A bunch of goodies from the last week.

Clint Dempsey was named Fútbol de Primera’s US Soccer 2012 Player of the Year for the second straight year.  It was Dempsey’s third time winning the award (also in 2006), but Michael Bradley probably would have won my vote.

Speaking of Dempsey, Fulham have accepted Liverpool’s apology over their recruitment of Dempsey over the summer and have withdrawn their complaint.

Tim Howard will be making his 200th consecutive Premier League appearance on Saturday.  Timmy!

Steve Davis had breakfast with Jurgen Klinsmann recently and they talked about Carlos Bocanegra’s current role with the USMNT.

Bobby Wood has played his way into a new contract with 1860 Munich through the 2014-15 season.

Brian Sciaretta caught up with Sebastian Lletget to talk about breaking through with West Ham United.

Bryan Gerzicich has been cleared to play again for Ironi Kiryat Shmona after picking up a calf injury.

Benny Feilhaber signed with Sporting KC this week, but he apparently had some European suitors according to Greg Seltzer.

Seltzer also tells us that Alejandro Bedoya has been offered an extension by Helsingborg, while Swedish champions Elfsborg are also interested in his services.

A bunch of clubs are interested in Michael Parkhurst, who is now a free agent.

Jamie Hill ponders what a 2013 Olympic team would look like if there was one this year.

According to this report, Klinsmann has contacted Aron Johannsson about playing for the US and he “is now in doubt” over his decision.

Conor O’Brien has turned down a couple offers already and is meeting up with some more new teams according to his agent.

Rapid Vienna might be interested in Mix Diskerud.  Much like with Boyd’s move, USMNT assistant Andreas Herzog was the reference.  Speaking of Boyd, here is a Google-translated interview he recently did.

Adam Henley was invited to the upcoming US U-20 camp, but Blackburn nixed that idea.

San Antonio Scorpions defender Karsten Smith is currently on trial at Finnish side VPS.

Marc Pelosi is with Liverpool’s youth team in Singapore at the NexLions Cup.  And they were “mobbed” at the airport.

Conor Doyle made Derby County’s bench this past weekend for the first time since he had his appendix removed.

Worst 21st birthday ever?

Doyle was rushed into hospital during the club’s mini break to Miami last week.

He has now returned to his family home in Dallas, Texas, but he is not allowed to fly back to England for a few weeks.

“We are in the hands of the doctors,” said manager Nigel Clough. “It was a particularly nasty appendicitis. He is not allowed to fly externally for maybe three or four weeks because of the nature of the operation.”

Clough said Doyle suddenly felt unwell and started being sick.

“We thought it was food poisoning at first because he was being sick,” Clough added. “Then he was rushed into hospital at about 2.30 in the morning in an awful lot of pain.

“The only good thing is he’s at home! He was allowed to fly internally and went home to Dallas, where he will spend some time recuperating.

“Had it happened to one of the English lads, we would have had more of a problem.”

An appendix operation was not the birthday present Doyle wanted.

He was 21 on Saturday and members of his family had planned to spend a few days with him at Derby’s hotel in Miami.

Doyle has had a handful of first-team appearances this year and also leads Derby County’s U-21 squad in scoring.

We showed you Derby County’s away kit earlier this month and now they have released their new home kit for this upcoming season.

Pretty basic.

And if that doesn’t float your boat, here are some photos of Derby County and Conor Doyle doing some team bonding at an assault course challenge at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham.

Conor Doyle only appeared in six games for Derby County last season after playing in 14 league games the year before, but he could be wearing this new all black kit in away games next season.

Not bad considering I normally dislike Kappa (I am looking at you, Fulham).

I’m still playing catch up from the past couple days, but here are some links for Monday.

The US U-23′s defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks, 3-0, on Sunday.   The goals scorers were Brek Shea (x2) and Michael Stephens.  I posted the Studio 90 video earlier today, which has a couple quick highlights (one of Shea’s goal looks real nice) and some post-game interviews.  Here is a post-game recap from the Silverbacks, which has their starting XI, but I can’t find anything anywhere on what the US lineup looked like.  If you have any clue, fill us in in the comments.  Also, it looks like Freddy Adu has been voted by the players as the captain of the team.

I also posted this with The OT Report, but in case you missed it, Josh Gatt has been called back to Molde FK and won’t be with the U-23s due to various injuries at Molde and them starting their season this upcoming weekend.

ESPN.com’s Leander Schaerlaeckens did a nice little Q&A with Jurgen Klinsmann on a couple of topics.

About 18,000 tickets have already been sold for the US-Scotland friendly on May 26 in Jacksonville according to Steven Goff.  One of the largest crowds ever in Jacksonville for a soccer game.

Chris Rolfe came back from a little ankle injury and played 19 minutes in Aalborg’s 1-1 draw to HB Køge today.

I know Jonathan Spector was pulled from last weekend’s game due to some injury and it looks like he has some kind of thigh injury.

Derby County forward Conor Doyle will be out the next 4-6 weeks with a torn hamstring.

Soccer Banter recently did a Q&A with Walsall’s Anton Peterlin.

Brian Sciaretta recently talked to Sean Cunningham about his loan deal to Stabaek.

Mr. Sciaretta also introduces us to Seb Hines, a 23-year-old centerback who currently plays at Middlesbrough.  Hines has played with England in the past at the youth level, but would be willing to play for the US if he got the call.  Since he would need to file a one-time switch with FIFA, we will keep our eye on him, but don’t expect us to post about him in future The OT Reports until he commits to the US (if he ever does).  Sort of like Adam Henley.

Good talk, see you out there.

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.

A bunch of different things to check out today.

Apparently all the cool kids are going out on training stints with various teams across Europe.  Omar Salgado will be at Fulham for two weeks.  According to his agent, Juan Agudelo will be in Germany with VfB Stuttgart.  Kyle Berckerman and Robbie Rogers will also be in Germany, but with Kaiserslautern.  And also according to that last link, U-23er Perry Kitchen will be at SC Freiburg.

Jurgen Klinsmann speaks and the players listen.

Staying with the USMNT….I tweeted this on Monday, but there are some rumors that the Camp Cupcake could be headed down to Panama for a game in January.  I also just read that a Galavision announcer said during the US-Slovenia game that the US will play Guatemala in Seattle as well as another unknown opponent at an unknown stadium during that same time period (possibly the Panama match?).  But these are just internet rumors at this point.

Some last few reads with the U-23 team.  Claudio Reyna talks about the youth program, Anthony Brooks gives us a recap of the recent camp in Germany and Conor Doyle also talks about some camp stuff.

Some other odds and ends.

Michael Parkhurst has signed a year extension with FC Nordsjælland.

Jose Torres is close to returning to the field after missing some time with an operation to his left foot.

And finally, CONCACAF has released the 2014 World Cup qualifying schedule.  The US starts things off on Friday, June 8, 2012 against Antigua & Barbuda (that is one team, not two teams, as that would be tough playing 11 vs. 22).

Still trying to catch up on some news over the last 24 hours then, BAM, US Soccer drops that Bob Bradley bomb on us.  That said, here are some links/news for stuff that has nothing to do with Bob Bradley, US Soccer, Jürgen Klinsmann or Steve Sampson.

David Yelldell has been named starting goalkeeper for Bayer Leverkusen with Rene Adler still recovering from his knee surgery.  There was some debate whether Yelldell or 21-year-old Fabian Giefer would get the nod, but Yelldell’s experience looks to have won out.

Staying with the goalkeeper theme, Brian Sciaretta recently talked to Josh Wicks about his first year in Finland with IFK Mariehamn.  The former DC United keeper has Mariehamn currently sitting in fifth place of the Finnish Veikkausliiga table.

Greg Seltzer has an interview up with Aalborg forward Chris Rolfe over at MLSsoccer.com.  Rolfe talks about playing with confidence after finally being injury-free.

The third qualifying round of Europa League kicked off this week and a few teams with Americans on them played today.  A Clint Dempsey-less Fulham drew its first leg against RNK Split, 0-0.  Jozy Altidore is still recovering from his hamstring strain, but AZ defeated Jablonec, 2-0, without his services.  And Clarence Goodson went the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Austrian side Ried.  Each team will have next week’s second leg to hopefully move onto the playoff round.

The UK’s Time and Star has a nice little feature on Frank Simek.

Conor Doyle received another start for Derby County in yesterday’s preseason friendly against Crewe Alexandra.  It should be interesting to see if Doyle gets more playing time this season.

And we have a Mike Grella sighting!  Grella made his first appearance of the summer for Leeds United in a preseason friendly against Bradford Park Avenue.

Another relatively slow news day, so here are a few teams that had some friendlies in the last 24 hours.

Brad Friedel made his Tottenham debut, going the distance in a 1-1 draw to South African champions Orlando Pirates in the second game of the 2011 Vodacom Challenge at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit.  Here are some highlights from the friendly.

Maurice Edu played 60 minutes for Rangers in a 2-0 victory over Blackpool.

Frank Simek got the start and just played the first half in Carlisle United’s 2-1 loss to Morecambe.

Conor Doyle came on as a sub in the 65th minute of Derby County’s 2-2 draw to Macclesfield Town.

And Sacha Kljestan is back in Belgium training with Anderlecht again.

Derby County unveiled their away kits for this upcoming season, so Conor Doyle will be wearing this in games away from Pride Park Stadium in 2011-12.

It is alright, but I think I like their home kits better.