Highlights: West Ham 2, Boro 1

Highlights of Jonathan Spector in West Ham's win over Middlesbrough:

Big Sunday for MNT Players Abroad

• Maurice Edu and Rangers try to sew up the SPL league title Dundee Utd. Here's a link - http://www.freedocast.com/forms/PopOut.aspx?sc=427231E3213910A1 - if you want to watch it live. A Rangers win will give them the crown.
• Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege face Anderlecht in the second leg of the playoffs in Belgium. The first leg finished 1-1.
• Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard will do battle in England, as Fulham and Everton meet to close out the season in the Premier League. Jonathan Spector will also be in action for West Ham as they take on relegation-threatened Middlesbrough.
• José Francisco Torres and Pachuca try to reach the final in Mexico as they will attempt to close out their semifinal tie with Indios.
  

Highlights: Everton 3, West Ham 1

Tim Howard's Everton gets the victory here, while Jonathan Spector makes a second half appearance for West Ham.

Highlights: West Ham vs. Sunderland

Highlights of West Ham's win against Sunderland on Saturday:



EDIT: A few readers have been wondering how Jonathan Spector is after that collision this weekend? Well according to reports, he's fine, with no serious injury sustained. We'll keep you posted.

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.
  

No Longer a Spectator

Jonathan Spector is back in the MNT camp this time around, marking his first call-up of 2009. Spector, you may remember, was injured last year and is returning to form and full fitness after a lengthy layoff from a torn labrum in his hip. The last time he appeared for the U.S. came in the 3-0 victory against Poland at this same time last year, and he was a part of the squad that traveled to Europe last summer before pulling out due to injury. This weekend marked Spector's first Premier League start of the year and was also his first full 90 minutes for the club this season. We sat down with Jonathan and asked him about the long road back. Listen to ussoccer'com's full podcast here.

Highlights from England

Clint Dempsey and Fulham impressively dispatched Manchester United at Craven Cottage yesterday, a great result for the Cottagers and their supporters.
Fulham v Manchester United


Everton and Tim Howard slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth at Fratton Park yesterday. Everton remain in 6th place, four points behind Aston Villa after the latter's defeat to Liverpool today.
Portsmouth v Everton

Jonathan Spector played the full ninety minutes in West Ham's 1-1 draw with Blackburn. It was Spector's first Premier League start of the year.
Blackburn v West Ham

Saturday Results

• Everton's hopes of a shot at 4th place took a hit today when Tim Howard and company went down 2-1 to Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
• Clint Dempsey and Fulham shocked table-toppers Manchester United with a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage.
• Jonathan Spector played 90 minutes for West Ham United, who drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers.
• Jay DeMerit helped Watford keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 stalemate with Ipswich Town.
• Marcus Hahnemann made eight saves for Reading in a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
  
• DaMarcus Beasley started for Rangers, who were pegged back by a 2-2 draw against Hearts. Beasley assisted on Rangers' opening goal, setting up Kyle Lafferty to begin the scoring. However, two second half goals by Hearts left the points to be shared.
  

West Ham up to Seventh Place

No, seriously. Highlights from their 1-0 win against Wigan yesterday. Jonathan Spector entered the game in the second half.

Wednesday Results

• Jonathan Spector came off the bench to help West Ham earn a 1-0 win away to Wigan Athletic.
• Clint Dempsey played 90 minutes but Fulham fell at home in an unlikely loss to Hull City.
• Tim Howard had to make only one save in Everton's uneventful 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers.
• Rangers fell to second place in the SPL with a 1-0 loss to Inverness. Maurice Edu started the game, his second consecutive appearance in midfield for Rangers, before being subbed off in the second half.
• Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes eased past Lorient in the Coupe de France Round of 16, winning 3-0.
  

Midweek Action

Lots of midweek games around the world this week:

In England, Tim Howard and Everton travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers. You can see this game delayed on FSC at 5:00 p.m. ET. Clint Dempsey and Fulham host Hull City at Craven Cottage, while Jonathan Spector and West Ham lineup against Wigan Athletic.

Rangers will look to keep their noses out in front of Celtic in the SPL, with Walter Smith's side facing Inverness at Ibrox later today. Pedro Mendes is still out, which means Edu could again get the start for Rangers, whose goal difference advantage at the top of the SPL was trimmed to just four goals this weekend.

In continental cup action, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes host Lorient in the Round of 16 of the French Cup.

Sunday Gameday

We're here at Smallbar in Chicago, part of the Official U.S. Soccer Bar Program, and we've settled down with our coffee ahead of some games this Sunday.

One result from England is already in the books, with West Ham United defeating Manchester City 1-0. Jonathan Spector came off the bench for the Hammers to help keep the clean sheet as West Ham

First up at 9 a.m. (well, alongside the Carling Cup final), Brad Guzan, Brad Friedel and Aston Villa take on Stoke City at Villa Park. Villa have won their last five games at home and they'll be recalling most of their first team after Thursday's loss to CSKA Moscow.

For now, you can check out these highlights from Clint Dempsey and Fulham's 0-0 draw with Arsenal yesterday:

What We're Watching

Saturday

7:40 a.m. - Everton vs. West Brom, Setanta - Tim Howard and Everton clash against bottom-of-the-table West Brom in the early match on Saturday morning. West Brom will be going for their first win at Goodison Park in 30 years.

10 a.m. - Arsenal vs. Fulham, FSC - Clint Dempsey and Fulham travel to the Emirates Stadium where Arsenal will be putting their unbeaten home record on the line in a London derby. Check out a video preview of the game here.

Sunday

7:25 a.m. - West Ham vs. Manchester City, Setanta - Jonathan Spector will look to make his second consecutive Premier League start in a game where former Hammer Craig Bellamy's return to Upton Park with new team Manchester City is the main storyline.

11 a.m. - Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich, Gol TV - Bayern Munich and Landon Donovan travel to the Weserstadion to face Werder Bremen on Sunday. Bayern thrashed Sporting Lisbon mdiweek, and will look to carry that form into the Bundesliga where they've suffered a recent dip in form.


2:55 p.m. - Lyon vs. Rennes, Setanta - In a match that could have major title implications, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes face league leaders Lyon at the Stade Gerland. Rennes, who beat Lyon earlier in the year, are 10 points away from Lyon, but a win for Rennes could pull themselves (and the rest of the chasing pack) closer to the seven-time league champions.

Better Highlights: Bolton v West Ham

Here are some longer highlights from West Ham's game against Bolton yesterday. Jonathan Spector started for West Ham and assisted on the Hammers' only goal...

What We're Watching

A Center Circle reference for all you readers out there. Here's what we're checking out on TV this weekend:

SATURDAY

7:40 a.m. ET - Aston Villa v Chelsea, Setanta - After a midweek game that saw him play 90 minutes against CSKA Moscow, Brad Guzan will likely return to a reserve role for Villa's Premier League game against Chelsea on Saturday. The match pits England's third and fourth -place teams, with Villa holding a slim two-point lead over Chelsea. For added intrigue, this is Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink's first Premier League game in charge.

10 a.m. ET - Bolton v West Ham, FSC - Jonathan Spector will look for some time off the bench as the Hammers travel north to face Bolton.

11:30 a.m. ET - Bayern Munich vs. Cologne, Gol TV (replay) - Landon Donovan could make his first competitive start for Bayern Munich as Luca Toni has failed to shrug off an injury from last week. After slipping against Hertha Berlin last Saturday, Bayern will try to keep up their challenge for the Bundesliga title. Of course, Lukas Podolski could also feature, so tune in late Saturday morning to see if Donovan's in the starting eleven.

2:55 p.m. ET - Nice v Rennes, Setanta - Faltering Rennes look to right the ship as Carlos Bocanegra's team travels to face Nice on Saturday. Rennes have fallen off the pace in Ligue 1, but a victory here could reignite their claims to a UEFA Champions League spot for next season.

8 p.m. ET - Pachuca v Indios, Telefutura - José Francisco Torres and Pachuca will try to keep their unbeaten start going when they host Group 1 rivals Indios on Saturday night.

SUNDAY

8:25 a.m. ET - Fulham v West Brom, Setanta - After a midweek loss away from home, Fulham host West Brom at Craven Cottage, a ground where they have enjoyed great success so far this year. Clint Dempsey and Fulham are out in front of the pack in the bottom half of the Premier League table, but they'll need some points to put further distance between themselves and the strugglers in the relegation fight.

3 p.m. ET - Newcastle vs. Everton (replay), FSC - Try to stay away from the internet on Sunday before tuning in at the end of the weekend to catch Tim Howard traveling to Tyneside to visit Newcastle United.

Spector Completes Return from Injury

Jonathan Spector completed his return from injury this past weekend, entering the game as a second half win during West Ham Utd.'s 2-1 win over Stoke City. Most of the headlines though were reserved for Stoke's Ricardo Fuller, who slapped his teammate and got sent off. Yup.

Interview with Spector

Jonathan Spector is coming closer to first team football. He spoke to West Ham Utd.'s club website here about his road back for injury. Said Spector:

"I need at least one more reserve game before I feel fit enough to be in with the first team but I will certainly be pushing myself to be back as soon as possible...I am certainly happy to be back after being out for such an extended period of time and we got the result as well with a 3-2 victory [last week over a visiting team comprised of MLS players]. It was nice to score. That doesn't happen too often either. It was great to get a goal but more importantly I am just happy to be back playing. I really enjoyed it"

Read the full article here.

Spector Nears Return

Jonathan Spector has been out of action for awhile but he's now making a welcome return to the West Ham squad. Yesterday he went the full 90 minutes in a reserve match against an MLS Select side during a 3-2 victory for the Hammers. Spector even scored in the victory, heading home from a Matthew Ethrington corner.

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 ...

Big Weekend Blowout!

Fulham earned a much needed point away to Blackburn this weekend, courtesy of some late heroics from Jimmy Bullard. The English midfielder confidently stroked an 89th minute freekick over the wall and past Brad Friedel's despairing dive to earn the Cottagers a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park. Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey were in the starting lineup for Fulham, which also included a familiar face between the sticks. That's right, Kasey Keller returned to the Fulham lineup for the first time since October and made four saves in the draw. Brian McBride also came off the bench for Fulham. The point stops a run of three consecutive defeats for Roy Hodgson's side, who will look to carry the momentum into next Sunday's showdown with Everton at Craven Cottage.

Speaking of Everton, Tim Howard's side kept pace with Liverpool by beating Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. Howard made seven saves in the victory and the Toffees now look forward to Thursday's mammoth UEFA Cup tie with Fiorentina. Everton went down 2-0 to the Viola in Florence last week, so David Moyes' team will have to do at least one better this week if they hope to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Sunday was a day of highs and lows for West Ham's Jonathan Spector. Named to the U-23 Olympic Qualifying squad in the morning, the Illinois native went on to play 90 minutes for West Ham in the London derby against Tottenham. Unfortunately, the Hammers succumbed to a 4-0 defeat to their city rivals. The loss leaves West Ham in 10th place, but more worrying than their league position are the consecutive 4-0 losses they've suffered in recent weeks. They'll look to get back on form against Blackburn at Upton Park on Saturday.

One team who is finding their feet at the right time is Reading who made it two wins in a row on Saturday. Marcus Hahnemann kept another clean sheet as the Royals defeated Manchester City 2-0 at the Madejski Stadium. After seven consecutive defeat, six points from the last two games has lifted Reading out of the relegation zone and ostensibly put their fate in their own hands.

Standard Liege jumped out to stretched its lead at the top of the table to four points following its win on Friday over St. Truiden. Oguchi Onyewu marshalled a backline that held tight for a 2-1 victory.

In Germany, Hannover 96 fell 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen. Steve Cherundolo was deployed at right back for Hannover who next face Arminia Bielefeld in their quest for a European place. You can also read a feature on Steve from Soccernet here.

Heath Pearce made his second consecutive appearance for Hansa Rostock, and helped his side to a 1-1 draw away from home to MSV Duisberg. Pearce came on as a second half sub for Rostock, who take on Hertha Berlin next Saturday.

In Holland, Michael Bradley and Heerenveen snapped out of their mini-slump and earned a solid 3-0 victory at home to NAC Breda. Bradley was on the scoresheet for his club, grabbing the winner in the 32nd minute. Heerenveen remain in sixth place in the Eredivise, tied on 48 points with Feyenoord. On Saturday, Bradley and his club face FC Gronigen, a major rival in the table for a European place. A victory on the weekend could see Heerenveen jump back into the top three, so be sure to check back next week to find out the latest...