Yanks in Europe: Mo Edu Scores

What attempted opening line humor is to Yanks in Europe posts, Yanks in Europe posts are to Saturdays (or something like that):

Maurice Edu continues to make a strong case for a starting midfield role with the USMNT, scoring the lone goal today in Rangers' 1-0 victory over Hamilton Academical.  The goal, which can be seen below, came just seconds after Edu smashed a beautiful left footed shot from distance off the post.  Edu finished cooly with his left foot inside the box after making a very nice looping run across the field:



Edu did a decent bit of pressing forward in the game, something that USMNT fans might not be too accustomed to.  He had a couple sloppy moments and giveaways, but the game as a whole wasn't the cleanest.  In the end, though, Edu got the job done defensively and made his opportunities in the final third count, doing well in his jaunts forward.  Such offensive displays show that Edu has the ability to be the same box-to-box midfielder that Michael Bradley is, potentially giving Bob Bradley some flexibility or a plan B in the event that his son isn't in a position to start.  At this point, I expect a Bradley-Edu tandem for the World Cup opener against England, but a lot could still change in the next two months. 

Elsewhere on the British Isles, Marcus Hahnemann came just minutes away from earning a clean sheet against title contenders Arsenal.  Nicklas Bendtner spoiled it, however, with a 90th minute point-blank header to steal three points for the Gunners.  Along the way, Hahnemann made some nice saves, compiling 8 in total while playing through a slight injury he suffered along the way.  Overall, it was another strong performance by the Wolves keeper, who looks like he has the clear upper hand in earning the #2 spot in the USMNT goalkeeping depth chart.

After his Man of the Match performance last week, Jozy Altidore was left out of the starting lineup by manager Iain Dowie, who was questioned by fans and pundits alike for that move after what ended up being a 2-0 Tigers loss.  Jozy came on in the 65th minute with his team trailing 1-0 and added some life to the Hull attack, with a good work rate and some effective dribbling in the final third.  Unfortunately, he was not able to help his team find the equalizer, with Stoke eventaully bagging a second to seal the victory.  It was pretty evident that the Hull attack was much improved with the second half substitutions, so hopefully that evidence and the post-game criticism that Dowie has received will convince him to give Jozy the starting nod next time around.  The Tigers face Burnley next weekend in a game that will go a long way towards deciding the relegation battle. 

In France, Carlos Bocanegra once again got the start for Stade Rennes at LB in their match against Lyon.  Boca went 90 minutes and played well, though Rennes dropped a 2-1 decision at home to the Champions League quarterfinalists.  He was not involved in either goal allowed, and he had some positive offensive contributions as well. 

Michael Bradley returned to the starting lineup for Borussia Monchengladbach in their road match against Stuttgart just two weeks after breaking his nose.  It was a fairly quiet game for Bradley, who came off in the 88th minute.  After taking a first half lead, BMG surrendered two second half goals (neither of which Bradley was at fault for), dropping a 2-1 decision. 
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Jay DeMerit was not in the lineup for Watford today after picking up what was described as a "knock" during the week.  He was a game time decision, so it does not appear to be anything too serious.  If it becomes apparent that the injury is anything more than just a "knock", I'll be sure to give an update.

Injured/Did Not Play

Stuart Holden (leg)
Charlie Davies (multiple injuries)
Oguchi Onyewu (knee)
Jay DeMerit ("knock")
Brad Guzan (unused substitute)
Frank Simek (unused substitute)
Ricardo Clark (unused substitute)
DaMarcus Beasley (unused substitute)

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Tonight, Jose Francisco Torres and Pachuca will take on Indios de Ciudad Juarez, while late-comer Herculez Gomez will look to continue his improbable push for a World Cup ticket against Morelia.