Americans Abroad

Ailing Friedel suffers unkind fate in 3-2 Rovers loss to Southhampton.

Claudio Reyna started the sequence that led to Manchester City's only goal in a 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield -- Manchester City web site photo --

By Robert Wagman (in Washington, D.C.)
SoccerTimes

(Sunday, August 22, 2004) -- United States goalkeeper Brad Friedel is hurting and Blackburn Rovers started their most difficult week of the English Premier League seaosn with a painful 3-2 loss to host Southampton Saturday on a penalty kick in stoppage time.

Rovers next travel to defending EPL champion Arsenal Wednesday and hosts FA Cup holder Manchester United Saturday.

Friedel aggravated an old right thigh injury in the first half of Blackburn's preseason exhibition against Bohemians of the Czech Republic August 24, but was surprisingly in net for Rovers' opening 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. He looked noticeably uncomfortable against Southampton, throwing the ball rather than kicking it, having a teammate take goal kicks and using his left foot to kick when a teammate played the ball back to him.

Still, it seemed Rovers would escape Southampton with a draw and Friedel could not be blamed for any of the three goals he conceded.

Referee Andy D'Urso awarded the penalty two minutes into injury time though it hardly seemed a foul was committed. Southampton midfielder Paul Telfer's long boot upfield went into the box where Rovers defender Craig Short jumped with Saints forward James Beattie. There seemed to be minimal contact, but the foul was called in the box. Beattie drilled the penalty low into the right corner as Friedel guessed incorrectly and dove in the other direction for the 3-2 lead.

Blackburn fell behind 1-0 after a dreadful defensive error left the ball on the foot of a completely unmarked Kevin Phillips three yards from goal. He had no trouble shooting under a diving Friedel for his 150th Premier League career goal in the 32nd minute. Blackburn went ahead 2-1 on goals by Barry Ferguson in the 50th minute and Paul Dickov in the 68th, and Friedel made a sensational save on Phillips' point-blank shot two minutes later. In the 74th minute, Friedel could do little Anders Svensson's wickedly curving shot for a 2-2 tie.

It was certainly a strenuous week for a half-dozen European-based Americans who played in the U.S. 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw in Jamaica Wednesday and also played in club matches the weekend before and after. Three are in the EPL -- midfielder Claudio Reyna of Manchester City, and striker Brian McBride and defender Carlos Bocanegra of Fulham -- midfielder Eddie Lewis of Preston North End is in the second-tier English League Championship, while midfielder DaMarcus Besaley is with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and defender Greg Vanney plays for Bastia in France.

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller also made the trip, but he has been relegated to the Tottenham Hotspur bench in the EPL.

Fulham looked good, especially its defense with Bocanegra at left back, in defeating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 on a pair of goals from Andy Cole. Bocanegra survived a blunder in the opening minute when he gave Jay-Jay Okocha too much room to cut in from the right and only a tremendous save by goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar kept the ball out of the net.

After that miscue, Bocanegra settled in and played well. McBride entered in the 69th minute, but was asked to play a more defensive role, trying to hold what was a one-goal lead until it was doubled by Cole in the 85th.

Reyna played a solid 90 minutes Saturday for visiting Manchester City which fell 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield. Reyna started the sequence that led to City taking a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute. He played the ball to Shaun Wright-Phillips who lifted the ball into the box where Jamie Carragher flicked it past keeper Jerzy Dudek to Nicolas Anelka who sneaked in to drive home an angled shot.

Milan Baros tied the game for Liverpool three minute after the break and in 75th minute it was clear Reyna was tired when he had difficulty containing Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard who scored the Reds' game-winner. Reyna was still called on to go the distance.

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Newcastle United 1-0 behind strong goalkeeping by Paul Robinson who has supplanted Keller in Spurs' starting lineup.

U.S. keeper Tim Howard and Manchester United were a bit lucky to get past newly-promoted Norwich City 2-1 Saturday. Howard, who was not credited with a single save on the afternoon as United played much of the game in Norwich's end, was beaten by David Bentley's strike in the 32nd minute, but the ball clattered off the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and then away.

David Bellion and Alan Smith put Man. U. ahead 2-0. Norwich substitute Paul McVeigh narrowed the deficit to 2-1 in the 70th minute.

Man. U.'s 18-year-old American defender Jonathan Spector had to be taken out after suffering a minor injury in a testimonial match against Burnley and might miss a reserve match against Wolverhampton Wanderers this week. The injury is not considered serious.

Also, 19-year-old American Kenny Cooper, who has been playing for Manchester United's youth and reserve teams, was loaned to Académica of Portugal for the remainder of this season to give him playing time. The 6-foot-3 striker immediately saw action in Académica's final preseason match as a substitute in the 60th minute of a 4-0 decision over second-division Casa Pia at Figueira da Foz. Cooper was not involved in the scoring.

Presented in a press conference at Cidade Stadium in Coimbra, Cooper said he "was anxious to contribute to the team." Last season, Cooper scored 17 goals for Man. U.'s reserves.

Cooper's move was facilitated by Carlos Queiroz, United manager Alex Furguson's Portuguese top assistant who has long ties to U.S. soccer, and António Simões. Simões tried to sign Cooper when he was the football director of Benfica two years ago, but was outbid by United. Simões is close to Francisco Marcos, the new football director of Académica, and recommended Cooper.

Cooper is the son of former North American Soccer League star goalkeeper Kenny Cooper of the Dallas Tornado. Cooper, who went on to coach the Baltimore Blast to the 1983-84 Major Indoor Soccer League championship, was with the Blackburn Rovers reserves before he cast his lot in the U.S., joining the NASL in 1970 at age 22.

Sheffield made Andy Gray's goal in the fourth minute stand up. Lewis had several shots on goal and was unlucky in the 65th minute when he curled a free kick onto the top of the crossbar. Lewis made several nice crosses, but the home side was guilty of poor finishing on the night.

American keeper Marcus Hahnemann recorded his second clean sheet of the young season as Reading raised its record to 3-1 by defeating Rotherham 1-0 on Dave Kitson's penalty kick in the 45th minute.

Reading won 1-0 for the second straight week and Hahnemann made an especially good save on a blast from Paolo Vernazza at the start of the second half. U.S. midfielder Bobby Convey played 90 minutes, but did not have much of an impact.

According to the English press, U.S. defender\midfielder Tony Sanneh's possible move to Coventry City is off, and he will likely return to the U.S. and sign with Major League Soccer. The media reported Sanneh's agent, Dan Fletcher saying the deal fell through because of Coventry's concerns with the Sanneh's past back problems and about his ability to gain a work permit.

"He should sign for the MLS in next 24-to-48 hours," Fletcher told Sky Sports over the weekend. "Coventry's loss is their gain as he's still very much a world-class international defender."

Bastia is one of five clubs that is 2-0-1 with seven points atop Ligue 1.

In the Netherlands, Beasley started for PSV Eindhoven and gave it all he had for 50 minutes before tiring and coming out in an easy 5-1 PSV triumph over AZ Alkmaar. PSV led only 1-0 when Beasley came out in a match that saw five goals scored in the final half hour.

In Belgium, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu played the full game for Standard Liege which came back to defeat Brugge 3-1 in the Jupiler League.

Robert Wagman is a SoccerTimes senior correspondent. E-mail Robert Wagman.