Another bad time to be at the top of the EPL...
The top of the English league is becoming more cluttered by the weekend---thanks to Manchester United's 3-0 demolishing by Fulham (a game in which American Clint Dempsey picked up an assist), Chelsea was able to extend their lead to 4 points with only a 1-1 draw against West Ham. Wins by Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Tottenham have closed the gap between the top 2 and the rest of the league, however---Arsenal and Villa are only 2 points back of United, Tottenham's only 4 points adrift of the Red Devils.
Once again, it was good to be an American 'keeper in EPL---the 3 teams with Yank 'keepers earned 10 out of 12 possible points. Tim Howard and Everton were the only team to drop points, picking up a 1-1 draw against Birmingham City, while Brad Friedel (Aston Villa) picked up a 1-0 win over Stoke, and Marcus Hahnemann continued to put a stamp on the #3 spot for the World Cup, making 5 saves as Wolves' topped Burnley, 2-0.
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Speaking of the US World Cup squad, a prominent name from the past now has to be mentioned with the players likely to make the team following an incredible resurgence...
DaMarcus Beasley's standout play could earn him a spot in the US starting 11 for the World Cup
Provided he keeps playing---and producing---Rangers' midfielder DaMarcus Beasley should find himself not just on the US team, but in the starting 11, after spending 2 years fighting to recover his health, fitness, form, and place in his Scottish club team following a serious knee injury. A goal and an assist in Rangers' win over the weekend gives Beas 2 goals and 4 assists in 5 games this year.
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US Soccer has announced an important warm-up for South Africa...
The Yanks will take on the 3rd-ranked Netherlands on March 3rd (FIFA's only dedicated fixture date prior to the World Cup) at the state-of-the-art Amsterdam Arena.
The 51,000-seat stadium features Europe's first retractable roof, as well as pitch built 30 feet above the ground to allow a vital highway to pass underneath the stadium.
Not only will the match provide a warm-up against a quality opponent, but the US should have a full, fresh compliment of European-based players who won't need to make the trans-Atlantic trip for this one.
Kickoff at the colorful arena is set for 2:30pm ET, and the match will air on ESPN2.
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Reports are surfacing that Blackburn has offered current free agent Stuart Holden a 4-year contract. A move to the EPL could be the best---or the worst---thing to happen to the former Houston Dynamo midfielder this winter...if he gets solid playing time, Holden's World Cup prospects rise dramatically...but if he finds himself on the bench, Holden could find himself on the outside looking in come May (when the World Cup squad will convene for camp). If he doesn't take a chance on a move to Europe now, Holden will likely remain at the top of the list of fringe players, though there's no guarantee that he will get quality offers from English or Scottish clubs in the future (he's in his prime developmentally, something that European managers drool over).
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The draw for the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 took place on Friday, and there are plenty of intriguing match-ups. David Beckham will take on the team that developed him into a superstar, as AC Milan take on Manchester United. Karim Benzema led Ligue 1 in scoring last year as a member of Lyon---the team he will now face as a member of Real Madrid, who purchased him over the summer. "The Special One," Inter manager Jose Mourinho, will also face his former club, as the Italian giants face Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich will face Fiorentina, FC Porto takes on Arsenal, Olympiakos plays Bordeaux, VfB Stuttgart takes on holders Barcelona, and CSKA Moscow will play Sevilla.
In related news, Barcelona's 2-1 win in the FIFA Club World Cup Final on Saturday gives them SIX trophies this year---the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa Del Rey, European Supercup, Spanish SuperCup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. Add in the Spanish players on the team who won Euro 2008, and the only team to knock any of those players out of a tournament since Euro '08? The United States (in the Confederations Cup).
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In the latest addition to the "Adding Injury to Insult" files, Liverpool's Javier Mascherano will miss at least 3 weeks after injuring his knee in a rash challenge on Portsmouth's Tal Ben Haim in Liverpool's 2-0 loss over the weekend. The injury will likely keep him out longer than the suspension he faces for the red card he received on the play.
This comes after Jens Lehmann's self-injury-causing-red-carded challenge last weekend.
And how was your weekend?
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