Hahnemann Released by Reading

MNT Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann will leave Reading this summer after the club elected not to renew his expiring contract. Announced on the club website, Hahnemann's exit comes on the heels of manager Steve Coppell's resignation. Hahnemann made over 300 appearances for Reading since joining in 2001.

Along with Coppell, whom the goalkeeper praised for his influence on the club, Hahnemann helped the club to a record setting promotion campaign in 2006 and a memorable first season in the Premier League. Reading exceeded all expecations by finishing in eighth place in 2006-07, while Hahnemann made the most saves of any goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Club chairman Sir John Madejski shared a few thoughts on Hahnemann's departure. "Marcus has been a key player for us for a number of years now, and like Graeme [Murty, a former club captain who was also released] he has been a great ambassador for our club and very popular with supporters. They will forever be well remembered."
Pictures courtesy of isiphotos.com

Reading Fighting for Promotion

Marcus Hahnemann and Reading face Burnely tonight in the second leg of the promotion playoff semifinals. Reading need to overturn a 1-0 deficit at the Madejski Stadium. The game kicks off in around half an hour, with coverage live on Setanta Sports. We'll update you here with what's going on, so if you're afraid of spoilers...stay away!

While you wait for the game to kickoff, here's some footage from the first game:



Still 0-0, but 15 minutes in Reading have had the best chance. They worked the ball to Tabb who tests Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen. Hahnemann hasn't had much to do so far as Reading are dominating possession.

30 minutes and it's still scoreless. Reading have most of the ball but Burnley are defending resolutely.

0-0 at halftime...everything to play for still.

Five minutes into the second half and things look bleak for Reading. Martin Paterson with a stunning strike from distance to give Burnley a 1-0 lead on the night and a 2-0 aggregate advantage. Hahnemann could do nothing there - that ball was beautifully curled into the back of the net from about 25 yards.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Reading. Steven Thompson with an awesome half-volley from just outside the area has given Burnley a 3-0 lead on aggregate. Again no chance for Hahnemann with that one - the ball was dipping all the way and just caromed off the crossbar before bouncing down over the line.

And it's all over. Reading are out of the playoffs, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Burnley.

Saturday Results from England

• Fulham and Clint Dempsey keep their Europa League dreams alive with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.
• Tim Howard kept another clean sheet for Everton in a 0-0 draw with Tottenham. Perhaps not the desired result for David Moyes' side, but they did gain a point in their quest for fifth place (see above).
• Marcus Hahnemann and Reading lost 1-0 to Burnely. Hahnemann and co. take a one goal disadvantage into the second leg of their promotion playoff semifinal
  

Weekend Results

• Fulham fell 3-1 to Chelsea in a London derby. Clint Dempsey played the full 90 minutes for Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
• Michael Bradley and Borussia Mönchengladbach lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich. Bradley played the full 90 minutes, but 'Gladbach could not get a point in their relegation battle.
• Standard Liege's title defense took a hit on Saturday. Oguchi Onyewu's team could only muster a 0-0 draw with Zulte-Waregem. Liege went top of the table with the point, but rivals Anderlecht have a game in hand.
  
• Marcus Hahnemann and Reading are headed for the promotion playoffs in the Championship, after a 2-1 home defeat to Birmingham.
• Eddie Johnson and Cardiff City were robbed of the playoffs after losing 1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday.
• Maurice Edu continued his extended run in the Rangers team, playing 90 minutes in a 2-0 win against Hearts.
• In Denmark, Danny Califf's FC Midtjylland beat Michael Parkhurst's FC Nordsjaelland 2-0.
• Pachuca hammered Chiapas 5-1 to add to their league-best points total. José Francisco Torres came on in the 60th minute.
  

Catch Up on Championship Action

Highlights from Cardiff City's 4-1 win against Derby County - Eddie Johnson scored Cardiff's fourth goal:

Recent Watford Highlights with JayDemerit, including their 2-2 draw with Southampton and 1-1 draw with Barnsley:


More Cardiff City, this time in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace:

Highlights of Reading's 1-0 loss to Sheffield United:

Saturday Results

• West Ham eased past Sunderland 2-0 at Upton Park. Jonathan Spector started at lasted 73 minutes for the Hammers.
• Marcus Hahnemann kept a clean sheet in Reading's 0-0 draw with Coventry City.
• Jay DeMerit went 90 minutes in Watford's 2-1 win over Doncaster.
  

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.
  

Watford Ready for Carling Cup Quarters

Jay DeMerit and Watford are enduring a tough time in the Championship this season, but they look to be turning things around just a bit. The Hornets are unbeaten in three games, including this weekend's draw against Doncaster. Perhaps the recent reversal has to do with the team's support of the Movember campaign which, as you can see from the picture, appears to be going quite well.



Next up for DeMerit and company, is a Carling Cup quarterfinal date with Tottenham. Harry Redknapp's team has been enjoying a rejuvenation of late, and they're the holders of the cup, having defeated Chelsea earlier this year. The game can be seen live in the U.S. on Setanta starting at 2:00 p.m. ET.

And speaking of Tottenham, The Mirror says the London club is lining up a bid for Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

Dempsey back in Starting Lineup as Fulham Win

Clint Dempsey was in the starting lineup for Fulham as the Cottagers defeated in-form Tottenham 2-1 at Craven Cottage. Dempsey was inserted into the starting 11 and made an impact early as Tottenham goalkeeper Gomes was forced to make a save from Clint's long range drive.

Later in the first half, Tottenham's Gomes was at fault for some shocking goalkeeping to let Fulham open the scoring. In the second half, the Cottagers continued to have the better of the exchanges, and the home side extended its lead through Andy Johnson in the 70th minute.



A late Tottenham consoloation goal was not enough to trouble Fulham, who moved up to 9th place in the Premier League with the win. All five of Fulham's wins in the league have come at Craven Cottage. Watch manager Roy Hodgson talk about Fulham's win here.

Elsewhere in England, Marcus Hahnemann and Reading defeated Sheffield Utd. 2-0, Eddie Johnson played 90 minutes in Cardif's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, and Jay DeMerit and Watford fell 2-1 to Barnsley.

Preview in England

Clint Dempsey and Fulham host resurgent Tottenham at Craven Cottage. Fulham have won their most recent two games at home, and a win this weekend would give them three home wins on the trot for the first time in two years. The Cottagers are unbeaten in their last six home games against Spurs and last year's 3-3 game in the corresponding fixture featured Clint Dempsey opening the scoring for Fulham.

Tim Howard and Everton put their four match unbeaten streak on the line against Middlesborough (also unbeaten in four) at Goodison Park. For the ambitious ones among you there are still some seats available.

Jay DeMerit and struggling Watford host Barnsley in the Championship. Watford managed a 1-0 win over Swansea in the Carling Cup midweek, but their league form has been poor and they'll look to get back on track with an important away game on Saturday. In other action, Eddie Johnson and Cardiff host Crystal Palace, while Marcus Hahnemann and Reading face off with Sheffield Utd. in a match between teams placed three and four, respectively, in the Championship table.

Catching up on Highlights

Carlos Bocanegra: Rennes 2, Le Mans 2



Oguchi Onyewu: Genk 0, Standard Liege 0



Marcus Hahnemann: Reading 2, Doncaster 1

Midweek Action

The UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup aren't the only matches on the schedule this week, as many domestic leagues are in action as well.

In England, Cardiff bounced back from this weekend's loss to earn a 2-2 draw at Watford. Eddie Johnson came off the bench in the second half for the visitors, who got two late goals from Jay Bothroyd to grab a point on the road. Jay DeMerit is still sidelined for Watford, who next face a big game with Wolves this coming weekend.

Reading got back on track with a 2-1 victory over Doncaster. Marcus Hahnemann spoke to Reading's website about grinding out the the win, which he said was an important result on the road for the club.

Over in Italy, Danny Szetela and Brescia fell to a 2-0 defeat. Brescia wil travel to Modena on Saturday as they try to improve on their 7th place position.

In Denmark, Danny Califf and FC Midtjylland defeated Jeremiah White and AGF Aarhus, 2-1.

Fulham Earn a Point

Clint Dempsey and Fulham stopped their run of four defeats by earning a 0-0 tie against Sunderland. The game was not without excitement, as Sunderland were denied a goal on multiple occasions: once by the referee and once by the woodwork. Clint Dempsey came on as a second half sub for the cottagers.



The inconsistent start for Tim Howard and Everton continued this weekend, with the Toffees going down, 3-1, to Arsenal in London. Everton took the lead in the first half but couldn't maintain the advantage in the second period, and Arsenal stormed back to take all three points. It gets no easier for Everton, who are in 16th place in the Premier League: they take on Manchester United next weekend.



In other action, Eddie Johnson and Cardiff won 2-0 at Charlton while Marcus Hahnemann and Reading fell, 2-1, to Preston.

Watford Ties Reading, 2-2

By now you've probably heard about the phantom goal scored during the 2-2 draw between Watford and Reading this weekend. If you haven't, however, you can see it in the highlights below. You can also see Watford captain, Jay DeMerit, trying to figure out where the goal came from.



Marcus Hahnemann was also involved in the game for Reading, making 6 saves for the Royals during the game. As a result of the draw, Reading remain in sixth place while Watford continue to struggle in 17th place at the start of the Championship season.

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.

Fulham Redeemed

Fulham confirmed its Premier League status for next season by defeating Portsmouth 1-0 on Sunday. Danny Murphy's second half header was the only goal in a scrappy game and the win saved Fulham from relegation at the expense of Reading and Birmingham. News of the latter two sides winning their respective games comfortably was trickling to the field at Fratton Park, and Fulham knew that only a victory would save them from the drop. Roy Hodgson's side feverishly pressed the Portsmouth goal, and they were rewarded in the 76th minute when Jimmy Bullard's inswinging freekick was met by Murphy. Brian McBride and Kasey Keller played the full 90 minutes for Fulham, while Clint Dempsey started the game before coming off in the 72nd minute.

The news was not so good for Marcus Hahnemann and Reading, who were relegated as a result of Fulham's win. A fantastic effort from Reading in a 4-0 victory over Derby was not enough to make up the gap between the Royals and Fulham, and Hahnemnn's team was relegated to the Championship due to goal differential. Hahnemann made four saves in the loss, while Eddie Lewis and Benny Feilhaber both took part for Derby.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Everton and Tim Howard clinched fifth place with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle.

Weekend Update

Fulham recorded its first away victory since 2006 this weekend, defeating Reading 2-0 to reinvigorate the Cottagers' hopes of beating the drop. Brian McBride scored the winning goal (his 3rd of the season), while Kasey Keller made six saves en route to posting a clean sheet. Clint Dempsey started for Fulham, and went 85 minutes before being replaced by Carlos Bocanegra. Marcus Hahnemann was on the losing side for Reading who, despite the loss, remain above the relegation zone.

They're only just out of trouble, however, as Fulham and Bolton victories this weekend have closed the gap in the relegation fight. As it stands right now:

16. Reading, 32 pts
17. Birmingham, 31 pts
18. Bolton, 29 pts
19. Fulham, 27 pts


At the other end of the table, Everton and Tim Howard slipped up in their quest for fourth place and tied Birmingham 1-1.



Jonathan Spector played 90 minutes in a losing West Ham effort - they were pegged back by Bolton with Kevin Davies scoring the lone goal of the match.

Over in Germany, Hansa Rostock earned a vital 2-1 win over Karlsruhe. Heath Pearce came off the bench in the second half to set up Fin Bartels' winning goal in the 84th minute. The win takes Rostock out of the relegation zone for now (they're ahead of Duisburg by 2 points) ...

Hannover were victorious as well, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1. Steve Cherundolo played all 90 minutes for Hannover, who are in action during the midweek against Borussia Dortmund.

Gooch and Standard Liege stayed the course for the league title: their victory this weekend keeps them seven points clear of Anderlecht, with the two teams to play next weekend. In fact, if Liege beats Anderlecht and third-placed Club Brugge does not win, then Liege will be 10 points clear with only three games remaining. THAT would mean, of course, that a party 25-years in the making begins immediately in Liege ...