Americans Abroad: With Johnson on the attack, Wolves win again, 1-0 over Leeds.

With Johnson on the attack, Wolves win again, 1-0 over Leeds.

Jemal Johnson

Wolverhampton has prospered with Jemal Johnson in the attack.
-- Blackburn Rovers web site photo --

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

(Sunday, September 10, 2006) -- Americans faced off in the English League Championship today. Striker Jemal Johnson started for Wolverhampton in a 1-0 decision over host Leeds United and midfielder Eddie Lewis at Elland Road.

Wolves prevailed behind a goal from substitute Jay Bothroyd in stoppage time. Johnson was Wolves' main scoring threat and saw one shot come back off the woodwork, two saved by Leeds goalkeeper Tony Warner and two blocked by defenders. Lewis' best moment was a second-half free kick that flashed inches wide.

Johnson ended up playing 76 minutes and Lewis 83 before both were replaced for fresher legs.

Wolverhampton is tied with Cardiff and Birminghan City in first place at 4-1-1 with 13 points in the second-tier league. Leeds, which was within one game of promotion to the Premier League (losing to Watford in the 2006 promotion playoff final), is 2-3-1 with seven points one of six teams tied for 13th place.

Millwall hears booes in home loss

In the third-division League One, American left back Zak Whitbread went the distance and nearly scored an equalizer in stoppage time, but Millwall was booed off its home field after conceding an own goal in the 88th minute and losing to Brighton 1-0 despite having a man advantage for more than a half at The Den.

Millwall midfielder Marvin Elliott deflected Dean Cox's low free kick past his own keeper with two minutes left in regulation to give the visiting Seagulls the unlikely win. Whitbread saw his shot cleared off the goal-line and Danny Senda also had a shot blocked by Brighton defense in the closing moments.

Brighton midfielder Richard Carpenter was sent off with a red card in the 34th minute. Nigel Spackman presided over the losing effort after Millwall's former boss Mark McGhee exited under pressure on Friday.

Millwall, demoted from the League Championship, is in the relegation zone again though it's too early to be too concerned. The Lions are tied for 22nd place with Blackpool at 1-4-2 with five points and would be last if Rotherham (2-4-1, 7 points) wasn't operating this season with a 10-point penalty.

Onyewu stays put, at least for now

In Belgium, the transfer window has closed so U.S, defender Oguchi Onyewu will stay at Standard de Liège at least until January. Standard traveled to Lierse SK and came away with an easy 3-1 victory yesterday in the Jupiler League.

Onyewu played 90 minutes and anchored a solid defense that gave up only a late penalty kick after he was called for a foul in his box, earning him a yellow card in the process..

Standard (1-2-2, 5 points) jumped six places to a three-way tie for 10th place, eight points behind league-leading Racing Genk and Anderlecht, both 4-1.

After being ousted from the European Champions League in the qualifying round, Standard now welcomes Celta Vigo of Spain Wednesday in its first UEFA Cup match.

Winless in league, Hannover advances in German Cup

In Germany, the Bundesliga was quiet this week with action kicking off in the German Cup (DFB Pokal) competition. In this first round, most of the major clubs faced competitors from the lower divisions.

Hannover 96 raced to a 2-0 halftime lead and held on for a 3-2 decision at Dynamo Dresden of the third-division Regionalliga.

Hannover gained its first victory of the new season in its first game under new manager Dieter Hecking, who moved over from Alemannia Aachen. Hecking replaced Peter Neurerer, who was sacked after Hannover started the season 0-3 and was outscored 11-2.

U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo did not play for Hannover as he is slowly coming back from a minor thigh injury suffered two weeks ago in a 3-0 loss to Aachen.

U.S. keeper Kasey Keller and most of starters got the week off for Borussia Mönchengladbach which cruised to a 3-0 halftime lead and defeated SV Roßbach/Wied of the fifth-division Rheinlandliga 4-1.

U.S. defender Gregg Berhalter went 90 minutes, but his 1860 München of the 2. Bundesliga fell to the Regionalliga Nord's VfB Lübeck 1-0 despite a good defensive effort.

American goalkeeper David Yelldell and his Stuttgart Kickers scored the upset of the round with a 4-3 overtime triumph over the Bundesliga and Champions League representative Hamburg 4-3.

Yelldell gave up early goals in the fifth and sixth minutes, but Stuttgart fought back to draw level. After Hamburg took another lead, Stuttgart tied the game and won with a goal six minutes into extra time.

American defender Ian Joy's FC St. Pauli of the Regionalliga Nord almost pulled a major upset, forcing Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich into overtime before succumbing 2-1 on an own goal by the St. Pauli goalkeeper. Joy played well in the nationally televised match.

In the Dutch Eredivisie, with American midfielder Michael Bradley remaining on the bench, Heerenveen, down a man after Petter Hansson's red card in the 10th minute, fell to newly promoted Excelsior 3-1.

PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman, whose strong preference for Dutch players facilitated the transfer of U.S. midfielder DaMarcus Beasley to England's Manchester City, replaced him in the lineup with a Belgian. Midfielder Timmy Simons was acquired a year ago from Belgium's Club Brugge.

White notches assists in Gueugnon win

In France's Ligue 2, American attacker Jeremiah White logged an assist for Gueugnon which defeated Tours 2-1. White assisted Gueugnon' first goal with a cross that was nicely converted by Denis Tsoumou.

Robert Wagman is SoccerTimes senior correspondent.

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