Several Americans in danger of relegation in EPL

Article by Mark Johnson from The Dallas Morning News

Imagine how much more exciting those hot August nights in Arlington would be if the Texas Rangers were ever in danger of being demoted to Triple-A.  Tom Hicks doesn't have to worry about relegation for his Rangers, his Dallas Stars or even his Liverpool FC, which has remained afloat in England's top division since 1962. But the threat of being dropped to a lower league makes life a lot more interesting for teams that otherwise would be playing out the string.

In England, the victims this season could include nine of the 12 Americans who regularly suit up for Premier League clubs.  Last-place Derby County is nearly certain to be one of the three Premier League teams making the drop. The Rams have only one win and 10 points to show for 28 games, leaving them 15 points from 17th place and safety. That's bad news for American midfielders Eddie Lewis and Benny Feilhaber, who would have to change teams to avoid spending next season in the League Championship – England's second division.

With 10 games remaining, the other two relegation spots are occupied by Fulham (19 points) and Reading (25). Fulham, which has one win since Nov. 3, employs Americans Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Brian McBride, Kasey Keller and Carlos Bocanegra. Reading's roster includes Bobby Convey and goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who shut out Middlesbrough on Saturday as the club snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Dempsey, who grew up in Nacogdoches, Texas, scored the goal that gave Fulham a season-ending win last spring and kept the London club in the Premier League. The Cottagers' top scorer this season and arguably their best player, Dempsey predicted last week that his team will again find a way to avoid relegation. But he was mysteriously left off the roster for Saturday's 3-0 home loss to Manchester United.

Having opened a six-point gap on Fulham, Reading is close to climbing out of the danger zone. The Royals are tied on points with 17th-place Bolton (but have a worse goals differential) and are only four points behind 12th-place Middlesbrough. Also, like Fulham, Reading has a game left at hapless Derby.

But as it stands now, only three Americans are positioned to avoid relegation: Tim Howard, who starts in goal for fourth-place Everton and the U.S. national team; World Cup veteran Brad Friedel, whose stellar goalkeeping helped Blackburn hold off Newcastle, 1-0, on Saturday; and Jonathan Spector, a 22-year-old defender for West Ham.