Soccer By Ives

Americans Abroad: Boxing Day Rewind

American soccer players had a busy Boxing Day in England on Wednesday, with 10 of them playing at least a half and nine earning starts (That's including Watford's Jay DeMerit and Millwall's Zak Whitbread.)

There were mixed results, from Tim Howard posting yet another shutout for Everton to Carlos Bocanegra watching his Fulham defense be torn to shreds yet again. There were even two goal-scorers on the day, with usual suspect Clint Dempsey being joined by DeMerit.

Before I get to the rundown, I wanted to talk about Benny Feilhaber's performance for Derby County against Liverpool. It had its ups and downs, but his effort, or lack thereof, late in the match could hurt his chances for more playing time in the future.

Americans in European Soccer: Weekend Rewind

Good afternoon everybody (good morning to the West Coast). As great as the European soccer action was this past weekend, it was also a great weekend for American players.

Why? No, there weren't goals in bunches (though Clint Dempsey scored another clutch goal for Fulham). It was great for American players because most of them started and played good minutes. The number of "did not dress" and "did not play" announcements was the fewest I think it's been all season.

Eddie Lewis and Jonathan Spector both earned starts and Benny Feilhaber made his way onto the field as every healthy American in the English Premier League saw playing time, with Feilhaber being the only one not to start (that's not including young reserve players like Johann Smith and Eric Lichaj of course).

Before we get to how the Americans Abroad did this weekend, I need to make one more reminder for those of you who have yet to take part in the Soccer By Ives Reader Roll Call to please do so. Your input is going to go a long way toward helping me shape and set a direction for SBI as we head into 2008.

Now, back to the action. Here is how the Americans in Europe did this past weekend:

Fulham sacks Sanchez

America's favorite English Premier League team is looking for a new manager.

Fulham has fired manager Lawrie Sanchez. The decision comes just seven months after became the full-time successor to Chris Coleman. Former Fulham player John Collins as emerged as a potential candidate and you have to wonder if Bruce Arena won't stump for this job too.

Whoever Fulham hires, here is hoping they don't bench all Americans like Derby's new manager, Paul Jewell, did upon his recent arrival to the Premier League's cellar dwellers.

One player who probably won't be sad to see Sanchez go is Carlos Bocanegra, who went from captain to bench warmer in recent weeks.

I know there are a ton of Fulham fans in the SBI Mafia ranks so share your thoughts on this move below.

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Good afternoon everybody. It was a rather low-key weekend for Americans in Europe. There were no hat-tricks or crazy goals to speak of, though there was a shutout (by Tim Howard) and another win for Michael Bradley's Heerenveen. There was also another set of Did Not Play notes for Derby duo Eddie Lewis and Benny Feilhaber.

There was some good news too. Carlos Bocanegra returned to the starting lineup in Fulham's tragic 1-0 loss to Newcastle (I say tragic because the penalty call that gave Newcastle the win was extremely harsh). Gregg Berhalter kept this list from being goal-less by providing a score in 1860 Munich's romp on Sunday.

Here is the rest of how the Americans in Europe did this past weekend:

Americans Abroad: Weekend rewind

You can start calling Michael Bradley a goal machine.

Bradley was the unquestioned star among Americans Abroad last weekend, netting a first-half hat-trick to lead Heerenveen to a 4-2 derby victory against Groningen on Sunday.

Bradley wasn't the only American to do well. Bobby Convey was stellar in helping Reading knock off Liverpool on Saturday. He helped set up two goals in the 3-1 victory and his resurgence has American fans feeling a little more at ease about DaMarcus Beasley's lengthy layoff due to knee surgery.

It wasn't all good news though. Carlos Bocanegra remains in the Fulham doghouse, failing to make an appearance for the second straight game. Meanwhile, new Derby manager Paul Jewell continued ignoring his two American players, choosing to leave Eddie Lewis and Benny Feilhaber off the bench for their 4-1 loss to Manchester United.

Here is how all the Americans Abroad did last weekend:

Monday Morning Centerback: Americans Abroad and MLS

Ahn nyeong haseyo everybody. It is Morning morning and even though ice storms are covering large parts of the country, it is still soccer season.

There will be plenty to blog about today, from the U.S. Under-17 team's exploits this past weekend to updates on Toronto FC and the expansion Seattle MLS franchise. You also had Michael Bradley's derby day hat-trick for Heerenveen as well as Bobb Convey's stellar performance for Reading against Liverpool.

Before we get to all of that, I wanted to start the day discussing my weekend column on ESPN.com. In case you missed it, I wrote a column with the premise being 'What if MLS could bring back some of the talented American players currently struggling for playing time in Europe.'

There may have been some confusion about the point of the column so here is some clarification.

Michael Bradley nets hat-trick in Heerenveen romp

Michael Bradley cannot stop scoring.

The U.S. national team midfielder netted his first career hat trick on Sunday to lead Heerenveen to a 4-2 win against Groningen on Sunday. Bradley scored all three goals in the first half to help Heerenveen win its derby.

When was the last time an American scored a hat-trick in a top European league? Very good question. Bradley was already beginning to draw interest from bigger European clubs. His performance on Sunday should only serve to send more clubs on the trail of the 20-year-old former MetroStar.

Here are the goals:

Also, here is Bradley's post-match interview in Dutch. Okay, I know most of you don't know Dutch, but I figured you might want to see the interview anyway. Maybe someone can translate.)

What do you think of Bradley scoring a first-half hat-trick? Share your thoughts below.

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Good morning SBI Nation, it is Tuesday and there should be plenty to discuss today. I will start the day off with the weekly installment of Americans Abroad.

There were no goals scored by Americans this past weekend but there were more players playing than usual (at least it seemed that way). Yes, injuries have several top Americans on the sideline now (Beasley, McBride, Keller) but players from Josh Wolff to Bobby Convey made their ways into starting lineups.

Here is how European-based Americans fared this past weekend in Europe's top leagues:

Beasley could miss rest of European season

DaMarcus Beasley looks to be out for the year with damaged knee ligaments, according to the Glasgow Daily Record. Beasley injured his left knee after colliding with Stuttgart goalkeeper Raphael Schafer during Stuttgart's 3-2 Champions League win against Rangers on Wednesday.

If Beasley has torn knee ligaments, he could be sidelined through the summer, with a fall return likely at best. Torn ligaments would also mean that the U.S. national team winger would almost certainly miss the U.S. team's second-round World Cup qualifying match against the Barbados/Dominica winner and could lead to him missing some games in the first group stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

The injury comes just as fellow American left winger Bobby Convey has recovered from his own injury issues. The U.S. team will lean heavily on Convey come the summer (if he is healthy) and will also need to turn to veteran winger Eddie Lewis as well. Lewis has remained on the U.S. team radar in recent months despite his age (33).

As it stands, the Glasgow Daily Record is reporting this exclusively. I will post further confirmation as it surfaces.

What do you think of this potentially devastating news? Share your thoughts below.

Beasley suffers serious knee injury in Rangers UCL loss to Stuttgart

U.S. national team winger DaMarcus Beasley was taken off the field on a stretcher during Rangers' 3-2 loss to Stuttgart on Wednesday. Beasley stated after the match that he believes he injured a knee ligament. The extent of the injury is not known yet but Rangers manager Walter Smith is calling the injury serious.

Beasley is expected to have an MRI today which will reveal the extent of his injury.

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

Freddy did it again.

Yes, Freddy Adu scored another goal and Benfica fans are starting to feel the same Adu-mania that enveloped MLS fans just a few years ago.

Adu was the only American to deliver a goal in Europe last week, but there were plenty of other quality performances. Bobby Convey started and played 90 minutes for Reading, moving him closer to a return to the U.S. national team mix. U.S. national team defensive anchors Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo sat out the action last weekend.

Here is a rundown of how American soccer players did in Europe's top leagues last weekend:

Monday Morning Center Back (Altidore, Adu, Asia and Another coach fired)

Good morning all. The World Cup qualifying draw was this past weekend and it gave us plenty to look forward to in the next two years. from England's chance at revenge against Croatia to the USA drawing an easier path to the Hexagonal than Mexico.

We also had increasing talk about Jozy Altidore going to Europe. Real Madrid is ramping up its interest while Altidore has stated that he will only leave for the right situation. Is Real Madrid the right situation? Here is my column on Jozy's situation for ESPN.com. I'll try to make my point very clear. Altidore should spent one more season in MLS. That's it. A full year as a starter in MLS will help him far more than a year as a sub in Europe will. You can disagree, and some folks do, but that's my stance.

Here are some other tidbits from the weekend and today:

Szetela earns first start for Racing

Clifton native and U.S. Under-20 national team standout Danny Szetela earned his first official start for Spanish club Racing de Santander on Wednesday. He played 65 minutes in Racing's scoreless tie against Malaga in the fourth round of Copa Del Rey.

The start is a promising development for the former Columbus Crew midfielder, who hadn't made an appearance yet in a first team match since signing with Racing in August. The start on Wednesday is made even more significant by the fact that Racing had most of their top starters in the lineup for the match.

He may not have scored a goal, or played a full 90 minutes, but it is certainly a start.

What do you think of this news? Share your thoughts below.

Michael Bradley does it again

Good morning folks. I was going to save this for the Americans in Europe roundup, but decided to give you guys an early-morning treat.

U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley continued his goal-scoring exploits this weekend, scoring the game-winning goal to help Heerenveen overcome an early red card and post a 1-0 victory over Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday.

Pretty decent finish from the New Jersey native. At this rate we're going to need someone to put together a Michael Bradley goal compilation.

Americans in Europe: Weekend Rewind

It was a good weekend for American soccer players in Europe. No, they didn't score goals in bunches (though Clint Dempsey did find the net again) but more of them are getting playing time as some return from injury and others from the depths of the bench.

You already know about how Freddy Adu has established himself in recent weeks as a regular contributor to Benfica, but now Jonathan Spector and Heath Pearce have managed to escape from the 'Did not Dress" category to play for their respective teams. Danny Szetela also dressed for Racing de Santander for the first time since signing with the club. Very promising stuff indeed.

Here is a rundown of how the American players did in European action this weekend:

Adu scores game-winner for Benfica

Freddy Adu's stock keeps on rising. The young American striker scored his first league goal for Benfica, netting a game-winner in the 87th minute to help Benfica score a 2-1 victory against Maritimo on Sunday.

Adu's goal follows his Champions League group stage debut at midweek and his late game-tying goal in Benfica's Portuguese Cup match last weekend. Then there was his impressive cameo for the United States against Switzerland.

Yes, it's still early, but this is clear sign of progress for Adu, who struggled for playing time in September. Now he's in the mix and making the most of his opportunities.

What do you think about Adu's rapidly rising stock and recent impressive performances? Share your thoughts below.

Ian Joyce signs with Watford

Seton Hall alum and Don Bosco Prep product Ian Joyce has signed a contract with English club Watford FC. Joyce will join fellow American Jay DeMerit on the team currently running away with first place in the English Championship.

Joyce, who played for Seton Hall in 2006, spent time with English Conference squad Gray's Athletic before signing with Watford.

I saw Joyce play in high school a few times for Don Bosco Prep. He's about 6-foot-3 with good reflexes but was a bit on the skinny side at Seton Hall. Not sure if he's filled out or what but he's certainly a good young goalkeeping prospect who could join Watford in the EPL come August if he impresses enough in the spring.

Americans in Europe: Weekend Rewind

It wasn't a bad week for Freddy Adu, was it?

After impressing in a reserve role for the U.S. national team against Switzerland on Wednesday, Adu rejoined Benfica and played the role of super sub again, scoring a stoppage-time equalizer to help Benfica salvage a 1-1 tie Setubal in the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup.

Adu's goal is his second in a row in Cup play and could help lead to the youngster seeing more time for Benfica, which will take part in Champions League play this week.

Here is how the rest of the Americans in Europe did last weekend:

The deal with Giuseppe Rossi

Will he or won't he? That seems to be the hot question surrounding whether Giuseppe Rossi will actually consider playing for the U.S. national team and change his mind about playing for Italy.

Why the sudden spark in interest? It comes on the heels of Bob Bradley admitting that Rossi has been contacted about the possibility of playing for the United States. Here's the thing. There isn't much to this story aside from the admission that U.S. Soccer has been in touch with Rossi.

Americans in Europe: Weekend rewind

Marcus Hahnemann rebounded from last week's seven-goal horror show to post a shutout in Reading's 1-0 win against Derby.

Hahnemann's shutout capped a busy weekend for Americans in Europe. You had Giuseppe Rossi scoring again, though in a Villarreal loss this time, and Michael Bradley started for Heerenveen in a 9-0 thrashing of Heracles. And no, Bradley did not register any assists. Apparently Afonso Alves was just running by Heracles defenders like traffic cones.

Here is the rundown of how Americans did in the European soccer scene this weekend:

Americans in Europe: UEFA Cup rewind

Thursday offered up a mixed bag of results for Americans playing in the UEFA Cup. Some survived the day while two U.S. national team standouts saw their UEFA Cup runs end.

Michael Bradley's Heerenveen dropped a 5-1 decision in the second leg of their series with Helsingborg, giving the Swedish club an 8-6 aggregate victory. Bradley came off in the 58th minute as Heerenveen added a forward in an attempt to close a 4-0 gap.

Oguchi Onyewu registered a goal and red card as Standard Liege fell short again Zenit St. Petersburg. Onyewu scored in the 37th minute then received a straight red card just four minutes later. Zenit won the series 4-1 on aggregate.

Here is how some of the other teams with American players did in Thursday's UEFA Cup action:

Americans in Europe: Keller, Bocanegra shut out Chelsea

Kasey Keller didn't waste any time rewarding Fulham coach Lawrie Sanchez for making him the Cottagers' No. 1 goalkeeper. Keller made four saves in shutting out Chelsea on Saturday, along with the help of Carlos Bocanegra, who played a strong match. Clint Dempsey played his part. No, he didn't score, but Dempsey did collide with Chelsea captain John Terry, leaving him with a fractured cheek bone.

Keller's day was slightly better than Marcus Hahnemann's. the Reading goalkeeper watched seven shots go past him in Reading's 7-4 loss to Portsmouth. Ouch.

There were no goal-scoring exploits among the Americans in Europe this weekend (Michael Bradley finally cooled off) but there were still plenty of Americans contributing in key matches. Here is a rundown of how American-born players did in Europe's top leagues this weekend.

Convey Hurt Again

Bobby Convey can't catch a break.

He finally returns from a long injury layoff to score a stunning goal against Liverpool earlier this week but now reports are surfacing that he injured his leg in training and won't play this weekend.

There are no details on the injury yet but it does not appear severe enough to keep him out for an extended period of time. At least you hope so for Convey's sake.

Adu scores first Benfica goal in Cup victory

Freddy Adu showed the first real glimpses of being something special for Benfica by scoring a 90th minute penalty kick and converting a penalty shootout attempt to help Benfica defeat Estrela Amadora in the quarterfinals of the Carlsberg Cup.

Adu came on as a second half substitute for Benfica and calmly placed a shot into the top right corner of net to tie the match in the 90th before placing Benfica's first shootout attempt into the low left corner of the net. Benfica won the shootout, 5-4.

What does this mean for Adu? It definitely showed that he can handle pressure, though I'm not sure there were really concerns about that. He's still a young player on a strong European team so don't go pegging him for a starting role just yet. If anything, this performance should help his chances of making the bench and seeing some minutes, which had been hard to come by in the past month.

What do you think of this news? Share your thoughts below.

Szetela misses out on debut

 

Danny Szetela did not make the team sheet for Racing de Santander's match against Villarreal today. The former Crew midfielder is getting over a flu. He has yet to make his debut for Racing since joining from Major League Soccer last month but is expected to be in uniform soon.

Szetela also missed out on a reunion of sorts with childhood teammate, fellow Clifton native and Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi, who earned the start for Villarreal.

Americans in Europe: Bradley scores again

Michael Bradley can't stop scoring.

The U.S. national team midfielder netted his fourth goal in three matches for Heerenveen, scoring his team's first goal in a 3-2 loss to FC Utrecht. Bradley scored in the 50th minute to tie the match at 1-1 but Utrecht scored two late goals to win. Here are video highlights from the match. Bradley actually came close to adding a second goal but his side volley from close range hit the crossbar. He followed up that shot by heading the rebound to a wide-open teammate in front of goal but his teammate also sent his header off the crossbar. (Interesting aside. The goalkeeper who starred for Guadeloupe in the Gold Cup comes in for Utrecht as a second half sub.)

Bradley was the only European-based U.S. national team player to score this weekend, but he wasn't the only American-born player to score. Clifton native Giuseppe Rossi scored two goals to lift Villarreal past Murcia on Sunday.

Here is a rundown of how the Americans in Europe did this weekend:

Video of Michael Bradley's UEFA Cup goals

For those of you who haven't seen them yet, here is a highlight reel of the goals from Heerenveen's 5-3 victory against Helsingborg, including both of Michael Bradley's goals. Bradley's second goal is especially impressive, though the penalty-drawing tackle he delivers in the next sequence brings a cringe. Overall, still a great showing from a 20, yes 20-year-old American midfielder.

Kudos to SBI Mafia member Frank Perez, AKA FP from the Left Coast, for providing this one.

UEFA Cup: Bradley scores twice in Heerenveen rout

   

U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley scored the first goal and last goal in Heerenveen's 5-3 rout against Henrik Larsson's Helsingborg in UEFA Cup action on Thursday. Bradley, who also scored in Heerenveen's league win last week, netted his second goal in a week in the 20th minute before adding an insurance goal in the 61st minute. Larsson scored twice for Helsingborg

Here is how the rest of the Americans did, or didn't do, in Thursday's UEFA Cup action:

Americans in Europe: Dempsey and Bradley score

 

A week after playing key roles in the U.S. national team's impressive showing against Brazil, both Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley scored goals for their European club teams.

Dempsey scored Fulham's lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Wigan. Bradley scored the final goal for Heerenveen in a 5-2 thrashing of Excelsior.

DaMarcus Beasley was also on the scoresheet on Saturday, scoring Ranger's second goal in a 4-2 loss to Hearts.

In other Euro-based America news:

Howard misses ManU match

Tim Howard will have to wait longer to face his former club, Manchester United.

Howard did not dress for Everton's match against Man U today after being unable to recover from the finger injuries he suffered in the U.S. national team's 4-2 loss to Brazil last Sunday. He suffered a dislocated ring finger on his left hand while also injuring his pinky finger.

There's no word yet on how long Howard will be out. I'll provide that information when it becomes available.

Tim Howard's status still in doubt

Tim Howard's status for Everton's match against Manchester United remains in doubt as his club continues to wait for swelling to go down on his ring and pinky fingers of his left hand, which he smashed against the crossbar during the U.S. team's 4-2 loss to Brazil.

As if Howard's uncertain status wasn't bad enough for Everton, Manchester United will have Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo back for this weekend's match.

Keep all this in mind as you set your EPL fantasy rosters this weekend.

Szetela introduced at Racing

Clifton native Danny Szetela was presented to the fans of Racing de Santander today after completing his move to the Spanish club. Szetela should be available for the club's next match, on Sept. 16th against Levante.

Here is my column on Szetela's decision to sign for Racing in today's Herald News. I will try to get in touch with Szetela when he returns to the United States to sort out his move so look out for a story on his first impressions of Spain in the near future.

Dempsey enjoys a dream day

In case you hadn't heard by now, Clint Dempsey had a dream day for Fulham on Saturday. He had a hand in all three goals to help Fulham come back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to salvage a 3-3 tie against Tottenham.

Szetela speaks

Danny Szetela will depart for Spain on Saturday to have his physical and finish off all details of his transfer move to Racing de Santander.

I spoke to Szetela Friday night and he is equally excited and relieved that this whole transfer saga is over.

Here is some of what he had to say:

Szetela to sign with Spanish Club Racing Santander

Danny Szetela is heading to Spain.

After Nearly two months of transfer speculation and negotiations, the Columbus Crew midfielder has passed up offers from Roma and Newcastle (among others) to play for Spanish First Division side Racing de Santander.

The Herald News has learned that Szetela has signed a three-year deal with the Northern Spain-based club, which began the La Liga season in solid fashion by tying Barcelona last weekend. Racing de Santander finished in 10th place in La Liga last season.

Szetela's days with the Crew are over

Danny Szetela has played his last game for the Columbus Crew.

No, he hasn't made a decision yet on which European offer he is accepting but all the teams in line to sign Szetela have agreed to the $150,000 transfer fee for his services, a fee that will send him to Europe by this weekend.

Szetela's decision imminent

   

Danny Szetela has not signed with Roma, Brescia or even new player Newcastle United. At least not yet.

Conflicting reports have the Clifton-born midfielder headed to everywhere from Rome to England but as of early this evening Szetela has yet to sign a deal with anybody. Sources close to Szetela insist that the Columbus Crew midfielder has yet to decide where he will move to next, but will decide by early tomorrow.

Szetela to Brescia?

Word is trickling down early this morning that Clifton native and Columbus Crew midfielder Danny Szetela is set to sign with Italian Serie B side Brescia. There are conflicting accounts about this situation, with sources placing Szetela in Italy while other sources say no deal is done yet. What is clear at this point is that Szetela's transfer future will be determined in the next 24 hours.

A source close to Szetela still insists that no deal has been agreed to yet and that Szetela is still considering options from England, Italy and Spain. With just one more European business day to make a deal during the summer transfer window, Szetela doesn't have much time left to make a decision.

McBride out until Christmas

Former US national team forward Brian McBride will be sidelined until Christmas after knee surgery for a dislocated patella.

McBride is back in the United States, where he is about to embark on a lengthy rehab.

Fulham just recently signed American goalkeeper Kasey Keller to bring the number of Americans on its roster to four, but only three will be around until Christmas now.

Fulham signs Kasey Keller

Kasey Keller has found a job and it is with a team that has shown an affinity for signing Americans.

Fulham has signed Keller, who should step in and become the team's starter. If you haven't seen the amazing blunder by current Fulham goalkeeper Tony Warner last weekend you missed a real howler. Regular starter Antti Niemi is injured, which means Keller could have a chance to play a key role for the Cottagers.

Keller joins Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey on a Fulham team that is fast becoming a favorite among American soccer fans.

Keller also joins Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Marcus Hahnemann, giving the United States 20 percent of the STARTING goalkeepers in the English Premier League (Jeez people, you know what I meant).

What do you think of this move? Share your thoughts below.

Welcome to Europe Freddy

Freddy Adu is getting a quick education in how different European soccer is from Major League Soccer.

Benfica manager Fernando Santos was fired after one league match, a draw against newly-promoted Leixos. That's right. One match. Santos should send his resume to clubs in MLS, where you can go months without a win and still keep your job.

How will that affect Adu? It will be interesting to see. Adu did not see the field in Benfica's tie and it is unclear what interim manager Fernando Chalana thinks of Adu.

Eddie Lewis completes Derby move

The rumored Eddie Lewis to Derby County move has been completed.

Lewis joins fellow American Benny Feilhaber on a Derby squad that is off to a rough start in the EPL.

I still think it's safe to say that Lewis will come back and play for the expansion San Jose team in 2008 but he will have at least one year to strut his stuff in the EPL after playing really well in the lower levels of England the past few years.

Michael Bradley starts, plays 90 for Heerenveen in draw

 

U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley started and played 90 minutes in Heerenveen's season-opening scoreless draw with Willem II on Friday.

Fresh off a busy summer that saw him play well for the US national team at the Gold Cup and be nominated for the Gold Ball Award at the Under-20 World Cup, Bradley has earned a starting role with the Dutch club after a season in which he struggled for playing time.

What do you think of this development? Share your thoughts below.

The All-American EPL Best XI

In honor of Eddie Lewis' arrival in the EPL (and thanks to the suggestion of an SBI reader) here is the All-American EPL Best XI:

Eddie Lewis heading to Derby County

U.S. national team left winger Eddie Lewis is leaving the disaster known as Leeds and is heading to newly-promoted EPL side Derby County. Lewis will join fellow American Benny Feilhaber, who just recently completed a move to Derby from Hamburg.

Lewis, Leeds player of the year last season, reunites with Derby coach Billy Davies, who was his coach at Preston North End. Lewis has been playing at left back for Leeds and could play there or on the left wing for Derby.

Adu debuts for Benfica

Former MLS star and Benfica midfielder Freddy Adu made his debut for the Portuguese club on Tuesday, playing 53 minutes in Benfica's Champions League qualifying win against FC Copenhagen.

Adu came in with the match tied and was on the field when Rui Costa scored his second of two goals to win the match. I'm sure we'll hear more about how he did in the next 24 hours. I know there are some SBI readers from Portugal so if any of you are checking in please let us know what you thought of his performance.

Whether you like Adu or not this is still great news for the US national team. Adu is clearly going to get playing time for Benfica and it is exciting to think that he could play a key role for the club at the ripe old age of 18.

What do you think of this news? Share your thoughts below.

Altidore's stock keeps rising

So it's a day after watching Jozy Altidore record his first two-goal game as a pro and couldn't help but think about the recent trend of young American players making the move to Europe and the realization that Altidore will leave MLS far sooner than I ever expected.

As recently as five months ago I would scoff at people who suggested that Altidore was going to leave MLS early. Not because I didn't think he was good enough, but because he had stated repeatedly that he was in no rush to leave and because I didn't see the Red Bulls parting with a true jewel of a prospect who could be be perfect to feature when the Red Bulls' new stadium opened.

Now that Red Bull Park is almost two years away, and Altidore's stock is rising faster than any other player in MLS, it is growing increasingly unlikely that he will ever play a minute in Red Bull Park.

The latest on Szetela's Roma move

As you know by now the Herald News was the first to report that Clifton native Danny Szetela had reached an agreement with AS Roma on a transfer. Here is an update on the deal:

AS Roma is set to sign Danny Szetela to a three-year contract worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.2 to 1.5 million, which doesn't include the housing and car he will also receive from the Italian club. The details of the move have been finalized and, at this point, all that remains is for Szetela to fly to Rome to sign the deal.

As for the AP report stating that MLS was still a serious player in talks with Szetela, don't buy it. MLS was never going to come close to offering anywhere near what Roma offered but Szetela's representatives did still meet with MLS as a courtesy. It should also be noted that Szetela leaving for Italy during the summer transfer window is still a possibility, assuming Columbus and Roma can reach an agreement on a small transfer fee. I thought Szetela would stay for the rest of the 2007 season but that isn't a guarantee at this point.

If you're wondering why there were denials about a deal following the Herald News report, part of that had to do with Roma not wanting word of the deal to leak out before having Szetela signed to a contract. This was due in no small part to arch-rival Lazio also being in the running for Szetela. As it stands, Lazio did not come through with a comparable offer.

That is all for now.

Feilhaber secures work permit to complete Derby County transfer

US national team midfielder Benny Feilhaber has secured a UK work permit, which will allow him to move from Hamburg to Derby County.

Feilhaber, who enjoyed a strong summer for the United States this summer, joins the newly-promoted English club on a move that should help him earn first-team action in the English Premier League.

What do you think of Feilhaber's move to England? Is it a good move or a bad move? Share your thoughts below.

Szetela to sign with Roma

Clifton native and Columbus Crew midfielder Danny Szetela has reached a contract agreement with Serie A power AS Roma and will join Roma once his MLS contract expires on Dec. 31st.

Szetela still has to go to Italy to sign the deal, which should take place in the next week or so.

Hahnemann on track to face Man U

US national team goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann is close to returning from a broken hand and is on track to play for Reading in its EPL season opener against Manchester United.

Hahnemann broke his right hand in Reading's final game last season, an injury that forced him to miss the US national team's participation in the Gold Cup and Copa America.

He isn't the only American coming back for Reading. Bobby Convey is making good progress on his road back from a knee injury that sidelined him most of last season. Convey made his debut for Reading on Sunday, playing 45 minutes.

Reading could quickly become America's EPL team if rumors are true that the Royals are trying to land Oguchi Onyewu. Fulham still leads the way with three Americans on its roster.