Americans Abroad: Goodson on the move; Holden shines at Bolton
Clarence Goodson is taking his talents to the western outskirts of Copenhagen.
After three years in Norway with IK Start, Goodson signed a three-year deal with Denmark-based Brondby IF last week, giving the 28-year-old center back a greater chance to experience elite European competition for the first time next summer.
Start finished midtable in the Norwegian Tippeligaen after wrapping up its 2010 campaign with a 3-3 draw with Haugesund over the weekend. Brondby, a traditional power in Denmark, currently sits in third place in the Danish Superliga as the team nears the midway point of its season. The top two finishers in the Superliga are entered into UEFA Champions League qualifying, and the third- and fourth-place teams clinch spots in the UEFA Europa League.
Goodson will have a little less than two months off before accompanying his new team after the Superliga transfer window opens in January. At that point, Brondby will be in its midseason break with a game against each of the 11 other Superliga teams remaining on its schedule.
The Virginia native has some other traveling to do before he officially joins his new teammates, though.
According to his soon-to-be-former club's website, Goodson will be part of Bob Bradley's roster for the U.S.' friendly against South Africa in Cape Town on Nov. 17. Goodson, who was on the U.S. ' World Cup roster but did not feature in the tournament, was also a part of the U.S.' three post-World Cup friendlies. He appeared as a substitute against Brazil, did not make it off the bench against Poland and started against Colombia.
Here's how Goodson and the rest of the Americans playing abroad fared over the past week (season statistics encompass all competitions):
ENGLAND
Premier League
Clint Dempsey, M/F, Fulham -- Started, played 90 minutes in Fulham's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. SEASON: 13 games, 10 starts, 5 goals
Brad Friedel, GK, Aston Villa -- Started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Villa's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 12 games, 12 starts, 50 saves, 15 goals allowed, 4 clean sheets
Brad Guzan, GK, Aston Villa -- In the 18-man Gameday roster, did not play in Villa's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts, 12 saves, 5 goals allowed
Marcus Hahnemann, GK, Wolverhampton -- Started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Wolves' 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Saturday. SEASON: 11 games, 11 starts, 37 saves, 18 goals allowed
Stuart Holden, M, Bolton -- Started, played 90 minutes in Bolton's 4-2 victory over Tottenham on Saturday. Holden also made a game-saving tackle in second-half stoppage time, preventing William Gallas from having a clean breakaway after a flicked-on header seemed to put the Tottenham player in on goal with Bolton nursing a 3-2 lead at the time. SEASON: 12 games, 11 starts
Tim Howard, GK, Everton -- Started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton's 2-2 draw with Blackpool on Saturday. SEASON: 11 games, 11 starts, 26 saves, 10 goals allowed, 4 clean sheets
Eddie Johnson, F, Fulham -- In the 18, did not play in Fulham's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. SEASON: 6 games, 1 start
Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa -- In the 18, did not play in Villa's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts
Jonathan Spector, D, West Ham -- Not in the 18 for West Ham's 2-2 draw with Birmingham on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Championship
Conor Doyle, F, Derby County -- In the 18, came on as a 90th-minute substitute in Derby County's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 2 starts
Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City -- Not in the 18 for Norwich City's 2-2 draw with Burnley on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
League One
Mike Grella, F, Carlisle United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday. Grella was not in the 18 for Carlisle's 6-0 victory over Tipton Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. He wasn't permitted to play by parent club Leeds United in order to protect him from being cup-tied to Carlisle. The News & Star (UK) has reported that Carlisle manager Greg Abbott is hoping to extend Grella's current loan deal. SEASON: 6 games, 3 starts, 2 goals
Jemal Johnson, M, Milton Keynes Dons -- Started, played 69 minutes and scored a 50th-minute goal in Milton Keynes Dons' 3-2 victory over Yeovil Town on Tuesday. Johnson was in the 18 and came on as a 68th-minute substitute in Milton Keynes Dons' 0-0 draw with Stevenage in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The two sides will be forced to replay their first-round match next week to determine who advances. SEASON: 12 games, 4 starts, 1 goal
Anton Peterlin, M, Plymouth Argyle -- Not in the 18 for Plymouth Argyle's 3-1 victory over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday. Peterlin started and played 90 minutes in Plymouth Argyle's 4-0 loss to Swindon Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts
Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday. Simek also started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 6-0 victory over Tipton Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. SEASON: 17 games, 17 starts
SPAIN
La Liga
Jozy Altidore, F, Villarreal -- Started, played 61 minutes in Villarreal's 1-0 loss to PAOK Salonika in their UEFA Europa League group stage match on Thursday. Altidore was in the 18 but did not play in Villarreal's 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 8 games, 5 starts, 1 goal
ITALY
Serie A
Oguchi Onyewu, D, AC Milan -- Not on the UEFA Champions League roster for Milan, which played Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in their group stage match on Wednesday. Onyewu, who was rumored to be involved in an altercation with teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic during a training session during the week, was also not in the 18 for Milan's 3-2 victory over Bari in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games
GERMANY
Bundesliga
DaMarcus Beasley, M, Hannover 96 -- In the 18, came on as a 57th-minute substitute in Hannover's 4-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. SEASON: 3 games
Michael Bradley, M, Borussia Monchengladbach -- Started, played 90 minutes in Monchengladbach's 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich on Saturday. SEASON: 13 games, 13 starts, 2 goals
Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 -- Started, played 90 minutes in Hannover's 4-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. SEASON: 12 games, 12 starts
Ricardo Clark, M, Eintracht Frankfurt -- In the 18, did not play in Frankfurt's 3-1 victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games
Jermaine Jones, M, FC Schalke 04 -- Not in the 18 for Schalke's 0-0 draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv in their UEFA Champions League group stage match on Tuesday. Jones returned from a two-game absence (ankle injury) and started, played 81 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Schalke's 3-0 victory over St. Pauli in league play on Friday. SEASON: 13 games, 12 starts, 1 goal
Daniel Williams, D, SC Freiburg -- Started, played 90 minutes in Freiburg's 1-0 victory over Mainz 05 on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 2 starts
2. Bundesliga
Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe SC -- Started, played 90 minutes, made two saves and earned the clean sheet in Karlsruhe's 0-0 draw with VfL Osnabruck on Monday. SEASON: 5 games, 5 starts, 20 saves, 10 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet
Dave Yelldell, GK, MSV Duisburg -- Started, played 90 minutes, made five saves and earned the clean sheet in Duisburg's 2-0 victory over SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday. SEASON: 13 games, 13 starts, 31 saves, 8 goals allowed, 6 clean sheets
3. Liga
Matt Taylor, F, Rot Weiss Ahlen -- Started, played 90 minutes and scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute of Rot Weiss Ahlen's 2-1 victory over Jahn Regensburg on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 9 starts, 6 goals
FRANCE
Ligue 1
Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne -- Not in the 18 (due to injury) for St. Etienne's 2-1 loss to Lorient on Saturday. If the initial timetable for Bocanegra's return from injury is accurate, he should be back in the lineup next week. SEASON: 8 games, 8 starts
Charlie Davies, F, FC Sochaux -- Not in the 18 for Sochaux's 1-1 draw with AJ Auxerre on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
BELGIUM
Eerste Klasse
Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht -- Started, played 90 minutes in Anderlecht's 1-1 draw with AEK Athens in the UEFA Europa League group stage match on Thursday. Kljestan also started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Anderlecht's 2-2 draw with Club Brugge in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 11 games, 10 starts, 3 goals
PORTUGAL
Liga de Honra
Bryan Arguez, M, G.D. Estoril Praia -- Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-0 victory over Desportivo Aves on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Greg Garza, D, G.D. Estoril Praia -- Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-0 victory over Desportivo Aves on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Tony Taylor, F, G.D. Estoril Praia -- In the 18, came on as a 67th-minute substitute and picked up a yellow card in Estoril's 2-0 victory over Desportivo Aves on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 2 starts 3 goals
SCOTLAND
Premier League
Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC -- Not in the 18 for Celtic's 9-0 victory over Aberdeen on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC -- Started, played 84 minutes in Rangers' 3-0 loss to Valencia in their UEFA Champions League group stage match on Tuesday. Edu also started and played 90 minutes in Rangers' 3-1 victory over St. Mirren in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 14 starts, 2 goals
GREECE
Super League
Freddy Adu, F, Aris Salonika -- Not on the UEFA Europa League roster for Aris, which dropped a 1-0 result to Bayer Leverkusen in their group stage match on Thursday. Adu was also not in the 18 for Aris' 1-1 draw with Larissa in league play on Monday. SEASON: 0 games
MEXICO
Primera Division
Edgar Castillo, D, San Luis -- In the 18, came on as an 89th-minute substitute in San Luis' 1-1 draw with Santos Laguna on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 1 goal
Herculez Gomez, F, Pachuca -- In the 18, came on as a 77th-minute substitute in Pachuca's 2-1 victory over Queretaro on Sunday. SEASON: 12 games, 1 goal
Sammy Ochoa, F, Estudiantes Tecos -- In the 18, did not play in Tecos' 4-2 victory over Toluca on Friday. SEASON: 13 games, 6 starts, 2 goals
Jose Francisco Torres, M, Pachuca -- Started, played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 2-1 victory over Queretaro on Sunday. SEASON: 13 games, 8 starts
Marco Vidal, M, Pachuca -- In the 18, did not play in Pachuca's 2-1 victory over Queretaro on Sunday. SEASON: 9 games, 7 starts
ARGENTINA
Primera Division
Michael Hoyos, M, Estudiantes La Plata -- Started, played 90 minutes and scored a 63rd-minute goal in Estudiantes' 3-0 victory over Lanus on Friday. SEASON: 8 games, 4 starts, 1 goal
DENMARK
Superliga
Michael Parkhurst, D, FC Nordsjaelland -- In the 18, did not play in Nordsjaelland's 1-0 loss to Silkeborg on Sunday. SEASON: 12 games, 11 starts
Chris Rolfe, F, Aalborg BK -- Not in the 18 for Aalborg's 1-1 draw with Esbjerg on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Danish First Division
Benny Feilhaber, M, AGF Aarhus -- Started, played 90 minutes in Aarhus' 3-0 victory over Fredericia on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 15 starts, 6 goals
SWEDEN
Allsvenskanliga
Alejandro Bedoya, M, Orebro SK -- Started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Orebro's 1-0 loss to Trelleborg in their season finale on Sunday. Orebro finished in third place, clinching a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifying round next summer. SEASON: 26 games, 26 starts, 2 goals
NORWAY
Tippeligaen
Mikkel Diskerud, M, Stabaek IF -- Started, played 90 minutes in Stabaek's 1-0 loss to Molde in their season finale on Sunday. Stabaek finished in 12th place out of 16 teams but secured a spot in Norway's top flight for next season. SEASON: 30 games, 29 starts, 4 goals
Hunter Freeman, D, IK Start -- Not in the 18 for Start's 3-3 draw with Haugesund in their season finale on Sunday. Start finished in eighth place in the league table. SEASON: 24 games, 24 starts, 1 goal
Clarence Goodson, D, IK Start -- Started, played 90 minutes in Start's 3-3 draw with Haugesund on Sunday. It was the last game with Start for Goodson, who signed a three-year deal with Denmark's Brøndby IF last week. He'll join his new team in January. SEASON: 26 games, 26 starts, 3 goals