USMNT Watch: Fabian Johnson Starts, Brad Guzan Commits Brutal Error
The ongoing feud between United States men's national team boss Jurgen Klinsmann and defender Fabian Johnson took its latest turn on Saturday as Johnson started for Borussia Monchengladbach.
Johnson, who left the CONCACAF Cup game on Oct. 10 with an apparent injury issue, was sent home from the USMNT camp on Monday because he took himself out of a big match.
Elsewhere in Europe on Saturday, Brad Guzan did not have a strong return to the pitch for Aston Villa, as he committed a brutal error that led to a morale-deflating goal at Stamford Bridge.
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We'll look deeper into the Johnson and Guzan situations, as well as recap all the action involving USMNT-eligible players at the club level, below in our latest USMNT Watch.
Fabian Johnson Starts for Borussia Monchengladbach
Johnson's situation created headlines, as Klinsmann publicly criticized the defender for removing himself from the contest with Mexico at the Rose Bowl. Johnson, who appeared to be injured, was sent packing from team camp a day before the loss to Costa Rica.
Upon his return to Borussia Monchengladbach, the club announced Johnson was being treated for a thigh injury, which helped make sense of Johnson's removal from the clash with Mexico.
However, Johnson seemed fine on Saturday as he played all 90 minutes for the Bundesliga side in their 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
One has to assume this isn't the last we'll hear of the Johnson-Klinsmann feud, but it would be best for both parties to squash it before World Cup qualifying begins in November since the defender is one of the top players in the USMNT talent pool.
Timmy Chandler came off the bench in Eintracht Frankfurt's loss to Borussia Monchengladbach, while John Brooks saw some game time as a late substitute for Hertha Berlin.
Down in the 2. Bundesliga, Bobby Wood earned another start for Union Berlin in their 3-3 draw with St. Pauli.
Brad Guzan Gifts Chelsea Goal at Stamford Bridge
Guzan handed Chelsea a one-goal advantage in the 34th minute on Saturday as he played a rushed pass in the direction of Joleon Lescott.
Lescott failed to control the ball, which had more pace on it than a regular pass from the goalkeeper, and Chelsea pounced. Willian found Diego Costa in the middle of the box to kill all the positive momentum Aston Villa built up during the first half.
The Villans went on to lose the match 2-0, but they were never the same after Guzan's careless rushed pass.
The other top USMNT goalkeeper, Tim Howard, didn't fare well between the pipes either on Saturday, as he conceded three times at home in a loss to Manchester United.
DeAndre Yedlin earned his second start at right-back for Sunderland and his first under new boss Sam Allardyce.
In the Championship, Danny Williams and Jonathan Spector started on the bench for their respective sides, Reading and Birmingham City, while Tim Ream and Emerson Hyndman didn't feature in Fulham's matchday squad.
Kyle Beckerman Breaks MLS Appearance Record
Despite his side's elimination from the playoff race on Saturday, Kyle Beckerman did leave the pitch at Rio Tinto Stadium with one major accomplishment to his name.
The Real Salt Lake midfielder set the league record for most appearances by an outfield player. He now has 379, which is one more than Steve Ralston made during his career.
Ethan Finlay netted his 10th goal of the season for the Columbus Crew in their 2-0 win over Toronto FC on Saturday that secured them a spot in the postseason.
Toronto clinched a playoff berth on Wednesday, but during the match Jozy Altidore was sent off while he was on the bench because of dissent.
Benny Feilhaber, Matt Besler, Brek Shea, Jermaine Jones, Lee Nguyen and Juan Agudelo all started for their respective teams in Week 33.
A slew of USMNT players are set to take the field on Sunday during the league's four-game slate.
USMNT U17 Team Opens World Cup with Loss
The USMNT U17 squad started its World Cup campaign on Saturday with a 2-0 loss to Nigeria in Santiago, Chile.
The result was not the one the Yanks wanted since they still have to face host Chile and Croatia in a difficult Group A.
Borussia Dortmund's Christian Pulisic is the biggest name to watch on the roster, but it's also worth keeping an eye on Haji Wright of the New York Cosmos as the group stage progresses.
News and Notes: Alejandro Bedoya and Gedion Zelalem Miss Time
Alejandro Bedoya was not in Nantes' matchday squad on Saturday as he continued his recovery from the illness that forced him off the CONCACAF Cup roster.
Gedion Zelalem, who has impressed so far at Rangers, was held out of the team on Saturday with an injury issue.
Down in Mexico, Michael Orozco was the only USMNT regular to earn a start, while Paul Arriola came off the bench for Club Tijuana. Ventura Alvarado, Joe Corona, Miguel Ibarra and William Yarbrough all failed to see time on the field for their respective clubs south of the border.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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