AMSTERDAM – A pair of American exports suffered close defeats across the Atlantic on Monday, with Clint Dempsey and Fulham dropping a 1-0 decision at Manchester United.
The US star was arguably the most active Fulham player on the evening, with two of four shots on target and two danger free kicks earned.
Dempsey nearly put the Cottagers up midway through the opening stanza, but United netminder David de Gea plucked his curler out of the top corner. The defeat, Fulham's third in a row and eighth in succession at Old Trafford, kept them stalled in 13th place.
Over in Israel's championship playoff, Bryan Gerzicich and Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona missed a chance to clinch their first Ligat Ha'Al crown, falling 1-0 to guests Bnei Yahuda.
The midfielder had an inviting chance to level matters with 10 minutes remaining, but flashed his corner-kick header wide. Despite losing consecutive games for the first time all season, Hapoel still sit on a 16-point penthouse cushion with but six games to play.
