In the on-going battle for playing time, some of the U.S. national team's top young players enjoyed good weeks.
From Michael Bradley, who earned a start in Borussia Moenchengladbach's loss to Borussia Dortmund, to Jozy Altidore, who played significant minutes in a crucial match against Sevilla for Villarreal, there was definitely some progress to be made on at least a few Americans Abroad fronts.
Perhaps the most promising development was Heath Pearce earning a start for Hansa Rostock. The U.S. national team's first-choice left back has struggled for playing time in recent weeks but stated and played 75 minutes in a shutout victory.
Then you had the case of Jose Francisco Torres, who started for Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup, making him the only American representative (and some believe the first American to play in the competition).
Not all the news was good. Frank Simek is injured again while youngsters Freddy Adu and Danny Szetela didn't get off the bench for their clubs.
Here is how all the Americans Abroad did this past weekend:
England
PREMIER LEAGUE
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Everton's 1-0 win vs. Manchester City on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Aston Villa's 4-2 win vs. Bolton on Saturday.
- Brad Guzan dressed but did not play for Aston Villa.
- Clint Dempsey started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 0-0 tie vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in West Ham's 1-1 tie vs. Chelsea on Sunday.
COCA COLA CHAMPIONSHIP
- Frank Simek did not dress in Sheffield Wednesday's 0-0 tie vs. Bristol City on Saturday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in Wednesday's 1-0 win vs. Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.
- Jay DeMerit did not dress in Watford's 2-1 win vs. Coventry City on Saturday. He is recovering from a groin injury.
- Eddie!Johnson came off the bench and played 55 minutes in Cardiff City's 2-1 win vs. Ipswich Town on Saturday. Johnson also came off the bench and played 17 minutes in Cardiff City's 2-2 tie vs. Burnley on Saturday.
- Marcus Hahnemann did not dress in Reading's 2-0 win vs. Norwich City on Saturday. He missed the match with a calf injury suffered in Reading's 1-0 win vs. Blackpool last Tuesday.
- Bobby Convey did not dress for Reading vs. Norwich City. Convey did come off the bench and played eight minutes vs. Blackpool.
Scotland
- DaMarcus Beasley dressed buit did not play in Rangers' 2-2 tie vs. Dundee United on Saturday.
- Maurice Edu did not dress for Rangers.
Germany
BUNDESLIGA
- Michael Bradley started and played 58 minutes in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 2-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
- Neven Subotic started and played 90 minutes for Borussia Dortmund.
- Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 1-1 tie vs. Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.
- Sal Zizzo did not dress for Hannover 96.
BUNDESLIGA 2
- Heath Pearce started and played 75 minutes in Hansa Rostock's 1-0 win vs. SV Wehen on Sunday.
- Luis Robles and Kaiserslautern face SC Freiburg on Monday.
- David Yelldell started, played 90 minutes and made six saves in TUS Koblenz's 2-0 loss to FC Ingolstadt 04 on Friday.
- Matt Taylor started and played 66 minutes for TUS Koblenz.
- Grover Gibson came off the bench and played 13 minutes in Ahlen's 3-0 loss to SVpGG Greuther Fuerth on Sunday.
- Gregg Berhalter started and played 90 minutes in 1860 Munich's 1-1 tie vs. Nurnberg on Sunday.
Spain
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played 33 minutes in Villarreal's 1-0 loss to Sevilla on Sunday.
Italy
SERIE B
- Danny Szetela dressed but did not play in Brescia's 2-0 loss to Cittadella on Saturday.
France
LIGUE 1
- Carlos Bocanegra started and played 90 minutes in Rennes' 0-0 tie vs. Nantes on Saturday.
- Freddy Adu dressed but did not play in AS Monaco's 3-1 loss to Valenciennes on Saturday.
LIGUE 2
- Quentin Westberg and Troyes did not play this week.
Belgium
- Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes in Standard Liege's 4-1 win vs. Club Brugge on Sunday.
Denmark
- The Danish First Division is on winter break until March.
Austria
- Preston Zimmerman started and played 63 minutes in Kapfenberg SV's 3-0 loss to SV Josko Ried on Saturday.
Mexico
- Jose Francisco Torres started and played 68 minutes in Pachuca's 4-2 victory vs. Al Ahly in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday.
American-born Players Playing for Other Countries
- Giuseppe Rossi (Italy) did not dress in Villarreal's 1-0 loss to Sevilla on Sunday.
- Brede Hangeland (Norway) started and played 90 minutes in Fulham's 0-0 tie vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
- Boaz Myhill (Wales) started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Hull City's 2-2 tie vs. Liverpool on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Proud to see Torres playing in the Club World Cup? Starting to get impressed by the faith Villarreal has in Altidore? Saddened to see Frank Simek hurt again? Encouraged by the fact that Preston Zimmerman is getting regular starts in Austria?
Share your thoughts below.