Morning Aggregate: U.S. Players Elsewhere, Orlando Soccer Stadium Location
By Doug Smith
There are a good deal of appealing match ups across the soccer world this weekend that have ties back to the United States. The interesting games will wrap up on Monday when Brad Guzan leads Aston Villa in an away match with Manchester United. Villa has been playing better of late, but still need a result to get out of the relegation picture. Meanwhile United is looking to secure the Premiership crown. Also in England, Tottenham with Brad Friedel and Clint Dempsey need to find consistency at the end of the season starting with Manchester City at White Hart Lane. The fourth position and a Champions League spot are still in reach for the Spurs.
Also in England, Brek Shea and Geoff Cameron need a win for Stoke City against Queens Park Rangers. They have dropped to the bottom of the table quickly. Tim Howard is coming off his 100th shut out as Everton take on Sunderland.
In Germany, 2.Bundesliga has some interesting match ups as the battle to move up winds down. Joe Gyau looks to feature for St. Pauli today as they face VfL Bochum. Bobby Wood and 1860 Munich play FSV Frankfurt on Saturday. The feature match may be on Sunday as John Anthony Brooks and Alfredo Morales look to keep Hertha Berlin in the top spot against Andrew Wooten and Sandhausen. Berlin are only two points ahead of Braunschweig at the top of the table.
In Mexico today there will be a preview of the CONCACAF Champions League Final as Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna play Monterrey. It is unclear if Benji Joya will be available for Santos.
Michael Bradley and AS Roma will be in action on Sunday as they take on US Pescara. A bigger list of matches can be found here. If you’d like to see the TV menu, check here.
Mar 26, 2013; Mexico City, Mexico; United States forward Michael Bradley (4) during a World Cup qualifying match against Mexico at Estadio Azteca. The United States and Mexico played to a 0-0 tie. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
AS Roma has also advanced to Coppa Italia after defeating Inter Milan. They will take on Lazio on May 26th in Rome. The all Roman final adds the element of a heated rivalry to the final. Capturing the title could create more of a positive outlook for Roma who are currently in sixth place in league play.
In Major League Soccer related news, Orlando has announced the exact location for a soccer stadium that they hope will add to their campaign for the next MLS expansion team. It is in a place that can create a sports mecca with the Amway Center and Citrus Bowl nearby.
Our week eight power rankings came out for MLS over on Soccer Perspectives. FC Dallas takes over the top spot with the Galaxy falling a couple spots. As always, you can check the individual ratings for the contributors at the bottom of the page.
MLS has a scattered schedule this weekend and we will have it covered as always. Meanwhile, the Houston Dynamo put together a great video this week for their own preview.
Finally, Abram Chamberlain has some thoughts on the North American Soccer League. This is a good discussion topic.