Yanks face relegation

There is a match of considerable importance to American soccer fans this Sunday in Portsmouth, England. Fulham will be playing on the road there, and probably requires a victory over the eighth-placed side to avoid relegation and to remain in the Premier League next season. Fulham has five U.S. players on its roster, and figures to start three of them - captain and striker Brian McBride, attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey and goalkeeper Casey Keller. Defender Carlos Bocanegra has been coming off the bench, while forward Eddie Johnson sees only spot duty. If Fulham falls beneath either Reading or Birmingham in the standings, it will go down a division, lose millions of dollars, and this happy band of Americans will likely be disassembled. Just two weeks ago, Fulham’s bid to remain in the Premier League appeared hopeless. Two victories later (McBride scored the winner last Saturday to beat Birmingham), the team has a real shot. For a nation trying to show it can export its best soccer ... (link)