ASN 100 Update
Yanks Struggle Overseas, Fare Better Here in States
Do you want the bad news first? Yes, let's do that. Breaking with tradition, ASN's Josh Deaver separated his weekly ASN 100 Update into two parts. We recommend you stick around to the end.
AS BRIAN SCIARETTA pointed out in his weekly Americans Abroad rundown, this week was, uh, how do I put it? Pretty shitty. So let’s take this time to commiserate about the bad before I ift your spirits with some positive performances around the latest ASN 100 ranking. That’s narrative, baby!
Starting the weekend behind only Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table—and having conceded only once in the first four games of the season—Guzan and the Villains were knocked back down a peg on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to Arsenal. Mesut Ozil opened the scoring with a goal in the 32nd minute only to play distributor less than two minutes later for Danny Welbeck’s first Gunner goal—one that had Guzan’s palms upward in pure exasperation. Another two minutes later, it somehow got worse. After corralling a miss-hit clearance, Kieran Gibbs fired a low searching ball through the box only to have Villa defender Cissokho poke the ball past a helpless Guzan.
Silver lining: Guzan is having a much better week than Tim Howard, who started the week like this, but ended it like this. Alejandro Bedoya—ASN rank #10
Also bad…
Hertha Berlin’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg this weekend had it all, including a 96th-minute, stoppage-time, free-kick equalizer on the last touch of the match to rescue a point for the "Old Lady." But let’s talk about John Brooks. After being relegated to the bench to start the season, injury has seen Brooks called into action frequently for Hertha, which remain winless in four matches. It's safe to say the 21-year-old hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory thus far. Culpable on both Freiburg goals on Saturday—getting caught flat-footed each time—Brooks earned a ‘5’ rating in Kicker for his performance. 5 isn’t good.
Timothy Chandler—ASN rank #18
After sitting out the last two matches for Eintracht Frankfurt, Chandler registered his first start and 90-minute shift for the club on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Schalke—which played the final 20 minutes with nine men. He only received a 4.5 rating from Kicker (beat THAT, Brooks!), but there was still plenty of ball-watching to go around. Yowzers. Julian Green—ASN rank #21
On Saturday, Green played the final 13 minutes for Hamburg in a scoreless draw against his parent club Bayern Munich—perhaps you’ve heard of them? A week after his decidedly underwhelming debut, it’s official: Green still looks like a kid in what was only the second ever professional match. However it comes, Hamburg could certainly use his help; the club is winless in four and have failed to score a single goal. Will Packwood—ASN rank #50
Good news: Will Packwood made the Birmingham City bench this weekend for the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Norwich. Bad News: After 12 starts last season, it’s only the first time he’s made the bench for a club floundering just outside the drop zone in the English Championship. Aron Johannsson—ASN rank #11
Terrence Boyd—ASN rank #19
Danny Williams—ASN rank #29
All still injured. Although, Boyd is back training with RB Leipzig.
Pretty rough, right? No worries; I’m the opposite of that Velvet Underground song. I bring you down just to build you up. Let’s see if I can get us back to zero…
It was a busy week for the Rave Green and its rappin’ captain. In between being the face of MLS and SPITTING HOT FIRE on the mic, Dempsey netted twice this week for the Sounders, bringing his total to 13 in all competitions this season. On Thursday, the U.S. skipper notched the extra-time gamewinner in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union to capture the 101st U.S. Open Cup crown—his first-ever club trophy in his 10-plus year professional career. Dempsey was back at over the weekend, coming off the bench and scoring Seattle’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the red-hot New York Red Bulls. With the loss, and with six matches remaining, Seattle is currently deadlocked with the Los Angeles Galaxy at 54 points in the race for the Supporter’s Shield. DeAndre Yedlin—ASN rank #14
You know something is big when you catch the attention of the “Twitter/Vine Football Highlights” contingent. Rest assured there was plenty of “bruh” as well as copious use of that fire emoji. That one with the big eyes, too. Consensus: He fast. D.C. UNITED v. CHICAGO FIRE
While the playing surface certainly wasn’t pretty—or even all the same color—at Toyota Park on Saturday night, a seesaw 3-3 goalfest between Chicago Fire and D.C. United more than made up for it. Among the 12 ASN100 players representing both clubs, first-timer Quincy Amarikwa (#95) opened the scoring for Chicago in the 16th minute; receiving a pass inside the box from Harry Shipp (#60) before switching on to his left foot and curling his effort past Bill Hamid (#44) . Amarikwa continued to play danger man for the Men in Red, drawing a penalty in the 30th minute (converted by Jeff Larentowicz (#96)) and delivering the equalizing assist in the 78th minute. For D.C. United, it was Luis Silva (#92) who provided the offensive spark, converting an early penalty as well as a masterful curling free kick in the 54th minute that left Sean Johnson (#52) no chance in goal. Seriously, replay that one. With goal-line technology, Perry Kitchen (#42) would’ve also seen the scoresheet for D.C. Instead, Bobby Boswell gets credit for the United go-ahead goal in the 68th minute. Also, Toyota Park grounds crew: Mike Magee is gonna need you to get your shit together.
Unbeaten in eight, including a scoreless draw with Milwall over the weekend, Nottingham Forrest is at the top of the English Championship. Eric Lichaj got the start and went 90 minutes in the draw—but that’s not the big story here. The 25-year-old now has… his very own supporters’ song set to “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum! Look it up, kids.
Jack McInerney—ASN rank #55
They all count the same, right? McInerney’s eighth of the season would prove to be the gamewinner in a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes. [Looks at the MLS table]. Yeah, I still don’t think Montreal is gonna make the playoffs, guys.
Herculez Gomez—ASN rank #63
One for old time’s sake…
Jordan Morris—ASN rank #91
College highlights!? First time for everything I suppose. Morris got the start this weekend for Stanford, playing 90 minutes and picking up two assists in a 2-1 win over Delaware. Check them out here and here—including one to U.S. under-20 forward Corey Baird. Josh Deaver is a former academic turned soccer obsessive. Follow him on Twitter.
The BAD
Brad Guzan—ASN rank #5Starting the weekend behind only Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table—and having conceded only once in the first four games of the season—Guzan and the Villains were knocked back down a peg on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to Arsenal. Mesut Ozil opened the scoring with a goal in the 32nd minute only to play distributor less than two minutes later for Danny Welbeck’s first Gunner goal—one that had Guzan’s palms upward in pure exasperation. Another two minutes later, it somehow got worse. After corralling a miss-hit clearance, Kieran Gibbs fired a low searching ball through the box only to have Villa defender Cissokho poke the ball past a helpless Guzan.
Silver lining: Guzan is having a much better week than Tim Howard, who started the week like this, but ended it like this. Alejandro Bedoya—ASN rank #10
Also bad…
When stomach virus hits you on way to stadium, makes you sick, & go home to watch game on TV from the couch = Not Good! ????????????
Allez Nantes!!
— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) September 20, 2014Hertha Berlin’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg this weekend had it all, including a 96th-minute, stoppage-time, free-kick equalizer on the last touch of the match to rescue a point for the "Old Lady." But let’s talk about John Brooks. After being relegated to the bench to start the season, injury has seen Brooks called into action frequently for Hertha, which remain winless in four matches. It's safe to say the 21-year-old hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory thus far. Culpable on both Freiburg goals on Saturday—getting caught flat-footed each time—Brooks earned a ‘5’ rating in Kicker for his performance. 5 isn’t good.
Timothy Chandler—ASN rank #18
After sitting out the last two matches for Eintracht Frankfurt, Chandler registered his first start and 90-minute shift for the club on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Schalke—which played the final 20 minutes with nine men. He only received a 4.5 rating from Kicker (beat THAT, Brooks!), but there was still plenty of ball-watching to go around. Yowzers. Julian Green—ASN rank #21
On Saturday, Green played the final 13 minutes for Hamburg in a scoreless draw against his parent club Bayern Munich—perhaps you’ve heard of them? A week after his decidedly underwhelming debut, it’s official: Green still looks like a kid in what was only the second ever professional match. However it comes, Hamburg could certainly use his help; the club is winless in four and have failed to score a single goal. Will Packwood—ASN rank #50
Good news: Will Packwood made the Birmingham City bench this weekend for the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Norwich. Bad News: After 12 starts last season, it’s only the first time he’s made the bench for a club floundering just outside the drop zone in the English Championship. Aron Johannsson—ASN rank #11
Terrence Boyd—ASN rank #19
Danny Williams—ASN rank #29
All still injured. Although, Boyd is back training with RB Leipzig.
Pretty rough, right? No worries; I’m the opposite of that Velvet Underground song. I bring you down just to build you up. Let’s see if I can get us back to zero…
The Good
Clint Dempsey—ASN rank #2It was a busy week for the Rave Green and its rappin’ captain. In between being the face of MLS and SPITTING HOT FIRE on the mic, Dempsey netted twice this week for the Sounders, bringing his total to 13 in all competitions this season. On Thursday, the U.S. skipper notched the extra-time gamewinner in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union to capture the 101st U.S. Open Cup crown—his first-ever club trophy in his 10-plus year professional career. Dempsey was back at over the weekend, coming off the bench and scoring Seattle’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the red-hot New York Red Bulls. With the loss, and with six matches remaining, Seattle is currently deadlocked with the Los Angeles Galaxy at 54 points in the race for the Supporter’s Shield. DeAndre Yedlin—ASN rank #14
You know something is big when you catch the attention of the “Twitter/Vine Football Highlights” contingent. Rest assured there was plenty of “bruh” as well as copious use of that fire emoji. That one with the big eyes, too. Consensus: He fast. D.C. UNITED v. CHICAGO FIRE
While the playing surface certainly wasn’t pretty—or even all the same color—at Toyota Park on Saturday night, a seesaw 3-3 goalfest between Chicago Fire and D.C. United more than made up for it. Among the 12 ASN100 players representing both clubs, first-timer Quincy Amarikwa (#95) opened the scoring for Chicago in the 16th minute; receiving a pass inside the box from Harry Shipp (#60) before switching on to his left foot and curling his effort past Bill Hamid (#44) . Amarikwa continued to play danger man for the Men in Red, drawing a penalty in the 30th minute (converted by Jeff Larentowicz (#96)) and delivering the equalizing assist in the 78th minute. For D.C. United, it was Luis Silva (#92) who provided the offensive spark, converting an early penalty as well as a masterful curling free kick in the 54th minute that left Sean Johnson (#52) no chance in goal. Seriously, replay that one. With goal-line technology, Perry Kitchen (#42) would’ve also seen the scoresheet for D.C. Instead, Bobby Boswell gets credit for the United go-ahead goal in the 68th minute. Also, Toyota Park grounds crew: Mike Magee is gonna need you to get your shit together.
Mike Magee Clearly Not Happy With Tonight's Game Against DC United pic.twitter.com/G6nT6WudHf
— DMV Soccer (@DMVsoccer96) September 21, 2014Unbeaten in eight, including a scoreless draw with Milwall over the weekend, Nottingham Forrest is at the top of the English Championship. Eric Lichaj got the start and went 90 minutes in the draw—but that’s not the big story here. The 25-year-old now has… his very own supporters’ song set to “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum! Look it up, kids.
Our No. 2 is a Yank called Lichaj
You’ll never get past, you’ll never get by
He calls it soccer, but we don’t even mind
Cause you’ll never get past Eric Lichaj.
Jack McInerney—ASN rank #55
They all count the same, right? McInerney’s eighth of the season would prove to be the gamewinner in a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes. [Looks at the MLS table]. Yeah, I still don’t think Montreal is gonna make the playoffs, guys.
Herculez Gomez—ASN rank #63
One for old time’s sake…
Jordan Morris—ASN rank #91
College highlights!? First time for everything I suppose. Morris got the start this weekend for Stanford, playing 90 minutes and picking up two assists in a 2-1 win over Delaware. Check them out here and here—including one to U.S. under-20 forward Corey Baird. Josh Deaver is a former academic turned soccer obsessive. Follow him on Twitter.
