Americans Abroad

Bocanegra scores first, sends Fulham to 1-0 decision over Hotspur.

Carlos Bocanegra celebrates scoring in injury time to give Fulham a 1-0 decision over Tottenham Hotspur. -- Fulham FC web site photo --

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

(Tuesday, January 31, 2006) -- United States defender Carlos Bocanegra was the hero for Fulham tonight, heading home his first goal of the season in stoppage time for a 1-0 victory over shorthanded visitor Tottenham Hotspur in an English Premier League match before 21,081 at Craven Cottage tonight.

In the first time of extra time, Hotspur reserve midfielder Tom Huddlestone took down Fulham midfielder Luis Boa Morte who had advanced on a counterattack to within 10 yards of the top left of the penalty area. Cottagers midfielder Simon Elliott, who spent the last previous seven seasons in Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy (1999-2003) and Columbus Crew (2004-05), delivered a perfectly-placed free kick onto the head of Bocanegra.

Making a diagonal run to the left post, Bocanegra got a step on Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly, met the ball at the top center of the six-yard box and buried the ball into the lower left corner of the net, just beyond the reach of diving goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Bocanegra went the distance in the central defense with a cast on his broken left hand. The break was diagnosed last week, but Bocanegra says he does not when or how he sustained the injury. Regardless, he caused danger in the Hotspur box throughout the match, three times getting his head on crosses.

In the 11th minute, Bocanegra knocked down a free kick deep in the box, but the ball was cleared before he could get to it. Nine minutes later, Elliott lifted a set piece onto the head of Bocanegra, who elevated over his defender, but shot wide.

Robinson, who beat out American keeper Kasey Keller for the starting Tottenham job in August 2004, precipitating Keller's move to Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, might have been victimized by Bocanegra, but proved to be the nemesis of Fulham's American striker Brian McBride tonight.

In the 33rd minute, Robinson somehow got to a sharp volley by McBride from the left side of the penalty area, denying the best chance by either team in the first half. In the 72nd minute, Robinson stretched full length to his right to stop a McBride's driven free kick from the top of the box.

Hotspur was reduced to 10 men when Michael Dawson received his second yellow card for taking down McBride to set up the free kick. His first caution also came with a foul against McBride, an elbow to the American's head as both went up for a header in the 50th minute.

In the 73rd minute, McBride was replaced by Collins John in an attempt by Fulham manager Chris Coleman to get more speed into the attack and take advantage of being a man up.

Tottenham (11-5-8, 41 points), which was 4-0-1 in its last five league outings, wasted an opportunity to pull even with third-place Liverpool (13-3-5, 44), which hold three games in hand. Fulham (8-11-5, 29) is in 13th place.

U.S. defender Jonathan Spector was on the bench for Charlton Athletic which drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion.

Charlton (9-10-3, 30) is tied with Everton (9-12-3) for 11th place, but holds two games in hand. West Brom (6-13-5, 23) is 17th in the 20-team league.

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

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