Yanks Abroad

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by Yanks Abroad

RECAP: BELGIAN WEEKEND ACTION

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard settle for a point, while Patrick Lane watched his Cercle Brugge lose to lowly Tubize in weekend Jupiler Pro League soccer.

Lokeren 1 - 1 Liege

Standard Liege missed the chance to go top of the league after having to come from behind to share the points courtesy of Dieumerci Mbokani's late second half strike.

Oguchi Onyewu went the distance for Les Rouches who went behind in the game after Moussa Maazou beat Rorys Aragon Espinoza in the Liege goal to take the lead in the 72nd minute.

A pair of minutes later Mbokani brought the visitors level to round off the evening's scoring. With the tie, Standard stay in the second spot, but could have taken sole possession of first due to Club Brugge being held by Anderlecht.

Next up for Onyewu and Les Rouches is a home game against fifth place Mouscron.

Notes

Patrick Lane never got off the bench in Cercle Brugge's 3-0 loss to Tubize who, with their rare win, crawl out of the relegation zone.

Jared Jeffrey was not named to the Club Brugge bench as the team shared the points with Anderlecht, with a 1-1 scoreline.

Here is the Belgian recap from yanks-abroad.com

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by Yanks Abroad

RECAP: WEEKEND FRENCH ACTION

Carlos Bocanegra faced countryman Freddy Adu with the pair being the only Yanks to see action over the weekend in French soccer action.

Rennes 2 - 1 Monaco

Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes welcomed Freddy Adu and Monaco to the Route de Lorient Stadium on Sunday night but sent the red white home with a disappointing defeat.

In front of twenty one thousand fans, Rennes controlled much of the play in the first half, and after 43 minutes of pressure, les rouge et noir were rewarded.

Rennais striker, Moussa Sow controlled a well placed ball by Jimmy Briand just outside the box near the right touch line. Sow skipped past the young Nigerian defender, Nicolas Nkoulou and rifled a driven shot on goal. The effort forced a fine save from the Monegasque goalie, Flavio Roma, but Sow made no mistake with the rebound as he chipped Roma to put his club ahead.

Just eight minutes after the break, Rennes doubled their lead. Nkoulou was at fault once again as his poor touch put Briand in on goal. The young central defender's embarassing lapse of concentration cost his club dearly as the goal proved to be the game winner.

Despite the deficit, Monaco showed a brave heart as they chased the game for the remaining half hour. Leandro Cufre gave the visitors some hope in the 71st minute when he successfully converted a penalty after Abdou Kader Mangane clumsily knocked over Park Chu-Young in the area, but the damage was done.

Although he was unable to play the hero, Freddy Adu found his way back on the field for Monaco for the first time in nearly a month. The young American injected some life into the game on the left flank when he came on in the 68th minute and had an altogether positive impact.

For Rennes, Carlos Bocanegra was solid on the left flank and continues to prove his importance to the club who temporarily moved up into the top three in France with the result.

Next up, Monaco and Adu take on Le Mans while Bocanegra and Rennes travel to Bordeaux.

Notes

Andrew Jacobsen was not a part of the eighteen man roster when FC Lorient shocked Marseille 3-2 at the Velodrome with three goals in the last fourteen minutes of play. Next week, Lorient travel to Toulouse.

Quentin Westberg watched from the bench as Les Troyes beat Montpeller 3-0. Next up, ESTAC play host to Reims in week fifteen of League Two action.

Here is the French recap from yanks-abroad.com

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by Yanks Abroad

RECAP: WEEKEND ENGLISH ACTION

Jay DeMerit was the only Yank to suffer a defeat in England, while all the others collected all three points in weekend English soccer action.

Fulham 2 - 1 Tottenham

Clint Dempsey was given his third start of the season, but Heurelho Gomes could very well have been Fulham's best player at White Hart Lane.

Dempsey was nearly the hero after 13 minutes as he pulled his cut back to find space and unleashed a 25 yard shot that Gomes was only able to get his fingertips to. The Brazilian keeper's hero status changed to zero 20 minutes later however when Simon Davies sent in a hopeful ball to Andy Johnson. Spurs defender Jonathan Woodgate easily handled the situation, heading back to Gomes. The ex-PSV man however completely mishandled the ball and basically dropped it into his own net in the 33rd minute.

After 70 minutes Johnson punished the Spurs for slack defending as he took advantage of a loose ball in the box and volleyed home before Tottenham could clear the danger.

On-loan Manchester United goal scorer Frazier Campbell made an impact after just 10 minutes on the field as he lashed home his third goal in two games to give the north Londoners a consolation goal. The striker came in from the left and side footed the ball past Mark Schwarzer in the 81st.

Dempsey was subbed out to give Zoltan Gera a cameo appearance of three minutes as Bobby Zamora was the only player booked.

Fulham next face the Merseyside giants Liverpool at Andfield on Saturday.

Arsenal 0 - 2 Aston Villa

Brad Friedel won the battle of the keepers and saw his Villan's keep pace with the big four.

Manuel Almunia looked to be set to have an amazing night as he blocked Ashley Young's penalty kick after he was brought down by Theo Walcott in the area after only 20 minutes.

Gael Clichy went down as the first goalscorer, unfortunately in the wrong net, as Young's whipped cross was too hot to handle with Gabriel Agbonlahor lurking just behind the defender. In order to deny the striker, Clichy put his head to the ball and put it past his own keeper after 70 minutes played.

Just ten minutes later Agbonlahor was on the counter attack after a deep clearance. The striker held off William Gallas to power home the go-ahead goal. This was Villa's first win in 20 attempts over Arsenal.

Friedel was eventually booked for time wasting, with Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry, and Steve Sidwell also being booked for the visitors. Denilson and Cesc Fabregas pick up cards of their own for Arsenal.

Villa will welcome Manchester United on Saturday to Villa Park.

Everton 1 - 1 Middlesbrough

Tim Howard was bested at home after just eight minutes but managed to come back for a fair point earned.

Gary O'Neil opened the scoring after Stuart Downing found him open on the right with no one in shouting distance. O'Neil took a touch before coolly slamming the ball past Howard's near post.

Former Boro striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni came back to haunt his old club as he pushed the ball into the net. Mikel Arteta sent in a long free kick that the striker attempted to hit with the back of his head, instead getting his back to it and securing the point.

Emanuel Pogatetz and Didier Digard were the only players booked in the match.

Everton travel to JJB Stadium to take on Wigan on the 24th in Monday night action.

Barnsley 2 - 1 Watford

Jay DeMerit continued his 90 minute game play only to see his Hornets give up a one goal advantage to let all three points slip away.

Tommy Smith ran onto the end of Jobi McAnuff's cross after 52 minutes to convert from six yards out, but Barnsley found the equalizer in the 69th minute when Miguel Mostto finished clinically from inside the area off of a corner into the bottom corner.

Watford then failed to clear another corner as Stephen Foster pounced to dispatch his right footed finish from six yards out.

Watford next welcome Queens Park Rangers to Vicarage Road.

Cardiff 2 - 1 Crystal Palace

Eddie Johnson made his first 90 minute appearance helping push Cardiff back into the winning zone after two successive defeats.

Michael Chopra opened the scoring as he was brought down by Jose Fonte and confidently converted the resulting penalty kick to put the Bluebirds up in the 33rd minute. Palace keeper Darryl Flahavan however, picked out Sean Scannell up field to catch Tom Heaton in no mans land and Scannell finished into an open net just five minutes later.

Joe Ledley got the go ahead goal eight minutes after the restart, thanks to his American teammate. Darren Purse sent in a long free kick which Johnson flicked on for Ledley to smash home.

Johnson then nearly earned a third goal as he was brought down by Matthew Lawrence and resulted in a Lawrence booking for the Eagles to finish with 10 men. Chopra's resulting penalty kick however was saved by Flahavan.

Peter Whittingham was the only player booked for Cardiff, while Lawrence picked up a straight red for his challenge on Johnson. Next up for Cardiff is a battle against West Country team Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.

Sheffield United 0 - 2 Reading

Marcus Hahnemann was the only Yank on the field but made sure they stayed within touching distance with the leaders through two first half goals.

Kevin Doyle's new contract could be the impetus that is surging him towards perfect form as he picked up a goal and an assist. Just five minutes into the game he delivered the cross that allowed Kalifa Cisse to convert from inside the area.

Doyle then scored his fifth in three games off of a Stephen Hunt free kick, as he flicked home just before the interval.

Chris Armstrong, Andrew Bikey, and Jimmy Kebe were all booked for the Royals while Anthony Stokes was the only player booked for United.

Reading next face Kyle Davies' Southampton at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

Hartlepool United 1 - 3 Milton Keynes Dons

Jemal Johnson was given his chance to shine for 84 minutes as the Dons bested 10-man Hartlepool.

Sam Collins, Pool's captain, tangled up with Johnson on the edge of the area for his second booking after only 27 minutes played to be sent off.

The Dons' captain, Dean Lewington, curled his opener ten minutes later from 20 yards out into the top corner and two minutes later their lead was doubled through Mark Wright as Johnson put him in at point blank range with well placed cross.

Sean O'Hanlon was at fault for the home team's only goal as he deflected Kevin Kyle's low shot into his own net.

The game was put out of reach in added time as debutant Daniel Powell tapped home Aaron Wilbraham's low cross.

Next up for the Milton Keynes team is a clash again Walsall on Saturday.

Notes

Jonathan Spector is still regaining fitness and did not take part of West Ham's 0-0 tie with Portsmouth.

Kyle Davies did not make the Southampton squad that lost 2-1 to Wolverhampton.

Frank Simek did not feature as Sheffield Wednesday fell 3-0 to Derby County.

Zak Whitbread is still overcoming his groin injury as Millwall keep up with the league leaders with a 1-0 win over Stockport.

Ian Joyce was left off the team sheet as Adam Federici completes his loan trial with Steve Mildenhall back in the side. Southend United tied Tranmere Rovers 2-2.

Here is the English recap from yanks-abroad.com

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by Yanks Abroad

RECAP: WEEKEND GERMAN ACTION

Michael Bradley scored his first German goal in a thriller with Bayern Munich, Neven Subotic headed home twice, while the post-Frank Pagelsdorf era in Rostock ended in red for Heath Pearce.

Hannover 96 1 - 1 VfL Bochum

Steve Cherundolo and Hannover's struggles continued as the Reds were held by lowly VfL Bochum in a comedy of goalkeeping errors.

After a poor first hour, Bochum goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes gifted the hosts the lead when he punched a Szabolcs Huszti corner directly to Jan Schlaudraff who finished easily.

Not to be outdone, Hannover stopper Florian Fromlowitz one-upped Fernandes, clipping a Paul Freier cross into his own net for the last of the forgettable game's only goals.

Steve Cherundolo started and went a cardless 90 minutes for the hosts, while Sal Zizzo was an unused substitute.

Next up for Hannover is a trip to 12th placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

Borussia Dortmund 4 - 0 Eintracht Frankfurt

Neven Subotic scored twice, leading Borussia Dortmund to a rout of Eintracht Frankfurt.

The American scored his fourth goal of the season in the fifth minute, heading home a corner from midfielder Tamas Hajnal before the Hungarian became the recipient of an assist from Jakub Blaszczykowski and doubled the lead in the 19th.

Seven minutes later Subotic trebled the advantage, heading home another Hajnal assist from a free kick.

Hajnal wrapped up his man-of-the-match performance in the 69th, adding his third assist of the contest when Felipe Santana headed home the final goal to lift Dortmund to sixth in the standings.

Subotic went the distance in the shutout.

On Friday, Dortmund visit Conor Casey's former club Karlsruhe SC.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 2 - 2 Bayern Munich

Michael Bradley scored his first German goal in dramatic fashion, helping the Foals complete a late comeback to share points with mighty Bayern Munich.

Bayern went ahead in the 21st when World Cup winner Luca Toni crashed home a Philipp Lahm cut-back from close range. Bradley almost immediately answered the Italian, but veteran defender Lucio cleared his shot out for a corner.

The two clubs fought a mostly midfield battle for the next 45 minutes before Ivory Coast international Steve Gohouri crashed Franck Ribery to the turf inside the area and the Frenchman doubled the lead from the spot.

The Foals seemed dead in the water before their North American contigent gave the hosts a point. The comeback began when Canada international Rob Friend headed home a Alexander Baumjohann cross in the 79th.

Two minutes later the American headed home his first as a Foal, getting on the business end of a Roberto Damian Colautti cross to send the 52,000 home fans into rapturous celebrations.

The point keeps Borussia out of the relegation zone ahead of a tough trip to face Schalke 04.

1860 Munich 0 - 1 FC Augsburg

A gaffe from veteran Gregg Berhalter's helped FC Augsburg grab a key road win at Allianz Arena.

The American, who went the distance, might want to forget the 16th minute when an ill-advised back-header was stolen by former Munich midfielder Daniel Baier who played a slick one-two with Michael Thurk before lobbing home keeper Philipp Tschauner.

Next up for Berhalter and his Lions is a road trip to face Hansa Rostock.

FC St. Pauli 2 - 2 Rot-Weiss Ahlen

Grover Gibson continued his return from knee injury with an extended second-half appearance for Rot-Weiss Ahlen, but was unable to help them break the deadlock against St. Pauli on Friday.

Hoping to continue on their improbably successful season, Ahlen took an early lead on the strength of a Philipp Heithölter free kick. After being fouled by Pauli defender Marcel Eger just outside of the box, Heithölter drilled a beauty of a free kick to the upper left of Mathias Hain's goal, giving Ahlen the 14th minute lead.

Ahlen looked to be cruising to an easy victory when Heithölter fed Kevin Großkreutz a through ball just to the left of the six-yard box, who hit his tough-angled shot into the bottom left corner of goal only 17 minutes later.

Their joy would be quickly quashed, however, as St. Pauli equalized in a frantic seven-minute span thanks to a point-blank 35th minute smash from Marius Ebbers and a short-range shot from Florian Bruns after a deflection off the post three minutes before the half.

Following the break Ahlen looked to have caught a bit of luck when Ebbers was sent off for his second yellow card, however St. Pauli still dominated both posession and shots through the remainder of the game.

An 88th minute save by Ahlen keeper Manuel Lenz of Rouwen Hennings penalty provided a bit of last-minute drama, however the final whistle blew for a 2-2 tie.

Gibson was introduced as a 53rd minute substitute for his longest appearance since his injury in September, but was unable to provide any spark to give his team the victory.

The result sees Ahlen drop to sixth place, however they will hope to pick up a valuable three points when they host tenth place FC Ingolstadt 04 on Friday.

TuS Koblenz 0 - 3 Mainz 05

Koblenz keeper David Yelldell had a difficult day between the posts, letting in three as his team fell deeper into the relegation zone with their loss against a tough Mainz 05 team on Sunday.

Koblenz bid to stay undefeated at home took an early hit when defender Matej Mavric accidentally deflected the ball into his own net, gifting the visitors the 33rd minute lead.

Despite keeping themselves within a goal of the visitors, Koblenz lost their grip on the game early after the break when Srdjan Baljak hit a close-range shot dead center of goal past Yelldell for 2-0 off of a Florian Heller cross in the 53rd minute.

Their first home loss of the season was all but confirmed a mere three minutes later when Miroslav Karhan converted from the spot after Markus Feulner was judged to have been fouled in the area.

Matt Taylor found his way back into the starting lineup, however was unable to recreate any of his early-season scoring heroics, and was substituted out in the 57th minute after the game had already gotten out of hand.

The loss leaves Koblenz firmly entrenched in 17th place, a predicament they will be hard-pressed to improve upon as they travel to third-place SC Freiburg on Sunday.

Kaiserslautern 6 - 0 Hansa Rostock

Heath Pearce earned his first start for Rostock in nearly two months on Monday night, however it ended in red as Luis Robles and Kaiserslautern maintained their sparkling home record with a dominating display.

With Rostock faltering in recent weeks, any hope they had to turn things around were quickly dashed as they were dealt their worst loss in recent memory.

Kaiserslautern attacked early and grabbed a quick lead in the 8th minute when Croatian forward Srdjan Lakic headed to the bottom right corner of Jörg Hahnel's net for the 1-0 lead.

Rostock managed to hold throughout the remainder of the first 45 minutes, however they were dealt a blow on the stroke of half when Lakic struck again, this time heading to the bottom left of goal.

Any hopes Hansa had for a second-half turnaround were quickly put to rest when Erik Jendrisek scored the first of his two, taking a Sidney Sam pass into the box and burying it to the bottom right of goal.

Matters went from bad to worse for Rostock when Pearce was passed by the attacking Sam, and was shown red for his brutal takedown.

The wheels came off shortly after, with Canadian Josh Simpson adding the Red Devils' fourth and fifth of the night in the 69th and 76th minute.

Jendrisek put the final exclamation point on the night in the 83rd minute when he latched onto Lakic's through ball, firing it to the center of goal for Kaiserslautern' sixth - their highest total of the season.

While most of the action was taking place near the opposite set of nets, Robles maintained his second 90-minute shutout of the season when he saved Enrico Kern's 72nd minute penalty, canceling out his own careless foul which led to the spot kick.

Kaiserslautern stay in second place despite the win, however will try once again to push their way into first when they travel to 13th place Augsburg on Sunday.

The loss sends Rostock down to 14th place, out of the relegation zone only on goal differential while sure-to-be-suspended Pearce will watch Monday's game against Gregg Berhalter and 1860 Munich from the stands.

Here is the German recap from yanks-abroad.com

[Scuba Steve]

Looks like you might be able to add one more to the list of Yanks - Abroad, at least temporarily.....

Originally Posted by Soccernet

Bayern borrow Landon Donavan from Galaxy

Bayern Munich are set to sign USA international Landon Donovan on a loan deal running from Jan 1 to at least the middle of March and possibly until the end of the season.

Donovan, 26, who has made over a century of caps for his country, has been training with Bayern for the last week and a half and has impressed Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann.

"The goal will be to see if we can get him long term, at least until the end of the season," Klinsmann told the Bayern's website.

Donovan top scored in Major League Soccer's regular season with 20 goals in 25 matches for LA Galaxy team.

His loan follows that of David Beckham to AC Milan, also for three months, though in contrast Galaxy and Milan have both said that deal will end in March.

Hey den, is that quote from Klinsmann there enough for you

Well, I do wish Landon the best. This would be great for him, and the development of players here in the US.

[Scuba Steve]

Here is an interview with Neven Subotic.

Originally Posted by bundesliga.de

"One of the best leagues in the world"


Dortmund's Neven Subotic has been a revelation this season. The defender talks to bundesliga.de about his goals, character and coach Klopp.


bundesliga.de: Neven Subotic, you're a regular in the Bundesliga despite being just 19 years old. You've scored five goals in 13 matches - it must feel like a dream?

Neven Subotic: (laughs) I try not to think about it, otherwise I might think that I'd rather take it easy. But I don't. Even if it's like a dream, I don't want to be woken up.

bundesliga.de: Are you that good or just on a high at the moment?

Subotic: I'd say that I'm playing quite well at the moment. What's really eye-catching, and that goes for the media as well, are my goals.

bundesliga.de: You mention it, you've scored more goals than any of your team-mates. Did the strikers already come around to ask for advice?

Subotic: No, I only go up front for set-pieces. And if the delivery is so excellent then it's easy to score. It's not only me, Felipe Santana has already scored three as well. So the praise partly goes to the set-piece taker.

bundesliga.de: Still it's remarkable how strong you are in the air. Is that only down to your height of 1.93 metres?

Subotic: No, there are even taller players in the Bundesliga. Werder's Naldo for example is a real "monster" in the air. We practise the set-pieces on the training ground, of course, and things are just going my way at the moment. You have to use your body in an aerial challenge, I've learned that by now.

bundesliga.de: How did you accustom to the Bundesliga after making the move from the 2. Bundesliga?

Subotic: Bundesliga is something completely different, I already noticed that during my first training session in Dortmund. At times the balls are flying past you so fast that you can't do anything other than to look stupid.

bundesliga.de: Aged 18 you were a regular for Mainz, aged 19 you're a regular for Dortmund - where do you take the security and serenity from?

Subotic: That's hard to say. I always gave my best and never took things easy. Maybe it's down to my position, too. As a young attacker is easy to come into the limelight, but it's equally easy to disappear. As a defender you always have to take responsibility, and that helps you to mature faster.

bundesliga.de: But not all defenders deal with the responsibility as well as you do...

Subotic: My life and my experiences off the pitch, that have shaped my character, may help me.

bundesliga.de: How would you describe your character?

Subotic: I regard myself as very responsible, on and off the pitch. Only a few people move out at the age of 17 and go to another country to come out on top.

bundesliga.de: Back then you came from the USA to join Mainz, why?

Subotic: I wanted to play football in Germany by all means. My advisor enabled me to do a trial with Mainz. He thought a smaller club would be suitable for me in order to gain match practise. Everything was perfect from the beginning. I got my chance to train with the first team and played for the reserves. In the second season I played my matches in the 2. Bundesliga. It was the right decision for me in the end.

bundesliga.de: You lived in the USA for seven years, and your parents are still there. What are the differences between both countries?

Subotic: The people over here in Germany are much more likable and polite. I can't confirm any prejudices about Americans being always happy and Germans being always serious, on the contrary - it's the other way round. In terms of football, Germany is a different world. The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world.

bundesliga.de: You've already played under coach Jürgen Klopp in Mainz. Did he change in Dortmund?

Subotic: Well, he invested a lot of time to talk to each single player in the beginning. But that's normal if you're new at a club and need to get to know the players. In training there are a few different elements, but we also play a different system here, a 4-4-2 with a diamond in midfield. Basically he didn't change that much, he's still very funny.

bundesliga.de: BVB are currently sixth with 21 points. What are the short-term goals for the four remaining matches?

Subotic: Our short-term goal is a win in Karlsruhe on Friday, of course. Our upcoming opponents (KSC (A), Wolfsburg (H), Bielefeld (A), Gladbach (H), ed.) shouldn't be underestimated, but we are capable of beating them with a good performance. We have to stay realistic, win at KSC and then we'll see.

[den525player]

Originally Posted by hokiegooner

Looks like you might be able to add one more to the list of Yanks - Abroad, at least temporarily.....



Hey den, is that quote from Klinsmann there enough for you

Well, I do wish Landon the best. This would be great for him, and the development of players here in the US.

This is different to before, because now people from Bayern is actually saying it. Good on him if he gets to sign a loan deal with them. maybe thats the future of all MLS players, signing short loan deals, before they actually move to the club.

I actually can't believe Donovan actually have 105 caps with America, he is only 26, he can easily double that amount, he could actually be the most capped player in any country!

[Scuba Steve]

He might, be if he sits out certain friendlies, such as England and Spain, then I can see his games being reduced to just important qualifiers, I don't think he will reach 200.

Also, an American already owns the most caps ever for a national team.

[den525player]

Originally Posted by hokiegooner

He might, be if he sits out certain friendlies, such as England and Spain, then I can see his games being reduced to just important qualifiers, I don't think he will reach 200.

Also, an American already owns the most caps ever for a national team.

No, Mohamed Al-Deayea has 181 caps, Cobi Jones is the highest American with 164.

The amount of games the likes of US and Mexico play each year is a major reason why they are so high in the fifa rankings, considering Emerton is Australia's highest capped player (still playing) with only 69 caps, and he is a regular as well since 1998.

[Scuba Steve]

Yeah, but Kristine Lilly has 327 caps. Mia Hamm 275....... but you will shrug those off probably, understandably.

Anyways, playing a bunch of friendlies each year is probably still from the days when there was no MLS, and American players were actually contracted to the US Soccer Federation. They used to play a bunch of games then too.

[elementkid1021]

i really really hope donovan can succeed at munich. not just because i like him but because we have a reputation of not producing good outfield players and if we can have an outfield player produce at a club like munich it could go a long way.

[M1ZZ0U]

Reputations are both created and broken with time (in most cases). I'm not concerned with what the previous legacy of outfielders by Americans have been.

There's a new wave of youth coming up through the ranks that will define a new reputation. For better or worse.

[den525player]

How realistic do you think it is for Donovan to start regularly for Bayern? In the forward line Toni and Klose are the undisputed starters, even Poldoski don't get many game time and Klinsmann started Poldoski for Germany so he must like him.

Bayern's midfield is packed with Quality as well. So its good to see someone like Donovan to be in the squad but how often would he get a start or even game time?

[LwkguyPlayer]

donovoan is one of my favourite players hope he suceeds

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by den525player

How realistic do you think it is for Donovan to start regularly for Bayern? In the forward line Toni and Klose are the undisputed starters, even Poldoski don't get many game time and Klinsmann started Poldoski for Germany so he must like him.

Bayern's midfield is packed with Quality as well. So its good to see someone like Donovan to be in the squad but how often would he get a start or even game time?

Well, if he is staying until March, his time is already limited, considering Germany goes to that 6 week break around Christmas time. So the earliest he could see the field anyways is the beginning of February. However, yes, his time will be limited barring any injuries. He won't get in over Toni or Klose if they are fit, and Ribery and Schweinsteiger have the wings if Klinsmann was crazy enough to play Donovan there.

But, his playing time will definitely depend on whether or not Podolski is sold or not. If Podolski leaves during January (which I still think is a possibility) then Donovan will see more playing time. If Podolski stays, well then, I think Donovan would be at best second choice in the forward positions.

What will be interesting to see is if he gets put onto the CL roster. I personally don't think he will, but if he does, then I can see it as a signal that he will be moving there permanently.

But in short, to answer your question, I don't think he will get too much playing time. Just off the bench for the most part, barring any injuries.

[LwkguyPlayer]

its still a great thing for american football for a player to be at a big club like bayern

[den525player]

Bayern won't register Donovan as a CL player, they can't actually buy him until the summer, and there is only 1 game in the CL before he has to go back to the MLS, Beckham would be in the same situation.

[Scuba Steve]

Correct, they won't be able to buy him, but, there is apparently going to be an option for them to keep him on a loan until July.

Kind of like when Larsson was on loan at United, and there was talk of them extending his loan deal. Obviously he did not want to, but if I recall correctly, some people (and maybe it was just fans) wanted to extend his loan.

So, I think thats legit. If they want to keep him longer, they might extend his loan. And from what I just saw, it said until the middle of March, which means he could play the second leg, if added. Still don't think he will be though.

[Scuba Steve]

Don Garber has said that Donovan won't leave for anything less than $10 mil. Thats what Altidore went for, me when Altidore left, the dollar was closing in on about 1.6 to the Euro, whereas now, its only 1.3. Might make Bayern try to get that price down a bit.

Although, I do think agree with Garber. He should cost about the same. Jozy was sold on his future, and Donovan, his current abilities.

[Scuba Steve]

What should Altidore do in January, if he has the choice. Should he go on loan, or try to get some first team action at Villarreal.

Although he may not have a choice, I think a loan deal would be good for him. Maybe a second division side in Spain, or even maybe low level Spanish side. Somewhere where he can get a start at least every once in a while.

[LilPancho86]

I think Altidore deserves more first team action for Villareal, and if he gets more minutes through January, he should stay... otherwise, it wouldn't be a bad move for him to go on loan to a 2nd division spanish team, since he would be guaranteed more minutes to develop his skills further... then he would give Villareal's starters more competition in the future... something similar happened with Arsenal's Vela, where he spent a season with 2nd division salamanca, before eventually joining Arsenal... different circumstances, of course... but Altidore would develop into a better player by getting more competitive minutes... he has youth on his side...

[M1ZZ0U]

Sincerely?

While loan's always the logical pick when opting to develop a potential talent, I believe Altidore is the kind of competitor that rises to the challenge of his opponents (or his teammates in practice) and has incredible mental toughness to withstand fighting for playing time. In otherwords, I would actually like to see him remain on the squad, even with the lack of playing time on the pitch during games.

Could be wrong but either way looks like a win, to me.

[Scuba Steve]

I think Altidore has done great the couple of times he has played, but the problem is, Rossi is in the form of his life, and Llorente is doing great as well, and they still have Franco and Nihat(is he back from injury yet).

But I am with you on that point. Younger players need playing time, even if its at a lower level, rather than just training with better players. Which is why I was a bit skeptical of him leaving in the first place, since I figured he would not be playing much to begin with this year in Spain.

[LilPancho86]

Guillermo Franco is aging a bit at 32, and personally I see Altidore as being his successor, in terms of sporting the #9 in a couple of years... out on loan or fighting for a spot, Altidore should be part of Villareal's plans in the long run... but if he does indeed go on loan to a lower team, he will surely outshine everyone else on the field, just as Vela did while at salamanca...

[den525player]

Villareal's strong form in the La liga will limit Altidore's chances of playing, they can't risk playing players who are not proven. If Villareal were mid table, than Altidore would play more, but thats not the case. He won't be allowed to go on loan either, as he is needed to be cover for possible injuries as they will be fighting on a few fronts.