While many US Soccer fans are doubtlessly more excited about the Americans going abroad for a match against the Czech Republic on Sept. 3, there are still plenty of tests of the Yanks with their club teams this weekend.
Everton’s Tim Howard hopes to stop a string of multi-goals allowed matches, but that streak will have to stop against high-powered Chelsea (which could be without Diego Costa and Fernando Torres).
Fellow American backstop Brad Guzan will try to make it three clean sheets in-a-row when his Aston Villa side hosts intriguing Hull on Sunday, while Jozy Altidore and Sunderland are off to Loftus Road to face struggling Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Geoff Cameron was dinged up in Stoke’s midweek League Cup clash, and he wasn’t featuring for the Potters in the Premier League as his future gets sorted out. Cameron did get to play his preferred central defensive midfield position against Portsmouth, but is unlikely to play at Manchester City on Saturday.
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All the Yanks in the Championship will conduct business on Saturday, starting with Eric Lichaj and table-topping Nottingham Forest. They head to Sheffield Wednesday to kick-off the weekend, while recently called-up whiz kid Emerson Hyndman looks to help Fulham wake up with a visit from Cardiff.
Bolton’s Tim Ream will likely start in a visit to Leeds, while Duane Holmes and Huddersfield Town are off to Watford. Birmingham City’s Will Packwood and Jonathan Spector will play at Wigan Athletic.
To the Bundesliga! John Anthony Brooks will hope to be in the lineup when Hertha Berlin tries to upset Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, while Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt will head to Wolfsburg for a tough test of their own. Meanwhile, Fabian Johnson will look to provide wing-side heroics for Borussia Monchengladbach when the club visits SC Freiburg.
Nantes will look to get back into the win column after a loss to Monaco, and American midfielder Ale Bedoya is hoping to do work when the Canaries host Montpellier on Saturday.
Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht have a massive tilt against Club Brugge on Sunday, while — over in the Netherlands — Rubio Rubin and FC Utrecht have a match with Heerenveen on Saturday.
Bob Bradley’s Stabaek will hope to put pressure on the seven teams ahead of them with a home win against last-place Sandnes Ulf, and Mix Diskerud’s Rosenborg side will hope to finish the weekend in a European place by beating challenger Viking FK on the road.
