Yanks In Europe: Unremarkable Day

Today's one of those rare occasions where we'll get to see most of the top USMNT players plying their trade with their respective clubs while also getting to see the Yanks (albeit a disjoint group) play a match as well. For those not in Carson, it was a busy Saturday morning, but a fairly unremarkable one as well. Here's how everyone fared:

Jozy Altidore was not in the matchday squad for Hull City, who dropped a 4-0 decision at the hands of Manchester United. Altidore's absence likely stems from his recent compassion leave from the team, as he continues his efforts to get in touch with family members in Haiti and raise awareness of relief efforts.

DaMarcus Beasley was absent from the Rangers squad once more, as he is struggling to return from an injury that was once thought to be fairly minor. Though Bob Bradley said earlier in the week that Beasley would be considered for South Africa, the clock is ticking, and DMB cannot afford to be away from the playing field for much longer.

Maurice Edu was not in the matchday 18 either. He was sidelined by an ankle injury that is believed to be fairly minor.

Landon Donovan and Tim Howard started in Everton's FA Cup match against Birmingham. For a full analysis of how each played, head over to this post from earlier in the day.

Michael Bradley went 90 minutes for Borussia Monchengladbach in their 0-0 road draw with last-place Hertha Berlin. Bradley and BMG did not turn in their greatest performance, giving up nearly twice as many shots to their opponents before escaping with a point. BMG could not muster much offense, though they did earn a penalty kick late in the first half. As the score line indicates, however, it wasn't a successful attempt, as they wasted an opportunity to earn three points against the Bundesliga's weakest team. Bradley contributed on the defensive end with his typical work rate and several tackles, but the BMG defense was not at its best today, with goalkeeper Logan Bailly bailing them out a few times.

Steve Cherundolo went 90 minutes for Hannover in their 1-0 loss to Mainz, picking up a yellow card in the 90th minute. Cherundolo drew a handful of fouls and got forward on a few occasions without much success. He was involved in the lone goal, though it'd be harsh to place the blame on his shoulders. A poor pass from the Hannover centerback was too far ahead of Cherundolo, instead going closer to the feet of Mainz' Andre Schurrle. Cherundolo slid in an effort to knock the ball away, but Schurrle was able to usher it forward and exploit the vacated space down the left side. He eventually dribbled deep into the 18 before finishing past the Hannover keeper.

The Hannover defense has struggled of late, and Cherundolo has been no exception to that trend. While his play has hardly been poor, it has not been consistently solid, which we have grown accustomed to over the years. A lot of it has to do with the fact that Hannover are struggling as a unit right now, but if it continues, Jonathan Spector could take the lead in the race for the starting right back spot in South Africa.

Jay DeMerit started and played 90 minutes for Watford in their road match against Blackpool. DeMerit anchored the backline to a solid performance, with the Hornets taking a 2-1 lead deep into the second half. Unfortunately for DeMerit and company, however, Blackpool scored two goals in the last two minutes of the match to steal a 3-2 victory.

Brad Guzan had a day like Tim Howard, as he saw few shots but still had to turn around and take the ball out of his own net a couple of times. Aston Villa eventually defeated a scrappy Brighton side in their fourth round FA Cup tie by a score of 3-2. The League One side was able to beat Guzan from about 12 yards out on two occasions, in the 41st and 90th minutes, respectively. Other than those two shots, Guzan was only really tested one other time, when he did well to tip a shot from 15 yards up over the bar. It wasn't an incredible performance, but it was a step up from Guzan's midweek disaster against Blackburn.