Carlisle's Simek lifts some silverware, more Americans Abroad

Frank Simek is buried on the United States depth chart at right back. The emergence of Eric Lichaj and Timmy Chandler combined with the presence of veterans Steve Cherundolo and Jonathan Spector mean that Simek's chances of another call-up to the national team, for which he has appeared five times, are pretty slim.

Simek, though, boasts something that no other U.S. right back playing abroad has this season: Silverware.

Simek's Carlisle United captured the Football League Trophy over the weekend, defeating Brentford, 1-0, at legendary Wembley Stadium in London. Carlisle won the annual knockout competition involving the teams in England's League One and League Two for the second time in club history after falling short in the final last season. Simek did his part to help the team lift the trophy by shutting down Brentford's dangerous winger, Myles Weston.

As usual, Simek went the distance in the Cumbrians' victory as well. He joined Carlisle from Sheffield Wednesday during the summer transfer window and has been a fixture in manager Greg Abbott's lineup ever since. The 26-year-old St. Louis native has been an iron man for Carlisle this season, playing every minute of every match in every competition thus far.

In addition to Simek's title-winning exploits, Josh Gatt made his first start and second appearance for Norway's Molde, and Alejandro Bedoya opened his new season at Orebro with a 90-minute shift in a winning effort in what was otherwise a quiet week for Americans playing abroad.

Here's how all of them -- save for the few that are away from their clubs on international duty for the U-20 CONCACAF championships -- fared over the past week (statistics encompass all competitions):

Premier League

Michael Bradley, M, Aston Villa -- Not in the 18 for Villa's 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 start 0 goals (22 games, 17 starts, 4 goals with Borussia M'gladbach)

Clint Dempsey, M/F, Fulham -- Started, played 90 minutes in Fulham's 3-0 victory over Blackpool on Sunday. SEASON: 36 games, 33 starts, 11 goals

Brad Friedel, GK, Aston Villa -- Started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Villa's 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday. SEASON: 35 games, 35 starts, 109 saves, 56 goals allowed, 5 clean sheets

Marcus Hahnemann, GK, Wolverhampton -- In the 18, did not play in Wolves' 4-1 loss to Newcastle on Saturday. SEASON: 17 games, 17 starts, 59 saves, 28 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet

Stuart Holden, M, Bolton -- Not in the 18 for Bolton's 2-1 loss to Birmingham on Saturday. Holden is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. SEASON: 29 games, 27 starts, 2 goals

Tim Howard, GK, Everton -- Started, played 90 minutes and did not make a save in Everton's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. SEASON: 35 games, 35 starts, 95 saves, 45 goals allowed, 6 clean sheets

Jermaine Jones, M, Blackburn -- Started, came off in the 90th minute of Blackburn's 0-0 draw with Arsenal on Saturday. SEASON: 24 games, 23 starts, 1 goal

Jonathan Spector, M/D, West Ham -- In the 18, did not play in West Ham's 4-2 loss to Manchester United on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 11 starts, 4 goals

Championship

Conor Doyle, F, Derby County -- Not in the 18 for Derby County's 4-1 loss to Cardiff City on Saturday. Doyle is currently representing the United States U-20 national team at the CONCACAF championships. SEASON: 13 games, 5 starts

Brad Guzan, GK, Hull City -- Started, played 90 minutes and made five saves in Hull's 1-0 loss to Millwall on Saturday. SEASON: 18 games, 18 starts, 89 saves, 18 goals allowed, 5 clean sheets

Eddie Johnson, F, Preston North End -- Started, played 59 minutes in Preston North End's 2-1 victory over Swansea City on Saturday. SEASON: 23 games, 11 starts

Eric Lichaj, D, Leeds United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Leeds' 4-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday. SEASON: 17 games, 15 starts

Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City -- Started, played 90 minutes in Norwich City's 6-0 victory over Scunthorpe United on Saturday. SEASON: 16 games, 14 starts, 1 goal

League One

Mike Grella, F, Swindon Town -- In the 18, did not play in Swindon Town's 1-0 loss to Exeter City on Tuesday. Grella was also in the 18 and came on as a 79th-minute substitute in Swindon Town's 1-1 draw with Hartlepool United on Saturday. SEASON: 19 games, 13 starts, 4 goals

AntonPeterlin, M, Plymouth Argyle -- Plymouth Argyle did not have a match this past week. SEASON: 8 games, 6 starts

Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 1-0 loss to Yeovil Town on Tuesday. Simek also started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 1-0 victory over Brentford in the final of the Football League Trophy. Carlisle, which lost in the final of the competition last year, won the trophy for the second time in club history. SEASON: 49 games, 49 starts

League Two

Jon-Paul Pittman, F, Wycombe Wanderers -- Started, played 86 minutes and scored two goals in Wycombe's 4-1 victory over Chesham United in the semifinals of the Berks & Bucks Cup on Tuesday. Pittman was in the 18 but did not play in Wycombe's 2-0 victory over Stockport County in league play on Saturday. SEASON: 17 games, 9 starts, 6 goals

Bundesliga

DaMarcus Beasley, M, Hannover 96 -- Not in the 18 for Hannover's 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games

Timmy Chandler, M/D, FC Nurnberg -- Not in the 18 for Nurnberg's 1-0 loss to FC Cologne on Sunday. Chandler was red carded in his last match and was suspended for the game. SEASON: 11 games, 6 starts, 1 goal

Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 -- Started, played 90 minutes in Hannover's 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. SEASON: 28 games, 28 starts

Ricardo Clark, M/D, Eintracht Frankfurt -- Started, played 90 minutes in Frankfurt's 1-1 draw with VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday. SEASON: 10 games, 7 starts

Daniel Williams, D, SC Freiburg -- Not in the 18 for Freiburg's 1-1 draw with Mainz 05 on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 2 starts

2. Bundesliga

Edson Buddle, F, FC Ingolstadt 04 -- Started, played 66 minutes in Ingolstadt's 2-1 victory over Energie Cottbus on Friday. SEASON: 10 games, 7 starts, 2 goals

Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe SC -- In the 18, came on as a 56th-minute substitute and did not make a save in Karlsruhe's 2-2 draw with VfL Osnabruck on Friday. SEASON: 19 games, 18 starts, 65 saves, 38 goals allowed, 4 clean sheets

Bobby Wood, F, TSV 1860 Munich -- Not in the 18 for Munich's 2-1 loss to Alemannia Aachen on Sunday. Wood is currently representing the U.S. U-20 national team. SEASON: 5 games

David Yelldell, GK, MSV Duisburg -- Started, played 90 minutes, made one save and picked up a yellow card for a foul that led to the game-winning penalty kick in the 78th minute of Duisburg's 2-1 loss to SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday. SEASON: 33 games, 33 starts, 77 saves, 28 goals allowed, 12 clean sheets

3. Liga

Matt Taylor, F, Rot Weiss Ahlen -- Started, played 90 minutes in Rot Weiss Ahlen's 2-0 loss to Saarbrucken on Saturday. SEASON: 22 games, 22 starts, 13 goals

Ligue 1

Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne -- Started, played 90 minutes in St. Etienne's 1-1 draw with Valenciennes on Sunday. SEASON: 27 games, 27 starts, 2 goals

Eredivisie

Oguchi Onyewu, D, FC Twente Enschede -- In the 18, did not play in Twente's 2-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven on Saturday. SEASON: 11 games, 11 starts

Super Lig

Jozy Altidore, F, Bursaspor -- In the 18, came on as an 86th-minute substitute in Bursaspor's 0-0 draw with Fenerbahce on Sunday. SEASON: 19 games, 11 starts, 2 goals

1. Lig

Freddy Adu, M, Caykur Rizespor -- In the 18, came on as a 58th-minute substitute in Rizespor's 3-0 loss to Mersin Idmanyurdu on Sunday. SEASON: 7 games, 6 starts, 2 goals

Eerste Klasse

Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht -- In the 18, did not play in Anderlecht's 3-1 loss to Standard Liege in the opening game of Belgium's 10-match, hexagonal playoff round that determines the league's champion and entrants in next season's European competitions. SEASON: 26 games, 21 starts, 3 goals

Liga de Honra

Greg Garza, D, G.D. Estoril Praia -- Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-2 draw with Trofense on Thursday. Garza is currently representing the U.S. U-20 national team. SEASON: 1 game

Tony Taylor, F, G.D. Estoril Praia -- In the 18, came on as a 76th-minute substitute in Estoril's 2-2 draw with Trofense on Thursday. SEASON: 19 games, 4 starts, 4 goals

Premier League

Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC -- Celtic did not have a match this past week. Its scheduled match with Inverness Caledonian Thistle was postponed. SEASON: 0 games

Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC -- Started, played 90 minutes in Rangers' 3-2 loss to Dundee United on Saturday. SEASON: 37 games, 30 starts, 5 goals

Primera Division

Daniel Antunez, M/D, Estudiantes Tecos -- Not in the 18 for Tecos' 1-1 draw with Atlas on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 start

Jonathan Bornstein, M/D, Tigres UANL -- In the 18, did not play in Tigres' 2-0 victory over Atlante on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games, 4 starts

Edgar Castillo, D, Puebla -- In the 18, did not play in Puebla's 5-4 loss to Club America on Sunday. SEASON: 5 games, 3 starts

Herculez Gomez, F, Pachuca -- In the 18, did not play in Pachuca's 3-1 victory over Morelia on Sunday. SEASON: 10 games, 3 starts

Sonny Guadarrama, M, Atlante -- Not in the 18 for Atlante's 2-0 loss to Tigres UANL on Saturday. SEASON: 6 games

Sammy Ochoa, F, Estudiantes Tecos -- Not in the 18 for Tecos' 1-1 draw with Atlas on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Adrian Ruelas, F, Santos Laguna -- Not in the 18 for Santos' 3-0 victory over Cruz Azul on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game

Jose Francisco Torres, M, Pachuca -- Started, played 61 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Pachuca's 3-1 victory over Morelia on Sunday. SEASON: 9 games, 8 starts

Superliga

Clarence Goodson, D, Brondby IF -- Not in the 18 for Brondby's 2-2 draw with Silkeborg IF on Sunday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start

Michael Parkhurst, D, FC Nordsjaelland -- Started and played 45 minutes of Nordsjaelland's 0-0 draw with AC Horsens on Sunday. Parkhurst exited the match with a hamstring injury, though, and is expected to miss some time. SEASON: 19 games, 18 starts

Chris Rolfe, F, Aalborg BK -- In the 18, came on as a 76th-minute substitute in Aalborg's 1-0 loss to Odense BK on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 start

First Division

Benny Feilhaber, M, AGF Aarhus -- Not in the 18 for Aarhus' 3-0 victory over Kolding on Sunday. Feilhaber, who was injured before the United States' friendlies with Argentina and Paraguay and did not play in either match, is dealing with a thigh strain. SEASON: 20 games, 19 starts, 7 goals

Tippeligaen

Mikkel Diskerud, M, Stabaek -- Started, played 90 minutes in Stabaek's 2-1 victory over Rosenborg BK on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts

Josh Gatt, M, Molde FK -- Started, played 78 minutes in Molde's 2-2 draw with Tromso on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 start

Allsvenskanliga

Gale Agbossoumonde, D, Djurgardens IF -- Not in the 18 for Djurgardens' 0-0 draw with AIK on Monday. Agbossoumonde is currently representing the U.S. U-20 national team. SEASON: 0 games

Alejandro Bedoya, M, Orebro SK -- Started, played 90 minutes in Orebro's 1-0 victory over IFK Goteborg on Monday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start

Ryan Miller, D, Halmstads BK -- In the 18, did not play in Halmstads' 0-0 draw with Kalmar on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

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