Editor's note: This is the first feature of a weekly series chronicling the careers and exploits of former MLS players and coaches now plying their trade in other parts of the world. Check back each week to catch the latest in the lives of MLS alumni.
While unlikely Scottish songbird Susan Boyle has wowed the USA in recent weeks, Maurice Edu, one of U.S. soccer's rising young stars, has been making a name for himself of late over in Scotland. This coming Sunday, for the first time in his career, the 2007 MLS Rookie of the Year is expected to play in one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports: the Old Firm derby: Rangers versus Celtic. And as usual, the game will most likely decide the outcome of the SPL title.
The former Toronto FC starlet moved to Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers last summer in the wake of his strong performances at the Beijing Olympics, and an even stronger reference from Toronto's director of soccer Mo Johnston to his old Scotland strike partner Ally McCoist, the 'Gers assistant manager. Edu initially struggled for playing time in Glasgow, but last month when injuries and suspension left the Rangers midfield stretched thinner than the average plot of a superhero blockbuster, the University of Maryland product got his chance. And he has taken it with both feet.
Sunday's 2-0 victory against Hearts marked Edu's fifth consecutive start for Rangers, a stretch of games that has seen him score twice and help Rangers keep pace with their archrivals in the championship race and gain a spot in the Scottish FA Cup Final against Falkirk at the end of the month. And the Scottish media have jumped on the Edu bandwagon. After the Hearts game, The Herald told its readers that Edu: "provides the team [Rangers] with some natural aggression and athleticism in the engine room." While the Scottish Daily Record reports that Edu "grew in stature." All of which is not just good news for Edu and Rangers but Bob Bradley and the United States national team as well.
After his stellar springtime in Scotland, it will be hard for Bradley to ignore Edu's claims to the Claude Makelele deep-lying enforcer role for the USA in the next round of World Cup qualifying games in June against Costa Rica and Honduras. Edu's lack of playing time with Rangers earlier in the season no doubt impacted his chances of getting much action with the national team. But that is not the case now. And it's the experience of playing in games like this week's Old Firm showdown that will prove invaluable to Bradley when playing in such a hostile environment as Costa Rica's Estadio Saprissa next month.
And the California kid clearly relishes the big stage. "If it is the sloppiest game ever and we come out with a 1-0 win I'll be happy," Edu told The Sun. "You can expect an intense atmosphere because the rivalry runs deep and we know there will be a lot of tackles going in.
But I also think there will be a lot of chances created, hopefully we'll take advantage of ours."
Elsewhere in Scotland
Edu's Rangers and U.S. international teammate
DaMarcus Beasley
could also see some action in the Old Firm encounter on Sunday as well. He has missed four games due to a rib injury sustained against St. Mirren last month. Speaking of St. Mirren, former New England Revolution midfielder
Andy Dorman
has been outstanding for "the Buddies" this season, scoring nine goals in the SPL, but a 2-1 home loss to Inverness on Saturday saw Dorman's team sink deeper into the SPL relegation battle. St. Mirren is just three points clear of the dreaded drop zone (currently occupied by Falkirk) with four games to play. "The Buddies" host Motherwell on Saturday.
South of the border in England
Tim Howard
continued his strong season in the EPL, posting his 15th shutout of the Premiership campaign as Everton won 2-0 at Sunderland on Sunday. "The Toffees" seem assured of a Europa League spot for next season, but
Clint Dempsey
's Fulham saw their European hopes take a hit on Saturday, as they went down 3-1 at West London rivals Chelsea. Dempsey and the rest of the Cottagers will try to get back on the Euro track, hosting
Brad Friedel
's Aston Villa on Saturday. Like Howard, the former Columbus Crew goalkeeper has been having an outstanding EPL season. He posted his 12th shutout of the season on Monday night as Villa snapped its 12-game winless streak by beat Hull City, 1-0, to clinch the Midlands team's berth in next season's Europa League.
The Championship regular season came to a conclusion on Sunday in England, but Marcus Hahnemann's Reading plays on. "The Royals" needed a home win over Birmingham City (and help) to gain an automatic promotion spot in the last game of the season. But Reading's wretched home form continued (the Royals won only one of their last nine home games down the stretch), and the Blues won 2-1 to clinch a promotion spot and push Reading into the four-team playoff for the third promotion berth. Hahnemann and Co. will face off against Burnley in a home and home series in the first round of the playoffs beginning on Saturday.
Former Kansas City Wizards striker Eddie Johnson watched from the bench as his Cardiff City suffered the heartbreak of missing a playoff spot on the "most goals scored" tiebreaker. After losing 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff was tied with one of Brian McBride's old teams, Preston North End, (who beat QPR 2-1 at home) on points (74) and goal differential (plus-12) for the final playoff slot. The next tiebreaker, most goals scored, went to Preston by one goal: 66 to 65.
Colorado Rapids owner Stan Kroenke was an EPL newsmaker as well last week. He reportedly increased his shareholding in EPL giants Arsenal to 28.3 percent making him the Gunners' largest shareholder.
Elsewhere in Europe
In France,
Carlos Bocanegra
's Stade Rennes will be a confident team ahead of Saturday Coupe de France final against Guingamp after recording an upset 1-0 road win at Ligue 1's fourth-place team, Paris-Saint Germain on Sunday. Rennes has not won the French Cup since 1971 but will be the heavy favorites against its League 2 opponents. Guincamp, however, have more recent experience of playing in the final, losing to Nice on penalties in the 1997 final.
In Germany, Michael Bradley's breakout season in the Bundesliga continued on Saturday against Germany's dysfunctional giants Bayern Munich. Bradley's free-kick strike was spilled by Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt, who upended Roel Browers for a penalty kick in the subsequent scramble. That goal tied the game at 1-1, but Bradley's Borussia Moenchengladbach could not keep Munich at bay, and Hamit Altintop scored to give the Bavarian team a 2-1 home win and push Borussia deeper into relegation trouble.
In Italy, Los Angeles Galaxy's on-loan superstar David Beckham turned 34 on Saturday. Also celebrating birthdays that day along with England's most capped outfield player were Engelbert Humperdinck (71), Bianca Jagger (64), Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (37) and Lily Allen (24). Beckham though was the only one who had an assist the following day as his AC Milan beat Catania 2-0 in Sicily to keep alive its faint Serie A title hopes. The Rossoneri host Juventus on Sunday at the San Siro.
Napoli manager (and former MetroStars midfielder) Roberto Donadoni was hoping his team could build on its upset victory over Inter Milan at the end of April but Napoli's road woes continued in Sienna. After conceding two early goals Napoli lost 2-1 and extended its winless road streak to 13 games. Napoli will look to snap the streak at Lecce on Sunday.
In Denmark, Michael Parkhurst's FC Nordsjaelland hosted Danny Califf's FC Midtylland. It was the first time the teams had met since Parkhurst's move to Denmark from the Revs, but the 2007 MLS Defender of the Year was on the short end of a 2-0 loss. Frank Kristensen scoring two second-half goals for the visitors.
In Norway, two other MLS alumni faced off on Sunday as Hunter Freeman's IK Start traveled to Valerenga IF where 2006 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Troy Perkins manned the goal. In a dramatic game, Freeman picked up a yellow card as Perkins gave up three goals, the last coming in the 90th minute on a Christian Bolanos strike that gave Start the perfect finish, a 3-2 road win.
Performance of the Week
The MLS alumni performance of the week came in Paraguay, where former Galaxy star
Carlos Ruiz
continues to be a goal machine. On Saturday, in Week 12 of the Primera Division's Apertura tournament, the 2002 MLS MVP scored two goals in the game's last eight minutes to complete a 3-2 comeback victory for Olimpia at 2 de Mayo. In a game that featured almost as many red cards as goals (four red cards, five goals), Olimpia trailed 0-2 after 31 minutes, but produced a remarkable rally, scoring three goals in the last nine minutes of the game, including Ruiz's strikes in the 82nd and 90th minutes.
Mark C. Young is an Emmy Award-winning freelance writer/TV producer who has covered several FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games. He is a contributor to Goal.com and also writes for the blog "No Mas."
