Liege Ties

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege tied KV Mechelen 0-0 on Sunday. The point keeps Liege 3rd in the Belgian league table. Up next for Liege is a quick turnaround for the UEFA Cup - they face Sampdoria on Thursday. Last week Liege went top of Group C with a 1-0 win over Partizan Belgrade.

Today's highlights: KV Mechelen 0, Standard Liege 0


Thursday's highlights: Partizan Belgrade 0, Standard Liege 1

Altidore Starts as Villarreal Win

Jozy Altidore got the start and went 78 minutes for Villarreal as the Yellow Submarine defeated Recreativo Huelva 2-1. Goals from Santi Carzola and Ariel Ibagaza were the difference as Villarreal moved back into 2nd place in La Liga with the victory. Next up for Villarreal is a match against Getafe next weekend.

Rennes vs. PSG Live on Setanta

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes host PSG in a Ligue 1 clash on Sunday. Rennes put their 13 match unbeaten run on the line against the resurgent side form France's capital, themselves unbeaten in their last three.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that Rennes manager Guy Lacombe is the former gaffer for PSG. He left in January before coming to Rennes. Since then, PSG has turned around significantly, and they currently lie in 6th in the table, level with Rennes on 26 points.

You can tune in to see Bocanegra and Rennes in action, as the game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET live on Setanta.

Fulham Grab Another Away Result

Fulham stoically held on for another road draw on Saturday, digging in to earn a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.

The tie marked Fulham's second consecutive away draw against tough opposition, after the Cottagers tied Liverpool last weekend.

Clint Dempsey went the full 90 minutes for Fulham, and earned a yellow card in the fourth minute. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan was in his customary position of backup for the hosts, though he could be back on the field in midweek when Aston Villa take on MSK Zilina in the UEFA Cup.

Another American goalkeeper, Brad Friedel, added another award to his already storied career thanks to his appearance in Saturday's game. Friedel broke the record for consecutive starts in the Premier League, when he took the field for the 167th consecutive time against Fulham.

For Nancy Armour's article on both Brads (Friedel and Guzan) at Aston Villa, click here.

Next up for Fulham is a return to Craven Cottage to take on Manchester City next Saturday.




Picture from soccernet.com

San Luis Down after One Leg

Despite ending the season at the top of the Primera División table, Michael Orozco and San Luis was unable to hold off reigning champions Santos Laguna in their first match of the 2008 Apertura quarterfinal series at Estadio Coronoa in Torreón, Coahuila. Santos was without injured Christian Benitez, and replaced him with Cuauhtémoc Blanco, on loan from the Chicago Fire. Santos scored first, on an own goal that went off Oscar Mascorro’s head in the 17th minute. Santos scored again in the 34th minute and San Luis cute the lead in half in the 44th, but was unable to come back as the Guerreros sealed the 3-1 scoreline in the 78th minute.



Next, the San Luis will host Santos, and they will do it without head coach Raúl Arias on the sidelines. Arias as suspended for two matches for arguing with the referees. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 29.

Wigan 1, Everton 0

Tim Howard and Everton were defeated by Wigan on Monday night, with a Henri Camara goal separating the two sides at the JJB stadium. You can see first half highlights here, and second half highlights here.

Timmy on TV

Tim Howard and Everton take on Wigan this afternoon in Monday's Premier League action. If you're looking for a reason to take a long lunch, well now you have it. The game is being shown life on Setanta, so head over to your nearest Official U.S. Soccer Bar to catch the midday action.

Rennes Extend Unbeaten Run

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes extended their unbeaten run in France to 13 games, courtesy of a 1-1 draw away to Bordeaux. Next up for Carlos and Co. is PSG. The teams are in 4th and 5th in Ligue 1, separated by just a point, and both teams are in excellent form. PSG just dispatched league leaders Lyon 1-0 over the weekend.

Liverpool 0, Fulham 0

Fulham traveled to Anfield this weekend and came away with a 0-0 draw.

Clint Dempsey played 85 minutes in the match, as Fulham spoiled Fernando Torres' return to the starting lineup for Liverpool.

In other Fulham news, Eddie Johnson, on loan to Cardiff, played 90 minutes in Cardiff City's 2-1 loss to Plymouth in the English Championship.

Next up for Fulham is a trip to Villa Park to meet a tough Aston Villa side with Brad Guzan.



Picture courtesy of fulhamfc.com

Liege One Point Back

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege beat Mouscron 3-1 over the weekend to keep pace with Club Brugge in the Belgian League. Up next for Liege is a trip to Serbia to take on Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Cup.

Saturday Results

• Clint Dempsey and Fulham earned a 0-0 draw at Anfield against Liverpool. Dempsey started and played 85 minutes as Fulham earned a point against the side placed 2nd in the Premier League table.
• Tough day in the Bundesliga for our guys: Michael Bradley and Borussia Möchengladbach fell 3-1 to Schalke 04, while Steve Cherundolo and Hannover lost 4-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt.
• In Scotland, DaMarcus Beasley came off the bench as Rangers beat Aberdeen 2-0. Beas spoke to SkySports.com before the match.
  

San Luis Set to Begin Playoffs

On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 5 p.m. CT, Michael Orozco and San Luis will travel to Torreón, Coahuila, to face off against Santos Laguna in the first leg of the 2008 Apertura quarterfinals. San Luis heads into the quarterfinals, not only at the head of Group 3, but also at the top of the overall Primera División table, with 29 points at the end of the regular season. San Luis and Santos have met only once in Apertura 2008, resulting in a 2-2 draw in the second to last regular season game.

As a defender, Orozco may face off against a new face in the Santos attack, as Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco has been loaned out to Santos for the Liguilla. San Luis will host the return leg at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 29.

If you haven't noticed yet, Orozco is nominated for U.S. Soccer's Young Male Athlete of the Year Award, along with Robbie Rogers, Maurice Edu, Stu Holden, Marvell Wynne, and Sacha Kljestan. Head over the 2008 Best Of Blog to cast your ballot.

Picture courtesy of isiphotos.com

Back to the Grind

The international break is over, which means the Global Blog is back in operation! Here's what's going on this weekend:

• Bayern Munich are reportedly set to bring Landon Donovan to the Allianz Arena in a loan deal similar to David Beckham's at AC Milan. According to Soccernet, Donovan will join Bayern on Jan. 2 and stay at the club until mid march. Here's a photo gallery from this week's training at Munich and also a short article from Bayern's website about Landon. (picture courtesy of fcbayern.t-com)
• Clint Dempsey and Fulham head to Anfield to take on Liverpool on Saturday. Fulham will be fighting history when they take the field this weekend; they've never won in any competition at Anfield. However, Fulham's recent form has been good, and they'll look to get at least something from the tough game. If you remember, Clint Dempsey scored his first Fulham goal against Liverpool back in May of 2007.
• Borussia Mönchengladbach and Michael Bradley fought back for a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich last week, and they'll look to transition some of that momentum into this weekend's game with Schalke 04. Shalke have lost two games in a row, while 'Gladbach are attempting to claw their way up the Bundesliga table. They're now just two points behind Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96, who take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
• Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes take on Bordeaux in a high profile matchup between two clubs separated by one point in the Ligue 1 table. Rennes are the in-form team in the French top flight, but manager Guy Lacombe has warned his side not to get carried away with their recent run of good results.
• The absence of Joseba Llorente means there could be a bit of time for Jozy Altidore when Villarreal take on Valladolid on Saturday.
  

Freddy and Carlos Face Off in France

Over in Ligue 1 today, Rennes inflicted a 2-1 defeat on visiting AS Monaco. Carlos Bocanegra went 90 minutes for Rennes, who extended their impressive unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to 12 games. They're also up to third place in the league, five points behind leaders Lyon. Freddy Adu entered the game in the 68th minute for Monaco, who face Le Mans at home next weekend.

Pachuca Ties Atlas, Needs Help to Make Playoffs

Pachuca and Jose Torres tied Atlas yesterday, which means that qualification for the playoff is out of Los Tuzos' hands. They need Santos to lose by more than two goals today, so stay tuned to see what happens...

Dempsey back in Starting Lineup as Fulham Win

Clint Dempsey was in the starting lineup for Fulham as the Cottagers defeated in-form Tottenham 2-1 at Craven Cottage. Dempsey was inserted into the starting 11 and made an impact early as Tottenham goalkeeper Gomes was forced to make a save from Clint's long range drive.

Later in the first half, Tottenham's Gomes was at fault for some shocking goalkeeping to let Fulham open the scoring. In the second half, the Cottagers continued to have the better of the exchanges, and the home side extended its lead through Andy Johnson in the 70th minute.



A late Tottenham consoloation goal was not enough to trouble Fulham, who moved up to 9th place in the Premier League with the win. All five of Fulham's wins in the league have come at Craven Cottage. Watch manager Roy Hodgson talk about Fulham's win here.

Elsewhere in England, Marcus Hahnemann and Reading defeated Sheffield Utd. 2-0, Eddie Johnson played 90 minutes in Cardif's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, and Jay DeMerit and Watford fell 2-1 to Barnsley.

Bradley on the Mark in Germany

Michael Bradley opened his Bundesliga account as Borussia Monchengladach fought back for a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Bradley started the game in midfield for 'Gladbach, who went behind early to a Luca Toni goal. Bayern added to their lead in the 65th minute courtesy of a penalty from Frank Ribery.

'Gladbach fought back though, and Rob Friend halved the deficit in the 79th minute. Just two minutes later the score was level with Bradley nodding home the equalizer from close range. Bradley got forward well throughout the game, and his goal marked his first for 'Gladbach.

The result keeps 'Gladbach in 14th place, while Bayern slip three points behind Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen.

Here's what Michael had to say about the game:

"The team has earned a point and we have really worked hard today. At the end to come back and get that tie was a great feeling. We never stopped running, working or fighting and it was a good result in such a great atmosphere"

In other German action, Steve Cherundolo and Hannover tied Bochum 1-1 on Friday.

Full highlights of 'Gladbach taking on Bayern Munich:


Picture via soccernet.com

Mexican Apertura Enters Tense Final Weekend

It's the final weekend of Apertura 2008 in Mexico, and only three teams - Michael Orozco's San Luis included - have qualified for the Liguilla. It's coming down to the wire, as 11 teams still have a shot at reaching the playoffs. The top two teams from each of the three six-team groups qualify, along with the two best third-place teams.

San Luis qualified for the post-season two games ago, and currently lead the league table with 29 points, three ahead of second-place Pumas. A win against Toluca would solidify their place at the top, ensuring home field advantage in each post-season series. Their biggest task will be to overcome the apparent "Curse of the League Leader," as the team that has finished in first place during the regular season hasn't won the league title since Mexico switched to the short tournament format in 1996.

Jose Torres and Pachuca, however, are playing for all the marbles in their match against Atlas (which kicks off at 8 p.m. et), as they currently sit in third place in Group 1 with 20 points behind the already qualifed Atlante, who has 26 points, and Santos Laguna, who has 21 points. Right at their heels in fourth place is Indios of Ciudad Juarez, who have 19 points and are also trying to qualify. In Group 2, Cruz Azul are on the doorstep of claiming one of the two best third-place spots as they lead Jaguares in their final match. Over in Group 3, Tigres are in the driver's seat for the other berth as they sit in third place with 23 points.

Preview in England

Clint Dempsey and Fulham host resurgent Tottenham at Craven Cottage. Fulham have won their most recent two games at home, and a win this weekend would give them three home wins on the trot for the first time in two years. The Cottagers are unbeaten in their last six home games against Spurs and last year's 3-3 game in the corresponding fixture featured Clint Dempsey opening the scoring for Fulham.

Tim Howard and Everton put their four match unbeaten streak on the line against Middlesborough (also unbeaten in four) at Goodison Park. For the ambitious ones among you there are still some seats available.

Jay DeMerit and struggling Watford host Barnsley in the Championship. Watford managed a 1-0 win over Swansea in the Carling Cup midweek, but their league form has been poor and they'll look to get back on track with an important away game on Saturday. In other action, Eddie Johnson and Cardiff host Crystal Palace, while Marcus Hahnemann and Reading face off with Sheffield Utd. in a match between teams placed three and four, respectively, in the Championship table.

Gooch Goes on in Cup

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege needed a shootout to see off KV Courtral in the Belgian League Cup. Next up for Liege is KSC Lokeren in the Belgian League on Sunday.

Pass the Time on Thursday

The Global Blog knows that you're just trying to grind out the hours until Friday so here are a few things to pass the time:

- Landon Donovan is still in Germany training with Bayern Munich. Here are a really long video taken from training. Really long.

- Speaking of Bayern Munich, they're playing Borussia Monchengladbach this weekend as one of Germany's biggest rivalries gets renewed for the first time this year. Back in the 1970s, these two teams dueled for Bundesliga supremacy on more than one occasion so Saturday's match could make for an interesting throwback. Michael Bradley could be in line to play for 'Gladbach, who jumped out of the relegation zone with last weekend's win.'Gladbach meanwhile got a boost with players returning from injury.

- In cup reults, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes were eliminated from the French Cup by Le Havre. Villarreall and Jozy Altidore met the same fate over in the Spanish Copa del Rey.

Midweek Cup Action

There's league cup action around Europe today, which means a few of our guys are suiting up for some games. Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes look to keep up their fine form of late with a Round of 16 game against Le Havre.

In the Copa del Rey, Jozy Altidore and Villarreal have lots to do as they try to overturn a five goal first leg deficit against Club Polideportivo Ejido.

In Scotland, Rangers are playing a midweek SPL game against Motherwell at Fir Park Stadium. In cup news, the draw for the semifinals of the Scottish Cup have just been made, and the Old Firm has been separated in to different halves, with Rangers taking on Falkirk and Celtic facing Dundee United.

Recent Highlights from Germany

Michael Bradley and 'Gladbach earned a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld this weekend, here are some highlights from the game:

Season Done in Sweden

Hammarby concluded their Swedish Allsvenskanliga season with a 5-2 loss to IFK Norrkoping on Sunday. Despite two quick goals from Charlie Davies, Hammarby eventually capitulated and gave up five unanswered goals to mark a disappointing end to a season where they finished 9th in the league.

On the bright side, Davies finished with an impressive 14 goals, tying him with Henrik Larsson of Helsingborg (yes, that Henrik Larsson) for fourth best in the league. While we couldn't find video of Davies' goals from this weekend we did find this really sweet video somebody made of Charlie in FIFA 09. Big props for the soundtrack choice too.

Donovan in Deutschland

Landon Donovan is keeping busy in the offseason by heading over to Germany for a 10-day training period with Bayern Munich. "I know Landon from my time with LA Galaxy," said Bayern head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to the club's website.

Klinsmann calls Southern California home and famously took the job coaching the German national team while still living abroad in the States. Donovan, who will use the visit to keep in shape during the MLS offseason, joins Bayern as they are in the midst of preparing for the traditionally busy buildup to the holiday period. The German giants next face Michael Bradley and Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday Nov. 15.

Picture courtesy of Bayern's official website. You can also read the full article about Donovan's arrival (in German) here.

100 Games and a Record for Howard

Tim Howard's appearance in Everton's 3-1 win over West Ham on Saturday marked his 100th game for the Merseyside club. In addition to achieving the century mark, Howard also wrote his name in the record book with an interesting achievement for his club: he's the first Everton goalkeeper to average less than a goal a game over his first 100 games.

As you can see from this nifty chart (from Everton's official club website) Howard just comes in under the 1 GAA mark and he's even done a few better than Wales and Everton legend Neville Southall. Below is a list of the top Everton keepers over 100 games with appearances followed by (goals conceded).

• Tim Howard - 100 (99)
• Neville Southall - 100 (102)
• George Wood - 100 (108)
• Gordon West - 100 (113)

Of course, Howard would be the first to tell you that he still has a long way to go, especially if he wants to come anywhere close Southall's amazing tally of 750 games for Everton, a club record.
"Neville is a legend and the reason he's a legend is because he did it over a long period of time," Howard told Everton's website. "I've got a long way to go, I know that. But I hope that I can stay consistent, stay here for a long time and do it with this club."

Premier League Highlights

Tim Howard played 90 minutes in Everton's 3-1 victory over West Ham United:


Clint Dempsey came on as a second half sub in Fulham's 2-1 win over Newcastle:

Weekend Results

In England, Tim Howard and Everton earned a 3-1 win over West Ham. Clint Dempsey came on as a second half sub to help Fulham grind out a 2-1 win over Newcastle at Craven Cottage.

Over in Germany, Hannover 96 and Steve Cherundolo fell 2-1 to FC Köln on Friday but it was better news for 'Gladbach this weekend, as Michael Bradley's club earned a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld.

In France, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes are up to fourth after a 3-0 win over St. Etienne on Sunday. Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege got back to winning ways in Belgium with a 3-1 win over GBA.



We'll be back later with more weekend highlights from around the world...

Weekend Preview

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes look to continue their climb up the Ligue 1 table when they face St. Etienne this weekend. Storied club St. Etienne are in the midst of a shocking season, and their coach has been given two games to effectively save his job. For Rennes, times are good and they're unbeaten in five consecutive Ligue 1 games. Carlos Bocanegra took time to talk to FIFA.com about the transition at his new club and the U.S.' good start to World Cup qualifying. You can read the full article here.

Borussia Monchengladbach are without seven players ahead of this weekend's game against Arminia Bielefeld. Fortunately Michael Bradley is not one of those injured players and he is fit for 'Gladbach, as they look to stop a two game skid on Saturday.

In England, Everton and Tim Howard travel to London on Saturday to face struggling West Ham. Across the city, Clint Dempsey and Fulham play host to Newcastle on Sunday.

UEFA Cup Roundup

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Sevilla. Gooch played all 90 minutes for Standard, who next face Germinal Beerschot in the Belgian league on Sunday.



Meanwhile, Aston Villa battled for a 1-0 victory over Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic. Brad Guzan started for Villa, making nine saves in the win. It was Guzan's first appearance in the UEFA Cup for Aston Villa and his first clean sheet for the club. Martin O'Neill praised the team's performance, and Guzan chipped in with some comments of his own to SkySports.com. "We did a great job in terms of commitment and defending as a unit," said Guzan. You can read the whole article here.

Following the win, O'Neill spoke to the BBC about Guzan's potential, you can read that article here.



Aston Villa next take on Middlesbrough on Sunday in the Premier League.

Picture courtesy of avfc.co.uk, Aston Villa's official website.

Enter the Worm

Brad Guzan has been given the start tonight in Aston Villa's UEFA Cup game against Sparta Prague. Guzan makes his second appearance for Villa - his only previous game came in the League cup. At halftime, Villa is leading Sparta Prague 1-0, and you can follow live text updates here.

UEFA Cup Thursday

Lots of UEFA Cup action today, with Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege hosting Sevilla in Group C action. It is an interesting time for both teams: Sevilla are enduring their worst run in over a year, having lost their last three games in all competitions. For Gooch and Standard, they've slipped to fourth place in the Belgian Jupiler League, a position of unusual depth for last season's champions. Both teams are looking for a result tonight, Follow the match live from 2:30 ET on UEFA.com.

Pachuca Ties Tecos

In Mexico's Primera Division, Pachuca played Tecos to a 2-2 draw. Jose Torres started for Pachuca, who next face Chiapas on Nov. 8.

Howard Talks Long Throw-Ins

In case you've missed it the past few weeks, Rory Delap's long throw-ins for Stoke City have been taking the Premier League by storm. Stoke, promoted from the Championship last year, overthrew Arsenal this weekend, beating the Gunners 2-1 at the Brittania Stadium.



Tim Howard and Everton learned about Stoke City's not-so-secret weapon earlier in the year, with Delap's throw-ins leading to two goals when the teams met in September. Everton came back to win that game 3-2, and Tim Howard took time to talk to Everton's website about how tough it is to deal with the long throw. Read the whole article here.

High Level Competition

Thanks to Steven Goff's blog, we were made aware this morning that English magazine FourFourTwo is publishing their list of the top 100 players, and revealed their top 10:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
3. Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
4. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
5. Kaka (AC Milan)
6. David Villa (Valencia)
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan)
8. Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)
9. Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
10. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

("I'd take them on my team," is what Carlos Bocanegra told the Global Blog this morning.)

The list got our intellectual curiosity stirring, and we were able to determine that eight of these ten players have at least one thing in common. We'll save you the suspense.

Since Aug. of 2007, the U.S. national team has played against eight of the players on the list in international competition. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has not suited up against the U.S., while David Villa served as an unused sub in the match against Spain on June 4 in Santander. In the last two years, the U.S. has played against four teams that were ranked in the top 10 in the world at the time of the matches.

"It's great for us to be playing against such high quality competition," said Bocanegra. "When you get a chance to test yourself, you get a reality check about where you stand, and it provides a great challenge. The fact that we are getting quality games against the best teams around the world also speaks well of the United States and the respect that our team is earning."

Beasley and Rangers Looking for More

DaMarcus Beasley, who came on as a sub in the 5-0 victory over Inverness on Saturday, spoke to Sky Sports yesterday, and you can read the full article here. Beas noted that, while Rangers' demolition of Inverness reflected a good performance, gaining points will always the most important goal in any game. Rangers are in SPL action tonight, taking on Dundee Utd. at Ibrox.

Picture courtesy of SkySports.com

Longer Highlights from Villarreal's Win

Here are some longer highlights from Villarreal's win over Atl. Bilbao this weekend. Jozay Altidore came on as a late second half sub to score his first goal for his club.

Rennes Climbing up the Table

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes are up to sixth in the Ligue 1 table, after 1 -0 defeat of Sochaux this weekend. Bocanegra went the full 90 minutes for his club, and was booked in the 16th minute. Rennes take on St. Etienne next.

Everton vs. Fulham Highlights

Here are some highlights from Everton's 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday. In case you missed it as well, former Everton and Fulham player Brian McBride offered his thoughts up to evertonfc.com ahead of Saturday's game.

Bundesliga Results

In Germany, Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 pulled off a big 3-0 upset over Hamburg. Cherundolo played the full ninety minutes for Hannover who take on 1.FC Köln on Friday.

Michael Bradley and Borussia Monchengladbach succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. Bradley entered the game as a second half substitute. Next up for 'Gladbach is Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday, Nov. 8.


1-2 Borussia Mgladbach vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Goa… - MyVideo

In the 2.Bundesliga, Heath Pearce entered the game as a second half sub for Hansa Rostock, but his club eventually lost to RW Oberhauson.

Saturday Results

Tim Howard and Everton continued their good run of form with a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham. Howard made three saves in the victory, while Clint Dempsey came on as a late sub for Fulham.

In Spain, Villarreal bounced back from their midweek loss in the Copa del Rey, beating Athletic Bilbao 4-1. Jozy Altidore entered the game as a second half sub, and put the finishing touches on Villarreal's win by grabbing his first goal in Europe. Altidore entered the game in the 90th minute, and just seconds later he popped up in the area to finish a good attacking move.



In action from last night, Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to SC Charleroi in the Belgian top flight.