Championship Midweek Update

• Eddie Johnson came on as a sub in Cardiff City's 2-2 Draw with Burnley.
• Marcus Hahenmann made six saves in Reading's 1-0 win over Blackpool. Bobby Convey also entered the game as a second half sub.
  

Results from England

In the Premier League, it proved to be a tough weekend for Everton and Tim Howard who went down, 3-0, to Portsmouth. The defeat marks the second in a row for Everton. They'll have to wait a few weeks before they have a shot at getting back to winning ways - they next face Stoke on Sept. 14.



Aston Villa tied Liverpool, 0-0, and goalkeeper Brad Guzan appeared on the subs bench for the first time in his Aston Villa career.



In the Championship, Reading resumed their winning ways, beating Crystal Palace, 4-2. Marcus Hahnemann made two saves in the victory while Bobby Convey was an unused sub.

Jay Demerit's Watford grabbed a late victory over Ipswich Town. The 2-1 win sends the Hornets up to 8th in the table. DeMerit started and played the full game on the Watford backline.

Cardiff City and Sheffield Utd finished tied at zero. Eddie Johnson made his second appearance for the Bluebirds, coming on as a late sub in the draw.

More Results from England...

Tim Howard and Everton traveled to newly promoted West Brom and game away with three hard earned points, winning 2-1. Everton's attack was completely thwarted in the first half, but the Toffees rebounded after the break to score two goals en route to the victory. Howard made 3 saves for Everton in the win. On Saturday, Everton will play host to Portsmouth at Goodison Park in an early-season battle of two teams who will figure to be challenging for Europe come the end of the season.



In the Championship, Reading and Watford both lost. Reading were outscored by Charlton, 4-2. Both Marcus Hahnemann and Bobby Convey started for the Royals. Watford and Jay DeMerit were also losers on the day, going down 3-2 to Notthinham Forest.

Charlton - Reading:


Nottingham Forest - Watford:

Saturday Wrap

Lots of leagues around Europe are underway, and that means lots of Americans were in action on Saturday

Rangers beat Hearts, 2-0, giving the Glasgow club six points from the season's first two games. DaMarcus Beasley made his first league appearance of the season, coming on as a second half sub in the victory. Maurice Edu was also in attendance at Ibrox.




In Belgium, Champions Standard Liege commenced the season where they left off last term, beating Dender, 3-1, to grab three points. Oguchi Onyewu was in his usual blackline position for Liege, going 90 minutes in the win.

Over in Germany the first day of Bundesliga action was not kind to Hannover96. Steve Cherundolo's side was beaten, 3-0, by Schalke 04 to start the season.

Reading made it four points from two games in the Championship, beating Plymouth, 2-0, on Saturday to go 2nd in the table. Marcus Hahnemann and Bobby Convey were both in the starting lineup for the victorious Royals, as they were on Tuesday when Reading beat Dag & Red in the Carling Cup.

English Football Championship Underway

The English Football Championship (the second tier of English soccer behind the Premier League) got underway this weekend, with all 24 teams in action.

Marcus Hahnemann and Bobby Convey of Reading both played a full 90 minutes in the Royals' 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. Hahnemann made nine saves en route to his first clean sheet of the seaon, while Convey played the game at wide midfield for Reading. Next up comes a match with League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge (Dag & Red) in the Carling Cup.

Also in the Championship, Jay DeMerit and Watford drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. DeMerit played 90 minutes at outside back for Watford, who next face Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup.

Weekend Results...

Obviously inspired by his podcast performance, Oguchi Onyewu popped up to score the winner for Standard Liege this weekend. His club beat Mouscron 1-0 on Saturday to inch closer to the Belgian League title...

In Germany, Heath Pearce played 90 minutes for Hansa Rostock this weekend, but his side were upended by a 52nd minute goal from Halil Altintop. The 1-0 loss plunges Rostock into the relegation zone on the Bundesliga table - they're currently in 17th place. With 24 points, Rostock is two points away from safety and they'll need a win this weekend when they travel to face Energie Cottbus. Also in the Bundsliga, Hannover96 was on the losing end of a five goal thriller with Wolfsburg. Steve Cherundolo's team went down 3-2 and is now in 10th place. Sal Zizzo was on the bench for Hannover.

Over to England, where things are going from bad to worse for Fulham. On the end of a 3-1 loss against Sunderland this weekend, the Cottagers are treading water in 19th place. Clint Dempsey came off the bench, while Brian McBride and Kasey Keller played the full 90 minuts. The only good news for the team from this weekend, is the fact that both Birmingham and Bolton lost as well. Up Next? A massive game with Reading away from home.

Tim Howard and Everton picked up some points on Liverpool in the fight for fourth place, courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Derby County. Howard kept his 18th clean sheet (in all competitions), and made 8 saves in the victory. With the three points, Everton climbed to within a victory of Liverpool, who currently occupy the final Champions League spot.

Reading were on the wrong side of a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle, though Bobby Convey made his return from injury. The midfielder came on as a sub in the 60th minute.

Finally, the Dutch Eredivisie playoffs are beginning to take shape over in Holland, and Heerenveen looks to have consolidated its place in the postseason. Saturday's win against WIllem II put Michael Bradley's club on 57 points and that gives them a six point cushion from 7th place. With two games to go, that means that Heerenveen just needs one point to be assured of qualification...

WEEKEND WRAP UP

On Sunday, West Ham faced Manchester City for the second time in a week, after the two teams met in the FA Cup this past Wednesday. Sunday’s match went a bit better for the Hammers, as they earned a valuable point on the road in the City of Manchester Stadium. Jonathan Spector came off the bench in the 90th minute to make his second appearance of the week.

Fulham suffered defeat at the hands of Arsenal on Saturday. Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra both played 90 minutes in the loss.

Derby and Reading were also on the losing end of their games against Portsmouth and Man U respectively. For Reading, Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann both started. While Eddie Lewis came off he bench for the Rams.

In the Championship, Jay DeMerit went 90 minutes but Watford’s promotion charge was pegged back by a 1-1 draw with fellow Premier League challengers Charlton.

Saturday Wrap

After last week’s FA Cup action, the Premier League kicked back into gear on Saturday.

Everton climbed to fifth place in the table following a 1-0 victory against Manchester City. Tim Howard made three saves, and the Toffees defended well as a team en route to their seventh home win of the campaign.

Reading suffered a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa at Villa Park. Marcus Hahnemann made 12 saves in the losing effort, while Bobby Convey came off the bench in the second half for the Royals.

Meanwhile, West Ham United defeated London neighbors Fulham at Upton Park. Jonathan Spector continued his run in the Hammers’ side, going 90 minutes in the 2-1 win. On the other side, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey were again in the starting lineup for the Cottagers. Bocanegra was removed after 14 minutes with a head injury – we’ll be sure to keep you updated on that developing situation. Speaking of injuries, Brian McBride is back in first team training for Fulham. You can read about his return here.


Over in Portugal, Freddy Adu came off the bench in Benfica’s 0-0 against Leixoes. Adu entered the game in 79th minute but could only help Benfica to a point as the club remains in 2nd place in the league.

FA Cup Saturday

The Premier League is taking a week off after a busy holiday period, but the clubs themselves don’t get the luxury of rest: The FA Cup third round takes place this weekend.

Watford earned passage to the fourth round by defeating fellow Championship side Crystal Palace 2-0. Jay DeMerit played 90 minutes in the center of defense for the hornets, who face Preston next week when league play resumes.

Reading drew 2-2 with Tottenham, forcing a replay that will be contested at the Madjski stadium on January 15. Bobby Convey featured at left midfield in a Royals side that will fancy its chances against Spurs at home.

West Ham and Jonathan Spector will also be playing a third round replay after the Hammers fought out a scoreless 90 minutes with Manchester City. Spector came on at halftime for West Ham, who resume Premier League duties next Saturday against Fulham.

Finally, Everton and Tim Howard slumped to defeat against League One side Oldham. The Toffees will now look to regroup ahead of next weeks semifinal clash against Chelsea in the Carling Cup.

BOBBY CONVEY (READING)

The News: Reading defeated Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday. Bobby Convey was credited with an assist on his team’s third goal.

Of Note: Reading’s victory was their first ever against Liverpool, and the first time that Steve Coppell’s team has earned three points against the so-called “Big Four” in the Premier League. The Royals remain in 12^th place, but confidence in the team camp must be high after putting in probably their best performance of the season.

Convey was effervescent on the left-side of midfield for Reading, and it was his nicely threaded pass that set up James Harper for the final goal of the game. Marcus Hahnemann put in a solid shift in goal for Reading, making five saves in the win.

Up Next: Reading will look to take points from their next three games against Birmingham City, Sunderland and West Ham. First the Royals travel to the midlands to face Birmingham at St. Andrews Stadium on Saturday the 15^th.

Soccer On TV

Here’s a sampling of some of the games on TV this weekend (all times are ET):

Saturday:

Manchester United vs. Derby County (10 a.m., Setanta) – It just doesn’t get easier for the poor Rams who, after last week’s lost to Everton, now face Champions Manchester United. Benny Feilhaber was not involved in that match, and he’ll be hoping to break into the squad for Saturday’s glamorous trip to the Theatre of Dreams.

Reading vs. Liverpool (12 p.m., FSC) – Reading take on Liverpool in the late kickoff on Saturday, and with only one win in their last five, the Royals could do with a good result. A tie or a win could set the tone for a good December for Steve Coppell’s team, who face lesser opponents for the next four weeks leading into the Christmas period. Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann will likely be in the starting lineup for Reading, as they have been the last few outings for the team. And if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out this article on Bobby’s work off the pitch in England. Oh, and a random note: the Reading scout at the Development Academy Nike Friendlies right now is senior-team fullback Nicky Shorey’s dad. Yup, random.


Sunday:

Blackburn vs. West Ham (11 a.m., FSC) – West Ham travel north to Ewood Park on Sunday, and the Hammers could push further into the top half of the table with a victory over Blackburn. Jonathan Spector has been one of the first subs off the bench in recent games, and he’ll look to help his team earn three solid points before next week’s double date with Everton – the two clubs face off in the Carling Cup on Wednesday and the Premier League on Saturday.

BOBBY CONVEY (READING)

Just thought we'd pass along a cool story on Bobby Convey about his charity work in England. That's about it. There's not really much else to say, the article really covers it best! Be sure to check it out.

(Brief) Weekend Recap

Hansa Rostock 0 – Hannover 96 3: Heath Pearce and Rostock played Steve Cherundolo and Hannover close, but a flurry of late goals gave the visitors the victory. The scoreline was more lopsided than it should have been, and Rostock had a good amount of chances before Hannover broke the deadlock in the 84^th minute. Pearce, who came on as a left winger at halftime, was put through on goal in the 63rd minute, but his left footed volley was well saved by the Hannover keeper.

NEC Nigmegen 0 – Heerenveen 1: Michael Bradley and Heerenveen were victorious in rainy conditions on Sunday. The victory keeps Heerenveen in fourth place, five points behind Feynoord, and seven points behind the leaders PSV.

Benfica 0 – Porto 1: Freddy Adu came off the bench in the 79^th minute, but couldn’t change the result for his club who remain in second place with the loss.

Portsmouth 0 – Everton 0: What looked to be one of the best games of the weekend on paper failed to live up to its billing, and turned out to be a fairly uneventful draw. Everton lacking the punch they had last week during their seven goal victory, and couldn’t convert any of their chances. At the other end, however, the Toffees were tight at the back, led by Tim Howard’s seven saves, and they earned a clean sheet to preserve the draw.

Reading 1 – Middlesbrough 1: Bobby Convey started on the wing again for the Royals, while Marcus Hahnemann took up his familiar post in the net, where he made 10 saves. Reading’s next match is against Liverpool on Saturday.

West Ham 0 – Chelsea 1: The Hammers were undone by a late goal from Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole in the 76^th minute. Three minutes later Jonathan Spector came on as a sub for West Ham.

Not too much else of note to talk about, other than to remind everybody about today’s big game! Fulham travels to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, in a game to be televised live on Setanta. Extended coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET, though the actual kickoff isn’t until about an hour later. Be sure to check back here after the match for highlights…

Around the Continent...

Friday's Bundesliga game kicks off a full slate of European league games this weekend. In fact, the action got under way elsewhere this afternoon as well with Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege taking on Anderlecht in the Belgian League. That game finished in a 0-0 stalemate, and as a result, Standard climb to the top of the table for now.

Saturday, Jonathan Spector and West Ham United travel across London to Stamford Bridge where they will take on Chelsea in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff. That's lunchtime in England of course, and here that game will be on bright and early Saturday morning. Be sure to set your alarms for the 7:30 a.m. ET kickoff on Setanta.

Later on Saturday morning, Tim Howard minds the nets for Everton as his club travels to Fratton Park to take on Portsmouth. Both sides are in excellent form, with Portsmouth unbeaten in their last five matches, and Everton's only blemish coming from their 2-1 defeat in the Merseyside Derby. Kickoff is a 10:00 a.m. ET, and you can follow text updates here, or catch the delayed broadcast at 2:30 p.m. ET on Setanta.

At the same time, Reading travel to Middlesbrough and Derby County make the journey north to Sunderland. Both these games would seem to have significant implications for the relegation battle this season, as all four of these teams reside in the lower half of the standings. Derby, led by new manager Paul Jewell, will be looking to climb off the foot of the table against a Sunderland side that was thrashed by Everton last weekend. Benny Feilhaber will hope to make it two appearances in a row following his substitute cameo against Chelsea. For Reading, Bobby Convey tallied an assist in last weekends heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Manchester City, and will likely retain his place in the starting 11 along with goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. Neither of these games are televised live, but the Reading game can be seen on FSC at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The other big game on Saturday is in Portugal, where Freddy Adu and second place Benfica host first place FC Porto at the Estadio da Luz. Both clubs are undefeated in the Portuguese League, though Benfica are four points behind the leaders.

On Sunday, Heerenveen and Michael Bradley play away to NEC Nijmegen. Last time out, Heereveen lost for the first time in five matches against De Graafschap, but they still remain in fourth place in the table. To continue their pursuit for a UEFA Cup berth, they'll need to earn a win against an NEC side who have lifted themselves off the bottom of the table in recent weeks.

And finally, Monday afternoon action pits Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Fulham against Champions Manchester United. The game is televised live on Setanta, with coverage beginning at 2 pm ET. We'll have more for you throughout the weekend, so make sure to keep checking back here for the latest highlights and results...

BOBBY CONVEY (READING)

The News: Bobby Convey assisted on Reading's only goal, but a late winner from Stephen Ireland gave Manchester City the 2-1 win.


Of Note: With Reading down 1-0, Convey squared a delicate ball across the top of the box for James Harper to first-time into the top corner. The score after 90 minutes of play remained 1-1, but in injury time Mancheter City midfielder Ireland hit a spectacular full volley past a helpless Marcus Hahnemann. The loss drops Reading to thirteenth place.





Up Next: Reading host Middlesbrough on Saturday the 12th. In the bottom end of the table, three points separate seven sides (these two included), so this weekend's match will be an important one for both sides.

CLINT DEMPSEY (FULHAM)

The News: Clint Dempsey scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season in Fulham’s 3-1 victory over Reading on Saturday.

Of Note: Dempsey tapped home a Shefki Kuqi header in the 72nd minute, and the goal proved to be the game-winner. Fulham have had a nasty habit of conceding late goals this season, but this time they were doing the attacking in the second half, and David Healy’s 90th minute goal made sure of the three points. With the victory, Fulham jump to 13th place in the league, putting some breathing room between them and the relegation zone. For Reading, Marcus Hahnemann took the loss in goal, as they remain one point above Fulham in 12th place. Bobby Convey made his return to the Premier League from injury when he came on as a sub in the 76th minute.



Up Next: Fulham have a tough stretch of three games coming up. On Saturday, they’ll travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool, in a game that will be shown live on FSC. After the international break, they’ll take on Blackburn and Manchester United over the Thanksgiving weekend. Reading, meanwhile, are at home to Arsenal on Monday the 12th.

SOCCER ON TV

(All times are ET)

Saturday:

5:30 pm: Fulham v. Reading (FSC, delayed) – Clint Dempsey and Fulham host Bobby Convey, Marcus Hahnemann and Reading in this matchup between two teams seeking to push themselves into the top half of the table. For the Cottagers, Carlos Bocanegra is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, and his team will need to figure out a way to stop conceding late goals, which has been a plague throughout the season. Meanwhile, Convey is included in the squad as he continues his recovery from injury, and Hahnemann, if he starts in goal as expected, will make his 50^th premier league appearance for the club. You can read a match preview for the game here.

Sunday:

11:00 am: West Ham v. Bolton (FSC) – Jonathan Spector and West Ham host struggling Bolton at Upton Park on Sunday in a battle between the 11^th and 19^th placed teams. Spector has appeared in West Ham’s last two games, and with the Hammers’ injury list growing rapidly, he could find himself in the starting lineup for this weekend’s game. You can read a match preview for the game here.

As always, we’ll be bringing you highlights and news items as they happen throughout the weekend. With a full schedule of games around Europe, there will undoubtedly be some action to report on. Which games are you looking forward to? Any predictions? Let us know by leaving some comments…

WEEKEND WRAP UP

Below are highlights of Freddy Adu’s goal, but here’s how the rest of the Americans in Europe fared this weekend:

England:

Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey both played 90 minutes in Fulham’s 1-1 draw against Roy Keane’s Sunderland. Fulham jumped out to an early lead, courtesy of Welsh international Simon Davies, and when Sunderland were reduced to ten men in the second half, the Cottagers looked to be on the road to a vital win away from home. However, Sunderland fought valiantly, and eventually equalized late in the game to earn a share of the points.

Tim Howard and Everton traveled to Pride Park on Saturday to face Eddie Lewis and Derby County, where the Toffees came out 2-0 victors. The clean sheet was Howard’s second of the season and the victory vaults Everton into the top half of the table, in ninth place. For Derby, trouble seems to be mounting with zero wins in their last five matches. However, they still remain only two points away from safety and will look to get back on track next week against Aston Villa. Benny Feilhaber did not dress for the game on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Reading hosted Newcastle, and Marcus Hahnemann resumed his position between the sticks for the Royals, overseeing a 2-1 victory for Steve Coppell’s side. In a back and forth game, Reading took the lead through Dave Kitson, though they were later pegged back by a Michael Duberry own goal. The home side were not to be denied, and Shane Long scored with only his second touch of the game, after just coming on the field only seconds before, to secure all three points for Reading. Bobby Convey is just returning to fitness for Reading, having been out for a few weeks with an injury, and was an unused substitute in the game.

Finally, Jonathan Spector made a late substitute appearance for West Ham United in their 0-0 draw against Portsmouth. Spector came on in the 78th minute for Nolberto Solano, as West Ham survived a late penalty scare to salvage a point.

So, what do you think about this week's matches overseas? Let us know by making a comment below.

BOBBY CONVEY (READING)

News: Bobby Convey scored his first goal of the season for Reading, but his team was ultimately eliminated from the Carling Cup by Liverpool.

Of Note: Convey's goal (cool pic of his celebration) tied up the score at one before a hat trick from Fernando Torres propelled Liverpool to a 4-2 victory. The result eliminates Reading from the Carling Cup, and they now have to turn their attentions back to the Premier League, where they currently sit the precarious position of 16th in the table. Marcus Hahnemann was on the bench for Reading, getting some much needed rest after appearing in all of Reading’s games thus far.

Reading - Liverpool, Carling Cup

Up Next: Reading travels to Fratton Park on Saturday to face a Portsmouth side who, under Harry Redknapp, currently sits 11^th in the table.

Brief Recap from England...

Some quick notes about a few results from the English Leagues this weekend:

Bobby Convey came off the bench in the second half, and provided some spark in Reading’s 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic. The Royals snatched all 3 points, courtesy of a late winner from James Harper …


Meanwhile, Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra took part in an absolutely thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City and Craven Cottage. Twice the Cottagers went ahead, but both times Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side fought back, eventually even taking the lead. However, the scoring wasn’t finished and Fulham managed to grab a late equalizer through Hameur Bouazza …

Benny Feilhaber and Jonathan Spector came off the bench for Derby County and West Ham United, respectively. Unfortunately, however, both sides were on the losing end of their matches …

Over in the Championship, Frank Simek played a full 90 minutes as Sheffield Wednesday beat Hull 1-0, and finally obtained their first points of the season. Jay DeMerit started for Watford as they managed a 1-1 draw with QPR at Loftus Road. For Wednesday, they remain bottom of the table but are now level only 3 points away from moving out of the relegation zone. Watford, on the other hand, continue their good start to the season, though their lead at the top of the table has now been trimmed to only two points