There were several Americans playing abroad in the top European leagus on Saturday August 15, 2009. The most noticable was Charlie Davies who scored 2 goals for French Ligue 1 side Sochaux. In England, Clint Dempsey and Fulham won their opener on the road while goalkeepers Tim Howard and Brad Friedel lost. Here’s the full recap of Americans playing in the Premier Leagy, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga on Saturday August 15, 2009.
Charlie Davies (ST) – Sochaux – French Ligue 1 – lost to Bordeaux 2-3 – scored 2 goals
Davies continues to impress at every level he’s played at as he scored both goals for Sochaux as they feel to Bordeaux 2-3 in Ligue 1. The first goal came after the club was down 0-2 and got Sochaux back in the match. Davies was in the box and received a good pass and was able to turn, beat the defender and get a shot to the far corner to beat the keeper. The second was in stoppage time as the corner kick went to the far post and Davies was able to touch it into over the line. It’s been a great start for Charlie Davies who came on at halftime and has already proven he deserves a chance to start.
Clint Dempsey (MF) – Fulham – English Premier League – beat Portsmouth 1-0 – 1 assist
Dempsey got an assist as Fulham started off with a road victory at Portsmouth. The American had a shot that deflected off Zamora and into the back of the net for the gamewinner. It was a bit lucky but Fulham played solid defensively the rest of the match so keep a clean sheet. He played the full 90 minutes and also had a few shots.
Sal Zizzo (MF) – Hannover 96 – German Bundesliga – draw with Mainz 1-1
Zizzo came on as a 2nd half substitute in the 76th minute as the match was already 1-1. He didn’t have any shots and has yet to get a start for Hannover. He’s till only 22 but needs to get consistent playing time this season or possibly find a club where he can.
Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – lost to Arsenal 1-6
Howard was a sitting duck Saturday against Arsenal as the Everton defense didn’t show up. There were not really any soft goals from Howard and little he could do to save any of the goals. The American goalkeeper has been in great form the last season and this summer with the National Team but had little help from his defense. There were maybe 1 or 2 goals that he should have done better on but overall he played decent, considering his defense was absolutely horrible.
Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – lost to Wigan 0-2
Friedel and Villa struggled as they lost at home to Wigan. The first goal was a great shot that Friedel had little chance to save and the second was a soft one. Friedel got beat the 2nd time between the legs and should have done better but he still have been a solid keeper for the club. Overall, Wigan outplayed Villa and Friedel didn’t receive any support from the Villa attack.
Jonathan Spector (LB) – West Ham United – English Premier League – beat Wolves 2-0
Spector came in at the 65th minute as West Ham won 2-0 against Wolverhampton. He mainly came on because of an injury to Ilunga and could get more playing time if its anything serious. Spector is finally healthy after a few seasons of being on and off the injury list.
