Finally had some time tonight to catch up with some links from the past couple of days.

Howie posted about Marcus Hahnemann returning to the US last week, but here is a story from the Seattle Times with some quotes from Hahnemann.

Brian Sciaretta introduces us to Aron Johannsson over at the NY Times blog.  Johannsson is a 21-year-old Icelandic-American who currently plays for AGF Aarhus in the Danish Superliga (and leads the Superliga with nine goals).

Speaking of leading leagues in goals.  With his hat trick over the weekend, Jozy Altidore has now scored seven of AZ’s 10 goals in league play and leads the Eredivisie in goals so far this year.

I have slowly become a bigger and bigger fan of the Men in Blazers podcast over the last couple months and they had Geoff Cameron on this week for an interview.  Go listen to it just so you can hear “quarterback style” and giggle like a little girl like myself.

Yanks Abroad has a couple interviews up.  One with Cody Cropper and one with Max Morice.

Terrence Boyd decided to get a bald eagle tattoo.

It appears that Nottingham Forest are trying to send Robbie Findley out on loan.

Marc Pelosi started for Liverpool’s youth team in their 3-2 loss to Inter Milan in the NextGen Series yesterday.

Greg Seltzer gives us his top five American players based in Europe under the age of 24.

Robbie Rogers has missed the last couple games for Stevenage with a strained hamstring.

I have heard from a few of you about helping out with the site.  I am going to get back to you guys over the next day or two.  I am also thinking of starting a “weekend commentary” type thread each week so you guys can comment away while watching the games, healthy discussions of course, while also linking highlights and other news.  A good idea?

Having been without a club since his release from Everton and with the MLS roster freeze closing, Marcus Hahnemann has landed in his home city with the current incarnation of his first professional club, the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders acquired Hanemann via a trade with Toronto for the top spot in the allocation order in exchange for a conditional draft pick.

I am sure that post title will attract some fun Google search key words.

The big news of the day was BeIN Sport announcing that it bought the TV rights to all the US road World Cup qualifiers (minus the potential game against Mexico at Azteca in the Hex) for the rest of this cycle.  BeIN Sport is the new Al-Jazeera backed TV station which has been buying up all of GolTV’s old rights (i.e. La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1).  This means no more PPV/closed circuit games for the US during qualification.  BeIN Sport is already on DirecTV and Dish Network and hopefully should be picked up by cable providers in the future (I am looking at you Time Warner Cable).  Steven Goff has all the details right here, plus some other information on the upcoming September camp.

A couple days after Rangers manager Ally McCoist claimed that Ipswich Town made a bid on Maurice Edu, Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell denied the claim.

Brian Straus recently caught up with Jozy Altidore about his great start to the season.

Birmingham City manager Lee Clark had some nice words about Jonathan Spector and Will Packwood.

I am a week late on this, but Sporting CP have left Oguchi Onyewu off their Europa League roster and there is some speculation that he could be on his way out of the club.

Marcus Hahnemann was on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast radio show earlier today and claimed that he is in the process of moving his family to Seattle.  No word if he is done playing or if he has another job lined up.

Greg Seltzer decided to make some bold predictions on some Americans in Europe for this season.

Tom Marshall is reporting that the USMNT might be looking at Mexican-American goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo who currently plays at Club Tijuana.

Sticking with goalkeepers, Matt Pyzdrowski has been missing time with Swedish side Angelholms FF due to a concussion and now he has been ruled out for the rest of the season.  His latest concussion was his third in the last six months.  He made a statement, which you can read right here.

After a couple trials across England/Scotland the past couple months, Anton Peterlin is now back in the US and on trial with the Colorado Rapids.

While Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht lost in Champions League action on Tuesday, Bryan Gerzicich’s Ironi Kiryat Shmona lost 2-0 to BATE, but Gerzicich did not play due to a torn meniscus.

Predict the following questions for various Americans in England in the unofficially official contest:

Brad Friedel, Totenham:
Totenham: Champions League, Europa League, or neither?
Yes/No: Does Fridel’s consecutive starts streak (a record 314 matches, meaning he could hit 350 this season) end?

Clint Dempsey, Fulham (?)
Who does Clint Dempsey wind up playing for?
Regardless of club, over/under on:
- 14.5 EPL goals (17 last year)
- 19.5 all competition goals (23 last year)

Geoff Cameron, Stoke City
Over/under:
-          15.5 starts (league only)
-          24.5 appearances (league only)
Does Cameron play more minutes at central defense or at defensive midfielder?

Brad Guzan, Aston Villa
Does Guzan make more appearances for Villa or for a hypothetical loan destination?
Which number will be greatest: Guzan cup appearances, Guzan league appearances, or Guzan national team callus?

Tim Howard, Everton
Yes/No: Everton: Europa League qualifiers?
Which Liverpool club finishes higher in 2012-13, Liverpool or Everton?

Eric Lichaj, Aston Villa
Over/under:
-          17.5 starts (league only)
-          26.5 appearances (league only)
Yes/No: Is Aston Villa safe from relegation entering Survival Sunday?

Tim Ream, Bolton Wanderers
National team caps through May 2013: over/under of 1.5?
Bolton: promoted, promotion playoffs, or outside promotion playoffs?

Stuart Holden, Bolton Wanderers
Over/under: September 15 for Stu’s first start (under is before [ie., if he starts August 25, say under])
Over/under:
-          22.5 starts
-          2.5 goals
-          5.5 matches missed due to injury

Jonathan Spector, Birmingham City
Birmingham: promoted, promotion playoffs, or outside promotion playoffs?
Most minutes: rightback, central midfield, or other?

Will Packwood, Birmingham City
Over/under:
-          5.5 league appearacnes
-          8.5 overall appearances
U-20s:  U-20 World Cup knockout rounds, U-20 World Cup group stage, or another DNQ?

Robbie Findley, Notthingham Forest
Over/under: 3.5 goals (3 last year)
Nottingham Forest: promotion playoffs contender, mid-table, barely surviving, or relegated (19^th last year)?

Zak Whitbread, Leicester City
Over/under: 20.5 league appearances
Over/under: 2.5 different reported injuries (must be separated by at least 2 games)

Robbie Rogers, Leeds United
Transfer result: Championship club, League One club, League Two club, or still with Leeds?
Does he score a goal this year wherever he lands?

Conor Doyle, Derby County
Over/under:
-          5.5 appearances (six last year)
-          0.5 goals (zero for career)
Doyle’s club after this year is __________.

Adam Henley, Blackburn Rovers
Over/under:
-          10.5 appearances league appearances (seven last year)
-          13.5 overall appearances (seven last year)
In May 2013, is Adam Henley American, Welsh, or still undecided?

Jon-Paul Pittman, Oxford United
Over/under:
-          2.5 goals (3 last year)
-          15.5 appearances (15 last year)

Mike Grella, Scunthorpe United
Over/under:
-          15.5 league appearances (13 last year between Brentford and Bury)
-          3.5 league goals (4 last year total)
Yes/No: Is Grella still with Scunthorpe at season’s end? In August 2013?

Open-Ended
Do the following players find a club in England?
-          Jemal Johnson
-          Marcus Hahnemann
-          Anton Peterlin
-          Cody Cropper
Over/Under on 1.5 Americans winding up in England in January (transfers & MLS free agents)

Marcus Hahnemann, man of many talents, talking about Marcus Hahnemann stuff (which is everything).

With most of the third round of the FA Cup finishing up this past weekend, the English FA held their fourth round draw on Sunday, so I decided to give a quick rundown of the teams which have Americans on the roster.  For those three people that don’t like reading my nonsense, here is the draw.

For the rest of you, buckle up.

Fulham (Clint Dempsey) at Everton (Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann)

I will let the British press get all excited over Liverpool/Manchester United, but this is the matchup that most Americans should be drooling about.  Dempsey vs. Donovan.

Fulham advanced to the fourth round by thrashing Charlton Athletic, 4-0, behind a Dempsey hat trick.  As for Everton, they defeated lowly Conference National side Tamworth, 2-0, with Donovan picking up an assist off a corner kick.

Pointless Stat:  Fulham has never lost to Everton in the FA Cup (four wins and three draws).

Pointless Stat Part 2:  The last time Fulham beat Everton at Goodison Park in the FA Cup?  1974-75.  The only time Fulham has played in a FA Cup final?  1974-75.

Norwich City (Zak Whitbread) at West Bromwich Albion

Zak Whitbread and the Canaries also drew a Premier League side, West Brom, in the fourth round after defeating Burnley, 4-1, on Saturday.  West Brom enters the fourth round coming off a 4-2 win over Cardiff City at The Hawthorns.

Pointless Stat:  Norwich City has advanced past the third round for the first since making it to the fifth round in 2006-07.

Aston Villa (Brad Guzan) at Arsenal or Leeds United

Brad Guzan led Villa to the fourth round on Saturday (3-1 win over Bristol Rovers), but now they have to sit and wait to see the last game of the third round proper, Arsenal versus Leeds United, on Monday.

Pointless Stat:  The last time Aston Villa made it to Wembley for the FA Cup final?  Brad Guzan was 15 years old and learning how to drive (1999-00).

Tottenham Hotspur (Brad Friedel) at Watford

Brad Friedel had it easy this weekend as he sat and watched Carlo Cudicini start between the sticks for the Spurs as they won 3-0 over Cheltenham Town.  Tottenham now faces Jay DeMerit’s former club Watford after they beat Bradford City.

Pointless Stat:  Tottenham was the first club in the 20th century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960–61 season.

Stoke City at Derby County (Conor Doyle)

Conor Doyle hasn’t played much for the Rams this season, but he was on the bench this weekend when Derby County defeated Crystal Palace 1-0.  They will face Premier League club Stoke City after they beat Gillingham 3-1 on Saturday.

Pointless Stat:  Derby County hasn’t faced Stoke City in the FA Cup since losing 2-1 at home during the 1937-38 competition.

Birmingham City (Jonathan Spector) or Wolverhampton Wanderers at Sheffield United

Jonathan Spector put in 90 minutes this weekend, but it was in a 0-0 draw to Wolves, meaning they have to play a replay on January 17 to determine who gets the honor of advancing to the fourth round to play at Sheffield United.  Sheffield United got to the fourth round by beating Salisbury City 3-1.

Pointless Stat:  Birmingham City have played Wolves in a third round replay before.  The teams tied 1-1 in the first meeting before Birmingham City lost 2-1 at Molineux Stadium in 1995-96.

Swindon Town at Nottingham Forest (Robbie Findley) or Leicester City

A shoulder injury kept Robbie Findley out of Nottingham Forest’s 0-0 draw to Leicester City on Saturday.  A replay will be played January 18 at King Power Stadium to determine who gets to play League Two side Swindon Town.  Swindon Town advanced to the fourth round by beating Wigan Athletic 2-1.

Pointless Stat:  When Nottingham Forest last won the FA Cup, 1958-59, they played a team named Tooting & Mitcham United in the third round.  Tooting & Mitcham United.  It is a funny name.

So there you have it.  The fourth round will be played the weekend of January 28-29.

Sky Sports is reporting that Everton haven’t filled their quota of bald American goalkeepers so they are set to sign Marcus Hahnemann on a short-term deal until January.

Hahnemann hasn’t played in any games since last January, but the 39-year-old will bolster Everton’s bench behind Tim Howard.

I also wonder if the deal is only until January so he can return to MLS come next spring?

Today was one of those days where I have no clue what has happened outside work (today is Thursday, correct?).  Just sitting down to finally eat some dinner and weed through the news and links.

While I posted that Alex Zahavi is headed to Portgual on Tuesday night, Greg Seltzer got to the bottom of it.  It looks like he extended his contract with Maccabi Haifa and his move to Vitória Setúbal is just a loan deal.

Jermaine Jones is headed back to Schalke on July 22 as no one has offered for him.

I posted last night that DaMarcus Beasley scored a goal in Puebla’s 1-0 victory over Monterrey in a preseason tournament.  Here is a really random camera view of the goal.

Bayer Leverkusen played 1860 Munich in a preseason friendly in Germany today.  It ended in a 0-0 draw with David Yelldell playing the second half for Leverkusen, while Bobby Wood played the last 13 minutes for 1860 Munich.  Also, here is an action shot of Wood.  I dig Munich’s jerseys this year.

While there has been a lot of chatter about Marcus Hahnemann returning to the MLS recently, it looks like Hull City might be interested in his services.

Michael Adubato caught up with Nate Weiss to talk about his current situation in Sweden.

Finally, Sky Sports is reporting that Will Packwood will be part of the US U-18 team at this year’s Milk Cup.

Marcus Hahnemann has spent the last year earning his pilot license. He takes ussoccer.com for a ride in the skies above England.

I am still sort of celebrating the Mavs’ win last night, so here is the latest Studio 90 video.