3. AMERICANS ABROAD: McBride scores in loss; Watford looks doomed

• by Soccer America , Feb 26, 2007

Brian McBride scored his 9th goal of the season, but Fulham fell, 2-1, to Manchester United, for which Cristiano Ronaldo's scored the late gamewinner. McBride played 79 minutes, Carlos Bocanegra went the distance in central defense; and Clint Dempsey, a 71st minute sub, was one of the Cottagers Ronaldo evaded on the way to scoring his 16th goal of the season.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard and Everton celebrated a 3-0 win over Watford, for which Jay DeMerit caused a penalty kick that was converted. Watford is in last place, 10 points deep in the relegation zone. Another EPL newcomer, Reading (Marcus Hahnemann, 90 min.) stayed in sixth place despite a 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough.

Brad Friedel and Blackburn Rovers celebrated a 3-0 win over Portsmouth. Oguchi Onyewu's foul led to the free kick that gave Wigan a 1-0 win over Newcastle.

In second-tier English play, Eddie Lewis went the full 90 as Leeds fell, 1-0, to Wolverhampton. Leeds is in last place, four points deep in the relegation zone.

Steve Cherundolo went the full 90 at right back as Hannover 96 downed Borussia Dortmund, 4-2, to hold on to seventh place and remain in the race for a UEFA Cup spot.

Hamburg SV's 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt moved it out of the relegation zone, but HSV's American Benny Feilhaber is back with the club's reserve team, which beat VfB Luebeck, 4-1, as American Preston Zimmermann notched a goal in the third division game.

Relegation-threatened Borussia Moenchengladbach and Kasey Keller picked up a valuable point in a 2-2 tie with third-place Werder Bremen. But Gladbach is still in last place, three points inside the drop zone.

In the German Second Division, Munich 1860's American duo Josh Wolff and Gregg Berhalter had forgettable outings in a 3-1 loss to Carl Zeiss Jena. Berhalter, who received a yellow card, earned Kicker Magazine's second-lowest rating (5), while Wolff faired even worse with a rock bottom 6 rating.

In the Netherlands, Michael Bradley was a 57th minute sub for Heerenveen in its 1-0 loss to Roda JC.