Yanks Abroad

[Scuba Steve]

Yeah, and he is still coming back from injury, so that does not surprise me. Did White get the start?

[thuda1991]

No. He was rested, or the chance was given to Blicher (own talent, but not really good). He'll start in the weekend.

They played against SønderjyskE, who are at the bottom of the table, so pretty natural if he needed some rest.

[Scuba Steve]

Oh okay. A goal in a substitute appearance isn't bad. Thanks for those updates.

[thuda1991]

You're welcome.
White's goal was... (waits for the highlight)... great, actually... he picked it up in the area, went past three SE players (who didn't look like they cared at all), and ending it in a flawless finish in the far bottom corner.
EDIT: Updates on Tracy and Parkhurst tomorrow.

[Scuba Steve]

Thanks, I will be looking for it then!

[thuda1991]

should be here TV 2 SPORT in a few hours

[Scuba Steve]

Here is the link to White's goal. Its the third on the clip.

White Goal

[dena]

Part two of Tim Howard 'interview' provided by SBI:

Tim Howard answers the SBI Questions (Part 2 of 2)

Four days. Two games. Two shutouts vs. Manchester United and Chelsea. Such is life for Tim Howard.
The U.S. national team goalkeeper posted another shutout on Wednesday, this time blanking Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to put a dent in the Blues' title hopes and adding another point to Everton's account. The draw came just four days after Howard helped guide Everton to the FA Cup final with a penalty kick victory vs. Manchester United.

Playing in England for a top teams means that matches such as those are a common occurrence for the 30-year-old New Jersey native, but that doesn't make gaining positive results any less thrilling.

As tough as Howard's schedule has been, he knows an especially tough stretch awaits beginning in late May. He will play for Everton in an FA Cup final on May 30th before joining the U.S. national team in Costa Rica for the first of two World Cup qualifiers in a week. He will then join the national team in South Africa, where the Americans will face Brazil, Italy and Egypt in the Confederations Cup. That stretch of matches will take place over the course of three weeks and provide just the latest series of tests for the former MetroStars standout.

Howard took time out to answer your questions in the latest installment of The SBI Questions. Here is Part Two of Howard's answers (Here is Part One):
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PCFC-What's your favorite restaurant abroad?
Besides soccer, what sport do you find most entertaining in England (non-American)?
TIM HOWARD- There's a lot of Rugby on TV here so I've actually gotten into watching that. I haven't gone to games, but if there's a big game on I'll watch it.
As for restaurants, there's one called Piccolino's in South Manchester, where we live.

-----------------------------
MENSREA JIM- How long do you think you'll continue your international career?
What other leagues would you like to play in?
TIM HOWARD- It's hard to say. I think for me, after every cycle, every World Cup cycle, you have probably have to re-evaluate where you want to go and where the team is going. After this World Cup I'll still be young for a goalkeeper, I'll be 31, so it's tough for me to say. Also, it's not completely in my hand either. I'd like to have a long career and playing for your contry is an amazing thing. I don't really want to play until I'm 38 or 40, but you never know.

(As for what other league he'd consider playing in) Italy, definitely. Growing up in Jersey, back in the day, Sunday mornings at 10 o'clock you had RAI Uno. That was the only soccer we saw in the late 80s, early 90s. I really love Italian football. The teams, the culture, everything about it, so I think I'd enjoy it. Maybe later on in my career I'd like to do it. I've always say it and I think it's true, if I could stay at Everton my whole career I'd be pretty blessed. I do love England so I don't really know, but hypothetically England.

-----------------------------
SEAN MONAGHAN- This is a random one, but did you ever have a european team you loved watching (or supported) when you were growing up as a kid?
TIM HOWARD- AC Milan. I don't really remember specific Milan players when I was a kid but In 1998 I went over for a training stint, that team was amazing so I had fond memories of that team and training with them. I was there like three or four weeks. Capello was the coach at the time and the team was amazing. Desailly, Leonardo, George Weah, (Zvanomir) Boban, Oliver Bierhoff.
-----------------------------

Q- Everton seems pretty set at most positions, and with David Moyes as your manager you can't go wrong, but are there any Americans that you would like to get a look (as a fan, a Lescott/Gooch middle defense would excite me!)?

TIM HOWARD- Everton has a good foothold in the American scouting scene. Our chief scout who brought me to Everton really, really knows the American market well. Joe-Max Moore was there. Brian McBride was was there. I think there's a few players on the U.S. national team who could fit the bill. It's no secret that Everton liked Michael Bradley, I thought he'd be a great player for us, but that didn't work out. There are a few who could fit the bill, but you'd have to come here and roll your sleeves up and do the dirty work.
-----------------------------
BLAKE- Even though you're at the highest level, was there ever a player (maybe a childhood idol) who you were starstruck upon meeting?
TIM HOWARD- Probably (Paolo) Maldini. He's one of my all-time favorite players ever. To be around him when we went in 1998, and to be able to say hello to him, was surreal.
At United, Sir Bobby Charlton. For me, he's so amazing because he's a legend in the history of the game. He's such a gentle soul. I wasn't so much starstruck as opposed to just taken aback at how genuine and gentle he was.
-----------------------------
A ROACH- 1. What piece of advice would you give to a youth (high school) goalkeeper?
TIM HOWARD- Goalkeeping is a tough, demanding and unforgiving position. It's one of those positions that takes a very long time to perfect. You never perfect it. Now that I get older, and they say goalkeepers get better with age I always wondered what people meant, but now I see it coming together. Patience is the most important thing for a young goalkeeper. Things eventually do start to click and you do start to realize the nuances of the position.
Obviously you want to work hard, and learn your trade, be the hardest worker on your team, but you have to have some patience, which I'm not very good at.
----------------------------
BRANT- This probably a bit silly and/or mundane, but what other sports do you play for fun and did you ever consider taking a shot at the pros in any of them?
Oh, and what's on your iPod right now?
TIM HOWARD- I'd love to be in the NBA somewhere, that would be my dream, but I don't see that happening. That was my first pick, the only sport I could only go pro in. (When asked if he was the best basketball player at Everton, Howard joked) "I'd do it with my left hand and be the best players."

(And what's on his IPod). What isn't on my IPod? Toby Keith, Akon, Kanye West, Allen Jackson. There's a big mix of hip-hop and country, I'm not sure how it works but that's it.
-----------------------------
NICO- Which, non-USA, CONCACAF player have you been most impressed with?
TIM HOWARD- Palacios from Honduras, (Rafael) Marquez, I think (Giovani) Dos Santos is a very good player. It's a tough league for him to come into but I think he's a very good player. Kenwyne Jones is a very good player. Obviously David Suazo is up there. He was in Italy forever.
-----------------------------
MICHAEL VANN- First, off I just want to thank you for all that you have done on and off the pitch. You are first class individual that is a perfect representative for US Soccer and Everton. With that said, you have been played a part in two big derbies, the Manchester Derby and the Merseyside Derby, how do they compare? What is the typical week like leading up to those matches?
TIM HOWARD- They don't really compare. The Liverpool-Everton derby, for me, is head and shoulders above the Manchester Derby. I don't know why. That's the way I feel it. The city is really on fire. Everyone's knows its Derby Week with all the radio chat shows, televisions, more jerseys come out and flags. There's just so much hype around it.
-----------------------------
RYAN- Tim, What is your most memorable game with the USMNT that you played in? And what player do you think has the hardest shot who has shot on you?
TIM HOWARD- My most memorable game, aside from the Gold Cup final, would probably have to be my debut against Ecuador down in Alabama. Eddie Lewis scored and it was 1-0. That was the beginning of it all. I remember being really nervous. I was young, maybe 22, on a team with a lot of big players. I got the word a couple of days ahead of time and it was pretty crazy. I remember being real nervous, but if you're not nervous you're not ready.
Cristiano Ronaldo or Paul Scholes. Cristiano's has more movement, but I don't know what it is about Scholesy, but he hits a heck of a ball that's just so heavy.
-----------------------------

EVAN- I know that Everton is a close knit team, so I was wandering which of your team mates are closest to and hang out with away from the pitch?
TIM HOWARD- Probably Jolean Lescott and Phil Jagielka.
-----------------------------

REKRO- Me and my fellow movie enthusiasts where wondering, what type of cinema you're into.
Comedy??? Action??? Chick Flicks Maybe???
What movies does Tim Howard have next to his DVD player????
TIM HOWARD- Anything with Denzel Washington I'm watching, guaranteed. Outside of that, I love like crime thrillers.
-----------------------------

NICK CALI- What is your favorite save of all time?

TIM HOWARD- It would have been one against Frank Lampard at Chelsea, maybe last year. It was at Stamford Bridge. It was a pullback, and speaking of hard shots, he and Drogba have hard shots as well, wickedly hard shots. He was a pullback from the endline, got across my goal and he smashed it back to where I came from and I just kind of kicked my feet up and laid out for it.

In MLS, the Diego Serna one down in Miami. It was a header down, and I saved it somehow with my shinpad and it went over the goal.

-----------------------------
THA DEUCE- What is your most emotional victory? Mexico?
TIM HOWARD- Mexico is always a big one. Whether it's Mexico, Liverpool or like the one on Sunday against Manchester United, those are all going to be emotional because there's so much passion in those games so it's hard to separate them.
-----------------------------

The part about Micheal Bradley sparked some interest, I wounder if he could make it into Everton's midfield.

[Scuba Steve]

I figured I would give you the honors this time, but you took forever. Nearly did it myself.

And yeah, that Bradley information is interesting. I remember the rumors, but did not know it was that serious. That would have been a good move though -- and maybe its an option if Gladbach get relegated this season.

[dena]

Haha, I just looked at the post date and was wondering why you didn't post it first, I figured you'd give me the chance this time, that's why I didn't mention it.

[Scuba Steve]

An article on Bradley. Nothing groundbreaking -- he says all the right things. Just the basic stuff. But I think he means it.

Originally Posted by Goal.com

Bradley Confident Of M’gladbach Safety

It has been a tough first season in the Bundesliga for Borussia Monchengladbach, but their talented American midfielder thinks they have what it takes to avoid relegation.

U.S. International midfielder Michael Bradley has enjoyed a successful first season in Germany with his new club Borussia Monchengladbach. Unfortunately the team as a whole haven’t.

Through 28 matches, M’gladbach have only managed 23 points and currently are one of the three teams in the relegation zone, given their position in 16th. Bradley realizes the position his club is in, and knows things would certainly look better if they are able to beat 15th place Arminia Biefield on Sunday.

"There is no point in wondering about it. It comes as it comes,” said Bradley in an interview with German soccer website, TorFabrik. “The only thing that matters at the moment is the game on Sunday against Bielefeld."

The 21-year-old has played in 22 matches for M’gladbach this season, netting five goals in the process and with six matches left to stay in the first division, Bradley made it clear it’s not about individual performances, but how the whole team plays.

"Towards the end of the season, it is important that everyone raises his level even more, that we concentrate even more," said Bradley of what his team needs to do. "The combination of all the factors must be right. In this league, the differences are very small on any given day, everything has to fit. We have to concentrate on the ball, in front of the goal, good defense, winning both battles. The confidence is there, and we will use that against Bielefeld."

M’gladbach haven’t had an easy time in the Bundesliga since getting promoted last season, and have found themselves at the bottom of the table with a goal differential of -19 that is suited to their place. Bradley’s confidence in his team and what they’re capable of has made it easy to overlook those unimpressive statistics.

"Despite the ups and downs in our results, we still have plenty of confidence in our ability,” said Bradley of his team’s mental toughness. “We can, in the upcoming important and hard-to-win games, play well enough to stay in the Bundesliga."

The Princeton, New Jersey native is a stalwart in the U.S. Men’s National team having made 28 appearances for his country, scoring five goals in the process.

Shane Evans, Goal.com

[Scuba Steve]

An article on Alejandro Bedoya from Seltzer. Don't know much about him, since he went to Obero straight from Boston College. So this is nice, gives us a bit more information about him.

Originally Posted by soccer365.com

S365 Exclusive: Belief Growing, Says Bedoya

by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

Fresh from appearing in Monday's win over Helsingborgs, Örebro attacker Alejandro Bedoya reports that both he and the team are starting to gain in confidence.

The points pushed them up to mid-table ahead of Thursday's night's visit from defending champs Kalmar, and the rookie playmaker says beating a top side gave the squad encouragement to chase their season ambitions.

"I think it is very big," Bedoya told Soccer365 ahead of the match. "It can only serve to give us more confidence and one can already feel the differences in the players' attitudes, the clubs' feelings, and the fans' support."

"We have now won two straight and looking forward to winning a third consecutive game tonight. That win over HIF has given us a lot more belief in ourselves and our ability to accomplish our goal that we set to finish the season in the top five."

"It is, however, a very long season, but we will continue to work hard and play better improving as the season goes on."

The former Boston College standout has now featured twice, also coming on late in their slim opening day loss to Djurgården, which he admits left a sting.

"The team was very upset of course after the match," said Bedoya. "We thought that the most fair result would have been 0-0 since it was one of those games that are just a battle back and forth. It wasn't the greatest football due to the pitch and opening game nerves, but the way we lost was a bit cruel."

Though his appearances have totaled only 23 minutes combined, the Florida native says they've allowed him to realize that he was up to the rise in level from the NCAA game after the lesson that was his first pro preseason camp.

"I felt I have adapted to the speed of the game fairly well," stated Bedoya. "It took me a bit to get the feeling of the speed and also the very technical part of the game."

"It is a lot faster than college soccer and everything is at a much higher level. However, I think I have done well in improving and my continuing development as a player. To appear in the first game of the season and make my professional debut was something I was very proud of and I definitely had my confidence boosted."

"It is good to know that the coaches feel that I have something to give to the team already. Being on the squad is an honor and I tried to make the most out of it. It is such a pleasure to be able to play in that atmosphere and something I could not have imagined any better."

[Scuba Steve]

And here is another article from Seltzer, this time focusing on Feilhaber and Aarhus. Sounds like Benny played in a new position, but that won't exactly help him get into the national side -- if thats a plausible scenario in the future.

Originally Posted by soccer365.com

S365 Exclusive: Benny Enjoys Big Win, New Role

by Greg Seltzer for Soccer365

There were several notable things about Aarhus GF's weekend upset of league leaders FC Copenhagen, including a successful return to the line-up for midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

It was the first club contest that kicked off with the U.S. international on the field since he started a Premier League clash for Derby County in October of 2007, and the first of any kind since a 1-0 friendly win over South Africa the following month.

Feilhaber returned from an extended knee layoff against Brøndby on March 15th, but needed a bit of extra conditioning before reaching a fitness level that would allow him to contribute to AGF's successes.

A recent showing for the second team saw him wow observers while also sporting the armband, and he was given a 66-minute shift against the mighty Lions. With club and country mate Jeremiah White pitching in a Team of the Week display, the home side eventually found a winner with four minutes left.

"It was really awesome being back out there playing again," Feilhaber told Soccer365 on Monday night. "I didnt feel any problems with the knee and felt my fitness started coming slowly as the game went on. I was just happy to be out there helping my team and playing football again."

Another notable aspect of the game was the 24-year old's tactical positioning right behind the lone striker - not unlike the role an attacking midfielder such as Francesco Totti formerly played at AS Roma.

There were a few early struggles, but Feilhaber battled through them to produce a solid outing. Emblematic of this perseverance was a terrific hustle play that was needed after he'd turned the ball over in the AGF end; the midfielder hurriedly chased down his mistake all the way to the six-yard box, where he eventually produced a goal-saving block.

"The new position was interesting, but I got more accustomed to it as the game went on," said Feilhaber. "Its not too different from playing as an offensive midfielder, and I felt in the second half I was really being able to do the things I'm good at."

"The first half was a bit more difficult and it was more about trying to just give the opponents some difficulties, but overall I was satisfied with my first game back," he added. "The win was huge for our team and I hope we can continue with a good performance away to Sønderjyske Wednesday."

[DirectFX]

North Queensland Fury Fan
?????????????

[thuda1991]

Tracy started against Esbjerg. He hasn't scored.
Parkhurst starts for FCN.

EDIT: Tracy just got subbed out, and what i heard from the commentator, he hasn't played well (I've only watched 15 minutes of the game)

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by DirectFX

North Queensland Fury Fan
?????????????

Its was an idea from another forum. In attempts to try to get more people involved in the MLS forum, we decided to become fans of other teams in other leagues as sort of a trade off.

We figured the A - League was a good trade off, so I chose North Queensland as my team to support.

Originally Posted by thuda1991

Tracy started against Esbjerg. He hasn't scored yet.
Parkhurst starts for FCN.

You say it like he is expected to score! Hopefully he does though.

Just saw the edit. Oh well. Hopefully he does better next time.

[thuda1991]

I like AaB, and last time he started, he scored. He also still had some time to score when I posted it. (Maybe if he played with Shelton or Curth upfront he'd do better, Caca is bloody selfish in his game)

[Scuba Steve]

AaB lose 3-1 to Esbjerg.

Also playing right now is Nordsjaelland in Denmark, and Orebro and Hammarby in Sweden.

[thuda1991]

I'm watching FCN play (or was watching, half-time), and they're playing surprisingly well against Brøndby.
Parkhurst has been decent without being a standout.

[BMxJoga]

Hmm, I wish Freddy would play, I think a move to a league like Holland would do him good.

[Scuba Steve]

Freddy would have benefited from playing in a youth system like the one at Ajax rather than being rushed into MLS. But hopefully thats a lesson well learned.

[BMxJoga]

Well for right now, he is only 19 so he is no lost cause.

[thuda1991]

Parkhurst was decent today, and blocked a shot on the line in the dying seconds of the match

[Scuba Steve]

Some more Yanks with a cup final looming. Mo went all 90 today in Rangers' 3-0 win over St. Mirren. Beasley wasn't on the bench, but that puts our count up to 4 in cup finals (although only three are likely to feature).

[Scuba Steve]

Davies on the (extra time) double


Hammarby found themselves trailing nine minutes into extras away to Swedish Cup foe Atvidaberg, but Charlie Davies (who had entered the match in the 70th minute) netted on 108 and 119 minutes to flip the result in favor of the visitors 3-2.

I'm looking for video...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That was the post from Seltzer. I believe that brings Mr. Davies tally to four goals so far, early in the season.