European wrap-up

November 5, 7:28 PMSoccer ExaminerNicholas Richards

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With the Europa League now done for the day, let's take a look back at the week that was in European foosball, including a quick look at Americans in Europe (and trust me, with all the injuries the US player pool has sustained, it will be a short look).

After all of the injuries in the last two or so weeks, the US finally got some good news with the play of Clint Dempsey. After missing much of the early portion of the season for Fulham, Dempsey has come on strong in recent weeks, scoring the clincher against Liverpool in Fulham's 3-1 upset that sunk Liverpool further down the Premier League table (more on them shortly). The goal and his performance against the Reds landed Dempsey on Soccernet's Team of the Week.

The time off looks to have reinvigorated Dempsey, who was criticized heavily for his lackluster play at times with the National team over the summer in the Confederations Cup. It's only good news for the US, as they'll be looking for more scoring punch with Charlie Davies on the shelf.

Liverpool saw their season sink in the last 24 hours. After the loss to the Cottagers over the weekend, the Reds turned to Champions League play and needed a win over Lyon to keep their season on track in European play (and maybe keep Rafa employed). A stoppage time goal left the game at 1-1 and gave just one point to the Reds, and with Fiorentina's win, the Reds are facing a massive fight to move onto the knockout rounds with just two games remaining in group play. Fiorentina plays Lyon in Matchday 5, and if they beat Lyon, Liverpool will fall out of the Champions League, a near-disaster for that club.

Adding insult to injury was the news on Soccernet that Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, the undoubted catalysts for the Liverpool side, was the strong possibility that both players will require surgery. Without them, Liverpool can begin the search for a new manager. The rest of the side, especially after the loss of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid over the summer, is nothing special. It's a sale that "devastated" Steven Gerrard. It's an ordinary side that is sliding down the table. It's safe to say that the title race will come down to current leaders Chelsea, defending champions Manchester United, and Arsenal. Liverpool will have to duke it out for fourth with the way things stand now.

Manchester United sealed their spot in the qualifying round with their amazing come-from-behind draw with CSKA Moscow, earning a point with a 3-3 scoreline. The game showed just how important Wayne Rooney is to the United cause. He sparked United's comeback to grab the point. Without him, United will not go far this season. They face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend in a massively important game. United have not played well against the other Big 4 clubs of late, and this would be a big result for United if they grabbed all 3 points. Check back here Saturday for updates on the progress in London.

In the Europa League, Everton were again blasted by Benfica, 2-0, at Goodison Park. That comes on the heels of Benfica's 5-0 triumph in their last meeting. They sit in second in Group I, predictably behind Benfica. Fulham (coming full circle now) also had a tough night in Europa. They led at Roma at half on the back of a penalty, but ended up falling 2-1 in Rome.