Americans Abroad: Beasley, Gomez enjoy resurgent season in Mexico

The renaissance months for DaMarcus Beasley and Herculez Gomez have come to an abrupt halt.

Both in-form players had their clubs fall short of qualifying for the Mexican Apertura Liguilla -- the country's eight-team playoff tournament -- meaning that for the next two months the pair of resurgent 29-year-old Americans will be out of commission.

For Beasley, he at least has the upcoming U.S. national team matches against France and Slovenia to look forward to before figuring out his immediate plans. Gomez, meanwhile, was passed over again by Jurgen Klinsmann despite his recent run of goal-scoring form and will have to find other ways to stay sharp until the first weekend in January when the Torneo Clausura begins.

Despite their clubs not making it to the playoffs, Beasley and Gomez both had their respective summer transfer moves pay off from a personal standpoint. Beasley took a risk by uprooting his club career and moving to Mexico, but after months and months of stagnation and toiling away on the bench in Europe, he got the playing time and rhythm necessary at Puebla to recapture his form as a dangerous, speedy wing threat. Gomez came to life as both a reserve and starter at Estudiantes Tecos and finished the Apertura season with seven goals, four behind Toluca's Golden Boot winner Ivan Alonso.

While Beasley and Gomez were the top American performers out of the contingent competing in Mexico's top flight, the only ones to have their clubs reach the Apertura playoffs were Jose Francisco Torres' Pachuca, Jonathan Bornstein's Tigres UANL and Adrian Ruelas' Jaguares; however, Torres is out injured, and neither Bornstein nor Ruelas has featured all season and don't figure to play any role in the postseason.

Joining Beasley and Gomez on the outside of the playoff picture are Tijuana's Joe Corona, San Luis' Michael Orozco Fiscal, America's Edgar Castillo and Atlante's Sonny Guadarrama, who secured his first start and first goal in his club's season finale.

Corona didn't have much time to sulk about Tijuana's disappointment, as he headed off to the combined U.S. Under-23/Under-20 training camp that's currently being held in Germany for his first occasion in a U.S. kit. Orozco Fiscal also received a consolation prize after his team's elimination, as he will join Beasley for the senior national team's two November friendlies. Despite standing out mostly for the wrong reasons in his past U.S. showings during the Klinsmann era and having other candidates chomping at the bit, the center back earned a repeat call-up to try and prove his international worth yet again.

Aside from those finishing up their seasons in Mexico, here is how all of the Americans playing abroad -- highlighted by the goal-scoring Jozy Altidore and the ageless Brad Friedel -- fared over the past week (season statistics encompass all competitions):

Premier League

Clint Dempsey, M, Fulham -- Started, played 90 minutes in Fulham's 4-1 victory over Wisla Krakow in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. Dempsey also started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 3-1 loss to Tottenham in league play on Saturday. He was denied a goal on multiple close-range opportunities, with Friedel and midfielder Luka Modric playing spoiler and keeping Dempsey tied (for the time being) with Brian McBride for most Premier League goals by an American. SEASON: 17 games, 17 starts, 5 goals

Brad Friedel, GK, Tottenham -- Not in the 18 for Tottenham's 1-0 loss to Rubin Kazan in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made 13 saves in Tottenham's 3-1 victory over Fulham in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 10 games, 10 starts, 51 saves, 15 goals allowed, 2 clean sheets

Brad Guzan, GK, Aston Villa -- In the 18, did not play in Villa's 3-2 victory over Norwich City on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 3 saves, 0 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet

Marcus Hahnemann, GK, Everton -- Not in the 18 for Everton's 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Tim Howard, GK, Everton -- Started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton's 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 10 starts, 27 saves, 14 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet

Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa -- Not in the 18 for Villa's 3-2 victory over Norwich City on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 1 goal

Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City -- Not in the 18 for Norwich City's 3-2 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts

League Championship

Conor Doyle, F, Derby County -- In the 18, did not play in Derby County's 3-0 loss to Cardiff City on Tuesday. Doyle earned his first start of the season and played 64 minutes in Derby County's 3-2 loss to Peterborough United on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games, 1 start

Robbie Findley, F, Nottingham Forest -- Started, played 88 minutes in Nottingham Forest's 1-0 victory over Reading on Tuesday. Findley also started and came off in the 90th minute of Nottingham Forest's 3-0 loss to Portsmouth on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 8 starts, 4 goals

Jonathan Spector, M/D, Birmingham City -- Started, played 90 minutes in Birmingham's 2-2 draw with Club Brugge in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Spector also started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Birmingham's 1-0 loss to Reading in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 16 starts

League One

Mike Grella, F, Brentford -- In the 18, came on as an 86th-minute substitute in Brentford's 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 1 start

Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United -- Not in the 18 for Carlisle's 0-0 draw with Exeter City on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start

Anton Peterlin, M, Walsall -- Started, played 55 minutes in Walsall's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town on Saturday. SEASON: 15 games, 11 starts

League Two

Jemal Johnson, F, Southend United -- In the 18, did not play in Southend's 2-1 victory over Oxford United on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 2 starts

Jon-Paul Pittman, F, Crawley Town -- Not in the 18 for Crawley Town's 1-1 draw with Hereford United on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 1 start, 1 goal (7 games, 1 start with Oxford United)

Bundesliga

Terrance Boyd, F, Borussia Dortmund -- Not in the 18 for Dortmund's 5-1 victory over Wolfsburg on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Timmy Chandler, D, FC Nurnberg -- Started, played 90 minutes in Nurnberg's 2-1 loss to SC Freiburg on Saturday. SEASON: 14 games, 14 starts

Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 -- In the 18, did not play in Hannover's 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Cherundolo was also in the 18 but did not play in Hannover's 2-2 draw with FC Schalke 04 in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 12 games, 11 starts

Fabian Johnson, M/D, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim -- Started, played 90 minutes in Hoffenheim's 1-1 draw with Kaiserslautern on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 7 starts, 1 goal

Jermaine Jones, M, FC Schalke 04 -- Not in the 18 for Schalke's 0-0 draw with AEK Larnaca in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Jones started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Schalke's 2-2 draw with Hannover 96 in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 10 games, 6 starts

Alfredo Morales, D, Hertha Berlin -- Not in the 18 for Berlin's 2-1 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games

Daniel Williams, D, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim -- In the 18, came on as a 60th-minute substitute and picked up a yellow card in Hoffenheim's 1-1 draw with Kaiserslautern on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 6 starts (1 game, 1 start with SC Freiburg)

David Yelldell, GK, Bayer Leverkusen -- In the 18, did not play in Leverkusen's 3-1 loss to Valencia in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday and in Leverkusen's 2-2 draw with Hamburg SV in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 1 save, 4 goals allowed

2. Bundesliga

Edson Buddle, F, FC Ingolstadt 04 -- Started, played the first half of Ingolstadt's 3-2 loss to Karlsruhe on Friday. SEASON: 16 games, 9 starts, 6 goals

Ricardo Clark, M, Eintracht Frankfurt -- Not in the 18 for Frankfurt's 2-1 victory over Erzgebirge Aue on Monday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start

Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe -- Started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Karlsruhe's 3-2 victory over FC Ingolstadt 04 on Friday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts, 6 saves, 7 goals allowed

Matt Taylor, F, SC Paderborn 07 -- In the 18, came on as a 67th-minute substitute in Paderborn's 2-0 victory over Energie Cottbus on Sunday. SEASON: 11 games, 4 starts, 4 goals

Bobby Wood, F, 1860 Munich -- In the 18, did not play in Munich's 3-1 loss to VfL Bochum on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games

Serie A

Michael Bradley, M, Chievo Verona -- Started, played 90 minutes in Chievo's 1-0 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday. SEASON: 9 games, 8 starts

Ligue 1

Quentin Westberg, GK, Evian Thonon Gaillard -- Not in the 18 for Evian's 1-1 draw with Lille on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts, 8 saves, 3 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet

Eredivisie

Jozy Altidore, F, AZ Alkmaar -- Started, played 86 minutes in AZ's 2-2 draw with Austria Wien in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Altidore also started, played 86 minutes and scored the final goal of AZ's 3-0 victory over ADO Den Haag in league play on Sunday. Altidore worked a give-and-go with a teammate and showed quick instincts inside the box to take a touch to round the on-charging goalkeeper before finishing into an empty net. He marked his 22nd birthday with his eighth goal in all competitions, but his first in a league game since Aug. 21. SEASON: 19 games, 15 starts, 8 goals

Primeira Liga

Oguchi Onyewu, D, Sporting Lisbon -- In the 18, did not play in Sporting's 1-0 loss to FC Vaslui in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Onyewu was not in the 18 for Sporting's 3-1 victory over Uniao Leiria in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 8 games, 8 starts, 1 goal

Jupiler League

Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht -- Started, played 90 minutes and assisted on the final goal in Anderlecht's 3-0 victory over SK Sturm Graz in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday. Kljestan sliced a well-placed through ball down the center to feed Tom de Sutter for the breakaway goal. Kljestan also started and played 90 minutes in Anderlecht's 1-0 loss to Cercle Brugge in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 18 games, 18 starts, 2 goals

Premier League

Alejandro Bedoya, M, Rangers FC -- In the 18, came on as a 74th-minute substitute in Rangers' 3-1 victory over Dundee United on Saturday. SEASON: 22 games, 17 starts, 4 goals (16 games, 15 starts, 4 goals with Orebro SK)

Carlos Bocanegra, D, Rangers FC -- Started, played 90 minutes in Rangers' 3-1 victory over Dundee United on Saturday. SEASON: 14 games, 14 starts, 2 goals (1 game, 1 start with St. Etienne)

Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC -- Started, played 90 minutes in Rangers' 3-1 victory over Dundee United on Saturday. SEASON: 17 games, 17 starts, 2 goals

First Division

Dominic Cervi, GK, Greenock Morton -- Started, played 90 minutes, made seven saves and earned the clean sheet in Morton's 1-0 victory over Ayr United on Saturday. The 25-year-old Cervi, third in the pecking order at Celtic FC, secured a much-needed loan to Morton through the end of 2011, where he'll get legitimate playing time on the club level for the first time after floundering on the bench at Celtic. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 7 saves, 0 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet

Primera Division

DaMarcus Beasley, M, Puebla -- Started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Puebla's season-ending, 1-0 loss to Tigres UANL on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 16 starts, 2 goals Jonathan Bornstein, D, Tigres UANL -- Not in the 18 for Tigres' 1-0 victory over Puebla on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games

Edgar Castillo, D, Club America -- Not in the 18 for America's season-ending, 3-1 loss to Cruz Azul on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 5 starts

Joe Corona, F, Tijuana -- Started, played 54 minutes in Tijuana's season-ending, 1-1 draw with Pumas UNAM on Sunday. SEASON: 13 games, 8 starts, 2 goals

Michael Orozco Fiscal, D, San Luis -- Started, played 90 minutes in San Luis' season-ending, 5-1 victory over Toluca on Saturday. SEASON: 12 games, 11 starts

Herculez Gomez, F, Estudiantes Tecos -- Started, played 64 minutes in Tecos' season-ending, 3-0 loss to Queretaro on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 9 starts, 7 goals

Sonny Guadarrama, M, Atlante -- Started, played 88 minutes and scored a goal in Atlante's season-ending, 3-2 loss to Monterrey on Saturday. Guardarrama was in the right spot to volley home a rebound of a free kick from a couple of yards out to cut Atlante's deficit to 2-1 in the 71st minute. SEASON: 3 games, 1 start, 1 goal

Adrian Ruelas, F, Jaguares -- Not in the 18 for Jaguares' 1-0 loss to Morelia on Friday. SEASON: 0 games

Superliga

Clarence Goodson, D, Brondby IF -- Started, played 90 minutes in Brondby's 0-0 draw with Odense BK on Sunday. SEASON: 18 games, 18 starts

Conor O'Brien, M, Sonderjyske -- In the 18, came on as a 66th-minute substitute in Sonderjyske's 1-1 draw with AGF Aarhus on Monday. SEASON: 14 games, 7 starts, 2 goals

Michael Parkhurst, D, FC Nordsjaelland -- Started, played 90 minutes in Nordsjaelland's 2-0 victory over HB Koge on Sunday. SEASON: 19 games, 19 starts

Chris Rolfe, F, Aalborg BK -- Started, played 90 minutes in Aalborg's 2-0 victory over Horsens on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 14 starts, 4 goals

Brad Rusin, D, HB Koge -- Started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Koge's 2-0 loss to FC Nordsjaelland on Sunday. SEASON: 12 games, 10 starts, 2 goals

Tippeligaen

Sean Cunningham and Josh Gatt (Molde FK) and Mikkel Diskerud (Stabaek) did not have matches this past week and are all off until Nov. 20. All three were called into the United States' combined Under-23 and Under-20 camp, where they'll be among the 37 players looking to leave a lasting impression ahead of this coming spring's Olympic qualifying matches. Gatt will be present at the camp, but he won't participate on the field, according to U.S. Soccer, because of a lingering hamstring injury.