By FRANCO PANIZO
Ever since Oguchi Onyewu was inserted into Sporting CP's starting lineup, the club has done something it did only once during the opening month of the season: Win.
Onyewu has helped Sporting CP come out victorious in its last three matches across all competitions, and as a result, he'll likely get the nod again when the club faces Vitoria Setubal. Sporting CP and Onyewu currently sit in sixth place in the Primeira Liga standings, but they'll need a fourth consecutive triumph in order to close the five-point gap between them and league leader FC Porto.
Jonathan Spector is another U.S. men's national team player likely to earn a start. Spector has been a regular in Birmingham City's lineup since mid-August, starting in the club's last eight matches and going the distance in six of them. Spector should tack on more minutes to his season total when Birmingham plays Barnsley.
This weekend could also mark the return of Stuart Holden to Premier League play. Holden started and went the distance in Bolton Wanderer's Carling Cup win on Tuesday, and that performance may have done enough to convince manager Owen Coyle that Holden could make a cameo against Arsenal on Saturday.
Here is who the Americans Abroad square off against this weekend:
Matt Taylor and SC Paderborn 07 play Edson Buddle and FC Ingolstadt 04.
Josh Gatt, Sean Cunningham and Molde FK play Viking.
SATURDAY
Tim Howard and Everton play Manchester City.
Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers play Arsenal.
Clint Dempsey and Fulham play West Bromwich Albion.
Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Wigan Athletic.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Barnsley.
Conor Doyle and Derby County play Millwall.
Robbie Findley and Nottingham Forest play Watford.
Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Stevenage. (Simek is out injured.)
Anton Peterlin and Walsall play Colchester United.
Mike Grella and Brentford play Oldham Athletic.
Maurice Edu, Alejandro Bedoya, Carlos Bocanegra and Rangers play Dunfermline Athletic.
Dominic Cervi and Celtic play Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Timmy Chandler and FC Nurnberg play Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 play FC Augsburg.
Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 play SC Freiburg.
David Yelldell and Bayer Leverkusen play Bayern Munich.
Quentin Westberg and Evian Thonon Gaillard play Caen.
Oguchi Onyewu and Sporting CP play Vitoria Setubal.
Eugene Starikov and FK Tom' Tomsk play Zenit St Petersburg.
Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF play FC Copenhagen.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland play AGF Aarhus.
Samuel Petrone and Mjallby AIF play Elfsborg.
Ryan Miller and Halmstads BK play Syrianska FC.
Mix Diskerud and Stabaek IF play Stromsgodset.
Herculez Gomez and Estudiantes Tecos play Pumas UNAM.
Jose Torres and Pachuca play Michael Orozco and San Luis. (Torres is out injured.)
Jonathan Bornstein and Tigres UANL play Adrian Ruelas and Jaguares de Chiapas.
Sonny Guadarrama and Atlante play Atlas.
SUNDAY
Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Queens Park Rangers. (Lichaj is out injured.)
Michael Bradley and Chievo Verona play Genoa.
Fabian Johnson, Daniel Williams and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim play FC Cologne. (Johnson is out injured.)
Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play Werder Bremen.
Luis Robles and Karlsruher SC play Hansa Rostock.
Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play SpVgg Greuther Furth.
Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar play Feyenoord Rotterdam.
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play Germinal Beerschot.
Conor O'Brien and SonderjyskE play Brad Rusin and HB Koge.
DaMarcus Beasley and Puebla play Santos Laguna.
Edgar Castillo and Club America play Club Tijuana.
MONDAY
Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Sunderland. (Whitbread is out injured).
Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt play Dynamo Dresden.
Chris Rolfe, Marcus Tracy and Aalborg BK play Lyngby. (Tracy is out injured.)
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Which matches are you most looking forward to? Do you see Onyewu and Sporting CP winning again? Surprised at how quickly Spector has established himself with Birmingham? Think Holden will see time against Arsenal?
Share your thoughts below.
