Weekend Round Up: Europe

In the Eredivisie, Heerenveen's charge for a European place took a hit with 3-2 loss at home to NEC Nijmegen. Heerenveen went up 1-0 in the 1st half before being reduced to 10 men after a red card to the Goalkeeper in the 23rd minute.


Heerenveen added another before halftime, and even had the majority of chances in the game, but eventually NEC's numerical advantage handed them the edge. Three second half goals, including an injury time winner, handed NEC the victory and condemned Heerenveen to their first defeat in 2008.

Michael Bradley played the full 90 minutes for Heerenveen, and hit the bar in the second half with a header (check out the red carded Brian Vandenbussche watching from the locker room too!)

In Portugal, Benfica tied Braga 1-1, and slipped further behind leaders Porto in the Portuguese table. Freddy Adu came on as a sub in the 83rd minute for the Eagles.



Hannover have endured a tough start to the second half of the Bundesliga season and are yet to win since the league recommenced earlier this month. This weekend was no different, as Hannover slipped into the bottom half of the table following a 2-1 loss away to VFL Bochum. Hannover's bad luck of late was epitomized by Steve Cherundolo's unlucky own goal in the game (reminiscient of Gooch's against Brazil) and hopefully the team will be able to turn their fortunes in this Saturday's home clash with Nurnberg. Sal Zizzo was on the subs bench but did not play for Hannover this weekend.


Speaking of Gooch, Standard Liege tied Gent 0-0 this weekend. The result leaves Onyewu's club in second place, two points behind Club Brugge after 23 games played.

Brief Weekend Update!

Heerenveen were involved in a 2-2 draw with SC Heracles Almelo on Saturday. Michael Bradley played the full 90 minutes, but didn't score for the first time in seven games and his club could only draw. The result leaves Heerenveen in fifth place, though a logjam still exists at the top of the Eredivisie: two points separate second place from fifth.

In Germany, Steve Cherundolo and Hannover slipped to defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich, being on the wrong end of a Luca Toni hat trick.

Over in Portugal, Freddy Adu made a substitute appearance in the 72nd minute of Benfica's 2-0 win Naval 1˚ Maio.

WEEKEND REVIEW

Michael Bradley was on the scoresheet again as Heerenveen earned a hard fought away point at league leaders PSV Eindhoven. The goal was Bradley’s seventh in six games, and his club now sits in second place after Ajax’s loss to Roda JC. Heerenveen, on 44 points, is tied with Ajax, Feyenoord and NAC Breda, but Bradley’s team leapfrogs the competition courtesy of a superior goal differential. Also check out this interview with Michael about his trip back from the states.

In England, Fulham succumbed to a 1-0 defeat away to Middlesbrough. On the positive side for the Cottagers, Brian McBride made his long awaited return from injury, coming off the bench to play 26 minutes in the loss. Kasey Keller, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey were also on the bench, with Clint entering the game at the beginning of the second half.

Everton maintained its fourth place position with a dour 1-0 win against Reading. American goalkeepers minded the nets for both teams, as Tim Howard collected his third straight shutout and Marcus Hahnemann stopped six shots for Reading. In the end, a Phil Jagielka goal was the difference between the two sides. Reading slide to 18^th place and inside the relegation zone with the loss.

Jonathan Spector made a last minute substitute appearance for West Ham as the Hammer’s drew 1-1 with Birmingham City at Upton Park.

In the Bundesliga, Steve Cherundolo was fit again for Hannover’s 2-2 draw with Karlsruhe, while in Belgium, Oguchi Onyewu marshaled a Standard Liege backline that contributed to a 0-0 draw with Roeselare, extending Standard's unbeaten run to 21 games.

Benfica drew 0-0 with CD Nacional de Madeira on Saturday, and now lie 10 points behind leaders Porto. After returning from Houston the day before, Freddy Adu was an unused substitute in the game.

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.

Big Weekend Recap!

Fulham v. Newcastle - Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra both played 90 minutes, but Fulham were undone by a late Joey Barton goal from the penalty spot. Controversial 90th minute penalty calls are not, it seems, limited to to the realm of the U-23s, and you can be the judge on this one-



Everton v. West Ham - With Saturday's 2-0 win, Tim Howard and Everton made it two victories in a week over West Ham. On Wednesday, Everton defeated the Hammers 2-1, earning their place in the Carling Cup semifinals for the first time in 19 years:


Saturday, the scoreline was different but the result was the same. Yakubu has been in menacing form recently, and he again grabbed the winning goal for Everton. Defensively, Howard kept his third consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League.





Everton have been in great form lately, but they'll be put to the test over the holiday period. They face Manchester United away on Saturday, before hosting Bolton and Arsenal on the 26th and 29th.


Derby v. Middlesbrough - Derby County remain marooned at the foot of the bale, after a brilliant volley from Tuncay handed Middlesbrough a 1-0 win over the Rams. Benny Feilhaber and Eddie Lewis did not play in the game.




Jay DeMerit and Watford slipped to defeat at home to Plymouth, and as a result were overtaken at the top of the table. DeMerit went the full 90 minutes, as he looks to be fully recovered from a calf injury earlier this season. With the loss however, Watford drop to second in the Championship table, one point behind West Brom.

Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege drew Dender 0-0 in Belgium on Saturday. Gooch was part of a backline that kept its seventh clean sheet of the season, however the tie means that Standard, despite being undefeated, are still three points behind Club Brugge at the top of the table.


Michael Bradley and Heerenveen have moved up to third place in the Eredivisie after a 5-1 thrashing of NAC Breda. The impressive result puts Bradley and his club ahead of Feyenoord on goal differential, and they remain a mere two points behind leaders Ajax.

Steve Cherundolo and Hannover, meanwhile, were on the other side of that 5-1 scoreline, losing heavily on Friday to Energie Cottbus.

Heath Pearce and Hansa Rostock will undoubtedly be lifted by their 2-0 win over VFL Bochum on Sunday. Pearce came on in the 84th minute to help close out the game, and the win lifts Rostock out of the bottom three, giving them a nice boost before the month long winter break.


Freddy Adu came off the subs bench for Benfica, but couldn't turn around a 1-0 loss to Belenenses. Benfica now sit 10 points behind leaders Porto.

Freddy Adu (Benfica)

The News: Benfica's 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday assured the Portuguese club of a place in the UEFA Cup and knocked the Ukrainian club out of Europe.

Of Note: Freddy Adu was an unused substitute for Benfica, who progressed to the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup courtesy of two first half goals from striker Oscar Cardozo.



Up Next: Benfica parachute into the Round of 32 for the UEFA Cup, but they'll have to wait until mid-February 2008 before they take the field in that competition. Currently, the group stage is still going on, and Benfica won't know its opponent until all the matches are completed.

Champions League: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Benfica

The News: In one of two CL games tonight, Freddy Adu and Benfica travel to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk with a UEFA Cup berth on the line.

Of Note: Benfica have no possibility of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League. However, should they win, they will finish in third place in the group, guaranteeing them entry into the next stage of the UEFA Cup. Shakhtar need a win, coupled with a heavy Celtic loss to Milan, to have any hope of progressing to the next stage. Benfica were pegged back at the weekend, falling 1-0 to title rivals Porto, and they’ll need to regain their focus in the sub-zero climate of Donetsk if they want to continue playing for a continental trophy this year.

Up Next: Read the match preview here, and follow the game at UEFA.com from 2:30 p.m. ET.

(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...

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu and Benfica were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League witha 1-1 draw against AC Milan.

Of Note: Adu came off the bench in the 88th minute, but couldn't find the late game heroics his side needed to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage. Benfica still retain hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup, but in order to achieve that feat, they'll have to beat Shakhtar Donetsk on the final day.






Up Next: Benfica face two massive games in quick succession, when they host league leaders Porto on Saturday before traveling to Ukraine on Tuesday to face Shakhtar.

Champions League: Benfica vs. AC Milan

The News: Freddy Adu and Benfica host AC Milan at the Estadio da Luz in a vital game for the Portuguese side.

Of Note: Benfica have yet to lose in the Portuguese league, where they currently sit in second place, but they haven't managed to transition domestic success to the bigger stage of the Champions League. With only one win from three games, Jose Antonio Camacho's side is rooted to the foot of the Group D table. Yet there is still a fair amount of hope, as the Eagles are only three points away from second place. Any kind of result against AC Milan tonight would set the tone for rest of Benfica's charge toward the second round. Freddy Adu scored during his club's 3-1 victory this weekend, and he'll hope to get on the field for tonight's big game.
Up Next: The match kicks off at 2:45 ET. You can read previews of the match here and here, and follow along live text updates at UEFA.com.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Fredua strikes again, this time putting the final nail in the coffin against Académica de Coimbra with a 90th minute goal.

Of Note: The goal is Adu's second in league play and fifth in all competitions since joining Benfica. The 18-year-old started on the bench, but came on in the 62nd minute for Nuno Gomes and hit a left-footed strike from the top of the box that just trickled in after going off the 'keepers glove and the right post. The victory keeps Benfica solidly in second place with 25 points, six ahead of Sporting Lisbon, but still a point behind leaders FC Porto, who also have a game in hand.



Up Next: Freddy and the rest of the boys will be looking to have a great week of training as they get set for a formidable task when they face AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu was an unused substitute in Benfica’s 1-0 loss to Celtic last night.

Of Note: A lone Aidan McGeady goal was the difference between the two sides, as the Glasgow club prevailed in a tightly contested Group D Champions League match. With the loss, the pressure is mounting significantly for Benfica and Adu, and they will need points from their next two games against Shakthar Donetsk and AC Milan to have any hope of qualifying for the knockout round. Check out full highlights of the game here.

Up Next: Benfica will try to steady the ship win they face Boavista in the Portuguese League on Sunday. Adu and Benfica are yet to lose in the league this year, while Boavista, by contrast, are winless and hovering near the relegation zone. After the international break, Benfica will host AC Milan in a Champions League match where they must achieve a result.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu and Benfica take on Celtic today in a Champions League Group D match at Celtic Park.

Of Note: The teams last met two weeks ago when Benfica defeated Celtic, 1-0, at the Estadio da Luz. Adu came on as a second half sub in that game, and was part of the passing build up which lead to Benfica’s late goal. With that victory, the Portuguese club reignited its hopes of qualification for the next round, and it now sits only three points behind joint-leaders AC Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk. Celtic could equally use a victory tonight, and they’ll rely on a rowdy home crowd to help them achieve a positive result. You can read previews for the match here and here, and can also follow live text updates at uefa.com.

Up Next: Kickoff is slated for 2:45 p.m. ET, and since the game isn’t on TV, we’ll be sure to link you to highlights as they come on the internet. How do you feel about Benfica’s chances to progress to the next round? They’ve got some tough games ahead….What about predictions for tonight’s fixture?

WEEKEND WRAP UP

Scotland:
With a 2-0 win on Saturday, DaMarcus Beasley and Rangers made it two victories in a row before they travel to Spain for their crunch Champions League match with Barcelona. Beasley retained his place in the starting eleven as Rangers hosted Inverness at Ibrox, and it took only seconds for the home side to gain the lead through Kris Boyd. With their early advantage, Rangers didn’t look back, and the result was put out of reach for the visitors with an additional goal in the second half.

Portugal:
Over on the Iberian Peninsula, Freddy Adu again came off the bench for Benfica, who needed more late heroics to earn a 2-1 win against Paços Ferreira. This time the goal came from Greek international Kostas Katsouranis, after he tapped in a rebound off a Rui Costa free kick in the 84th minute. Adu came off the bench in the 81st minute for his fourth consecutive appearance for Benfica, who will travel to Glasgow to face Celtic this week. Check out highlights of the game here.

England:
Tim Howard and Everton made it four wins in a row with their 3-1 victory over Birmingham on Saturday. The Toffees were in danger of dropping points, after Birmingham’s Olivier Kapo tied the game for Steve Bruce’s side in the 80th minute. However, late goals from Lee Carsley and record-signing Yakubu stole victory for an Everton team that now sits at eighth in the table, just shy of a qualification spot for Europe. Speaking of Europe, David Moyes’ team will travel to Germany this week, where they’ll face FC Nürnberg on Thursday in the UEFA Cup. You can see highlights of this weekend’s game here.

Jonathan Spector again came off the bench for West Ham early in the second half, this time with the Hammers defending a 1-0 lead against Bolton. Unfortunately, however, a late stoppage time goal from Bolton's Kevin Nolan meant that the game finished in a draw and the points were shared. Full highlights of the game here.

Meanwhile, Derby County’s troubles are mounting, as they went down 2-0 to Aston Villa. Neither Eddie Lewis nor Benny Feilhaber appeared in the game.

In the Championship, Watford suffered their first loss of the season, crashing to a 3-0 defeat at home to West Bromich Albion. After only 10 minutes, Jay DeMerit collided with an opposing player and had to be stretchered off with what looked to be a calf injury. We’ll keep you updated as we hear the prognosis.

Also in the championship, Sheffield Wednesday earned a 2-1 victory over Plymouth, as Frank Simek made his return to the starting lineup after a brief layoff through injury. The win moves the Owls away from the relegation zone, and they’ll look to further climb the table when they host West Brom on Tuesday.

Holland:
Michael Bradley and Heerenveen beat PSV 2-1 to move up to fifth in the table. Bradley was again in the starting lineup for Heerenveen, whose victory ended a bad week for the Eindhoven club: on Wednesday, manager Ronald Koeman departed the club to take over at Valencia.

Belgium:
Standard Liege and Oguchi Onyewu drew 0-0 on Saturday against Excelsior. Despite remaining undefeated on the season, the draw sees Gooch’s club fall to second place, one point behind Club Brugge.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu continued his run of good form, scoring from the penalty spot, and looking dangerous throughout the game, however it wasn’t enough to stave off defeat, and Benfica eventually went down 2-1 in the game to Vitória Setúbal.. With the loss, Benfica was eliminated from the Portuguese Cup 3-2 on aggregate goals.

Of Note: Adu made it two goals in two games, when he converted a penalty for Benfica in first half stoppage time. The goal was his fourth on the season, and third in the cup competition. In the second half, Vitória stormed back, grabbing an equalizer shortly after the break. Their constant pressure eventually paid off, and Edinho popped up seven minutes from time to bag the goal which eventually sealed the tie. For Adu, he started and played 85 minutes, but that will be scant consolation, as his side are now out of the race for the Cup title.

Up Next: Benfica and Adu will look to get back on track this weekend, when they face Paços de Ferreira, the side currently in fifteenth place in the league. Next Tuesday, Benfica travel to Scotland to face Celtic in Group D Champions League action.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu scored his third goal of the season in the 87^th minute to give Benfica a 2-1 victory over Maritimo in the Portuguese League on Sunday.

Of Note: The goal was Adu’s first in league play for his club, who climbed to second place with the victory. After going a goal down early in the match, Benfica equalized in the 18^th minute, however they were reduced to 10 men after their goalkeeper, Quim, was red carded later in the first half. Adu came on late in the second half, and his timely finish from inside the six yard box sent the Estadio da Luz crowd into raptures. It caps an impressive week for the 18-year-old, who scored last Saturday in the League Cup for Benfica. In midweek, he appeared as a sub in Benfica’s victory over Celtic in the Champions League, and played a part in the build up to Óscar Cardozo’s winning goal.

Up Next: Benfica play Paços de Ferreira in a League match on Saturday, November 3, before traveling to Scotland to face Celtic in Champions League Parkhead on next Tuesday, November 6.

Two goals in a week for Adu? Is he finally hitting his groove at Benfica? Let us know what you think by adding a comment below!

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu became the youngest American to play in the UEFA Champions League proper when he came on in the 61st minute of Benfica’s 1-0 win over Scottish champion Celtic in their Group D match on Wednesday.

Of Note: Adu entered the game early in the second half while the score was still knotted at zero. The Portuguese club bombarded the Celtic goal for the duration of the second half, hitting the crossbar and the post, before Óscar Cardozo eventually scored the winner five minutes from time.

In the game last night against Celtic, Freddy was the first sub off the bench, and was also involved in the passing movement which built up to the goal. At 18 years, 4 months, Adu broke the record for the youngest American to play in the group stage of the Champions League held by Jonathan Spector (18 years, 11 months). That mark was set when he came on as a sub for Manchester United against Turkey's Fenerbahce in 2004.

Up Next: On Sunday, Benfica host Maritimo in a Portguese League match. Benfica have arguably underachieved thus far this year in the domestic league, and though they have yet to lose, sit at fourth place in the table due to four ties. The Lisbon club can go a long way toward rectifying their problems in their match this weekend; Maritimo currently are one point ahead of Benfica.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

The News: Freddy Adu and Benfica take on Celtic in Champions League action on Wednesday at the Stadium of Light.

Of Note: Freddy Adu has yet to really break into the first team, but he is on the squad list for the match. With injuries to a few players - including striker Nuno Gomes - is there a chance Adu sees some playing time? We won't know for sure until kickoff tomorrow (oh, by the way, the match is only on closed circuit TV or UEFA.com broadband pay-per-view). Adu has been making an impact as he scored the tying goal in Benfica’s Carlsberg Cup match on Saturday (see earlier Adu blog entry for video of the goal), coming into the game in the 71st minute and ripping a first time half volley from the edge of the area to ensure they earned a replay in the fourth round of the cup.

Up Next: The game of course! Get all the starting line-ups and more here before the match and then follow online.

FREDDY ADU (BENFICA)

News: Freddy Adu appeared as a sub and scored in Benfica’s Carlsberg Cup match on Saturday, coming into the game in the 71^st minute.

Of Note: Down 1-0, Freddy scored the equalizing goal for Benfica in stoppage time. His first time half volley from the edge of the area ensured that the Lisbon team earned a replay in the fourth round of the cup. The goal was Adu’s second in the competition, after he scored a similarly late equalizer from the penalty spot in the previous round. Benfica went on to win that match in penalties.

Up Next: Benfica resumes Champions League play on Wednesday when they host Celtic at the Estadio da Luz. A result for the Portuguese club is vital, as they remain pointless in Group D after losing the first two matches. The top two teams from each group advance to the next round.