Americans Abroad

Hahnemann keeps shutout streak alive for Reading which draw 0-0 with league-leading Portsmouth.

By Robert Wagman (in Washington, D.C.)
and Mark Flannery (in France)
SoccerTimes

(Monday, December 9, 2002) -- American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann recorded another clean sheet for Reading in England's First Division in a 0-0 draw Saturday with league-leading Portsmouth which enetered the match winner of four in a row

It was Hahnemann's seventh straight league shutout and Reading's ninth outing in a row without a loss.

The big American was on top of his game once again. In the seventh minute, he held onto Svetoslav Todorov's 25-yard drive. He turned back efforts from Paul Merson and Nigel Quashie and, in the 21st minute, stopped a long range rocket from Matthew Taylor.

In the second half, Reading controlled most of the action, but could not score on former Howard University keeper Shaka Hislop.

Portsmouth (16-2-4) is comfortably in first place while Reading (12-6-3, 39) is in serious contention for promotion having pulled into a three-way tie with Nottingham Forest (11-5-6) and Norwich (11-5-6), six points behind Leicester (13-3-6).

In the Premier League, Blackburn Rovers with American Brad Friedel were involved in a defensive struggle with Bolton Wanderers, Craig Short's goal in stoppage time and another strong effort by Friedel were enough for Rovers to come away with a 1-1 draw Saturday on the road.

Things did not look good for visiting Blackburn in the early going. A glaring defensive breakdown in the eighth minute allowed Henrik Pedersen to control a cross unmarked and get the ball to a streaking Jay-Jay Okocha's who found the corner with a shot that went under Friedel. The, however, Rovers stiffened and Friedel came up with a number of sparkling saves. In the 17th minute, he stopped Pedersen's close range shot. French international Youri Djorkaeff worked free and tried to lob a shot over Friedel from 40 yards, but the keeper retreated and gathered it.

In the 36th minute, after a foul on Djorkaeff, Per Frandsen's wicked free kick from 25 yards was handled by Friedel.

Probably his most difficult moment came early in the second half when a poor back-pass from Short forced Friedel into a hurried clearance that came to Pedersen, but his shot was cleared.

In the meantime, Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was having a fine afternoon. In the late going Friedel was again called upon to save a short range effort at the back post from Djorkaeff and to twice deny Okocha, once as a result of another weak clearance from Short.

Still, the Blackburn defender more than made up for his errant back-passes by heading in a cross deep into injury time, seconds before the match ended.

Before the match Bolton manager Sam Allardyce said the challenge facing his team was beating Friedel: "Brad Friedel is the best goalkeeper in the Premiership for me. He's probably (Rovers manager) Graeme Souness' main man, and when he plays he seems to stop everything that gets behind the back four. He's proving an incredible asset to Rovers. He has got Blackburn -- on his own sometimes -- into the position they are in."

Kasey Keller, the third member of the United States goalkeeping trio in England, also had a strong match in the Premier League yesterday, making several key saves as Tottenham Hotspur defeated overmatched West Bromwich 3-1.

With Spurs leading 1-0, Keller made the best save of the match in the 29th minute when he stopped a short, hard shot from Jay Koumas by diving full length at the last second. In the 65th minute, protecting a 2-0 lead, Keller got a break when he brought down Scott Dobie outside the area after Dobie seemed to have him beaten. He could have been shown red, but received only a yellow card. He then stopped Koumas' 25 yard free kick.

Dobie then brought West Brom back to within 2-1 with a superb goal in the 72nd minute when he came across the box and shot back into the near corner beyond Keller's grasp.

Gustavo Poyet's tally eight minutes later clinched the match for Rovers.

U.S. attacker Jovan Kirovski made another late appearance for Birmingham City which fell 2-0 on the road to Southhampton. Down 1-0 following a penalty kick from James Beattie in the 60th minute, Kirovski was brought on in the 81st minute to try to generate some offense. Another Beattie goal two minutes later sealed City's fate.

In the First Division, Preston North End, with U.S. midfielder Eddie Lewis playing 90 minutes on the left flank, squandered a two-goal lead over Wimbledon and fell 5-3. Preston was without his top two strikers, Ricardo Fuller out for the season with anterior cruciate ligament damage and Richard Cresswell suspended. With Lewis playing well, it looked like North End would emerge with a 3-3 draw before two very late goals sent Wimbledon to victory.

The setback completed a bleak week for North End. On Wednesday, it made an exit from the Worthington Cup, a 5-0 loser at the hands of the Premiership's Aston Villa. Lewis also went 90 minutes in that match, but he and his North End teammates were simply outclassed from the opening whistle.

U.S. defender Tony Sanneh went the distance on Nürnberg's backline and acquitted himself well. Fellow American defender Gregg Berhalter was not dressed for Cottbus.

U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 played well, but could not come back after giving up an early goal to Borrusia Mönchengladbach and fell 1-0.

In 2 Bundesliga Friday, Duisburg defeated St Pauli 2-1, in an odd match which saw all three goals scored in a three-minute period starting in the 69th.

American Cory Gibbs went 90 minutes for St. Pauli and found himself the man in the wrong place for both Duisburg goals. On the first, he was covering a defensive lapse when he deflected a shot which went in. After St. Pauli drew level a minute later, Gibbs lost his mark on the next attack and then watched him score the winner with a header.

There has been some speculation that U.S. defender John O'Brien might make some reserve team appearances with Ajax before the winter break as he struggles back from am Achilles heel injury. Howver, he did not play in Ajax 2's 2-1 triumph over Willem II in the second round of the Amstel Cup.

Ajax announced winter break matches in Portugal and Egypt in January and it is hoped O'Brien can return by then.

Vanney could not be faulted for either goal, but almost was responsible for an own goal in the 30th minute when his attempted clearance hit his own post.

It's likely Vanney received his Saturday start as the result off a solid second-half appearance midweek when Bastia played well, but lost to Sedan 1-0 on an early goal.. Vanney came on at the left side of defense after intermission and had a good 45 minutes.

Robert Wagman is a SoccerTimes senior correspondent and can be e-mailed at bobwagman@soccertimes.com.