All the rumblings about Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury being the future, and perhaps even the present, of the United States forward corps must have ignited quite the fire under a couple of goal-starved American strikers this past week.
Frank Simek is buried on the United States depth chart at right back. The emergence of Eric Lichaj and Timmy Chandler combined with the presence of veterans Steve Cherundolo and Jonathan Spector mean that Simek's chances of another call-up to the national team, for which he has appeared five times, are pretty slim.
With one unfortunate tackle, Stuart Holden's breakout season is over.
With England's Premier League taking the weekend off save for those teams still alive in the FA Cup -- including Stuart Holden's Bolton -- a number of Americans in the country's lower divisions made some headlines.
Clint Dempsey was seemingly on the path to deliver again when Fulham was on the cusp of a landmark victory. He put in the dirty work, got himself into position to make a game-winning play and then did the unthinkable.
In a banner week for Americans in England, the one player who scored two goals might have turned in the third-most notable performance.
On this week's episode of "The Transfer Season," one American gets his final clearance to go overseas, one gets freed from his manager's doghouse and a few more get their names on the transaction ticker.
The winter transfer season is in full swing, and plenty of Americans have had their names tossed around in the daily rumor mill in one form or another, for better or for worse.
The mounds of snow that blanketed Europe over the last few weeks brought an earlier start than expected to a few leagues' respective winter breaks and forced the postponement of numerous matches, but they hardly prevented one American soccer player from receiving the gift of much-needed playing time.
The Premier League table at Christmas is generally regarded as a kind of crystal ball, channelling the end of the season to reveal the likely winners and losers. Since 2005-06, the festive leaders have gone on to lift the trophy four times out of six, while only one bottom-placed club has escaped relegation with a new-year flourish in the Premier League era. If you want to delve even further -- all the way back to 1888-89, in fact -- you'll find that 41 percent of champions have led at Christmas, while 71 percent of last-place stragglers were already dawdling behind the pack by the time Rudolph skidded to a halt on your rooftop. Sorry, Hammers.
The World Cup is over and another summer of rampant transfer rumor-mongering is underway in the Premier League. The few clubs with cash are being linked with anybody and everybody -- but what positions should clubs be prioritizing as they hit the shops? Today, clubs M-W; the top half of the table was covered yesterday.
Arsenal failed to seal third place in the English Premier League after losing 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Monday.
Jozy Altidore wandered into a dangerous place last weekend.
In sharp contrast to their Bundesliga counterparts where Ricardo Clark went the full 90 in his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt (a 3-3 draw with Mainz) and Michael Bradley helped M'Gladbach surprisingly tie Bayern, it was a rough day for CONCACAF alum in English Premiership action Saturday. Here's some quick thoughts on the day's action.
Manchester United returned to the top of the English Premier League with a 3-1 victory over in-form Tottenham on Saturday but the champions' title hopes suffered a blow with the news that top scorer Wayne Rooney may miss the rest of the season.
Claudio Ranieri's Roma side are through to the final of the Italian Cup, despite losing 1-0 to Udinese in the second leg of their semifinal on Wednesday.
Tottenham blew the English Premier League title race wide open again with a 2-1 victory over 10-man leaders Chelsea that gave Manchester United hope after the champions' vital derby win earlier on Saturday.
Chelsea struck a major blow in the English Premier League title race with a controversial 2-1 victory over champions Manchester United on Saturday that put the London club two points clear at the top of the table with five matches to play.
Struggling Hull City kept its Premiership hopes alive with a crucial 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday. Of interest to U.S. fans is that striker Jozy Altidore continues to play a big part in the Tigers' recent revival, drawing a penalty after Fulham's Chris Smalling was forced to rugby tackle him to prevent a sure goal. On loan from Villarreal, Altidore's grown immensely as a player this season, particularly as he continues to acclimatize to the Premiership. His hold-up play is far better, his tactical awareness and movement has improved, and his ability to draw fouls is becoming top-notch. Combine that with his inherent physical power and he's been giving veteran Premiership defenders all they can handle lately.
There comes a point in each Premier League season where talk previously disregarded as wild speculation accumulates enough gravitas to be worth considering. And that time is about now.
What a difference a week makes. Twelve goals in two games has put Chelsea right on the shoulder of Manchester United -- its opponent this weekend -- and given the Blues the Premier League's healthiest goal difference.
As a lone infantryman wistfully bugles a lamenting Last Post into the chill twilight air, Team Limey stands forlornly on the battlements of Castle Limey contemplating our final EPL column for SI.com. Together, over a last pint of ale, let's relive some highlights from our five years here. And what a five years it's been.
Goal machine Didier Drogba scored twice as Chelsea returned to the top of the English Premier League with a comfortable 4-1 win over relegation battlers West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Manchester United returned to the top of English Premier League with a 5-0 crushing of crisis club Portsmouth on Saturday, while Liverpool kept their Champions League bid on track with a 1-0 victory in the derby against Everton.
Bad boys. No, we haven't been holed up in Castle Limey watching tepid Will Smith action movies from the mid-1990s. Instead, we've been musing about the bad boys who are the subjects of the two biggest stories that have hit the headlines in the last couple of weeks.
England captain John Terry braved the public eye despite continuing revelations about his private life, but his table-topping Chelsea team were held to a shock 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Hull City on Tuesday night.
England striker Wayne Rooney scored his 100th English Premier League goal to help Manchester United keep their title hopes alive with a stunning 3-1 win at rivals Arsenal.
Wayne Rooney scored four times as he produced a magical performance to send Manchester United top of the English Premier League with a 4-0 win over Hull City on Saturday.
The freezing weather has ripped into this weekend's English football program with Liverpool's clash against Tottenham becoming the fourth Premier League match to be called off.
Fernando Torres scored an injury-time 50th Premier League goal for Liverpool to give his side a Champions League lifeline with a 1-0 win at Aston Villa -- in a game played in driving snow.
Manchester United moved to within two points of English Premier League leaders as Wayne Rooney inspired a 3-1 win at Hull on Sunday, while Arsenal kept in touch with a 3-0 victory against fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Arsenal and Hull City were charged with failing to control their players by the English Football Association (FA) on Wednesday after their fiery Premier League match on December 19.
Manchester United's title hopes suffered a big blow as Alex Ferguson's injury-hit side crashed to a 3-0 reverse at Fulham on Saturday.
Last weekend's English Premier League results had a season-defining air about them, with the destination of the trophy suddenly looking much clearer and the race for the remaining Champion League places looking more open than ever.
Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Manchester United condemned bottom club Portsmouth to a 4-1 home defeat in Avram Grant's first match in charge, which featured three penalties.
Manchester United kept in touch with English Premier League leaders Chelsea with a 3-0 crushing of Everton on Saturday, but Arsenal's title hopes suffered a big setback.
Arsenal dealt a crushing blow to the top-four aspirations of London rivals Tottenham with a 3-0 victory on Saturday, while Chelsea remained top of the English Premier League with a 4-0 win at 10-man Bolton.
Frank Lampard scored twice as Chelsea went back to the top of the English Premier League with a 5-0 thrashing of Blackburn at Stamford Bridge in Saturday's evening kickoff.
A few minutes after Conor Casey bullied in the U.S.' first goal against Honduras on Saturday night, after the cheering died down at the bar where I watched the game, someone shouted out: "Well done, but we still don't rate you!" A few chuckles rang out. Obviously, we weren't in Denver.
Big-spending Manchester City continued their perfect start to the English Premier League season on Sunday, winning 1-0 at struggling Portsmouth thanks to Emmanuel Adebayor's third goal in as many games.
Michael Owen scored his first goal for Manchester United, and fellow-striker Wayne Rooney his 100th, as the English Premier League champions returned to winning form with a thumping 5-0 victory at Wigan on Saturday.
updated: Wed Aug 19 2009 19:47:00
CNN's Alex Thomas visits Manchester City to assess their English Premier League title credentials.
England midfielder Michael Carrick missed a first-half penalty as English Premier League champions Manchester United suffered a sensational 1-0 defeat at newly promoted Burnley.
Didier Drogba scored twice as Chelsea came from behind to beat Hull City 2-1 in the opening match of the English Premier League season.
After a summer of increasingly intensive thumb-twiddling and hours spent aimlessly wandering the corridors of Castle Limey, the excitement is at fever pitch as the English Premier League season returns this weekend. Last week we gave you our predictions for the season, and this week we're taking a detailed look at the first couple of fixtures following the big kick-off.
Awaking from our slumber after one of those tedious biennial summers without a showpiece international tournament, it slowly dawned on us: the Premier League is back at last! With only one week before the world's pre-eminent league kicks off, we headed for Castle Limey to dust down the dungeon-sized supercomputer responsible for our EPL predictions.
There's cigar smoke and perfume in the evening air as the thronging masses head to Castle Limey for our annual awards ceremony. Only one man is headed the other way: a winking, temperamental, petulant, prima donna flagging down a lift to Madrid. Are you sitting comfortably now, the chilled Taittinger bubbling to perfection? Team Limey takes the stage.
The most lucrative match in world football took place at Wembley Stadium on Monday -- with Burnley defeating Sheffield United 1-0 to collect a prize which is estimated to be worth nearly $100 million -- more than any Superbowl or World Cup final.
Newcastle's 16-year stay in the English Premier League has come to an end as a Damien Duff own goal saw them lose 1-0 at Aston Villa.
Manchester United supremo Alex Ferguson admits he will be "slaughtered" if the unfamiliar team he fields in Sunday's final domestic game hands opponents Hull City a Premier League lifeline.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has been cleared in a spitting row which followed their 2-1 win over Hull City in the FA Cup in March.
Alan Shearer's Newcastle United side are back in the bottom three of the Premier League after a 1-0 home defeat by Fulham on Saturday -- and they will be relegated if they lose their final match of the season at Aston Villa next Sunday.
Before Chelsea had Roman Abramovich's rubles and Rafa Benítez built Liverpool into Champions League winners and English Premier League challengers, Manchester United and Arsenal dominated the EPL throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. On Saturday, the former "big two" face off after having taken contrasting paths in recent years.
Two-goal Steven Gerrard fired Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League -- for 24 hours at least -- with a 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday.
Aston Villa made sure they will be playing European football next season and left Hull City deep in relegation trouble with a 1-0 win at Villa Park.
Manchester United came from two goals down to beat a stunned Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 at Old Trafford and move ever closer to retaining the Premier League title.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has been charged with improper conduct by the English Football Association following allegations he spat at Hull City assistant manager Brian Horton after their FA Cup quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium on March 17.
Unheralded Stoke look set to be playing in the Prremier League next season after a 1-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers which leaves Sam Allardyce's men still deep in relegation trouble.
Teenager Federico Macheda scored his second match winning goal in the space of a week as Manchester United stayed top of the English Premier League while Liverpool and Chelsea kept pace with home wins.
Ordinarily, Manchester United making a trip to Craven Cottage isn't much of a story. Fulham hasn't beaten United at home in league play since 1964. But an unusually high amount of attention is focused on this weekend's encounter.
Hull City manager Phil Brown has been fined £2,500 ($3,640) and warned as to future conduct by the English Football Association after admitting a charge of improper conduct.
The English Football Association has written to Hull City asking for their version of events, after manager Phil Brown accused Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas of spitting at his assistant Brian Horton.
Two goals in the last 17 minutes saw Arsenal fight back from going a goal behind to beat Hull City 2-1 and secure a Wembley date with Chelsea in the semifinals of the FA Cup.
Andrey Arshavin scored his first goal for Arsenal, as Arsene Wenger's side followed-up their midweek success on penalties in Rome by thumping Blackburn 4-0 on Saturday to move up to fourth place in the Premier League.
Quintuple-chasing Manchester United and big rivals Chelsea remain on course for an FA Cup final showdown after they were drawn apart in Sunday's semifinal pairings.
Aston Villa wasted a chance to strengthen their Champions League qualification claims as they were held to a 2-2 draw by relegation strugglers Stoke City on Sunday.
Jonathan Woodgate gave Tottenham the perfect start to what could prove the defining week of an erratic campaign with the goal that eased their relegation worries with a 2-1 win at Hull City.
Hull City's record signing Jimmy Bullard has been ruled out for the rest of the season following knee surgery.
Steven Gerrard hauled Liverpool level in their 1-1 FA Cup fourth-round draw against city rivals Everton on Sunday but believes the Reds did enough to win the game at Anfield.
Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa have secured the signing of England international striker Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic for a fee of £3.5 million ($4.8m) on a three-and-a-half year contract -- the official Villa Web site has confirmed.
Dimitar Berbatov scored a last-minute goal to give Manchester United a 1-0 win at Bolton to put them top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.
Chelsea are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, but they had to fight back from conceding an early goal before seeing off League One Southend United 4-1 on a foggy evening.
The Premier League have dismissed claims by Hull that TV replays had a part to play in Steve Bennett's decision to overturn a penalty he awarded to them in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Aston Villa rode their luck at Hull City where an 88-minute own goal from Kamil Zayatte saw them leapfrog three points clear of Arsenal and into fourth place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win.
It has been one of the busiest years in football ever, and 2008 has produced its fair share of great teams right across the globe.
Manchester United stepped up their title challenge with a 1-0 win over Stoke City as Carlos Tevez scored the only goal of the match with just seven minutes remaining at the Britannia Stadium on Boxing Day.
Aston Villa moved into the top three of the Premier League after a slice of good fortune earned them a narrow 1-0 victory at West Ham.
Premier League leaders Liverpool had to fight back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 home draw as newly-promoted Hull City continued their remarkable first season in the top flight.
None of the Premier League's top three teams managed a goal between them on Saturday as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United were all held to surprise 0-0 draws.
Hull City drew 2-2 with Manchester City and Everton were held 1-1 by Middlesbrough in mid-table clashes in the English Premier League on Sunday.
Harry Redknapp's revitalized Tottenham Hotspur beat Liverpool 2-1 at White Hart Lane to knock the visitors off the top of the Premier League and continue their remarkable run under the new manager.
Everton held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw Saturday in another setback for the defending champions as they attempt to catch early season pacesetters Chelsea and Liverpool.
In these times of financial doom and gloom, which has led some naysayers to predict a meltdown for some EPL clubs (more on that later), the team that was at the bottom of our Christmas card list less than a year ago has brought tidings of joy to the English footballing public. The Three Lions have got their roar back and resemble a team that can play football again!
Geovanni, still Geovanni, Geovanni 25 yards out...GOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!! HULL ARE LEVEL AT THE EMIRATES!
Robin Van Persie scored two goals and set up another Tuesday to lead Arsenal to a 4-0 win over FC Porto in the Champions League.
Brazilian Geovanni hammered in a superb 30-yard shot and Daniel Cousin headed home from a corner as promoted Hull City pulled off an astonishing 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Salomon Kalou salvaged a point for Chelsea in a 1-1 draw against defending Premier League champions Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Hull City manager Phil Brown has hit out at Newcastle United's Danny Guthrie, whose tackle on Craig Fagan on Saturday left the Tigers' player with a broken leg.
Beleaguered Newcastle owner Mike Ashley announced on Sunday that he was putting the Premier League club up for sale.
Team Limey, along with everyone else over in Blightly, has been riding the rare wave of British sporting success that the Olympics have brought. We were brought crashing back to reality watching the drab 2-2 draw between England and the Czech Republic, and contemplated turning your favorite net-based soccer column into a fortnightly update on the happenings of the U.K. cycling, swimming and rowing scenes.
Last weekend saw the European football season really kick into gear with the English Premier League and the German Bundeslia both getting under way.
Serie A club AS Roma clinched the signing of Brazil midfielder Julio Baptista from Real Madrid on Thursday.
Brazilian midfielder Geovanni has signed a two-year contract with English Premier League newcomers Hull City.
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