Americans Abroad

McBride, Reyna net winning goals in English Premier League.

Brian McBride (left) celebrates winning goal for Fulham. -- Fulham web site photo --

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

(Saturday, August 27, 2005) -- Fulham was desperate for a victory, going into today's home match against Everton at Craven Cottage having accumulated only a single point through its first three English Premier League matches this season. Despite being outplayed, especially in the first half, Fulham earned the full three points, prevailing 1-0, thanks to a 57th minute goal from United States striker Brian McBride.

Defender Moritz Volz was released on the right side and carried to the penalty area before pulling the ball back to McBride who used his first touch to find the corner of the net past diving goalkeeper Nigel Martyn. McBride has 16 goals in 60 appearances for Fulham.

After a disastrous performance by the defense in a 4-1 loss to Arsenal Wednesday and with defenders Ian Pearce and Alain Goma injured, Fulham manager Chris Coleman turned today to American Carlos Bocanegra, who had not played this season because of a knee injury suffered this summer playing for the U.S. men in the Gold Cup.

Midweek, Bocanegra played in a reserve match and came through it well. So, Coleman inserted him on the left side of Fulham's back four and he acquitted himself well against Everton over 90 minutes.

U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna netted his first goal of the season for Manchester City which won 2-1 over visiting Portsmouth today.

Claudio Reyna's sixth goal of the season was a winner for Manchester City. -- Manchester City web site photo --

After Portsmouth went ahead in the 54th minute, Reyna drew City level in the 66th. Portsmouth's keeper Sander Westerveld could not handle a low cross from Joey Barton, but instead the Dutchman lobbed it out to the top of the box where Reyna collected the ball and hooked it into the net.

Three minutes later, Andy Cole scored the winner for City.

On Wednesday, Reyna did a mostly defensive job as City defeated Sunderland 2-1 in a match Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce admitted his side did not deserve to win.

City (3-0-1, 10 points), unbeaten in its last 12 matches, dating through last season, sits in second place in the Premier League, two points behind Chelsea (4-0).

American goalkeeper Brad Friedel had a fine six-save performance today, but Blackburn Rovers were shut out for the second match in a row, 1-0 to Aston Villa. Beaten by Milan Baros in the 11th minute, Friedel kept his team close in the final four minutes with good saves on Shefki Kuqi and Jemal Johnson.

On Wednesday, Friedel earned his first clean sheet of the season, making five saves in a 0-0 draw with Tottenham. Blackburn did well holding the match level after being reduced to 10 men when Lucas Neill was red-carded for a two-footed lunge on Edgar Davids in the 76th minute.

Hahnemann took the ball off the foot of Matthew Spring to prevent an early goal. Reading defender Ibrahima Sonko almost misdirected the ball into his own net, but Hahnemann handled it well. Later, he collected three headers as Watford swarmed around the Reading goal.

U.S. midfielder Bobby Convey, coming off a two-goal effort, did not score, but played well for Reading. His early free kick found the head of Ibrahima Sonko, but Watford keeper Ben Foster made a good save.

Foster, a 22-year-old on loan from Manchester United, kept Convey from giving Reading the lead after 32 minutes when he dove to push away a centering pass from Glenn Little in the goal mouth. In stoppage time, Convey put a corner kick on Sonko's head, but his shot from in front of the net went over the crossbar.

With the draw, Reading fell out of the league lead at 3-1-1 for 10 points, tied with four other clubs. Sheffield United is first at 4-1 with 12 points after defeating Coventry 2-1 at home.

American defender Jay DeMerit did not play for Watford against Reading, staying on the bench after suffering what was described as a "minor leg injury" against Notts County. He gave way to newcomers Malky Mackay and Clarke Carlisle.

DeMerit was in the starting side last Tuesday night when Watford outclassed Notts County, its third-tier League One opponent, 3-1 to advance to the next stage of the Carling Cup.

DeMerit, who won the "new talent award" in last year's Cup, marshaled the defense admirably and left the field in the last minute to a standing ovation from the Watford faithful.

U.S. midfielder Eddie Lewis contributed to the decisive tally for visiting Leeds United which downed Norwich 1-0 at Carrow Road.

Norwich was without several injured attackers and, despite taking 19 shots nine for Leeds, could mount little effective offense. Lewis put in several good crosses, free kicks and corner kicks, but they were all cleared. His corner in the 66th minute started the sequence that ended up with Rob Hulse's goal.

Lewis was issued a yellow card in the 83rd minute for a rough tackle. Leeds is 3-1-1 and one of the five teams tied for second.

Yesterday, American defender Frankie Simek went the distance for Sheffield Wednesday in a dull scoreless draw with Queens Park Rangers. Neither team really challenged until the final minutes when QPR had several chances as Wednesday played a man short for the final 13 minutes.

Rangers are a team in turmoil with their top two officials sacked last week.

Thirteen minutes after Kasper Bogelund put Monchengladbach ahead 1-0, however, Keller was not able to stop a seven-yard header from a unmarked Sand in the 54th minute for a 1-1 tie. In the 73rd midfielder, Levan Kobiashvili thought he had won the match for Schalke, but Keller pushed his shot away.

U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo continues to nurse an injured ankle and did not dress for Hannover 96's 1-1 draw with Hamburg

Seb Orton contributed to this story from Watford, England.

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