Americans Abroad: Torres, Gomez fall in Mexican League playoffs

Fortunately most United States soccer fans had their eyes on MLS Cup this past week, because there wasn't a whole host of memorable moments involving the Americans playing abroad.

Let's start in Mexico, where the four Americans remaining in the Apertura playoffs all had their championship hopes dashed. Pachuca and its triumvirate of Jose Francisco Torres, Herculez Gomez and Marco Vidal were eliminated despite playing Monterrey to a thrilling 4-4 aggregate draw over the course of their two-legged tie. Per Mexican soccer rules, though, away goals aren't taken into account, and Monterrey advanced with the draw by virtue of being the higher seed.

San Luis' Edgar Castillo, who earned his first two starts of the season this past week, faced a similar fate, as his team was dropped by Club America, 4-1, in their two-legged series.

Over in Denmark, AGF Aarhus' Benny Feilhaber drew a penalty at the death with his team down a goal, only to have his ensuing penalty kick saved. Despite the loss, Aarhus is still in good shape in the race for promotion, as it is still atop the table, seven points clear of third place in Denmark's First Division through 16 games.

Aside from some of the negatives, there were a couple of performances notable for the right reasons. The two goal-scoring stalwarts in the lower divisions of Europe kept up their respective runs of form as Carlisle United's Mike Grella and Rot Weiss Ahlen's Matt Taylor each found the net over the weekend.

Here's how they and the rest of the Americans Abroad fared over the past week (season statistics encompass all competitions):

Premier League

Clint Dempsey, M/F, Fulham - Started, played 90 minutes in Fulham's 4-1 loss to Manchester City on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 13 starts, 5 goals

Brad Friedel, GK, Aston Villa - Started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Villa's 2-0 loss to his former club, Blackburn, on Sunday. SEASON: 15 games, 15 starts, 55 saves, 21 goals allowed, 4 clean sheets

Brad Guzan, GK, Aston Villa - In the 18-man gameday roster, did not play in Villa's 2-0 loss to Blackburn on Sunday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts, 12 saves, 5 goals allowed .

Marcus Hahnemann, GK, Wolverhampton - Started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Wolves' 2-1 loss to Blackpool on Saturday. SEASON: 14 games, 14 starts, 45 saves, 25 goals allowed

Stuart Holden, M, Bolton - Started, played 90 minutes in Bolton's 5-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday. SEASON: 14 games, 13 starts, 1 goal

Tim Howard, GK, Everton - Started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton's 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Monday. SEASON: 14 games, 14 starts, 33 saves, 15 goals allowed, 4 clean sheets

Eddie Johnson, F, Fulham - Not in the 18 for Fulham's 4-1 loss to Manchester City on Sunday. SEASON: 7 games, 1 start

Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa - In the 18, did not play in Villa's 2-0 loss to Blackburn on Sunday. SEASON: 5 games, 3 starts

Jonathan Spector, D, West Ham - In the 18, did not play in West Ham's 3-0 loss to Liverpool on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts

Championship

Conor Doyle, F, Derby County - In the 18, did not play in Derby County's 3-2 victory over Scunthorpe United on Saturday. SEASON: 8 games, 2 starts

Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City - Not in the 18 for Norwich City's 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

League One

Mike Grella, F, Carlisle United - Started, played 90 minutes and scored a goal in the 26th minute of Carlisle's 2-1 loss to Walsall on Saturday. Grella followed a saved shot by fellow American Frank Simek and fired home a 12-yard blast to open the scoring. SEASON: 8 games, 5 starts, 3 goals

Jemal Johnson, M, Milton Keynes Dons - Started, played 71 minutes in Milton Keynes Dons' 1-1 (7-6 on penalties) loss to Stevenage in the replay of their FA Cup first-round tie on Tuesday. Johnson was in the 18 and came on as a 73rd-minute substitute in Milton Keynes Dons' 4-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 14 games, 5 starts, 1 goal

Anton Peterlin, M, Plymouth Argyle - Not in the 18 for Plymouth Argyle's 2-1 loss to Brentford on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts

Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United - Started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Carlisle's 2-1 loss to Walsall on Saturday. SEASON: 19 games, 19 starts

La Liga

Jozy Altidore, F, Villarreal - In the 18, did not play in Villarreal's 1-1 draw with Valencia on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 6 starts, 2 goals

Serie A

Oguchi Onyewu, D, AC Milan - Not in the 18 for Milan's 1-0 victory over Fiorentina on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Bundesliga

DaMarcus Beasley, M, Hannover 96 - In the 18, did not play in Hannover's 3-2 victory over Hamburg SV on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games

Michael Bradley, M, Borussia Monchengladbach - Started, played 89 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Monchengladbach's 3-2 loss to Mainz 05 on Saturday. SEASON: 15 games, 15 starts, 3 goals

Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 - Not in the 18 for Hannover's 3-2 victory over Hamburg SV on Saturday. Cherundolo was suspended after receiving two yellow cards and being sent off in his previous match. SEASON: 13 games, 13 starts

Ricardo Clark, M, Eintracht Frankfurt - In the 18, did not play in Frankfurt's 4-0 loss to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games

Jermaine Jones, M, FC Schalke 04 - Not in the 18 for Schalke's 4-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday. SEASON: 14 games, 13 starts, 1 goal

Daniel Williams, D, SC Freiburg - In the 18, did not play in Freiburg's 2-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 2 starts

2. Bundesliga

Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe SC - Started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Karlsruhe's 3-1 loss to FC Augsburg on Sunday. SEASON: 7 games, 7 starts, 27 saves, 14 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet

Dave Yelldell, GK, MSV Duisburg - Started, played 90 minutes and made three saves, in Duisburg's 2-2 draw with Energie Cottbus on Monday. SEASON: 15 games, 15 starts, 39 saves, 12 goals allowed, 6 clean sheets

3. Liga

Matt Taylor, F, Rot Weiss Ahlen - Started, played 90 minutes and scored a 77th-minute goal in Rot Weiss Ahlen's 4-2 victory over Aalen on Sunday. SEASON: 10 games, 10 starts, 7 goals

Ligue 1

Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne - Started, played 90 minutes in St. Etienne's 1-1 draw with AJ Auxerre on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 10 starts

Charlie Davies, F, FC Sochaux - Not in the 18 for Sochaux's 2-0 victory over Lorient on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Eerste Klasse

Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht - In the 18, came on as a 25th-minute substitute in Anderlecht's 1-0 victory over Germinal Beerschot on Saturday. SEASON: 14 starts, 11 games, 3 goals

Liga de Honra

Bryan Arguez, M, G.D. Estoril Praia - Estoril did not have a game this past week. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start

Greg Garza, D, G.D. Estoril Praia - Estoril did not have a game this past week. SEASON: 0 games

Tony Taylor, F, G.D. Estoril Praia - Estoril did not have a game this past week. SEASON: 10 games, 2 starts, 3 goals

Premier League

Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC - Not in the 18 for Celtic's 1-1 draw with Dundee United on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC - Not in the 18 for Rangers' 3-2 victory over Kilmarnock on Saturday. Edu is still nursing a minor knee injury and is expected to be out for at least another week. SEASON: 17 games, 15 starts, 2 goals

Super League

Freddy Adu, F, Aris Salonika - Not in the 18 for Aris' 2-0 victory over Kerkyra on Sunday. Adu was on a trial with Denmark Superliga club Randers FC over the past week, and he played in a reserve game with the club on Monday as he desperately seeks a move to rejuvenate his career. SEASON: 0 games

Primera Division

Edgar Castillo, D, San Luis - Started, played 89 minutes in San Luis' 0-0 draw with America in the first leg of their playoff series on Wednesday. Castillo also started and played 45 minutes in San Luis' 4-1 loss to America in the second leg of their series on Saturday. America advanced to the liguilla semifinals, while San Luis' season is over until the Clausura begins in January. SEASON: 11 games, 2 starts, 1 goal

Herculez Gomez, F, Pachuca - In the 18, came on as a 61st-minute substitute and picked up a yellow card in Pachuca's 1-1 draw with Monterrey in the first leg of their playoff series on Thursday. Gomez was also in the 18 and came on as a 58th-minute substitute in Pachuca's 3-3 draw with Monterrey in the second leg of their series on Sunday. Despite tying on aggregate, Pachuca was eliminated from the playoffs because Monterrey was the higher-seeded team. SEASON: 14 games, 1 goal

Jose Francisco Torres, M, Pachuca - Started, played 90 minutes in Pachuca's 1-1 draw with Monterrey in the first leg of their playoff series on Thursday. Torres also started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Pachuca's 3-3 draw with Monterrey in the second leg of their series on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 11 starts

Marco Vidal, M, Pachuca - Not in the 18 for Pachuca's 1-1 draw with Monterrey in the first leg of their playoff series on Thursday or for Pachuca's 3-3 draw with Monterrey in the second leg of their series on Sunday. SEASON: 10 games, 7 starts

Primera Division

Michael Hoyos, M, Estudiantes La Plata - Started, played 45 minutes in Estudiantes' 2-0 victory over Huracan on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 6 starts, 1 goal

Superliga

Michael Parkhurst, D, FC Nordsjaelland - Started, played 90 minutes in Nordsjaelland's 2-1 loss to FC Copenhagen on Sunday. SEASON: 15 games, 14 starts

Chris Rolfe, F, Aalborg BK - Not in the 18 for Aalborg's 2-1 loss to Brondby on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games

Danish First Division

Benny Feilhaber, M, AGF Aarhus - Started, played 90 minutes, picked up a yellow card and draw a late penalty but had his spot kick saved in Aarhus' 1-0 loss to Bronshoj on Sunday. SEASON: 19 games, 18 starts, 7 goals

Avi Creditor is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.