Americans step up abroad as Klinsmann era begins in U.S.
A number of those players have taken that philosophy to heart, either emerging or re-emerging on the radar with some solid play on the club level during the infancy of the 2011-2012 campaign.
Take former Chicago Fire standout Chris Rolfe, for example, who scored his second game-winning goal in four matches for Danish outfit Aalborg over the weekend and has become a fixture in the starting lineup for his club now that he's (knock on wood) healthy.
Another player gaining some momentum is 21-year-old Mexico-based attacker Joe Corona, a former San Diego State University product who has made a name for himself with recently promoted club Tijuana. Despite a reported international allegiance that might not be tilted toward the United States (his background includes Mexican and Salvadoran roots), he is a player worth watching given the dearth of scoring options in the U.S. player pool.
Three players who were already on Klinsmann's radar -- Maurice Edu, Timmy Chandler and Clarence Goodson -- all played over the weekend despite being called in but ultimately staying abroad for the national team's friendly against Mexico last week with injury woes.
Edu and Chandler each got involved in scoring sequences, with Edu tallying his first goal of the young season off a rebound of a saved penalty kick (before his sending off) and Chandler sending in a trademark cross from the right to assist on a goal. Assuming good health, both should be locks for the United States' upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium.
Here is how all of the Americans playing abroad, both established internationals and those trying to break into the fray, fared this past week (season statistics encompass all competitions):
Premier League
Clint Dempsey, M, Fulham -- Started, played 90 minutes in Fulham's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Brad Friedel, GK, Tottenham -- Scheduled game vs. Everton for Saturday was postponed due to London riots. SEASON: 0 games
Brad Guzan, GK, Aston Villa -- In the 18, did not play in Villa's 0-0 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Stuart Holden, M, Bolton -- Not in the 18 for Bolton's 4-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. Holden is still working his way back to fitness after suffering a serious knee injury in March. SEASON: 0 games
Tim Howard, GK, Everton -- Scheduled game vs. Tottenham for Saturday was postponed due to London riots. SEASON: 0 games
Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa -- Not in the 18 for Villa's 0-0 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City -- Started, played 71 minutes in Norwich City's 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic on Saturday. Whitbread exited with an apparent knee injury, the severity of which has yet to be disclosed. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
League Championship
Conor Doyle, F, Derby County -- Not in the 18 for Derby County's 1-0 victory over Watford on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Robbie Findley, F, Nottingham Forest -- Started, played 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest's 2-0 loss to Millwall on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts, 1 goal
Mike Grella, F, Leeds United -- Not in the 18 for Leeds' 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Jonathan Spector, M/D, Birmingham City -- In the 18, did not play in Birmingham's 1-0 victory over Coventry City on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
League One
Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United -- Not in the 18 for Carlisle's 2-0 victory over Bury on Saturday. Simek is out for approximately the next seven weeks after suffering a tear to a hip muscle in the club's season-opening loss to Notts County. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Anton Peterlin, M, Walsall -- Started, played 82 minutes in Walsall's 1-1 draw with Hartlepool United on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 start
League Two
Jemal Johnson, F, Southend United -- In the 18, did not play in Southend's 2-1 victory over Accrington Stanley on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Jon-Paul Pittman, F, Oxford United -- In the 18, came on as an 80th-minute substitute and picked up a yellow card in Oxford's 1-1 draw with Bradford City on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 1 start
Bundesliga
Michael Bradley, M, Borussia Monchengladbach -- Not in the 18 for Monchengladbach's 1-1 draw with VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. Bradley's search for a new club has hit its apex after high-ranking Monchengladbach officials claimed that the want-away midfielder is not in the team's plans at all this season. SEASON: 0 games
Timmy Chandler, D, FC Nurnberg -- Started, played 90 minutes, picked up a yellow card and assisted on his club's lone goal in Nurnberg's 2-1 loss to Hannover 96 on Saturday. Chandler delivered a cross from out wide that was headed into the goal and sliced a two-goal deficit in half. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts
Steve Cherundolo, D, Hannover 96 -- In the 18, did not play in Hannover's 2-1 victory over FC Nurnberg on Saturday. Cherundolo, the team's captain, is still working his way back to full fitness after suffering an ankle injury in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final. The fact that he played 90 minutes in a midweek friendly against Mexico suggests he'll reclaim his starting spot with Hannover sooner rather than later. SEASON: 1 game
Jermaine Jones, M, FC Schalke 04 -- Not in the 18 for Schalke's 5-1 victory over FC Cologne on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 start
Alfredo Morales, D, Hertha Berlin -- In the 18, came on as a 67th-minute substitute in Berlin's 2-2 draw with Hamburg SV on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games
David Yelldell, GK, Bayer Leverkusen -- In the 18, did not play in Leverkusen's 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Sunday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start, 1 save, 4 goals allowed
2. Bundesliga
Edson Buddle, F, FC Ingolstadt 04 -- In the 18, came on as a 74th-minute substitute and scored a minute later in Ingolstadt's 1-1 draw with FSV Frankfurt on Sunday. Buddle got onto the end of a lofted cross and headed home the equalizer from the center of the area just moments after coming on to salvage a point for his club. SEASON: 5 games, 1 start, 1 goal
Ricardo Clark, M, Eintracht Frankfurt -- In the 18, did not play in Frankfurt's 1-1 draw with Fortuna Düsseldorf on Monday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Luis Robles, GK, Karlsruhe -- In the 18, did not play in Karlsruhe's 3-1 loss to Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday. SEASON: 0 games
Matt Taylor, F, SC Paderborn 07 -- In the 18, came on as a 67th-minute substitute in Paderborn's 1-1 draw with SpVgg Greuther Fürth on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 2 starts, 4 goals
Bobby Wood, F, 1860 Munich -- In the 18, did not play in Munich's 4-0 victory over Erzgebirge Aue on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games
Ligue 1
Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne -- Not in the 18 for St. Etienne's 1-0 victory over Nancy on Saturday. SEASON: 1 game, 1 start
Quentin Westberg, GK, Evian Thonon Gaillard -- Started, played 90 minutes, made three saves and earned the clean sheet in Evian's 1-0 victory over Nice on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts, 8 saves, 2 goals allowed, 1 clean sheet
Jozy Altidore, F, AZ Alkmaar -- In the 18, came on as a 68th-minute substitute in AZ's 2-0 loss to FC Twente on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 1 goal
Oguchi Onyewu, D, Sporting Lisbon -- Not in the 18 for Sporting's 1-1 draw with Olhanense on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht -- Started, played 90 minutes in Anderlecht's 1-0 victory over KSC Lokeren on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts, 1 goal
Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC -- In the 18, did not play in Celtic's 5-1 victory over Dundee United on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC -- Started, played 75 minutes, scored a goal but received two yellow cards and was sent off in Rangers' 2-0 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday. Edu touched home a rebound of a saved penalty kick in the 68th minute to pad Rangers' lead, but he received his second yellow for a bad challenge seven minutes later and will be forced to sit out Rangers' next match. SEASON: 5 games, 5 starts, 1 goal
DaMarcus Beasley, M, Puebla -- Started, came off in the 90th minute of Puebla's 1-1 draw with Tijuana on Sunday. SEASON: 5 games, 5 starts
Jonathan Bornstein, D, Tigres UANL -- Not in the 18 for Tigres' 2-2 draw with Club America on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Edgar Castillo, D, Club America -- Started, played 90 minutes in America's 2-2 draw with Tigres UANL on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 2 starts
Joe Corona, F, Tijuana -- Started, played 68 minutes in Tijuana's 1-1 draw with Puebla on Sunday. SEASON: 4 games, 4 starts, 2 goals
Michael Orozco Fiscal, D, San Luis -- Not in the 18 for San Luis' 1-0 victory over Monterrey on Saturday. He was red-carded in his previous match and thus suspended for Saturday's game. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Herculez Gomez, F, Estudiantes Tecos -- Started, played 75 minutes in Tecos' 2-0 victory over Atlas on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts, 1 goal
Sonny Guadarrama, M, Atlante -- Not in the 18 for Atlante's 3-1 loss to Queretaro on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Adrian Ruelas, F, Jaguares -- Not in the 18 for Jaguares' 1-1 draw with Cruz Azul on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games
Jose Francisco Torres, M, Pachuca -- Started, played 69 minutes in Pachuca's 3-0 victory over Toluca on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games, 3 starts
Allsvenskanliga
Alejandro Bedoya, M, Orebro SK -- Started, played 90 minutes in Orebro's 2-0 victory over Djurgardens IF on Sunday. Bedoya has already agreed to a precontract deal with Rangers in Scotland to join the club during the winter transfer window; however, he was granted a UK work permit last week, and Rangers is trying to expedite the deal to have him make the move as soon as possible. SEASON: 16 games, 15 starts, 4 goals
Ryan Miller, D, Halmstads BK -- Not in the 18 for Halmstads' 1-0 loss to Hacken on Saturday. SEASON: 12 games, 9 starts
Samuel Petrone, F, Mjallby -- Not in the 18 for Mjallby's 3-0 victory over Syrianska FC on Saturday. SEASON: 4 games
Clarence Goodson, D, Brondby IF -- Started, played 90 minutes in Brondby's 2-2 draw with Sonderjyske on Sunday. SEASON: 6 games, 6 starts
Conor O'Brien, M, Sonderjyske -- In the 18, came on as a 64th-minute substitute in Sonderjyske's 2-2 draw with Brondby on Sunday. SEASON: 2 games
Michael Parkhurst, D, FC Nordsjaelland -- Started, played 90 minutes in Nordsjaelland's 2-0 victory over HB Koge on Sunday. SEASON: 5 games, 5 starts
Chris Rolfe, F, Aalborg BK -- Started, played 83 minutes and scored the eventual game-winning goal in Aalborg's 2-1 victory over Odense BK on Saturday. Rolfe was the recipient of a pass on a 2-on-1 breakaway and confidently finished from the center of the box to give Aalborg a 2-0 lead in the 79th minute. SEASON: 5 games, 5 starts, 2 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: 4 games, 4 starts, 1 goal
Sean Cunningham, D, Molde FK -- In the 18, did not play in Molde's 3-2 loss in extra time to Fredrikstad in the quarterfinals of the NM Cupen (Norwegian Cup) on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts
Mikkel Diskerud, M, Stabaek -- Started, played 90 minutes and assisted on the second goal as the set-piece taker on a corner kick in Stabaek's 2-0 victory over Stromsgodset on Saturday. SEASON: 21 games, 21 starts, 3 goals
Josh Gatt, M, Molde FK -- Started, played 120 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Molde's 3-2 loss in extra time to Fredrikstad in the quarterfinals of the NM Cupen on Saturday. SEASON: 20 games, 13 starts, 4 goals