AMSTERDAM – It will be another busy weekend for Americans playing overseas, with Brad Guzan eager to lift Aston Villa out of the relegation muck at Newcastle and Tim Howard chasing his first career victory at Arsenal.
All times listed in ET.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Geoff Cameron
– Stoke City vs. Hull City (Saturday, 10 am on Premier League Extra Time)
The Potters handyman (right) returns from suspension, and there could be a place for him in defense with skipper Ryan Shawcross still out. Cameron helped Stoke shut out the Tigers twice last season, including a 1-0 win at home. This year, the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in Hull back in August, extending Hull's winless streak against Stoke to four. Additionally, the Tigers have failed to win their last five at the Brittania and have but one road win on the overall campaign.
Brad Guzan – Aston Villa at Newcastle (Saturday 10 am on Premier League Extra Time)
It should be a busy day for Guzan, who hopes to end a six-game losing slide, halt a run of 11 EPL games without a win, gain his first career victory over the Magpies and pull his side out of the drop zone. He will try to do it all without suspended backline marshal Ron Vlaar, and perhaps in-doubt wingbacks Aly Cissokho and Alan Hutton. While Newcastle have a seven-game unbeaten run in this series, they also have a lengthy list of absences that includes midfielders Remy Cabella, Jack Colback and Cheick Tiote.
Tim Howard – Everton at Arsenal (Sunday, 8 am on NBCSN)
Fresh from helping the Toffees to the Europa League sweet 16 for the first time in seven years, Howard will try to run his unbeaten streak against the Gunners to six games. Howard has never won at Arsenal, however, going 0-6-4. The weekend hosts have won six straight EPL matches at the Emirates, while Everton are 1-6-0 in their last seven on the road. The Toffees last won in north London back in 1996, a span of 19 winless visits.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
John Anthony Brooks – Hertha Berlin vs. Augsburg (Saturday, 9:30 am on MyGermanTV+)
Brooks, who stands seventh in the Bundesliga in both clearances and interceptions per game, will keep his place against the surprise Champions League chasers. Hertha stand next-to-bottom with just one win in their last six home games. Though they have gone scoreless in the last four against Augsburg, the capital crew have also held their weekend visitors to a single goal in the last three meetings and have yet to lose a home game in the series.
DUTCH EREDIVISIE
Aron Johannsson – AZ Alkmaar vs. Willem II (Saturday, 1:45 pm)
The US forward is back in the side after an ankle injury, but will not displace Robert Mühren, who has goals in consecutive starts. Johannsson, who has scored in three of his last five outings at AFAS-Stadion, should see the field at some point. His return leaves midfielder Celso Ortiz as the lone AZ injury absence. The Cheese Farmers have only dropped this home fixture once in 15 Willem II visits, and that was 10 years ago.
Rubio Rubin – FC Utrecht vs. Feyenoord (Sunday, 8:30 am)
With Ruud Boymans still on the mend and midfielder Yassine Ayoub suspended for this contest, Rubin could make his first start in three rounds in the No. 10 role. The youngster missed out when Utrecht pulled off a rare 2-1 victory at Feyenoord early in the season. That result snapped Utrecht's 16-game win drought against their nearby rivals. This time, the third-place visitors will arrive without dinged-up internationals Colin-Kazim Richards and Luke Wilkshire.
FRENCH LIGUE 1
Alejandro Bedoya will miss his second consecutive Ligue 1 match due to illness when Nantes host Guingamp on Sunday, the club confirmed to MLSsoccer.com.
The US international was a late Friday scratch prior to last weekend's 1-0 loss at league leaders Lyon, but Canaries manager Michel Der Zakarian wasted no time in granting the American more time to rest up and recover.
For the season, Bedoya has a goal and an assist in 20 league outings. Eleventh-place Nantes have scored but one goal during their current seven-game win drought.
BEST OF THE REST
Germany:
Timothy Chandler – Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Hamburg, Sat. 12:30 pm on GolTV
Fabian Johnson – Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Paderborn, Sun. 9:30 am on GolTV
Austria:
Conor O'Brien – Wiener Neustadt vs. Austria Vienna, Sat. 12:30 pm
