West Ham Utd v. Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-23-10)
Jonathan Spector came on at the half in the 3-1 loss. It was the first time that Spector did not start since February 10th. Spector is from the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, which also happens to be the birthplace of Brian McBride and the city where Ted Nugent went to high school.
Aston Villa v. Sunderland (3-24-10)
Brad Friedel made a pair of saves in this 1-1 draw in front of 37,473 faithful at Villa Park. John Carew scored the lone goal for The Villans. The game marked Friedel’s 12th consecutive start dating back to the Carling Cup loss to Man U on February 28th. Friedel named one of his daughters Allegra, due to his fondness for the antihistamine and his hatred of itchy watery eyes. Only part of the previous sentence is true.
Everton @ Manchester City (3-24-10)
Tim Howard made four saves in the 2-0 win. Two of Tim’s saves came off the boot of every woman’s dream, Carlos Tevez. Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta scored for the Toffees. The tower used in Everton’s crest, is modeled after Prince Rupert’s Tower which was built in 1787 and used to incarcerate drunks and minor criminals. This concludes the educational portion of my post.
Fulham @ Tottenham Hotspur (3-24-10)
Clint Dempsey came on in the 69th minute and got one shot off in the 3-1 loss. All three of the Spur’s goals came in the second half. Clint is excited to play against the best teams in the world this June. I am expecting some big things from Dempsey in the upcoming World Cup, and I think he could be the key to the US making a run.
Rangers @ Dundee United (3-24-10)
Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley both started and played the full match in the disappointing 1-0 loss. Dundee scored in the 90th minute to earn the win in the Scottish Cup. Beasley was confident that someone would step up for the ‘Gers, but it was not meant to be. Rangers fans were devastated, so I did my part and comforted my favorite ‘Gers fan.
Aston Villa @ Chelsea (3-27-10)
First the good news, Brad Friedel got the start for Aston Villa and made three saves. As for the bad, he let seven into the net in the 7-1 loss. Brad Guzan is not happy with his playing time and may look to move to another club. It is hard to blame Guzan, I wouldn’t want to sit on the bench behind a guy who was about as effective as a paraplegic with a jump rope on Saturday.
Everton @ Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-27-10)
The titanic struggle between Everton and the Wolves resulted in a 0-0 draw. Tim Howard recorded consecutive shutouts despite dealing with a thigh strain. Howard’s counterpart, Marcus Hahnemann is trying to work his way up the US food chain in time for the World Cup. Hahnemann, however, is already number one with the ladies of Wolverhampton.
Fulham @ Hull City (3-27-10)
Clint Dempsey started at striker and played the full 90 minutes for Fulham in the 2-0 loss to Jozy Altidore and Hull City. Jozy started and played the first 79 minutes for the home side. Fulham dominated time of possession, but failed to find the net. Dempsey recorded five shots and Altidore took seven fouls.
West Ham Utd v. Stoke City (3-27-10)
Spector and the Hammers lost at home to Stoke City 1-0. The loss puts them squarely in the relegation mix along with Jozy Altidore’s Hull City. Spector did manage to fire off a strike from 25 yards, which was his first attempt on goal since early February.
Rangers @ Heart of Midlothian (3-27-10)
In a much better performance, Rangers played the role of heart breaker in the 4-1 win in Edinburgh. DaMarcus Beasley did not play. Maurice Edu entered the match in the 63rd minute. The win for the ‘Gers provided even more breathing room at the top of the SPL.
M’gladbach v. Hamburg (3-28-10)
Michael Bradley was suspended for the 1-0 win over Hamburg. He also has a broken nose, which is only a debilitating injury for mediocre baseball managers.
Aris Saloniki v. Levadiakos (3-28-10)
Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson both started for Aris in the 1-0 win. Johnson came off in the 63rd minute; Levadiakos was so stunned by the removal of Johnson that they gave up a goal the following minute. Aris was merely attempting to be responsible by pulling Johnson out before shooting one inside Levadiokos’ net.
Injured Player News
It will be difficult for the Houston Dynamo to replace Stuart Holden.
Oguchi Onyewu spent his Sunday afternoon chilling with Becks at the Galaxy game.
Charlie Davies will attempt to make his comeback in three weeks. This is truly amazing considering the broken arm, leg, and cheek bone he suffered in the October car crash. I still complain about an ankle I sprained in ’04.
Dru Boyer is a contributing writer for The Yanks Are Coming. He can be reached at dboyer1122@gmail.com or on Twitter @druboyer.