Americans Abroad roundup

A roundup of notable U.S. players in action in Europe over the past two weeks:

England

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Brad Friedel had a comfortable afternoon against Arsenal for Aston Villa.

Premier League

Brad Friedel, Aston Villa: Friedel usually has his hands full when facing Arsenal, but he won't get a much easier clean sheet than Saturday's 2-0 win in London against the inconsistent Gunners. His only moment of worry between the posts came from Cesc Fabregas' rising shot from a tight angle late in the second half. Emmanuel Adebayor also hit the outside of the post with a tame header. With Friedel starting, Villa had lost its previous two league games, 2-0 to Newcastle on Nov. 3 and 2-1 to Middlesbrough six days later. Up next for the Champions League hopefuls are Manchester United at Villa Park.

Season: 17 games played (0 substitute appearances)

Tim Howard, Everton: Registering clean sheets in his previous two games, Howard and the Toffees seemed destined to lose at West Ham on Nov. 8, given that they trailed 1-0 with 10 minutes remaining. Everton, though, scored three quick goals at Upton Park to nab three points. Howard was beaten at the near post by Gary O'Neil in the first half Sunday before Everton rallied again, this time to tie Middlesbrough 1-1 at home to make it five straight matches without a defeat.

Season: 16 (0)

Clint Dempsey, Fulham: The past fortnight was pivotal for Dempsey, who had struggled to get into the starting lineup under manager Roy Hodgson. Entering as a 64th-minute substitute against Newcastle on Nov. 9, the attacking midfielder's through ball put in striker Andy Johnson, who was subsequently hacked down for a penalty. Danny Murphy converted two minutes later to give Fulham a 2-1 win.

Dempsey then started for the second time in the league Saturday -- on the first occasion he was thrown in because Johnson was suspended -- and contributed to the eventual winner against surging Tottenham. His header from a corner eventually found its way to Johnson, who shot past the struggling Heurelho Gomes in the 70th minute. Dempsey was substituted in the 87th minute.

Near the relegation places two weeks ago, the Cottagers are suddenly mid-table.

Season: 3 (7), 1 goal

Brad Guzan, Aston Villa: Guzan was the man of the match in his second start of the season, a 1-0 win at Slavia Prague on Nov. 6 that put Villa in pole position to qualify for the round of 32. He made no fewer than four fine saves and earned special praise from boss Martin O'Neill.

"I think Guzan is a great goalkeeper in the making,'' O'Neill said. "I think he's following in a long line of great American goalkeepers. I thought he was brilliant, and all the things we felt we saw in him when he was in America, we're delighted they've come out."

Season: 2 (0)

Jonathan Spector, West Ham: Spector has returned to training following hip surgery in June, though he said he isn't rushing a comeback. As frustrated as he is by being sidelined, the versatile defender/midfielder got some good news last week when he signed a new three-year contract with the Hammers.

Season: No appearances

Championship

Jay DeMerit, Watford: The good news for DeMerit and Watford was advancing to the quarterfinals of the League Cup after a 1-0 win at Swansea on Nov. 11. The bad news was two more losses in the league -- 3-1 to Swansea two days earlier and 2-1 to Barnsley two days ago -- that kept the Hornets in the relegation zone under caretaker manager Malky Mackay. DeMerit started all three games in defense. Watford has leaked 16 goals in its past six Championship games.

Season: 14 (0)-0

Marcus Hahnemann, Reading: Hahnemann was largely untested in back-to-back shutout wins over Derby on Nov. 8 and Sheffield United on Nov. 15. Derby only had one shot on target, though Hahnemann did well to deny United's former England international, James Beattie. A third straight victory left the Royals one point behind an automatic promotion spot.

Season: 18 (0)

Bobby Convey, Reading: Convey must be pondering a move, even on loan, in January. The winger wasn't in the squad against Derby and Sheffield United, and that probably won't change with Reading winning. Convey did score in reserve wins against Bristol City on Nov. 4 and Gillingham on Nov. 12.

Season: 5 (2)-0

Eddie Johnson, Cardiff City (loan from Fulham): Johnson didn't score in two starts for Cardiff City -- taking advantage of injuries to a pair of fellow strikers -- but made an impact for the playoff contenders. His flick from a free kick led to Joe Ledley's winner in a 2-1 triumph over Crystal Palace on Saturday, and Johnson was hauled down for a penalty in injury time. On Nov. 8 in a 1-0 loss to QPR, Johnson forced Radek Cerny into a decent save, one of three shots he registered.

Season: 4 (8)-0

Frankie Simek, Sheffield Wednesday: Simek returned from a serious ankle injury in late October, coming on as a sub against Plymouth in his first senior appearance since last December. Since then, the fullback continues to work on his fitness and contested all 90 minutes of a 5-0 reserve loss to Middlesbrough on Nov. 11.

Season: 0 (1)-0

League One

Jemal Johnson, MK Dons: The forward had a productive two weeks, scoring the Dons' lone goal in a 2-1 first-round FA Cup loss to Bradford on Nov. 8, and causing havoc in a 3-1 league win at Hartlepool on Saturday, the club's fourth successive victory in the division. Johnson was fouled at the edge of the box in the first half by Sam Collins, with Collins earning a second yellow and being sent off. Johnson later assisted on the second goal. The Dons lie a point away from automatic promotion.

Season: 5 (8)-1

Spain, Primera Liga

Jozy Altidore, Villarreal: Altidore's lone appearance in Villarreal's four games the past two weeks came when he started in a 1-1 draw against Ejido in the Spanish Cup on Nov. 12; Villarreal was eliminated 6-1 on aggregate in the round of 32. The striker didn't make the squad against Aalborg in the Champions League and Almeria and Malaga in Liga. Villarreal remains the only team in the top flight without a loss, though it slipped three points behind leader Barcelona after allowing a late goal in a 2-2 draw at Malaga.

Season: 1 (3)-1

Italy, Serie B

Danny Szetela, Brescia (loan from Racing Santander): Brescia missed a chance to take over the top spot Nov. 3, losing 2-0 at Livorno as Szetela played the final seven minutes. Following a 1-0 loss to Piacenza where he didn't feature, the midfielder finally started a game under new manager Nedo Sonetti. Unfortunately, Brescia only managed a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Avellino, denting its promotion chances.

Season: 6 (2)-1

Serie C1

Gabriel Ferrari, Perugia (loan from Sampdoria): The forward returned from injury Nov. 9, though he was an unused substitute as goal-shy Perugia tied Foggia 1-1. Ferrari was a 30th-minute substitute versus Pistoiese in a 0-0 affair Sunday.

Season: 0 (3)-0

Germany, Bundesliga

Steve Cherundolo, Hannover 96: Hannover slid closer to the relegation zone after losing 2-1 to fast-rising Koln on Nov. 7 and tying Bochum 1-1 at home in a veritable six-pointer Friday. Hannover took the lead against Bochum in the 62nd minute, only to concede an own goal four minutes later. Cherundolo started both games at right back.

Season: 11 (1)-0

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Michael Bradley notched his first goal for M'Gladbach against Bayern Munich.

Michael Bradley, Borussia Moenchengladbach: Bradley had a weekend to remember, scoring the tying goal -- and his first overall in the Bundesliga -- in a 2-2 result against mighty Bayern Munich that maintained Moenchengladbach's revival under new coach Hans Meyer. Bradley netted with a close-range header in the 81st minute to delight the home fans, two minutes after teammate Rob Friend cut the deficit to 2-1. Bradley also started Nov. 8 in a 2-0 win at Bielefeld that allowed 'Gladbach to escape the drop zone. Season: 6 (1)-1

Neven Subotic, Borussia Dortmund: The central defender, still deciding whether or not he wants to represent the U.S. at senior level, took his team-leading goal tally to five by putting away two headers in a 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday that ended Dortmund's home slump. The first came from a corner in the fifth minute, while the second emanated from a free kick in the 26th. Subotic and Dortmund lost 2-1 at Hamburg on Nov. 8.

Season: 15 (0)-5

Bryan Arguez, Hertha Berlin: Arguez, a midfielder, wasn't in the squad in Hertha's wins over Hamburg and free-scoring Hoffenheim, second in the Bundesliga.

Season: 0 (0)-0

Sal Zizzo, Hannover 96: The midfielder made the bench against Bochum. Season: 0 (2)-0

France, Ligue 1

Freddy Adu, Monaco (loan from Benfica): Not much change for Adu when it comes to playing time. The forward was an unused substitute in a 1-0 loss against perennial champions Lyon on Nov. 8 before entering as a 69th-minute substitute in a 2-1 loss to Carlos Bocanegra's Rennes on Sunday. The defeats mean Monaco still hovers around the relegation zone.

Season: 1 (6)-0

Carlos Bocanegra, Rennes: No relegation worries for Bocanegra. Rennes rose to third following Sunday's win, also downing St. Etienne 3-0 on the road Nov. 9. Bocanegra started both games at left back. He was an unused sub as Rennes was eliminated in the last 16 of the League Cup 2-1 by Le Havre on Nov. 12, a disputed penalty in the 90th minute settling matters.

Season: 14 (1)-0

Belgium, Jupiler League

Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege: There was cup joy, and disappointment, for Onyewu and Standard, the reigning Belgian league champs. Following recent fine performances against Liverpool and Everton, Standard dumped 2006 and '07 UEFA Cup winners Sevilla 1-0 in the group stage of the competition Nov. 6. Six days later, though, Liege was eliminated in the round of 32 of the Belgian Cup by unheralded Kortrijk on penalties.

In the league, Standard downed strugglers Germinal Beerschot 3-1 on Nov. 9, then drew mid-table Lokeren 1-1 on Sunday, both away. Onyewu was a mainstay in all four games.

Season: 17 (1)-2

Sweden, Allsvenskan

Charlie Davies, Hammarby: Davies capped a fine season by scoring twice in a 5-2 loss to last-place IFK Norrkoping on Nov. 9, with both efforts coming in the first five minutes. He ended the campaign with 14 goals, tied for fourth in the division (with some guy named Henrik Larsson) after netting three times in 2007, his first year in Sweden.

Season: 25 (2)-14

Colin Burns, Ljungskile: Relegation for Burns and fellow American Etchu Tabe. Ljungskile limped into the playoffs after losing 3-0 to Orebro as Burns was beaten three times between the posts in the opening 47 minutes. Ljungskile, third last, was only spared automatic demotion because GIF Sundsvall failed to beat Malmo, routed 6-0.

Ljungskile lost the two-leg playoff to IF Brommapojkarna, third in the second division, exiting on away goals. Sunday's second leg ended 1-1 at Ljungskile after a goalless draw three days earlier.

Season: 14 (1)-0

Etchu Tabe, Ljungskile: Tabe, a forward, played all 90 minutes against Orebro. Season: 17 (2)-0

Ryan Raybould, Gefle: A late-season surge kept Gefle up, though Raybould, a defender, didn't see much action.

Season: 4 (0)-0

Scotland, Premier League

DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers: Beasley is having a tough time cracking the lineup under Walter Smith. In a busy period that saw Rangers contest four league games, the midfielder only made the squad once, an unused substitute in Rangers' 4-0 thrashing of Kilmarnock on Nov. 9.

Season: 3 (4)-0

Maurice Edu, Rangers: Edu, meanwhile, is making progress. Though he didn't make an appearance, the young midfielder was on the bench against Dundee United, Motherwell and St. Mirren. In their perennial battle to win the Scottish title, Celtic leads Rangers by a point with a game in hand.

Season: 2 (0)-0

Denmark, Superligaen

Danny Califf, FC Midtjylland: Midtjylland's title hopes are fading, losing 3-0 at home to FC Copenhagen on Sunday for the first home defeat since April 2007. Califf, the anchor in defense, endured all 90 minutes and played the first half of a 2-0 win against Vejle on Nov. 10, taken off thanks to a hamstring injury. Three defeats from its past four games leave Midtjylland eight points behind first-place Odense.

Season: 13 games played, 0 goals

Jeremiah White, Aarhus: White started in a 1-1 tie against sliding Horsens on Nov. 9 but was removed in the 62nd minute, before his team's late equalizer.

Season: 15 games played, 2 goals

Benny Feilhaber, Aarhus: The international midfielder is a long-term absentee following knee surgery.

Season: 1 game played, no goals

Lee Nguyen, Randers: The winger didn't feature in a 3-2 win over FC Nordsjaelland on Nov. 9, then was inserted with eight minutes remaining in a 2-2 draw versus Horsens on Sunday. He was on the field for Marc Nygaard's leveler in the 86th minute.

Season: 10 games played, 3 goals

Tally Hall, Esbjerg: Hall remains frozen out at last-place Esbjerg, backing up veteran Lars Winde in goal. He didn't feature in 2-1 losses to Odense and Aalborg. Season: 1 game played

Ravi Ubha is a London-based freelance journalist covering Americans abroad for ESPNsoccernet. He also covers tennis for ESPN.com.