Tim Howard’s Big Game

Tim Howard might be coming back to the U.S. national team as the No. 2 goalkeeper but if his performance on Saturday is any indication, he won’t be sitting on Jurgen Klinsmann’s bench for long. In Everton’s scoreless draw against Tottenham on Saturday, the 36-year-old New Jersey native made six saves—several of the fantastic variety. Clearly, Brad Guzan has a battle on his hands. 

Joe Corona’s bizarre run

On Friday night Joe Corona started for Veracruz in a home matchup against Monterrey. The game did not last long for Corona as he was taken out of the game in the 26^th minute. Veracruz went on to win the game 2-1 but Corona’s substitution was the third straight league game in which he started but then was removed before halftime—none were due to injury. 

Cameron shines in loss

Geoff Cameron earned yet another start in central defense, his preferred position, in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Stoke picked up two red cards in the first half, putting the Potters’ defense under pressure for the bulk of the match.

West Brom scored shortly before halftime and held on for the victory, but Cameron has nothing to be ashamed about. He completed 49 of his 53 passes and played well defensively to compensate for being two men down. The Massachusetts native looks like somebody who can very much help the national team right now.

Gooch on the brink?

In a welcome surprise for American fans, Santa Cruz, Calif., native Lynden Gooch might be on the brink of his Premier League debut. The teenager made his professional debut for Sunderland in a midweek League Cup win, earning praise from coach Dick Advocaat in the process. On Saturday Gooch made the gameday roster for Sunderland’s Premier League game against Aston Villa. He did not play in the 2-2 draw but he appears to be on his way to earning minutes.

Solid weekend in the Championship

It was a very good weekend in the English Championship for American players: Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector, and Danny Williams all went 90 minutes in important wins.

Ream in particular made an impressive league debut for Fulham in a 3-1 win over Rotherham United. Fulham needed somebody to anchor its central defense and it appears that the St. Louis native, who won most of his aerial challenges and completed 81% of his passes, could be that player.

Jonathan Spector also went a full 90 for Birmingham City in a 2-0 road win over MK Dons. The Chicago native played left central defense and was sturdy throughout the contest. His five tackles topped the list  for both teams and he also made several key interceptions and takeaways.

Danny Williams shined for Reading in a 3-1 win over Brentford on Sunday. The central midfielder took a game-high five shots, forcing three saves. His five tackles were also a game high and his 90% pass completion was outstanding and many were in the offensive half.

Morales, Ingolstadt keep on keeping on

Through three games, Ingolstadt looks like it belongs in the Bundesliga. Playing in the German flight for the first time ever, the tiny Bavarian club won its second match in three games on Saturday,  a 1-0 win over Augsburg. It has already earned six points on the road this season and its one loss came against a strong Borussia Dortmund squad.

Alfredo Morales has started each of Ingolstadt’s games and he played 90 minutes at left midfield in the Augsburg match. While unspectacular so far this season, he has held his own. Will his form carry over to the national team? At this point it’s hard to tell.

Johannsson opens Bundesliga account

Aron Johannsson earned his second straight start for Werder Bremen and scored his first Bundesliga goal when he converted a 39^th-minute penalty en route to a 2-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Aside from the goal, Johannsson enjoyed a strong game, completing 92% of his passes and demonstrating strong hold-up play.

Brooks has off day in Dortmund defeat

John Brooks returned to Hertha Berlin’s starting lineup on Sunday but his team lost 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund. The U.S. international central defender was exposed on multiple occasions, resulting in dangerous chances for the home team.

Brooks has not seen the field as much as he would have liked for Hertha early in the season and part of this could be blamed on the Gold Cup running through the Bundesliga preseason. Still, he will need to perform better in the games ahead if he wants to keep this spot in the Starting XI. 

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.