Chelsea and FC Copenhagen played to a 0-0 draw in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, March 16, 2011.

Chelsea 0-0 FC Copenhagen Recap

Chelsea booked their spot in the quarterfinals after a scoreless draw put them with a 2-0 aggregate win.

It was a match where neither side showed great play in the final third or an ability to convert chances. Chelsea were the better side overall but failed to score any goals. Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba started up top while Fernando Torres came on in the second half as a substitute. Copenhagen’s best chance would come in the first half when Dame N’Doye hit the post on a free kick.

Chelsea will learn their quarterfinal opponent on Friday when the draw is released.

Chelsea 0-0 FC Copenhagen Match Stats

Chelsea 0-0 FC Copenhagen – Recap & Match Stats – Champions League – 16 March 2011 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea have a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg as they host Danish side FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg. The match will take place at Stamford Bridge in London, England on Wednesday, March 16, 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:45 GMT (UK time), 20:45 CET (Central Europe), and 15:45 EST (USA Eastern).

Chelsea v FC Copenhagen TV Listings

It will be televised on ITV 1 (UK), Fox Soccer Channel (USA), Setanta Sports (Canada), Sky Sport (Germany), Sky Sport (Italy), Sport TV2 (Portugal), Setanta (Ireland), C+ Sport (France), TV3+ (Denmark), and on Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East).

Chelsea v FC Copenhagen Preview

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti

‘I want to rotate in this game, I didn’t choose the team for tomorrow but I want to use rotation because we have all the players fit and I want to use all the players to prepare for these two games with Copenhagen and Manchester City.

‘My best team is not just 11 players. I am happy in this moment because all the players are fit, Alex came back to train today in good condition and is ready for the next game, Benayoun will come back to train maybe Thursday or Friday with the team, so every player is fit and in good condition.

‘This is a fantastic moment for us to have all the players fit and we want to maintain motivation for everyone, to have all the players fit in the next games of the Premier League and Champions League. Alex will not be involved tomorrow but he will be involved in Sunday’s game.’

‘We don’t want to speak about the Premier League now. We are in focus to win this game, reach the quarter-finals and await the draw,’ he said.

‘I think it is the second half of this round, we did well in the first half and I think we need to pay the same attention in the second half, we don’t have to forget that for us it will be very important to move on, to reach the quarter-final of the Champions League.

‘Copenhagen is a good team with good organisation and I hope that everything will be okay. We used this time to prepare well, stay in focus and to improve our condition and confidence,’ the Italian continued.

‘In training everything was okay but now we have to check our condition in the game. In the first game we played really well and we needed a high tempo to play against them. We have to stay in focus because they come here and want to do everything to win.’

‘After the victories against Copenhagen, Man United and Blackpool our confidence is better and we want to keep this and if possible improve,’ he said.

‘Our moment is really good and I said after two months we slept; now we are ready to fight for the rest of the season. At the moment it is good. It is the first time we have just one player out for two or three days, all the players are fit and this is very good news.’

Chelsea player Branislav Ivanovic

‘My thought on the first game was that I felt cold, honestly, it was minus eight or something?’ he pondered. ‘It was a very important game of course for us, and now we have to play this game seriously, prepare well and close a good result from Copenhagen.

‘When we played in Copenhagen we were in a difficult moment. We made a great result and a great advantage but now it is time to be in focus and close this game.

‘In football a 2-0 advantage is a big advantage but in the same time is a very dangerous result, because after the first half we are just 2-0 up and we have to close the game, close this round and start thinking after to carry on.

This is a very important game, because our condition is getting better and better and we want to carry on with this and take confidence from every game.

‘We are in a good position from the first game, but we have to pay attention because they have good players.’

‘It is a strange situation, unusual for us,’ Ivanovic conceded, ‘but in a way it is good for each individual game. It means we can prepare well, be focused and spend time on the training pitch in the important part of the season.’

‘We are focused on ourselves, we want to make sure Chelsea reach the quarter-finals before we start thinking about who we will play,’ he said.

‘After that we can think about other opponent teams and we know it would be hard because all teams in the Champions League are strong, but first we must beat Copenhagen.’

Copenhagen manager Ståle Solbakken

“We need a miracle. Obviously we are in a very tough situation, as we haven’t been our best since the winter break. We are not in the form we were in before Christmas, which is down a little bit to injuries, but most of all down to the first goal in the first game (against Chelsea). You set yourself up for a game like Chelsea for three months, and then concede a goal so early in the game: that was a tough one for us. We didn’t manage to break Chelsea down at all in the first game.”

“I think it’s easy to say it’s down to one thing, and that’s which team scores the first goal. If we score the first goal the tie may change; the psychology of the game will be different. We have been down and out before, and then we beat Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam to qualify in 2006, so we will go for it tomorrow.”

“I think we will play our normal game; for us it’s the same if we only have ten minutes to score a second goal or if we score in the first minute. We will try to be as compact defensively as possible. We had five or six counter attacking opportunities in PARKEN against Chelsea, which in fact ended up as chances for Chelsea because we lost the ball unnecessarily in vital areas. We will try to score the first goal and think positively. If Sunderland can score three then we can score two.”

Competition Stats

Next Matches

Chelsea v FC Copenhagen Prediction

Chelsea wins 3-0

Chelsea v FC Copenhagen Betting Odds

Chelsea win – 1/3

Draw – 4/1

Copenhagen win – 17/2

Chelsea v FC Copenhagen Live Online

The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.

Chelsea v FC Copenhagen – Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, and Betting Odds – Champions League – 16 March 2011 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Chelsea defeated FC Copenhagen 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea Video Highlights

The match highlights can be viewed here at Free Soccer Highlights.

FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea Recap

Chelsea moved one step closer towards the Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-0 win at Copenhagen.

Fernando Torres was given the start and paired with Nicolas Anelka up top while Didier Drogba was on the bench. This would prove to be a good decision as Anelka would score two goals in the match. Anelka’s first was on the 17th minute and his second was in the 54th minute. FC Copenhagen, who have not played since early December (the Danish league has a three month winter break), were rusty and struggled to get into the match.

Torres would have some good chances for Chelsea but he continues to struggle to find the back of the net. Chelsea will next play Manchester United in the EPL which is a crucial match while Copenhagen will return to league play in March. The second leg will take place in March at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea the overwhelming favorites to advance.

FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea Match Stats

Scoring Summary

Match Stats

FC Copenhagen                Chelsea

FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League – 22 February 2011 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The Danish league has started weeks ahead most of the other European leagues and several Americans are already making an impact. Jeremiah White and Benny Feilhaber all play in the league and were in action on Monday night. The Swedish Allsvenskan started in April and is currently in the middle of the season as American Alejandro Bedoya has found recent success playing for Orebro. Here’s a recap and video highlights of those matches from Monday August 3, 2009.

Alejandro Bedoya (MF) – Orebro SK – Swedish Allsvenskan – Video Highlights

Bedoya had a great last week as he came on a s a late substitute and scored 2  goals. The strong play earned him a spot in the starting line-ups for Monday’s game against Orgryte IS. Bedoya played 79 minutes as the match ended in a 2-2 draw. The goals for Orebro were the result of own goals by the Orgryte defense. Bedoya and Orebro are currently 7th in the Allsvenskan tabel through 17 matches.

Benny Feilhaber (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Video Highlights

Feilhaber has been healthy and really starting to find his good form as AGF took on Odense BK on Monday. The American midfielder played the full match and earned a yellow card. Feilhaber could be attracting attention from other teams in the winter transfer window and will likely be called up to the US National team for upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.

Jeremiah White (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Video Highlights

Jeremiah came on in the 79th minute s AGF drew 2-2 with Odense and remains in the lead in the league table after 3 matches. White has only started one of the three matches so far and has no goals on the seaosn.

Americans Abroad Recap and Video Highlights: Bedoya in the Allsvenskan, White and Feilhaber in the Danish SAS-Ligaen - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Monday saw two Americans playing abroad in Europe having success. Benny Feilhaber continues to get back to his form that saw him score the game-winning goal in the 2007 Gold Cup while Alejandro Bedoya is having success in Sweden with Orebro. Here’s a recap of both players and video highlights.

Benny Feilhaber (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – 1 goal – Video Highlights – Video Interview

Feilhaber continued his good form from the Confederations Cup on June as he scored 1 goal for AGF Monday in the Danish SAS-Ligaen. It came in the 45th minute and was the game winner as AGF won 3-2 against Randers FC. If his play continued to be on the rise, Feilhaber is likely to attract attention from the bigger leagues in the Winter transfer window.

Alejandro Bedoya (MF) – Orebro – Swedish Allsvenskan – 2 goals – Video Highlights

Bedoya came on as a late second half substitute in the 78th minute and scored 2 goals in a short span to help lead Orebro to a draw with BK Hacken. The first goal was setup where Bedoya had an easy goal and the second was a great play where he controlled a pass down to his feet and crushed it past the goalkeeper. Overall, Orebro is 6th in the league table.

Americans Abroad Recap and Video Highlights: Feilhaber scores for AGF, Bedoya scores for Orebro - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

It was the final weekend in many of the European leagues as goalkeeper Tim Howard grabbed another clean sheet for Everton, and midfielder Maurice Edu played for Rangers who won the Scottish Premier League title. In the League 1 Promotion Play-off final Zak Whitbread and Millwall fell to Scunthorpe, but Michael Bradley and Monchengladbach were able to avoid relegation. Here’s the full recap of Americans playing abroad in the top European soccer leagues.

Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – A convincing 2-0 victory at Craven Cottage and another clean sheet for Howard was a fantastic way to cap the 2008/09 English Premier League season for Everton. Howard’s 17 clean sheets helped lead Everton to a 5th place finish ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup Final. Howard had 4 saves on the game and is starting to reach the peak of career. After the FA Cup next weekend, Howard will have several international matches this summer.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu started and played the full game as Rangers won 3-0 at Dundee United and clinched the league title. After not getting much playing time, Edu has been a regular in the starting line-up down the stretch and helped provide solid play in the midfield. The American will likely be back with Rangers and should be a regular starter in next season’s team. Edu has been called up for the World Cup Qualyfing in a few weeks.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Fulham struggled against Everton at home but held onto 7th place in the league and UEFA Europa League spot for next season. The team lost 0-2 as Dempsey had several shots in the game. The club has enjoyed a great season and Dempsey should be a part of next season’s team but could attract offers from other Premier League clubs.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – Friedel started and played the full game for Villa who defeated Newcastle 1-0. The American goalkeeper had 4 saves and ended the season with 13 clean sheets. Friedel is likely to stay with Villa and after his retirement could lead the way for his back-up, fellow American Brad Guzan to take over the starting job.

Zak Whitbread (D) – Millwall – English League One Promotion Playoff Final – Whitbread started and played the full game Millwall who fell short against Scunthorpe 2-3. It was a disappointing loss but Whitbread has been rumored to have interest from Sunderland and Scottish side Rangers.

Jonathan Spector (RB) – West Ham United – English Premier League – Spector and West Ham defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 to cap the 2008/09 season as the American played the full game. After a string of injuries, Spector appears to be healthy and should get some playing time with the National Team during a busy summer schedule.

Michael Bradley (CM-L) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Bradley and Monchengladbach earned a 1-1 draw against Dortmund to avoid relegation. The season was mixed for Bradley as his form was inconsistent and Monchengladbach were in a battle to stay up the whole season. It is unknown if he will stay with the club as he has attracted interest from the other leagues.

Carlos Bocanegra (CB-L) – Stade Rennais (Rennes) – French Ligue 1 – Bocanegra started for Rennes but was in center defense after usually playing left-back for most of this season. The club defeated Lorient 3-1 and in striking distance for a Europa League spot. Bocanegra should play several games for the international side with WCQ and the Confederations Cup.

Oguchi Onyewu – (CB) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler Pro League – Standard Liege played Anderlecht in a tie to determine the league championship and won 2-1 on aggregate. Onyewu has been a consistent starter and has thrived in the Belgian leagues but now will be moving on. His contract is up for Standard and several teams in Ligue 1 and the Premier League have been rumored to be interested.

Jeremiah White (MF) and Benny Feilhaber (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – White and Feilhaber started for AGF who beat Brondby 1-0 in the Danish League. Feilhaber was subbed out in the 66th minute while White played the full game. AGF is in the middle of the table with one game left in the season.

Michael Parkhurst (D) - FC Nordsjaelland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Parkhurst was a second half sub as Nordsjaelland had a 3-1 lead and held on for a 3-2 victory. The club is safe from relegation after a scare earlier in the season.

Marcus Tracy (ST) – Aalborg – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Aalborg drew 1-1 with Sonderjyske as Tracy played the full game. The club is in 7th place and has been disappointing after finishing first last season.

Danny Califf (D) - FC Midtjylland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Califf played the full game for Midtjylland who drew with Odense BK. The club is 4th in the league table and Califf should have a busy summer schedule with the National Team.

Americans Abroad Weekend Recap – Howard gets another clean sheet, Edu and Rangers win the SPL - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The European season is winding down as Tim Howard got another win for Everton, Maurice Edu started for Rangers who took the lead in the SPL, and Clint Dempsey and Fulham took one step closer to European soccer next season. Meanwhile in Sweden where the season is just starting, Charlie Davies scored again and now has 4 goals. Here’s the full recap of Americans playing abroad in the top European soccer leagues.

Charlie Davies (ST) – Hammarby – Swedish Allsvenskan – Davies scored again for Hammarby as they won 1-0 against Malmo FF.  He scored the goal on a long ball which he controlled with a good first touch, then a great strike to beat the keeper. The win is only Hammarby’s second in 9 games.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Dempsey and Fulham defeated Newcastle 1-0 and solidified their 7th place with a great chance of playing the UEFA Europa League next season. The American has been a consistent player for Fulham and will probably remain with the club for next season.

Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – Howard made 3 saves as Everton moved into 5th place with a 3-1 victory against West Ham on Saturday. The great play of Howard has helped Everton as they will have a Europa League spot for next season and still have the FA Cup Final at the end of this month.

Jonathan Spector (D/MF) – West Ham United – English Premier League – Spector played the full second half but West Ham fell to Everton 1-3. The American received a yellow card and had no shots on goal. Now healthy, Spector should have a chance to earn regular playing time next season for the club.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – Friedel made 2 saves as Villa came from behind to draw 1-1 with Middlesbrough. The club is in Europa League spot for next season and Friedel is likely to stay with the club after a solid season.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu got another start and played the full game for Rangers as they took the lead in the SPL with a 2-1 lead against Aberdeen. He had a shot on goal and has started several games in a row after sitting on the bench for most of the season. While fellow American DaMarcus Beasley has fallen out of favor with Rangers, Edu is starting to hit is stride with the club.

Michael Bradley (RCF) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Monchengladbach were dominated 5-0 by Bayer Leverkusen and the club is still 3 points clear of relegation with 1 game left. Bradley had a shot on goal but Leverkusen took control of the match and never let go. Any result next week will ensure Monchengladbach avoids relegation.

Carlos Bocanegra (LB) – Stade Rennais (Rennes) – French Ligue 1 – Bocanegra and Rennes drew with Nantes 1-1 on Sunday. He had one shot on goal and Rennes dominated possession 59-41 in the match. Bocanegra has had a good transition to Ligue 1 and has started and played every game this season.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler Pro League – Onyewu and Standard won 1-0 against KAA Gent to finish 2nd in the Belgian Jupiler League. Onyewu will be moving onto another team as his contract with Standard Liege ends after this season and several teams from Ligue 1 and other divisions are interested.

Danny Califf (D) – FC Midtjylland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Califf played the full game as FC Midtjylland fell to Esbjerg 0-1. The club is currently 4th in the league table. Califf should have a busy summer with the National Team.

Benny Feilhaber (MF) and Jeremiah White (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – White played 67 minutes and Feilhaber played 23 minutes at AGF drew 1-1 with Randers FC. The club is currently 6th in the table.

Michael Parkhurst (D) – FC Nordsjælland – Danish SAS-Ligaen - FC Nordsjælland beat Vejle 4-1 and Parkhurst played the full game. The win puts the club at 31 points and avoids relegation for this season.

Americans Abroad: Charlie Davies scores again, Edu and Rangers top of the table in the SPL - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

There were several Americans Abroad playing in midweek games with Zak Whitbread for Millwall, Charlie Davies at Hammarby, and several playing in the Danish SAS-Ligaen. Here’s a full recap of the Americans playing in the top European leagues this week. Video highlights for call games can be found here.

Zak Whitbread (CB) – Millwall – English League One – Millwall defeated Leeds United 2-1 on aggregate to advance to the League One Promotion Playoffs final at Wembley. Whitbread started and played the full game for Millwall in a solid performance. He was down for a few moments with an injury but was able to finish the game. Whitbread are one victory away from playing in the Championship next season.

Charlie Davies (ST) – Hammarby IF – Swedish Cup – Davies scored for Hammarby in their 2-4 loss to Mjallby IF in the Swedish Cup. The club continues to struggle and is second to last in the Allsvenskan table. As Hammarby continues to struggle, Davies has been the team’s leading scorer and could be getting a few offers in the summer transfer window.

Mike Grella (ST) – Leeds United – English League One – Grella came on as a late substitute as Leeds lost 1-2 on aggregate to Millwall. He had no shots on goal in the match.

Benny Feilhaber (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Feilhaber and AGF won 3-1 against Esbjerg and are 6th in the table with 41 points. The team is middle of the table with no chance of relegation or a European spot for next season.

Danny Califf (D) – FC Midtjylland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Califf beat Aalborg 2-1 as they remain 4th in the league table. They will finish the season in the same position as they are 10 points ahead of 5th place and over 10 behind 3rd place. Califf has started and played 22 games for FC Midtjylland this season.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu started and played the full game for Rangers, who had a disappointing 1-1 draw with Hibernian. The draw puts Rangers on level with Celtic in points but 2nd due to goal difference. Edu had not shots on goal in the match.

Michael Parkhurst (D) – FC Nordsjælland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Parkhurst played the full game as FC Nordsjælland drew with Sonderjyske 0-0. The team is now is 5 points clear of relegation and needs a victory to ensure their safety for next season.

Marcus Hahnemann (GK) – Reading – English Championship – Hahnemann played a solid game for Reading who couldn’t get any goals in the second leg of the semifinals against Burnley. The two goals both hit the post and Hahnemann had little chance of saving them. Hahnemann remains a solid goalkeeper and could possibly get offers from a few Premier League teams or other leagues. He could also be interested in finishing his career in Major League Soccer if the offer is right.

Michael Bradley (CF) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Bradley played the full game as Monchengladbach won a crucial 1-0 game against Energie to get out of the relegation zone. The American had one shot on goal and the club is at 30 points and they are 3 points clear with 2 games left in the season.

Carlos Bocanegra (LB) – Stade Rennais (Rennes) – French Ligue 1 – Rennes won a solid 1-0 match against Caen as Bocanegra again played and started the full game. The team is in 7th place and unlikely to finish high enough for a European spot for next season.

Americans Abroad: Charlie Davies scores for Hammarby, Whitbread and Millwall advance to Wembley - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

It was a busy weekend for Americans Abroad with Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra scoring goals for their respective clubs. Tim Howard earned another clean sheet while Clint Dempsey and Fulham defeated Brad Friedel and Aston Villa. Maurice Edu played for Rangers in the “Old Firm” as they defeated Celtic, and Zak Whitbread played for Millwall who’s in the English League One promotion playoffs. Here’s a full recap of Americans playing Abroad in the top European Leagues.

Oguchi Onyewu (CB) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler League – 1 goal – Onyewu started and played the full game for Standard Liege as they defeated Club Brugge 2-0 to remain tied with Anderlecht at the top of the Belgian Jupiler League Table. Onyewu scored a goal off a header from a free kick and has been in good form recently. His contract with Standard ends at the end of this season and will likely sign with a team in one of the top leagues during the summer transfer window.

Carlos Bocanegra (LB) – Stade Rennais – Coupe de France (French Cup) – 1 goal – Bocanegra and Rennes looked like they were on their way to winning the Coupe de France only to give up 2 late goals to Ligue 2 side Guingamp on Saturday. The American defender scored Rennes’ only goal to give them the lead in the 70th minute but Guingamp had 2 goals from Eduardo Dos Santos to win 2-1. Bocanegra’s goal came off a free kick where he headed it past the goalkeeper.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Dempsey played 86 minutes for Fulham as the defeated Aston Villa 3-1 and currently in 7th in the league table. He played a solid game and had one shot on goal that forced Friedel to make a good save.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League – Friedel and Villa lost 1-3 to Fulham as they were outplayed from the very beginning. He had 6 saves on the game and didn’t make any major mistakes as his team were outclassed for 90 minutes.  Aston Villa had clinched a Europa League spot for next season.

Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – It was an uneventful game for Howard who didn’t face any shots on goal and neither team was able to get anything going in a 0-0 draw. With 16 clean sheets in the Premier League this season, Howard has been one of the top goalkeepers.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scottish Premier League – Edu played the full game for Rangers as they defeated rivals Celtic to go top of the league table. The American has gotten significant playing time for the Scottish club recently and has taken advantage of the opportunity.

Zak Whitbread (D) – Millwall – English League One Promotion Play-offs – Whitbread and Millwall played a solid game in the first leg against Leeds United to earn a 1-0 victory.

Marcus Hahnemann (GK) – Reading – English Championship Promotion Play-offs – Burnley took a 1-0 lead on Reading in the first leg of the promotion play-off semifinals. Hahnemann made 5 saves but his defense let him down as Burnley’s goal came from a penalty kick converted by Graham Alexander. The second leg will be at Reading next week.

Michael Bradley (RM) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Monchengladbach appeared to not have things going their way when Marko Marin missed a penalty early but a late goal from Roberto Colautti gave the club a crucial 1-0 victory. Bradley started and played the full game at right midfield. With the victory, Monchengladbach are now safe from relegation but only on goal difference.

Sal Zizzo (ST) – Hannover 96 – German Bundesliga – Zizzo has received little playing time for Hannover but was a late substitute on Saturday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt which ended in a 1-1 draw. He has now played in 5 games for the club in the Bundesliga this season.

Michael Parkhurst – FC Nordsjælland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Parkhurs played the full game as FC Nordsjælland fell to Copenhagen 1-3 and are only 5 points clear of relegation. With 4 games left, the team should be safe but needs a victory to assure they avoid relegation.

Americans Abroad Weekend Recap – Onyewu and Bocanegra score goals, Howard gets another clean sheet - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Goalkeepers Tim Howard and Brad Friedel led the way in Americans Abroad as both earned clean sheets for their respective clubs. Here’s the full recap of Americans playing overseas in the top European soccer leagues.

Tim Howard (GK) – Everton – English Premier League – Howard had another solid game in goal as Everton defeated Sunderland 2-0 and the entire club has been in great form as of late. The American has tied the record with 15 clean sheets in the Premier League this season and continues to prove he’s one of the top 5 goalkeepers. Howard had 2 saves on Sunday’s game Everton are in 6th, two points behind 5th placed Aston Villa.

Brad Friedel (GK) – Aston Villa – English Premier League - Along with Howard, Friedel has been one of the best goalkeepers in Premiership, and continued his strong season with a 1-0 victory against Hull City. Friedel made 4 saves in Monday night’s win and Villa maintained their 5th place in the league table, assuring their Europa League spot for next season.

Clint Dempsey (LM) – Fulham – English Premier League – Dempsey played the full game for Fulham as they lost at Chelsea 1-3. The team struggled from the beginning, giving up 2 goals in the first 10 minutes, and unable to get any consistent attack. Dempsey had a shot on goal but it was a quiet game for the American. The loss dropped Fulham to 9th and they will need a strong finish to get a Europa League spot.

Jay DeMerit (D) – Watford – English Championship – DeMerit started and played the full game at Watford as they beat Derby County 3-1. Watford will remain in the Championship and DeMerit has been a solid contributer with the back four.

Marcus Hahnemann (GK) – Reading – English Championship – Hahnemann made 4 saves but Reading lost to Birmingham 1-2 on Saturday. Reading can clinche a playoff promotion spot with a victory in one of the 2 remaining league games.

Jemal Johnson (ST) – Milton Keynes Dons – English League One – Johnson came in as a second half substitute in the 52nd minute as the Dons won 1-0 at Hereford United. The American had 2 shots on goal and made an impact with 5 goals and 10 assists in 34 games in League One for the MK Dons. They’ve qualified in the promotion play-offs and will face Scunthorpe United in a home and away tie.

Mike Grella (ST) – Leeds United – English League One – Grella came on in the 77th minute as Leeds won their last league game and will now play in the promotion play-offs. He had one shot on goal and has yet to get a start or play significant minutes for Leeds. The play-offs begin with a home and away tie against Millwall.

Carlos Bocanegra (LB) – Stade Rennais (Rennes) – French Ligue 1 – Bocanegra and Rennes played a solid game but an own goal caused a loss to Paris St-German on Sunday. Carlos earned a yellow card in Sunday’s match and Rennes are in 7th, 2 points behind Lille and 4 behind Toulouse.

Michael Bradley (ST) – Borussia Monchengladbach – German Bundesliga – Monchengladbach lost to Bayern 1-2 and now are in danger of being relegated. With 4 games to go, the soccer club is 3 points from being clear and has a game against 15th place Energie which could decide their fate. Bradley had 2 shots on goal but Bayern dominated most of the match in shots on goal and possession. If Monchengladbach is relegated, Bradley will probably get offers from other Bundesliga clubs or the other to European leagues.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) – Standard Liege – Belgian Jupiler Pro League – Onyewu played the full game as it resulted in a scoreless draw. Standard is currently tied with Anderlecht for first in the league table with two games left in the season. Onyewu is almost definitely leaving the club after this season and the rumors have been he will be playing in Ligue 1 next season.

Maurice Edu (MF) – Rangers – Scotish Premier League – Edu started again as Rangers won 2-0 to keep pace with Celtic in the league table. The American midfielder had a shot on goal and is starting to earn consistent playing tie for the club. Next weekend is against Celtic in what might be the fiercest rivalry in European soccer.

Danny Califf (D) – FC Midtjylland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Califf played the full game as FC Midtjylland won 2-0 against FC Nordsjælland. Califf was given a yellow card in the game and the club is in 4th place with 45 points in the league table.

Michael Parkhurst (D) – FC Nordsjælland – Danish SAS-Ligaen – Parkhurst played the full game against Califf as they lost 0-2. FC Nordsjælland are 5 points clear of relegation but need a few more victories to ensure their safety.

Jeremiah White (MF) and Benny Feilhaber (MF) – AGF Aarhus – Danish SAS-Ligaen – White played 65 minutes and Feilhaber replaced him for the final 25 as AGF was crushed by Odense BK 6-1. Feilhaber had struggled to get time while White has 3 goals and 4 assists this season.

Jonathan Spector, Freddy Adu, Steve Cherundolo, Brad Guzan, DaMarcus Beasley, Eddie Johnson, Jozy Altidore, Heath Pearce, Sal Zizzo, Marcus Tracy – Did not play in this weekend’s games for their respective clubs.

Americans Abroad: Brad Friedel and Tim Howard earn clean sheets - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog