Americans Abroad
Michael Farfan Scores for Cruz Azul; Howard Shines
The 25-year-old San Diego native scores a big goal in his debut for a big club. Elsewhere, Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo try to stay on Jurgen Klinsmann's radar and Tim Howard gets a shutout.
WE'VE COME TO EXPECT strong performances from the likes of Tim Howard and Geoff Cameron, and both Premier League players delivered over the weekend.
Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo, players hoping to earn their way onto the United States national team's World Cup roster, also bolstered their positions with good showings. And in Mexico, three Yanks took advantage of their opportunities south of the border. Here's our weekly look at the best U.S. performances abroad.
In the win, Cameron once again played right back and was solid both defensively and moving forward into the attack. The Massachusetts native was active during his 90-minute effort, collecting 86 touches and completing 78% of his passes. He was dominant in the air and Newcastle had little success attacking down his side.
Nos. 6-7: Dennis Flores and Miguel Palafox
Two Americans took big steps forward in their careers on Saturday, as Dennis Flores and Miguel Palafox were named to the Starting XI for Leon as it faced Liga MX club Toluca. For Palafox, a Los Angeles native, the start marked his professional debut; Flores came on as a substitute for Leon last month. ASN has confirmed that Flores has been called up to the United States U-21 camp later this month, positioning him to make his international debut.No. 5: Tim Ream
Another week, another top showing for Tim Ream. The St. Louis native continues to put forth good outings every single week—usually at different positions—making him one of the more intriguing American players in Europe. Last week he played left back, before that it was in central midfield, and a few weeks ago it was at right back. Many American fans wrote off Ream when he struggled to earn minutes last season, but the the 26-year-old is proof that players can rebound and come back better than before. When Ream was a rookie with the New York Red Bulls in 2010, he fell victim to the hype machine that sets unrealistic goals for players. After a rocky road, Ream is just now beginning to realize his potential while many Americans fans are still catching up to the news Ream has a bright future in Europe. In fact, with his versatility, he could be a sleeper pick to make the roster for the May World Cup camp. On Saturday, Ream returned to his central defense position and helped Bolton to a 1-0 win over Barnsely. He was steady again on both sides of the ball, with his terrific passing out of the back allowing the midfield to push forward.No. 4: Tim Howard
On Saturday Everton defeated Sunderland, 1-0, and Tim Howard posted his 13th Premier League shutout of the season, helping the club to its sixth straight league win. With so much attention being paid to cross-town archrivals Liverpool, Everton are closing in on a Champions League spot—something that would have surprised everyone before the season given the departure of coach David Moyes. Howard is playing brilliantly these days, and Jurgen Klinsmann no doubt expects this pattern to continue in Brazil.No. 3: Geoff Cameron
On Saturday Stoke City cruised past Newcastle 1-0 and is now closing in on a Top 10 finish in the Premier League. After a so-so showing the previous week against Chelsea, Geoff Cameron rebounded for another fine outing against Newcastle.
In the win, Cameron once again played right back and was solid both defensively and moving forward into the attack. The Massachusetts native was active during his 90-minute effort, collecting 86 touches and completing 78% of his passes. He was dominant in the air and Newcastle had little success attacking down his side.
