Leagues

Red In Rome

Fulham and Clint Dempsey were left wondering what might have been after seeing a red card for Erik Nevland spark a Roma fightback in their Europa League Group H clash in the Italian capital. Goals from John Arne Riise and Chuka Okaka gave victory to the home side.

Howard Hails Benfica

Benfica slid two past United States international Tim Howard in the second half as the Portuguese side dispatched Everton in the Europa League. The goalkeeper called Benfica "Champions League quality" after the match and admitted that his club has a tall order to qualify for the next round.

Guzan Clutch

Brad Guzan came up clutch for Aston Villa when he was finally handed a start. The American shot-stopper faced down a penalty in regular time of the Carling Cup against Sunderland and saved it, keeping the scores level. He later blocked three in the PK shootout to help Villa advance.

Spurs Take Toffees Out

In what had to be considered the premier match-up of the day in the Carling Cup Tim Howard could do nothing to keep Tottenham from running past Everton 2-0. Manchester United, Portsmouth, and Blackburn all also went into the quarterfinals, with mixed results.

Dropped Points

Manchester City had a chance to make up a lot of ground on their cross town rivals on Sunday, but a two goal lead was not enough and Clint Dempsey's second half goal pulled Fulham level. Arsenal also had to settle for a draw after taking a two goal lead thanks to Jonathan Spector and West Ham.

Toil And Trouble

With recent incidents, USA players face challenges, whether recovering from injury or dealing with racial insults. Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu have surgery challenges to overcome, while police have gotten involved in Maurice Edu's situation.

Dempsey Returns

Both Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey saw action. Dempsey missed out on the last two USA World Cup qualifying matches due to a shoulder injury, but he returned to help Fulham carry the day against Hull City. Meanwhile, injured USA striker Charlie Davies moved out of intensive care.