In a match that pitted US soccer's two biggest stars against each other for the first time in six years, Landon Donovan's dual assists were decisive as Everton ousted Fulhum in the FA Cup 4th round. A third American star—Tim Howard—kept the nets for Everton as usual.
Howard and Everton fell into a hole early when Dempsey's shot in the 12th minute deflected off Everton defender Jonny Heitinga's hand, resulting in referee Howard Webb awarding Fulham a penalty kick. There was little question who would take the kick for Fulham, as Danny Murphy had been 11-for-11 from the penalty spot coming into the game. The streak continued, as Howard (Tim Howard, not Howard Webb—although that would be funny to see Webb ply his trade in goal) guessed the wrong way and Murphy's kick flew into the back of the net.
After the goal, Everton appeared to awake from their sluggish start and came close to scoring, notably on Shane Duffy's open header. Minutes later, Everton equalized when Landon Donovan swung in a brilliant cross that was met by Denis Stracqulaurski who headed it home.
In the second half, Donovan again proved his worth to Everton when his expert cross was again headed into the net, this time by Marouane Fellaini and his unmistakable hairdo. Tim Howard shut the door several times late to seal Everton's victory, propelling them to the next round of England's most prestigious club tournament.
Although Donovan's team came out on top in this one, Clint Dempsey has made a strong case in recent weeks that he is the best American soccer player today. Despite usually being deployed on the wing or as a attacking midfielder, Dempsey's goal-scoring exploits have been invaluable for Fulham this season. He recently became the first American to ever score a hat trick in an EPL game in Fulham's 5-2 win over Newcastle. He has scored 15 goals in all competitions for Fulham this campaign and was recently named US Soccer's Male Athlete of the Year.
Who is the best American soccer player right now? Dempsey, Donovan, or someone else? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
More:
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Let Atlanta know what you think