By JOEY SAMUEL
When he took the job as head coach of the US national team, Jurgen Klinsmann urged players in Major League Soccer to keep playing at a high level throughout the offseason.
It appears as though they are listening.
Amobi Okugo became the latest American to earn a training stint at a European club on Monday when he joined SC Freiburg, sources told SBI. The German club, formerly home to American winger Daniel Williams, currently sits the relegation zone in the Bundesliga. Freiburg will also host Perry Kitchen in a training session along with Okugo.
Okugo joins a long list of young American and other MLS players that will be training abroad this offseason. Also in Germany, Kyle Beckerman and Robbie Rogers will be with Kaiserslautern while Juan Agudelo will be in Stuttgart. In England, striker Teal Bunbury will be with Bolton, and Omar Salgado will train at Fulham, among others.
Here are some other Americans Abroad stories to whet your appetite:
REAM "ON TRIAL" WITH WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Out of England comes a report from the Daily Mirror which claims that Tim Ream will join West Bromwich Albion "on trial" starting next month.
Ream was previously reported to be joining West Brom for training stints starting on December 3, but the Mirror suggests that the opportunity could prove much more lucrative for the New York Red Bulls defender. The report claims that if Ream performs well during his "trial," a loan deal with an option for a permanent move could be agreed upon.
The report also claims that Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha is another loan target for West Brom, and he could be in competition with Ream.
BOCANEGRA TO MISS TWO WEEKS
A report from the Associated Press says Rangers have ruled out American defender Carlos Bocanegra for the next two weeks.
Bocanegra missed Sunday's shocking 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock with an apparent hamstring injury, and now Rangers say that knock could keep him out for the next two weeks.
The loss to Kilmarnock was the first of the season for Rangers, which also is home to American midfielders Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya.