USMNT Watch: Guzan Commits Brutal Howler, Bedoya Scores for Nantes
Normally we like to showcase some of the best things going on with United States men's national team players each week. But Brad Guzan's performance on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium made us rethink that strategy.
In the heat of a relegation battle with Aston Villa, Guzan turned in one of the most forgettable outings of his career on the way to a 3-2 defeat.
Elsewhere across Europe, a few USMNT-eligible players were active in the scoring column, including one of the most consistent players in the red, white and blue over the last 12 months.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
A strange Saturday in Major League Soccer also put some USMNT players into the spotlight a few months before the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Keep reading below for a comprehensive look at how most of the players on the USMNT depth chart fared this weekend.
Guzan and Villa Stumble in Survival Fight
Aston Villa failed to keep up the momentum created by their 1-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinal last Sunday.
Guzan committed a brutal howler in the third minute, which allowed Sergio Aguero to calmly walk the ball into the net.
The current USMNT No. 1 goalkeeper also positioned his wall wrong on Aleksandar Kolarov's free-kick goal, and he saw the ball go through his legs for Fernandinho's 89th-minute winner.
Villa still have a small bit of breathing room above the bottom three, but one more bad match like this could drop them closer to the Championship.
Tim Howard made four saves against his former side, as Everton downed Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday. Geoff Cameron featured for 87 minutes of Stoke City's 1-1 home draw with Sunderland.
Jonathan Spector and Danny Williams went the distance for their respective sides in the Championship, while Eric Lichaj played 62 minutes for Nottingham Forest.
Bedoya Strikes Late for Nantes
Alejandro Bedoya scored his third goal of the Ligue 1 campaign for Nantes on Saturday, as he nodded in an 88th-minute equializer against Toulouse.
Bedoya made a run toward the far post and connected with a Valentin Rongier corner sent in from the right side of the pitch.
The goal from the consistent USMNT midfielder earned Nantes a 1-1 draw. They currently sit 10th in the league table on 44 points.
Wild MLS Weekend Sees USMNT Players Score in Bunches
A good number of USMNT fringe players found the back of the net during Saturday's exciting four-game slate across MLS.
In the Houston Dynamo's 4-4 draw with Sporting Kansas City, Brad Davis' dangerous left foot provided two assists, including a superb free-kick in the 83rd minute that found the head of center back Raul Rodriguez.
In the waning moments of the match at BBVA Compass Stadium, Benny Feilhaber notched a brace. He scored his first goal in the 80th minute from the spot, and then he struck from 20 yards out for a late equalizer.
Former USMNT first-team forward Charlie Davies scored in the New England Revolution's 4-0 beatdown of Real Salt Lake at Gillette Stadium. Jermaine Jones, Kyle Beckerman and Luis Gil all played 90 minutes in the match.
Ethan Finlay, who is a rising young star with the Columbus Crew, contributed to three of his side's four goals against the Philadelphia Union. Maurice Edu went the full 90 in defeat.
One of the USMNT's top superstars also joined in on the scoring party on Sunday, as Jozy Altidore scored both of Toronto FC's goals against Orlando City at the Citrus Bowl.
Brooks and Hertha Berlin Remain A Few Spots Ahead of Bottom Three
A nervy final few weeks of the Bundesliga season are ahead for John Brooks and Hertha Berlin. The club is in 13th place on 34 points, which is six better than 16th-place Hamburg.
While it may seem safe for now, a few wins would help secure the team's fate for next season. Unfortunately, a surprise point at the hands of Bayern Munich was not earned on Saturday, as Hertha Berlin fell 1-0. Brooks turned in a solid shift at the back against the league leaders.
Timothy Chandler spent all 90 minutes of Eintracht Frankfurt's 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on the pitch.
In the race for the European places, Fabian Johnson recorded an assist on Borussia Monchengladbach's game-winning goal against Wolfsburg on Sunday. Borussia Monchengladbach are in third place after this weekend's action.
News and Notes
Greg Garza, Joe Corona and Ventura Alvarado are all scheduled to play on Sunday in Liga MX. Edgar Castillo, Michael Orozco and Herculez Gomez all started for their respective sides on Saturday.
Aron Johannsson scored his sixth goal of the Eredivisie season during his 73-minute shift for AZ Alkmaar. Rubio Rubin also received a start in the league action for Utrecht.
Alfredo Morales and Ingolstadt have a chance to clinch promotion to the Bundesliga next weekend against Nurnberg.
The USMNT under-23 side defeated Mexico 3-0 behind a thunderous second-half performance at the StubHub Center on Wednesday night.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
