of you in Chicago on Wednesday night!!

~and~

Michael Essien has blown out his ACL while playing for Ghana, and will be out for at least the rest of 2008. Details from the BBC.

~and~

World Cup Champion Italian flopper Fabio Grosso on the dive he took in the Penalty Box against Australia in the last World Cup: "Instinctively, despite the fatigue, I forced myself to drive into the opposing box and, I swear this is true even though many people don't believe it, the Australian player caught me totally deliberately with his shoulder and I went down. Click to continue reading...

It was not pretty. It was not entertaining. It was a little nerve wracking. But it was one goal and a win for the USA in Cuba. 6 points from 2 games on the road is a good thing. But please, let's get the motor running. OK? Is that too much to ask?

~and~

Adam Spangler of This is American Soccer delivers Part 1 of a 5 part indepth story/interview with Clint Dempsey. Click to continue reading...

Anyone thinking that winning games on the road in World Cup qualifying isn't as tough as people say might want to reconsider after last weekend.

Skeptics might want to ask France (pictured), which was thrashed by Austria (ranked 90 spots below the French in the FIFA rankings).

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2007/8 Review

Everton enjoyed another very good season under the stewardship of David Moyes, flirting with Champions League qualification for much of the campaign before finishing fifth. This was despite Everton allowing opponents more attempts on goal than they themselves created. The Toffees were able to overcome this imbalance thanks to some very sharp finishing from their strikers, dead ball prowess, and excellent goalkeeping from American Tim Howard. Click to continue reading...