The TSG Sis is in from the middle of Nowheresville, Africa…so hiatus till Tuesday.
Your top 5 games for Americans to watch this weekend:
5. Saturday: Villarreal vs. Osasuna
The skinny: Yanks’ fans always tune in to see if Jozy Altidore will play for the Yellow submarine, however Jersey-born
Rossi, ahead of most Americans abroad....
Giuseppe Rossi is finally starting to realize the superstar potential that had Manchester United securing his services just a few years ago. Rossi has 17 goals in 25 club competitions on the year. That is, in short, astounding.
Ossasuna is hovercrafting over the relegation line, but they haven’t lost in their last four trips to El Madrigal. That said “the little red ones” as their known will be missing some firepower up top and sport an aging line-up….meaning you just might see Altidore in this one as well.
4. Sunday: Eintracht vs. Hannover
The skinny: Steve Cherundolo’s 96 crew are in 4th. Ricardo Clark’s Frankfurters 7th.
Frankfurt seemed to be putting it together before the Bundesliga’s winter break becoming the first team to down Borussia Dortmund, they’ll face a Hannover squad that is rolling and the surprise of the league.
Update: With injuries across the Franfurters’ backline, Ricardo Clark is set to start at centerback. Move over, Mo Edu.
3. Sunday: Sunderland vs. Newcastle
The skinny: If you’re a fan of watching intently when the US plays on the road in Guatemala and Mexico, this game’s for you. The vitriol in this derby, specifically, is unmatched across the Isle.
Newcastle come in without superfresh striker Andy Carroll who was so instrumental in a 5-1 submerging of Sunderland in the Tyneside last time. This time though the game is in Lee Cattermole’s Stadium of Light den.
2. Sunday: Liverpool vs. Everton
The skinny: The Reds are reeling and Toffee fans can feel it. What better way for Everton, high in the minds of Americans through the names of Tim Howard and Landon Donovan recently, to gouge the knife deeper than to walk into Anfield and walk out with a fan.
With Kenny Dalglish at the helm, Liverpool players will have a consistent visual reminder of what they’re playing for.
1. Sunday: Spurs vs. Man United
The skinny: With the undercurrent of a potential David Beckham sighting here….Manchester United goes on the road to defend their unbeaten streak against Tottenham who are playing the most offensive football in the Premiership.
While Gareth Bale’s name will be invoked frequently in this one, I expect Rafael Van Der Vaart to make a bigger impact nestled just aft of the Manchester United backline. If the Spurs strikers can actually step up in this one, United will be threatened.
And speaking of strikers, just a few months ago fans and media were lamenting the “Wayne Rooney and done” forward line of the Red Devils.
Now? Rooney sits in the background and through Berbatov and Chicharito (and Macheda, now on loan) the Fergusons have strength in numbers up top. If only United could find a spy youngster to marshal the ball up to them. Still waiting Anderson.
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Honorable mention: Saturday: Birmingham v. Aston Villa and…..
Saturday: Napoli vs. Fiorentina
The skinny: While Villarreal have impressed on the attack this year, Napoli has been perhaps the most explosive offense when on.
Uruguyan Edson Cavani is the a top the goalscorer’s table in Serie A and he’ll need to be on with offensive ringleader Marek Hamsik sidelined by suspension.
For the visitors, check out 19-year-old, and one-time Manchester United target, Adem Ljajić. The Serbian national has shown flashes in his first season in Serie A, but you’ll be hearing his name a lot more in the 2nd half of the campaign.
Napoli is 2nd in the table, Fiorentina 10th…should be a good one.
No American player tie-in here, thus it makes only honorable mention.
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And always fun to revisit that guy who was brushing his teeth at the Chelsea game last year (not sure why I thought of this):
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Posted by dth on 2011/01/14 at 7:07 PM
Interesting tidings from the Chelsea game: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/15/didier-drogba-michael-essien-chelsea
…interesting. Not sure how a Essien-for-McEachran sub would work–where’s the steel?
Posted by Eric L on 2011/01/14 at 7:53 PM
Good list of matches to watch. But Stevie G is suspended for the Merseyside Derby, and Kiko Macheda is on loan until the end of the season.
Posted by dikranovich on 2011/01/14 at 10:33 PM
if any derby on any isle has vitriol, it has got to be the glasgow derby and ill be looking for viles of piss in this sunderland newcastle game, then maybe it will be a reminder of honduras and guatemala
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2011/01/15 at 8:09 AM
Every city in the world ‘thinks’ their derby has the fiercest rivalry… but with the sectarian conflict still evident, I would have to just about agree with you regarding the OF Derby.
Posted by Dylan on 2011/01/15 at 10:06 AM
I actually think that the Honduras fans are some of the most respectful fans I’ve ever meet.
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/01/15 at 10:21 AM
Too funny Dylan — didn’t see this comment, but changed this morning to Mexico when I thought better of it…could have made it Costa Rica as well.
Posted by Dave on 2011/01/15 at 1:57 PM
While it may be only a curiosity, according to Monterrey newspaper “El Porvenir” and Tigres fan blog Solotigres, Jonathan Bornstein will be starting for Tigres against relegation leaders Necaxa(5pm PT,6pm MT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET; Telemundo). He has mostly trained as a holding mid and I would guess that’s where he’ll be playing.
Puebla(Edgar Castillo), and Pachuca(Herc Gómez, José Torres) also play this evening.
Posted by Dave on 2011/01/15 at 2:06 PM
Regarding Bornstein, I see teammate Damián Álvarez has been cleared from injury, don’t know if that might knock Jonathan out of the starting lineup, although I believe Álvarez mainly plays wide left.
Posted by dth on 2011/01/15 at 2:46 PM
How come anytime an American gets a position switch, it’s to holding mid?
Don’t club managers realize their responsibility to us, the US fans?
Posted by dikranovich on 2011/01/15 at 5:26 PM
maybe it just shows the versatility of us players. im not sure, but i have never seen bocanegra play defensive midfield for the national team, but he has done it for his club teams and the same with spector, who really was out of his depths today. how about edu coming on and snatching a nice goal today. this is a guy that is a true center halfback
Posted by bunkelUSA on 2011/01/16 at 9:01 AM
Rico Clark playing in central defense today for Frankfurt…
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2011/01/16 at 9:38 AM
Examples please?
Plus it is much easier to be a ‘destroyer’ than a ‘creator’.
Posted by dth on 2011/01/16 at 2:44 PM
It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek (hoping the second sentence made that clear; perhaps not), but mostly thinking of Spector as well as Bornstein. And if you want to go even farther back, you can think of how Reyna was pushed back from a #10 role when he got to Europe.
Posted by dikranovich on 2011/01/16 at 4:15 PM
i guess one way to look at it is to go back to reyna as an example, but really it looks more like american players are in fact finding more central roles. donovan picked up the #9 at everton, that is a lot of responsability that in the past, im not sure an american would have seen. holden has been slotted into the middle of his team and deuce may not play in the middle, but he plays on the left, on the right, and up top. and it is probably only matter of time before deuce finds himself in the middle of the fulham pitch, pulling the strings.
if anything, recent history points to americans moving into more attacking spots and when you look at these young players in the under 20 pool, it looks like the trend is going to be towards more attacking rolls for us players.
Posted by John on 2011/01/15 at 7:36 PM
Hercules about to come on with 15 left 0 0
Posted by John on 2011/01/15 at 7:40 PM
Torres just came on as well. Pachuca USA in effect
Posted by Antonio H. on 2011/01/15 at 9:43 PM
Villa won’t climb the table if we keep playing Gabby on the wing. WTF Gerrard?
Posted by Jennifer on 2011/01/16 at 9:28 AM
Hannover won 3-0. They’ve moved up to 2nd place and already have more points then they did all of last season.