Wednesday Tidbits: Jozy, DMB, and Rico

Sorry for the delay in posting today, I had some other things to take care of in the afternoon that kept me away from my computer.

Here are some of the top stories concerning USMNT players this week:

Clark out 3-4 weeks

Just a few days after Steve Cherundolo went down with a shoulder injury in training that could keep him out for up 6 weeks, new Frankfurt signee Ricardo Clark suffered an calf injury that will sideling him for most of February.  The injury likely means that the former Dynamo midfielder will be unavailable for the March 3rd friendly against the Netherlands, and it further delays his debut for his new club, having already sat out of a couple matches while he regains his fitness.

These injuries pave the way for a couple of players to stake a serious claim to a spot in Bob Bradley's starting XI.  Jonathan Spector may have already nudged in front of Cherundolo in the race for right back due to his recent play at West Ham, and a good showing in Amsterdam will only help his cause to hold down his preferred side of the back four.  In the midfield, Benny Feilhaber could get another opportunity to show that he and Michael Bradley can successfully control the midfield against a quality opponent, while Maurice Edu might be able to work himself into some minutes if he's able to get back into the Rangers lineup soon.

Issues at Ibrox

Speaking of Maurice Edu, the former Toronto FC star has to get healthy if he wants a shot at showing his stuff against the Netherlands.  He's been plagued by an ankle injury over the past couple weeks that he suffered just a few weeks after returning from a six month layoff following knee surgery.  Edu is hopeful of making his return in the next week, while teammate DaMarcus Beasley is also looking to return to the Rangers squad after a roller coaster couple of months has landed him on injury list once again.

Getting over that nagging thigh injury may be the least of Beasley's worries these days, as he was the target of a frightening act of vandalism.  Late last night, Beasley's car was firebombed outside of his Glasgow home.  Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident, and Beasley appears to be in good spirits.  The matter is being investigated by Scottish police, who are unsure of the motivation behind the incident (though it could just be another act of Old Firm fan violence that has followed the rivalry through the years).

Jozy goes 86 v. Chelsea, DeMerit goes 90

Hull City earned a nice result yesterday against title-contenders Chelsea, holding the Blues to a 1-1 draw at home.  Jozy Altidore started and played 86 minutes in the match, turning in another strong performance by all accounts.  He linked up with his teammates in the final third, drew a few fouls, and got a shot on goal, helping his side to a crucial point that pushes them to the brink of safety.  USMNT fans should be very encouraged by Altidore's performances, particularly following his personal leave after the earthquake in Haiti and the addition of Amr Zaki to the squad.

Elsewhere, Jay DeMerit went 90 minutes in Watford's 3-0 win over Sheffield United.  The win pushes the Hornets to within 6 points of the final promotion playoff spot (currently held by Sheffield United).

World Cup '98 revelation

In light of England's recent issue with John Terry and Wayne Bridge's girlfriend comes the news that the USMNT had to deal with a similar incident in the lead up to the 1998 World Cup in France.  Read more about what happened between John Harkes and Eric Wynalda's wife here, which suddenly clarifies why Harkes was surprisingly left off of the World Cup roster by Steve Sampson.