Around the Continent...

Friday's Bundesliga game kicks off a full slate of European league games this weekend. In fact, the action got under way elsewhere this afternoon as well with Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege taking on Anderlecht in the Belgian League. That game finished in a 0-0 stalemate, and as a result, Standard climb to the top of the table for now.

Saturday, Jonathan Spector and West Ham United travel across London to Stamford Bridge where they will take on Chelsea in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff. That's lunchtime in England of course, and here that game will be on bright and early Saturday morning. Be sure to set your alarms for the 7:30 a.m. ET kickoff on Setanta.

Later on Saturday morning, Tim Howard minds the nets for Everton as his club travels to Fratton Park to take on Portsmouth. Both sides are in excellent form, with Portsmouth unbeaten in their last five matches, and Everton's only blemish coming from their 2-1 defeat in the Merseyside Derby. Kickoff is a 10:00 a.m. ET, and you can follow text updates here, or catch the delayed broadcast at 2:30 p.m. ET on Setanta.

At the same time, Reading travel to Middlesbrough and Derby County make the journey north to Sunderland. Both these games would seem to have significant implications for the relegation battle this season, as all four of these teams reside in the lower half of the standings. Derby, led by new manager Paul Jewell, will be looking to climb off the foot of the table against a Sunderland side that was thrashed by Everton last weekend. Benny Feilhaber will hope to make it two appearances in a row following his substitute cameo against Chelsea. For Reading, Bobby Convey tallied an assist in last weekends heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Manchester City, and will likely retain his place in the starting 11 along with goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. Neither of these games are televised live, but the Reading game can be seen on FSC at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The other big game on Saturday is in Portugal, where Freddy Adu and second place Benfica host first place FC Porto at the Estadio da Luz. Both clubs are undefeated in the Portuguese League, though Benfica are four points behind the leaders.

On Sunday, Heerenveen and Michael Bradley play away to NEC Nijmegen. Last time out, Heereveen lost for the first time in five matches against De Graafschap, but they still remain in fourth place in the table. To continue their pursuit for a UEFA Cup berth, they'll need to earn a win against an NEC side who have lifted themselves off the bottom of the table in recent weeks.

And finally, Monday afternoon action pits Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Fulham against Champions Manchester United. The game is televised live on Setanta, with coverage beginning at 2 pm ET. We'll have more for you throughout the weekend, so make sure to keep checking back here for the latest highlights and results...

Friday Bundesliga: Hansa Rostock v Hannover 96

The News: Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 travel to face Hansa Rostock and Heath Pearce in Bundesliga action on Friday. The game will be televised live at 2:30 pm ET on Gol TV.

Of Note: Hannover 96 is coming off of a tough loss against Schalke 04 last week and will look to get their charge for a European place back on track. Meanwhile Hansa Rostock have slipped down the table of late, but they are undefeated in their last five games at home. Cherundolo missed this past weekend's game due to lingering effects from an ankle injury sustained against South Africa, however he should return for today's game. On Sunday, Heath Pearce came on as a second half sub for Rostock who fell, 2-0, to Hamburg.

Up Next: The game kicks off at 2:30 pm ET. As we mentioned, its being shown live on Gol TV, and you can read a match preview here.

DAN CALIFF (AALBORG BK)

The News: Dan Califf and AaB endured a tough 3-2 loss away to Tottenham last night.

Of Note: AaB stormed out to a 2-0 lead, but were unable to hold out in the second half. Three goals from Tottenham in the second period condemned the Danish side to their first loss in the UEFA Cup.

Up Next: For the next match in the UEFA Cup, AaB host Getafe on December 6 at 2:45 pm ET. A result in that match is imperative for Califf and his club, who have only one point thus far in Group G.

UEFA Cup: Tottenham vs. Aalborg BK

The News: Dan Califf and AaB face Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur tonight at White Hart Lane. And here's a question for all you people that slaughter our trivia in the MNT Blog: have you ever seen Dan Califf play for his club team? We're guessing no, but today you can right that egregious wrong! That's right, FSC will be airing this game starting today at 2:30 pm ET so be sure to take a long lunch hour and catch some of the action.

Of Note: AaB drew their first and only match against Anderlecht, while Tottenham have won one and lost one thus far in Group G play. The two clubs have never met before in a UEFA tournament, and AaB will be looking to continue their improbable run through this year's competition. The Danish side were the unfashionable choice in the last round against Sampdoria, but after eliminating them, and tying Anderlecht in their opening match of the group stage, AaB see no reason to believe why their good form can't continue. Last time out for Tottenham, new manager Juande Ramos commandeered a 2-0 away win for Spurs over Hapoel Tel-Aviv in his first UEFA Cup match.

Up Next: The match kicks off at 2:45 pm ET, and you can read previews of it here and here. If you're unlucky enough to not be near a TV this afternoon, you can also follow along with live text updates at UEFA.com.

Injury Update

DaMarcus Beasley has been ruled out for the rest of the season after scans revealed signficant knee ligament damage. The injury was sustained in Tuesday's Champions League game, when Beasley collided with Stuttgart goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer early in the second half. Beas' speed and pinpoint accuracy on set pieces will be missed by manager Walter Smith, who will now need to find reliable cover on the flanks of Rangers attack for the next five months.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu and Benfica were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League witha 1-1 draw against AC Milan.

Of Note: Adu came off the bench in the 88th minute, but couldn't find the late game heroics his side needed to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage. Benfica still retain hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup, but in order to achieve that feat, they'll have to beat Shakhtar Donetsk on the final day.






Up Next: Benfica face two massive games in quick succession, when they host league leaders Porto on Saturday before traveling to Ukraine on Tuesday to face Shakhtar.

New Manager at Derby

Eddie Lewis and Benny Feilhaber have a new manager at Derby Country, after Paul Jewell was appointed to the position earlier today. The former Wigan man replaces Billy Davies, who departed the club on Monday afternoon. Jewell will now prep the squad ahead of Saturday's massive game against Sunderland. Read about the new hire here.

Champions League: Benfica vs. AC Milan

The News: Freddy Adu and Benfica host AC Milan at the Estadio da Luz in a vital game for the Portuguese side.

Of Note: Benfica have yet to lose in the Portuguese league, where they currently sit in second place, but they haven't managed to transition domestic success to the bigger stage of the Champions League. With only one win from three games, Jose Antonio Camacho's side is rooted to the foot of the Group D table. Yet there is still a fair amount of hope, as the Eagles are only three points away from second place. Any kind of result against AC Milan tonight would set the tone for rest of Benfica's charge toward the second round. Freddy Adu scored during his club's 3-1 victory this weekend, and he'll hope to get on the field for tonight's big game.
Up Next: The match kicks off at 2:45 ET. You can read previews of the match here and here, and follow along live text updates at UEFA.com.

DAMARCUS BEASLEY (RANGERS)

The News: Beasley was injured during Rangers' 3-2 loss to Stuttgart last night in the Champions League. The winger was removed from the game in the 47th minute after a collision with Stuttgart's goalkeeper. The extent of his injury is currently unknown, though knee ligament damage is the projected diagnosis. We'll be sure to report on more news when it becomes available.




Of Note: The loss leaves Rangers on seven points, though they still remain in second place in the group. Lyon's tie with Barcelona puts them level on points with Rangers, however the French Champions' inferior goal differential puts them below the Glasgow side in the Group E table.

Up Next: The Matchday 6 showdown between Rangers and Lyon at Ibrox will determine who advances to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Rangers only need a draw to qualify, while Lyon have to win in order to reach the stage they've been to for the past four years. Rangers last qualified for the knockout round in the 2005-06 season. Manager Walter Smith has already conceded that Beasley will be out of action for that match.

Champions League: Stuttgart vs. Rangers

The News: Champions League action resumes tonight when DaMarcus Beasley and Rangers travel to Germany to face VFB Stuttgart.

Of Note: The German Champions, having not yet hit the heights of last year, are already eliminated from the Champions League, however Rangers still have all to play for in Group E. Currently on seven points, the Glasgow club could insure their passage to the next round with a win tonight and a loss by Lyon, who face Barcelona at the Stade Gerland. Rangers were victorious over the weekend, as were Stuttgart, and the sides sit at second and seventh in their respective domestic tables. Beasley had an assist in the win on Saturday against Falkirk, and he spoke to Rangers' website about the possibility of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League. Beas should be starting tonight, and he'll look to add to his tally of two goals thus far in the Champions League.

Up Next: Read previews of the match here: BBC, UEFA. The game kicks off at 2:45 ET, and you can follow along with live text updates at UEFA.com.

Weekend Wrap Up

England:

Benny Feilhaber made his fourth appearance of the season for Derby, coming on in the 83rd minute of a 2-0 loss to Chelsea. The result meant that Derby remained bottom of the table, and four points away from safety. Today, manager Billy Davies has been let go by the club, who will look to right the ship ahead of Saturday's six pointer with Sunderland.


Fulham and Clint Dempsey drew 2-2 at home to Blackburn. Though all the headlines have been about Fulham's propensity to concede late goals, a point against obstinate Blackburn can't be too discouraging. Carlos Bocanegra was an unused substitute for the game. In other news for the Cottagers, captain Brian McBride is nearing a return from injury.


Tim Howard and Everton administered a 7-1 thumping to Sunderland. With a 3-1 lead at half-time, the Toffees were never in danger of dropping points, and they'll take that positive momentum into next Saturday's match against surging Portsmouth. The two clubs have been a few of this season's surprises in the Premier League, and both will be looking for a win as they surge toward qualification for Europe.


Jonathan Spector made a late substitute cameo for West Ham United, who drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers got out of jail when former player Jermain Defoe had a penalty saved by West Ham 'keeper Robert Green, to keep the draw and the point for West Ham.

Holland:

Heerenveen and Michael Bradley were victims of a 3-2 loss against De Graafschap on Saturday. Heerenveen had previously won four games in a row in the Eredivisie, but were undone this weekend despite a late fight back. Having been eliminated from the Dutch Cup, Bradley's club now faces a week off, before returning to action on December 2 against NEC Nijmegen.


Belgium:

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege had the weekend off, but they'll be in action on Friday in a top of the table clash in Belgium. Gooch and Standard will face first place side Anderlecht on Friday night. Standard Liege sit in second place, one point behind the leaders, and they'll attempt to maintain their unbeaten record in the Jupiler League.

BOBBY CONVEY (READING)

The News: Bobby Convey assisted on Reading's only goal, but a late winner from Stephen Ireland gave Manchester City the 2-1 win.


Of Note: With Reading down 1-0, Convey squared a delicate ball across the top of the box for James Harper to first-time into the top corner. The score after 90 minutes of play remained 1-1, but in injury time Mancheter City midfielder Ireland hit a spectacular full volley past a helpless Marcus Hahnemann. The loss drops Reading to thirteenth place.





Up Next: Reading host Middlesbrough on Saturday the 12th. In the bottom end of the table, three points separate seven sides (these two included), so this weekend's match will be an important one for both sides.