By FRANCO PANIZO
Having been beaten by Kilmarnock in shocking fashion last week, Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya enter their match against Dunfermline Athletic with one thing in mind: Winning.
Rangers is still four points clear of Celtic for first place in the Scottish Premier League, but the Blues need to bounce back from last weekend's defeat. Edu is likely to start the match against 10th-place Dunfermline, while Bocanegra could return to the lineup should he be fully recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him to miss last weekend's game. Whether Bedoya begins the game on the bench or not is less certain, but he is likely to see the field as he continues to search for his first goal in Scotland.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland could also use a win, as they aim to close the four-point gap between themselves and first-place FC Copenhagen. Nordsjaelland faces third-place FC Midtjylland on Sunday, and Parkhurst will need to continue his solid play for the defense that has allowed the fewest goals in Denmark if they are to head into the long winter break with a victory.
On the opposite end of the table in Denmark, Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF will attempt to further distancing themselves from the relegation zone when they take on fellow relegation battlers Brad Rusin and HB Koge. A win could put Goodson and Brondby eight points clear of the drop zone.
Here is who the Americans Abroad square off against this weekend:
Conor Doyle and Derby County play Crystal Palace.
David Yelldell and Bayer Leverkusen play Fabian Johnson, Danny Williams and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Edson Buddle and FC Ingolstadt 04 play Eintracht Braunschweig.
Matt Taylor and SC Paderborn 07 play St Pauli.
SATURDAY
Zak Whitbread and Norwich City play Manchester City. (Whitbread is out injured.)
Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers. (Holden is out injured.)
Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj and Aston Villa play Manchester United. (Lichaj is out injured.)
Robbie Findley and Nottingham Forest play Brighton.
Daniel Potts and West Ham United play Burnley.
Mike Grella and Brentford play Wrexham.
Frank Simek and Carlisle United play Charleston Athletic. (Simek is out injured.)
Anton Peterlin and Walsall play Dagenham & Redbridge.
Maurice Edu, Alejandro Bedoya, Carlos Bocanegra and Rangers play Dunfermline Athletic.
Dominic Cervi and Greenock Morton play Falkirk.
Terrence Boyd and Borussia Dortmund play Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Alfredo Morales and Hertha Berlin play Kaiserslautern.
Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 play SC Freiburg.
Ricardo Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt play Luis Robles and Karlsruher SC.
Quentin Westberg and Evian Thonon Gaillard play Valenciennes.
Chris Rolfe and Aalborg BK play Silkeborg IF.
Diego Restrepo and America de Cali play Once Caldas.
SUNDAY
Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann and Everton play Stoke City.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Cardiff City.
Michael Bradley and Chievo Verona play Atalanta.
Timmy Chandler and FC Nurnberg play Hamburg SV.
Jermaine Jones and Schalke 04 play FC Augsburg.
Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play Alemannia Aachen. (Wood is out injured.)
Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar play Heerenveen.
Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play OH Leuven.
Michael Parkhurst and FC Nordsjaelland play FC Midtjylland.
Clarence Goodson and Brondby IF play Brad Rusin and HB Koge.
Jonathan Bornstein and Tigres UANL play Queretaro in the second leg of the semifinals of the Mexico Apertura Liguilla.
MONDAY
Clint Dempsey and Fulham play Liverpool.
Conor O'Brien and SonderjyskE play Odense BK.
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Which matches are you most looking forward to? Think Rangers will get back to winning ways? How do you see Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland faring? Will Brondby and Goodson get the three points?
Share your thoughts below.