May 4, 2013
By Mark Finlay @soccertransfer1
5/4/13
As the European soccer season is coming to a close it is crunch time for many of the American national team members who decided to ply their trade overseas.
In the English Premiership there is action for American players at both ends of the table with attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey, and his Tottenham Hotspur teammates fighting for that all important 4th place finish that guarantee’s them Champions League soccer next season, and the big payout that goes along with it.
Spurs were at home to Southampton a team that was sitting safe on 39 points going into the match, yet it was the away team and their Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino, who looked to have done his homework with the Saints the better of the two sides in the first half.
After the interval the match looked to be heading for a goalless draw until in the 86th minute when Kyle Walker gave the “Welsh Wizard” Gareth Bale the ball on the right-wing who immediately cut inside before hitting an unstoppable shot past Boroc into the corner of the Southampton net.
Tottenham are currently tied with Chelsea in fourth place, and will be rooting for a Manchester United win tomorrow when the champions take on Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Everton’s American goalkeeper Tim Howard will be hoping that the Toffee’s can pull off a win in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield Sunday. Everton have not won at Anfield in 14 years but manager David Moyes will be rallying the troops to take all three points with a Europa League spot to play for.
At the other end of the table American owner Randy Learner must have heaved a huge sigh of relief after a 2-1 victory over Norwich, which virtually see’s Aston Villa safe for one more season at least, with much of the credit due to the heroic saves of American goalkeeper Brad Guzan and this seasons Premiership goal scoring sensation Belgium striker Christian Benteke, who by the way you can have a chance to watch as the MNT take on Belgium in a friendly May 29th at the First Energy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
More about that game next week and what we can expect to see in what should prove to be a good test for the U.S. soccer team.
Elsewhere in Europe Jermaine Jones and his Schalke teammates moved a step closer to Champions League qualification following a late goal by Draxler to give the home side a 1-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach that puts Schalke three points clear of nearest rivals Eintracht Frankfurt having both played 32 games. Meanwhile in Germany U.S.A scouts Andi Herzog and Matthias Hamann will be watching Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams as they help to prevent Hoffenheim from being relegated from the top flight of German soccer.
In Italy Michael Bradley’s Roma are in a battle with fellow Roman rivals Lazio, Inter Milan and Udinese for a fifth place finish yet are up against fourth place Fiorentina on Sunday knowing that it is a crucial match for a Europa League finish.
Lastly and by no means least midfielder Sacha Kljestan and his Anderlecht teammates are in the Belgium playoff’s with only four points separating the top five teams, and with four games left it is anybody’s to win.
While all these American exports are concentrating on how their teams will finish the season. Back home there is less than three weeks to go before the national team meets in California for what they are calling a “Super Summer” of soccer where they will face Belgium and Germany in friendly’s along with World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica, Panama and Honduras.
It is going to be an exciting summer of soccer for the U.S.A. with matches selling out fast.
