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ASN 100 Update

Herculez, 'Dolo, and Paul Arriola All Have Big Weeks

Every week Josh Deaver provides detailed updates—and lots of videos—chronicling how ASN 100 players have performed in recent matches. Here's the latest installment—a must-read for U.S. soccer fans.
BY Josh Deaver Posted
September 30, 2013
2:17 PM
Editor's Note: The new and improved ASN 100 now features a Player Ranking Tracker, a stock ticker-like feature that shows how each of the 100 players have moved up and down the list over time. It's pretty cool. You should check it out.

Jermaine Jones—ASN rank #7
Reports of his demise have, apparently, been greatly exaggerated. A Kicker magazine report revealed this week that the Schalke midfielder had been dropped from the club's Champions League lineup that will take on FC Basel on Tuesday. The report went on to state that Jones will use the sabbatical as an opportunity to undergo surgery on his ailing meniscus. On Monday morning, Jones appeared to nix the rumors, tweeting, “On my way to training soon!! Surgery ?? No... Schalke 04 is more important atm!! Reading BILD is always the funniest moment of my day!” It remains to be seen if Jones will undergo any procedure prior to the upcoming final round of World Cup qualifiers.

Brad Guzan—ASN rank #10
In a wild weekend of Premier League results, the Aston Villa keeper played a huge part in the Villains' 3-2 shock win over Manchester City. Tied 2-2 in the 75th minute, a Guzan goal kick skipped past the City defense to find Andreas Weimann who managed to poke his effort past Joe Hart for the game-winning goal. After the match Villa boss Paul Lambert praised Guzan’s distribution saying, “He has a hell of a kick on him, so it’s not a long ball as in he just launched it. It was absolutely his vision.” He continued: “I’m not one to tell Brad Guzan how to kick a ball or how to distribute it, he has been brilliant.” Indeed he has.

Herculez Gomez—ASN rank #15
After missing several weeks with a knee injury, Gomez made his return for Club Tijuana on Thursday in CONCACAF Champions League action, playing 45 minutes and notching a second-half hat trick in a 6-0 win over Honduran club Victoria. Coming on for Joe Corona to start the second half, Gomez showed absolutely no rust for the Xolos. He opened his account in the 60th minute, easily slipping behind some listless defending and confidently slotted the ball past the keeper. Eight minutes later he added another in front of an open net. Gomez completed his hat trick in style, cleverly chipping the keeper on a breakaway in the 80th minute. On Sunday, Gomez saw his first LigaMX minutes of the season, playing 31 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Puebla; a match which featured an incredible six American field players.

Aron Johannsson—ASN rank #17
The Iceman got himself back on the score sheet in emphatic fashion this week after going scoreless in his last two appearances for Alkmaar. During Wednesday’s Dutch Cup fixture with Sparta Rotterdam, the 22-year-old picked up three goals in 120 minutes of action. Despite his incredible goal-scoring form, it was his first multi-goal game in more than a year.
AZ Sparta 4-1 by Counterpoint1

Johannsson was once again in the starting XI for AZ on Saturday, playing another 90 minutes and scoring the game-winning strike in a hard fought 2-1 win over league leaders PSV. At the 57 minute mark, after chest-trapping a loose ball, Johannsson let rip with a jaw-dropping, 20-yard looping strike to secure three points for the home side. He now has 10 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions this season.


AZ PSV Johannsson by Counterpoint1

Steve Cherundolo—ASN rank #18
The mayor returns. Following his third knee injury of 2013, Cherundolo will begin training with the ball again this week. It’s been a rough go for the 34-year-old fullback, who is yet to feature for Hannover this season and has not played under Jurgen Klinsmann in nearly a year. As far as his return to the pitch, Cherundolo is hesitant to give a precise time table for his return. "[Hopefully] as soon as possible and as slow as needed,” he told Sport Bild on Friday. “I don’t like to set time frames I might not be able to keep."

Jose Torres—ASN rank #22
Golazo alert! "Gringo Torres" found the back of the net for the first time on Tuesday, scoring on a 41st-minute blast during Tigres’ 3-2 CopaMX loss to Santos Laguna. After Tigres gave up three first-half goals, Torres drew one back for the visitors in the 41st minute, unleashing a 20-yard screamer that ripped the upper 90. Former under-20 midfielder Benji Joya was a late substitute for Santos. Also, Jonathan Bornstein played…so there’s that. In league play on Friday, Torres got the start again for Tigres, playing 46 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Queretaro.

Chris Wondolowski—ASN rank #38
Wondolowski’s ninth goal of the season couldn’t have come at a better time for the San Jose Earthquakes. Scoreless late and down to 10 men against Chivas USA on Sunday night, Wondo’s 87th-minute strike off an Alan Gordon rebound delivered a badly needed three points to the club. The Earthquakes are still fighting for the final playoff spot in the Western conference, and with only three matches remaining the club is one point behind Colorado Rapids—which has a game in hand.

Mike Magee—ASN rank #42
It was the battle of the Golden Boot candidates this weekend, as Marco DiVaio and the Montreal Impact battled Mike Magee and the Chicago Fire in an exciting 2-2 draw. After DiVaio gave Montreal the early lead, pushing his season scoring total to 19, Magee responded in kind with two second-half strikes, giving him 18 for the season. Unfortunately for Chicago, which is hunting for a playoff berth, Montreal would equalize late to split the points.

Tim Ream—ASN rank #56
An under-discussed and feel-good storyline for Americans abroad this season: the reemergence of Tim Ream. The 25-year-old has steadily worked his way back into the starting XI for Bolton after struggling with form and consistency lin 2012-13. With Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Yeovil, Ream has now made four consecutive starts for Wanderers. It's not all candy canes and unicorns, however, as Bolton has secure just four points in nine games so far this season.

Paul Arriola—ASN rank #76
The California native has been opening eyes with his recent run of form with Tijuana. Arriola got the start for the Xolos during Thursday’s 6-0 Champions League rout of Victoria, playing the full 90 and grabbing his third goal in all competitions this season. After initiating a lovely combination play, Arriola ran past the Victoria defenders and easily slotted home his effort to make it 2-0 for the home side in the 31st minute. With the first U.S under-20 camp convening in November, it’s seems a safe bet that Arriola will be a fixture going forward for Tab Ramos and his staff.

QUICK HITS
Bobby Wood ( #77)
got the start for Munich 1860 II over the weekend, playing 73 minutes before being sent off with a straight red card in a 2-0 loss to the Ingolstadt reserves.

Will Bruin ( #46)
grabbed his eighth MLS goal of the season on Sunday during the Houston Dynamo’s 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution.

Josh Deaver is a former academic turned soccer obsessive. Follow him on Twitter.

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