The Friday 4-4-2: EJ, Charlize, and more

Another Friday, another edition of the Friday 4-4-2, with the good and bad from the week that was. Enjoy:

The Good:

1) Jay DeMerit returns- After 3 months out due to a bizarre eye injury, DeMerit finally returned to the field for Watford in their 3-1 win over QPR. He will now have five full months with his club to regain match fitness and sharpness ahead of the World Cup, which will be plenty of time. DeMerit's presence will add depth at center back and should help allay any fears that the USMNT will be fielding a completely makeshift backline in South Africa.

2) Eddie Johnson on the block- Though more than a few fans have given up on EJ (despite the fact that he's only 25), he still remains in the national team picture. The key contributor to his drop over the past year and a half has been his complete lack of playing time in his stint with Fulham. Because of his high wages and transfer price tag, it was difficult for the former Kansas City striker to secure a move out of Craven Cottage in past transfer windows. Now, however, it is being reported that Fulham are willing to part with EJ, even if it means taking a substantial loss. This is good news for Eddie, as he might be able to revive a stagnant career by heading to a mid-level league where he will get plenty of minutes.

3) Congress congratulates USMNT- Forget the economy or the wars in the Middle East, Congress has better things to do. The Congressional Soccer Caucus (who knew that existed?) has introduced a resolution to congratulate the USMNT on qualifying for the World Cup, while also urging support for the US' World Cup bids. Despite the fact that such a resolution would mean very little, it is good to see that the higher-ups are taking notice of what the USMNT is accomplishing and also trying to help along the World Cup bid process.

4) Tim Howard starts the mind games- It didn't take long after the World Cup draw for a USA-England mini-matchup to take center stage. In Everton's 2-2 draw with Tottenham, Howard got the best of England striker Jermaine Defoe when the two squared off for a stoppage time penalty. Though it is just a club game in December, it's never too soon to start building a mental edge. And for a team like England that has had a recent history of PK failure, it's always nice to add to that level of doubt and uncertainty.

The Bad:

1) Jermaine Jones- Due to shin pain, the Schalke midfielder will likely not make his return until the new year. This is just another delay for Jones, who underwent surgery for a fractured shin in June before requiring additional surgery in the fall. Jones' time to get healthy enough for Bob Bradley to give him a look is getting shorter and shorter, and any more delays might very well mean that USMNT fans and coaches will have to wait until the 2014 cycle to see Jones in the red, white, and blue.

2) Charlize Theron- Was I the only one that found it hard to listen to her during last Friday's World Cup draw. It's as if they scripted the proceedings to make her seem as dumb as possible, while also injecting a fair number of awkward moments. Sure, Charlize is beautiful, but it was hard to watch the draw with all that scripted ignorance. I get that they want to explain how the draw works, but there's got to be a better way than making one of the hosts insufferable.

3) 3 month loan- Though beggars can't be choosers, it would have been very nice to see Donovan spend the rest of the European season on loan, rather than another brief 3 month loan. With additional time, Donovan would have had a much better opportunity to work his way into the lineup and make an impact. It's unlikely to expect, though, that the Galaxy would be willing to part with both of their superstars for the first couple months of the MLS season, barring any exorbitant offer. So it looks like Landon will only be overseas for the winter, before returning to the US for some final club tune-ups ahead of South Africa.

4) Unrealistic expectations- It's understandable that USMNT are very excited to hear about the positive recoveries of Oguchi Onyewu and Charlie Davies, but don't go so far as to pencil both in to Bob Bradley's final 23. Optimism is definitely expected, but let's not take it as a certainty just yet. Over the past week, I have seen far too many fans across the Internet state that Davies will be healthy and in the 23 without much doubt. We've seen already with Jermaine Jones that complications and unexpected turns do happen, so let's not get our hopes up just yet. It is definitely something to be excited about, I know I am, but let's also be realistic and remember that recovering from such injuries is a delicate process. All we can do is wait and send our best wishes to both players as they continue their journeys back to the playing field.

What to look forward to:

1) The Donovan loan saga- First it was reported that it was a done deal, then the Galaxy came out and said it was far from finished. Now we're awaiting final word on where Donovan will end up come January. Though the Galaxy have stated that numerous suitors are pursuing Donovan, it still seems like just a matter of time before Donovan is headed to Goodison Park.

2) Borussia Monchengladbach v. Hannover 96- Michael Bradley is coming off a good performance against Bayern Munich, while Steve Cherundolo has returned to the lineup for Hannover. The two sides are separated by just a point in the Bundesliga table, and they will look to distance themselves from the drop zone when they square off Saturday at 9:30 PM ET.