Americans Abroad

Injured McBride is heroic in Fulham's 3-2 loss to Chelsea.

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

(Monday, December 26, 2005) -- Most European leagues have shut down for their winter break but, in England, the holidays mean a crowded schedule with Carling Cup matches preceding today's Boxing Day games.

Most English teams will be back in action Wednesday, Saturday and then again on the January 2 bank holiday.

In the Premier League, United States striker Brian McBride had one of his best days for Fulham today scoring once and forcing a penalty kick in a 3-2 loss at league-leading Chelsea.

Chelsea won when Hernan Crespo converted a long cross from Joe Cole in the 74th minute.

McBride was at the center of Fulham's attack all afternoon, helping the club erase a two-goal deficit despite spending 10 minutes on the sideline getting stitches in his right eyebrow following a clash of heads with Robert Huth.

Despite his eye beginning to swell, McBride returned to the action in the 24th minute with Chelsea ahead 2-0. Five minutes later, McBride put away a diving header to put the Cottagers on the scoreboard.

A Luis Boa Morte free kick found Fulham defender Zat Knight who touched the ball beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. McBride went down to ground for his tally.

In the 54th minute, McBride almost had a second goal, settling a cross at full speed, but his shot was steered aside by Cech. Two minutes later, McBride worked a give-and-go with Boa Morte, but the American was taken down from behind by Joe Cole, setting up Heidar Helguson equalizing penalty kick.

The match went back and forth until Crespo's winner. "We changed our formation a little bit and gave Heidar Helguson a run today, who I thought was absolutely outstanding along with McBride," Fulham manager Chris Coleman said. "We caused them problems all afternoon and, at 2-0 down, we showed a lot of courage to get back into the game. We fancied our chances, but it wasn't to be."

U.S. defender Carlose Bocanegra was on the Fulham bench, but did not play. He is recovering from a calf injury suffered December 17 in a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers.

In a match resembling its 1-0 Carling Cup quarterfinal victory Wednesday, Blackburn defeated host Middlesbrough 2-0 today in a league game at Riverside Stadium.

U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel made four saves on his way to his second clean sheet of the week against Middlesbrough. Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi scored late in each half for Rovers.

Friedel did not have much to do, but endured some trying moments in blanking Middlesbrough 1-0 Wednesday in Cup play, also at Riverside Stadium. Paul Dickov won the match for Blackburn in the 90th minute.

Friedel made three saves for the shutout.

Blackburn will meet Manchester United in a two-match semifinal Cup series which might feature two American keepers.

U.S. keeper Tim Howard doesn't play often for Manchester United, but he was in net for United's 3-1 road victory over host Birmingham City in the Cup quarterfinals at St. Andrews.

Louis Saha had a pair of goals and Park Ji-Sung scored his first for Man. U. against Birmingham, a side that has sunk into the Premier League relegation zone.

Howard had four saves, his best on a 12-yard blast from French striker Emile Heskey. A United defensive lapse allowed Jiri Jarosik to beat Howard in the 75th minute after Man. U. was comfortably ahead.

Howard was back on the bench today with Edwin Van der Sar recording the shutout in Man. U.'s 3-0 decision over West Bromwich Albion.

Manchester City, which was dominant beating Birmingham a week earlier, dropped a thrilling 4-3 league match at Wigan, which received a pair of goals from Jason Roberts.

U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna had a rough day as Wigan dominated the midfield for large periods of time. Antoine Sibierski put City ahead 1-0 in the third minute, but Wigan responded with four unanswered goals

Reyna came out in the 65th minute in favor of attacker Andy Cole with Wigan ahead 3-1. Joe Barton scored in the 77th minute and Cole 11 minutes later to bring City close.

Arsenal snapped its three-match Premiership losing streak by registering a 1-0 triumph over Charlton Athletic which was reduced to 10 men when Danny Murphy was sent off with a second yellow card in the 72nd minute.

American Jonathan Spector came on in the 65th minute for injured defender Gonzalo Sorondo for Charlton.

Jose Antonio Reyes put Arsenal ahead with his tally in the 58th minute.

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