US players overseas update

(December 23, 2002) - Courtesy of US Soccer, this update contains the most current statistics, schedules, and trends for the national team players plying their trade across the pond.

Brad Friedel
Blackburn Rovers FC, English Premier League
Last match:   [Dec. 17] played 90 minutes in 2-0 win @ Wigan, Worthington Cup quarterfinal; [Dec. 22] played 90 minutes in 1-0 win v. Manchester United
Next Match: [Dec. 26] @ Liverpool; [Dec. 28] v. West Ham United
League position: 9 (last week: 10)

STATBOX
League                            League Cup                    UEFA CUP                        TOTALS
GP:GS   W-L-D GAA     GP:GS   W-L-D GAA    GP:GS   W-L-D GAA        GP:GS   W-L-D    GAA
18/18    7-5-6    1.00        1/1    1-0-0     0.00       4/4      0-2-2     1.75        23/23    8-6-8     1.09

QUICK HITS

Friedel posted back-to-back shutouts for the third time this season, the clean sheet against Wigan giving the defending Worthington Cup holders a place in the semifinals against Manchester United
The 1-0 shutout against Manchester United gave Rovers their first victory against the Red Devils in eight years, while lowering Friedel's goal against average in the EPL to 1.00 goals per game
Rovers look to erase another demon on Boxing Day, having failed to win against Liverpool at Anfield in league play since 1993
Blackburn close out 2002 hosting bottom feeders West Ham United

Kasey Keller
Tottenham Hotspur FC, English Premier League
Last match: [Dec. 15] played 90 minutes in 1-1 draw v. Arsenal
Next Match: [Dec. 23] @ Manchester City; [Dec. 26] v. Charlton Athletic; [Dec. 28] @ Newcastle United
League position: 8 (7)

STATBOX
League                              League Cup                TOTALS
GP:GS   W-L-D GAA     GP:GS   W-L-D GAA       GP:GS   W-L-D GAA
18/18    8-6-4    1.33      2/2     1-1-0   1.00       20/20    9-7-4 1.30

QUICK HITS

Despite failing to earn full points last weekend, Spurs are unbeaten in their last four matches (2-0-2), and improved to 6-1-2 at White Hart Lane
Spurs face an imposing schedule for the holiday season, with three matches slated over a six-day period
Spurs are winless on the road since Oct. 5 as they head to Manchester City, needing only a draw to regain seventh place in the table
Tottenham defeated Charlton Athletic 1-0 in their first meeting on Aug. 27, Kasey Keller leading Spurs to their second consecutive shutout of the new campaign
While Newcastle United own an imposing 8-1-0 home record this season, Spurs won the corresponding fixture 2-0 at St. James Park last year on Oct. 21, 2001

Jovan Kirovski
Birmingham City, English Premier League
Last match:   [Dec. 21] played 90 minutes in 1-1 draw v. Charlton
Next Match: [Dec. 26] v. Everton; [Dec. 28] @ Manchester United
League position: 13 (13)

STATBOX
League                          League Cup                 TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
7/2    1 0/0       2/1    0/0 0/0        9/3       1     0/0

QUICK HITS

Kirovski played the full 90 for the first time as a member of the Blues' first team
Ten-man Birmingham earned a late penalty to secure the point, leaving them unbeaten in five of last six matches
Birmingham own the worst disciplinary record in the league, having amassed 56 cautions and four ejections
The Blues face a difficult double-header heading into the new year, welcoming a third-place Everton side they have not defeated in six meetings dating back to the 1982-83 season, before traveling to the unfriendly confines of third-place Manchester United

Eddie Lewis
Preston North End, Division One
Last match: [Dec. 21] played 90 minutes in 0-1 loss @ Sheffield United
Next Match: [Dec. 26] v. Rotherham; [Dec. 28] @ Crystal Palace
League position: 16 (14)

STATBOX
League                          League Cup                 TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
15/13     1    3/0     4/3     1    0/0     19/16     2 3/0

QUICK HITS

Preston suffered first shutout loss in league play in 13 matches, dating back to Sept. 24
Lewis has started 12 consecutive matches since missing the Oct. 19 match v. Walsall
Only three points, but five positions in the table, separate PNE and Rotherham before their clash on Dec. 26
PNE finishes 2002 away to 9th-place Crystal Palace

Claudio Reyna
Sunderland AFC, English Premier League
Last match: [Dec. 21] DNP in 2-2 draw @ West Bromwich Albion
Next Match: [Dec. 26] v. Leeds; [Dec. 28] @ Southampton
League position: 17 (17)

STATBOX
League                          League Cup                  TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
11/11 0    1/0         1/1    1    0/0       12/12    1    1/0

QUICK HITS

Reyna is sidelined for the season after surgery to repair torn ACL and partially torn meniscus suffered torn ACL in 39th minute of 1-1 draw v. Bolton on Oct. 26
A second half double by Kevin Phillips gave Sunderland a precious point which keeps them balanced just above the relegation zone
The Black Cats face Leeds United on Boxing Day, the side who sit one place above them in the league table. Sunderland captured the first meeting this year 1-0 on August 28
Sunderland travel to Southampton on Dec. 28, where the Saints are an unbeaten 5-0-5 at the Friends Provident St. Mary's Stadium in 2002-03

GERMANY

*The German leagues have entered their annual winter break and will resume play January 25, 2003

Gregg Berhalter
Energie Cottbus, German Bundesliga
Last match: [Dec. 14] DNP in 0-4 loss v. Borussia Dortmund
Next Match: [Jan. 25, 2003] @ Bayer Leverkusen
League position: 18 (18)

STATBOX
League                          League Cup                 TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
6/5        0 1/0      1/1    0 0     7/6     0    1/0

Conor Casey
Hannover 96, German Bundesliga
Last match:   [Dec. 14] DNP in 0-0 draw v. Arminia Bielefeld
Next Match: [Jan. 25] v. Hamburg
League position: 16 (16)

STATBOX
League                         DFB Cup                    TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
1/0        0    0/0         0/0     0 0/0     1/0      0   0/0

Steve Cherundolo
Hannover 96, German Bundesliga
Last match:   [Dec. 14] played 90 minutes in 0-0 draw v. Arminia Bielefeld
Next Match: [Jan. 25] v. Hamburg
League position: 16 (16)

STATBOX
League                         DFB Cup                    TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
17/17     0    3/0         1/1     0    1/0     18/18     0   4/0

Cory Gibbs
FC St. Pauli, German Second Bundesliga
Last match: [Dec. 15] DNP in 1-4 loss v. Alem Aachem
Next Match: [Jan. 26] v. Unterhaching
League position: 18 (18)

STATBOX
League                         League Cup                 TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
9/8    0 0/0         1/1      0    0       10/9     0    0/0

Tony Sanneh
FC Nurnberg, German Bundesliga
Last match: [Dec. 14] DNP in 2-0 win @ Bayer Leverkusen
Next Match: [Jan. 25] @ VfL Bochum
League position: 12 (15)

STATBOX
League                         League Cup                 TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
15/15     2 1/0         1/1      0    0/0    15/15 2    1/0

HOLLAND

*The Dutch Eredivisie has entered their annual winter break and will resume play January 31, 2003

John O'Brien
Ajax Amsterdam, Dutch Eredivisie
Last match: [Dec. 22] DNP in 2-0 win @ Excelsior
Next Match: [Feb. 2] @ Willem II
League position: 2 (2)

STATBOX
League                        Dutch Cup                  Champions League       TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E        GP:GS Gls   C/E
5/5        0 0/0         -/-      -/-   -/-       1/1        0     0/0          6/6      0   0/0

QUICK HITS

O'Brien remains in rehabilitation since being sidelined nearly three months after suffering achilles injury in the 70th minute of the 3-2 win against Roosendaal on Sept. 21
Ajax maintained their unbeaten road record with an easy 2-0 win, pulling within two points of league leaders PSV
Ajax entered the match with only 14 fit first-team players, will now look to nurse the wounded prior to resuming league play in February of next year

Earnie Stewart
NAC Breda, Dutch Eredivisie
Last match: [Dec. 22] started and played 81 minutes in 1-1 draw v. Feyenoord
Next Match: [Feb. 1] v. SV Heerenveen
League position: 4 (4)

STATBOX
League                          Dutch Cup             TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
15/7    2 0/0   1/1    0 0/0     16/8 2    0/0

QUICK HITS

Stewart started his seventh match of the season, and perhaps his final in a NAC Breda uniform
An 86th minute equalizer salvaged a crucial away point against third-place Feyenoord
Breda close the first half of the season with a place in European competition in sight

FRANCE

*The French Ligue 1 has entered their annual winter break and will resume play January 11, 2003

Greg Vanney
SC Bastia, Le Championnat Ligue 1
Last match: [Dec. 20] v. Nantes
Next Match: [Jan. 11] v. Lyon
League position: 14 (15)

STATBOX
League                          League Cup                TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
6/3        0 1/0      1/1    0 0/0      7/4      0    1/0

QUICK HITS

Vanney started three straight matches for Bastia to close out 2002
Bastia captured a surprise upset victory against the 2001 league champions Nantes, ending three-match losing run in all competitions
Bastia improve to 7-3-1 record at home, while failing to collect a single road victory in the first half of the campaign

SWITZERLAND

Frankie Hejduk
FC St. Gallen, National-Liga 1
Last match: [Dec. 8] DNP in 1-1 draw @ Grasshopper
Next Match: [WINTER BREAK]
League position: 10 (10)

STATBOX
League                          League Cup                 TOTALS
GP:GS Gls   C/E       GP:GS Gls   C/E     GP:GS Gls   C/E
7/5        0 2/1       0/0   0 0/0    7/5      0   2/1

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