By FRANCO PANIZO
If there was an award for the best goal scored in a season by an American Abroad, Jozy Altidore's latest strike would surely be up for contention.
Altidore scored his 14th league goal and 18th across all competitions on Saturday when he rocketed a shot from distance in AZ Alkmaar's match against PSV Eindhoven. The goal, which was struck into the upper 90, is being called by some a Goal of the Year candidate in the Eredivisie. Unfortunately for Altidore and AZ, they eventually fell 3-2 to Eindhoven and are now six points back of first-place Ajax in the standings.
Two other Americans also found the back of the net this weekend. Five days after scoring his first goal for Bury, Mike Grella netted again to give the club a 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth, while Conor O'Brien scored a brace in SonderjyskE's 4-0 win over Lyngby.
It was not all good news, though. Robbie Rogers was removed 12 minutes into his first start with Leeds United after picking up an ankle injury that forced him to be on crutches following Leeds' 4-1 win over Peterborough United. The knock is the latest setback for Rogers, who suffered a concussion in his Leeds debut earlier this season.
Here is how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made 4 saves in Everton's 2-1 loss vs. Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinals on Saturday.
- Marcus Hahnemann did not dress for Everton. Hahnemann and Everton play Sunderland on Monday.
- Clint Dempsey and Fulham did not play this weekend.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham Hotspur's 5-1 loss vs. Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday.
- Brad Guzan dressed but did not play in Aston Villa's 4-0 loss vs. Manchester United on Sunday.
- Eric Lichaj started and played 90 minutes for Aston Villa.
- Tim Ream and Bolton Wanderers did not play this weekend.
- Stuart Holden and Bolton Wanderers did not play this weekend.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Norwich City's 6-1 loss vs. Manchester City on Saturday.
- Adam Henley did not dress in Blackburn Rovers's 3-0 loss vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
Championship
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in Birmingham City's 2-2 draw vs. Bristol City on Saturday. He is recovering from a thigh injury.
- Conor Doyle did not dress in Derby County's 1-0 loss vs. Middlesbrough on Saturday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest's 0-0 draw vs. Blackpool on Saturday.
- Daniel Potts did not dress in West Ham United's 6-0 win vs. Brighton on Saturday.
- Robbie Rogers started and played 12 minutes before being substituted due to injury in Leeds United's 4-1 win vs. Peterborough United on Saturday.
League One
- Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 1-0 loss vs. Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
- Anton Peterlin did not dress in Walsall's 1-0 loss vs. Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.
- Mike Grella started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Bury's 1-0 win vs. AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.
SCOTLAND
- Maurice Edu and Rangers did not play this weekend.
- Carlos Bocanegra and Rangers did not play this weekend.
- Alejandro Bedoya and Rangers did not play this weekend.
- Dominic Cervi did not dress in Celtic's 2-1 loss vs. Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Cup semifinals on Sunday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley and Chievo Verona's match vs. Atalanta on Sunday was postponed due to the passing of Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 1-0 loss vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday.
- Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Schalke 04's 2-1 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
- Timmy Chandler started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Nurnberg's 2-0 win vs. Kaiserslautern on Saturday.
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's 0-0 draw vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday.
- Danny Williams started and played 90 minutes for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Joe Gyau did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Terrence Boyd did not dress in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 win vs. Schalke 04 on Saturday.
- Alfredo Morales came off the bench and played 9 minutes in Hertha Berlin's 3-3 draw vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen's 3-3 draw vs. Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
- Andrew Wooten dressed but did not play in Kaiserslautern's 2-0 loss vs. FC Nurnberg on Saturday.
2. BUNDESLIGA
- Luis Robles did not dress in Karlsruher SC's 2-1 loss vs. FC Ingolstadt 04 on Sunday.
- Bobby Wood did not dress in TSV 1860 Munich's 2-2 draw vs. VfL Bochum on Sunday.
- Matt Taylor came off the bench and played 1 minute in SC Paderborn 07's 3-1 win vs. Energie Cottbus on Sunday.
- Villyan Bijev and Fortuna Dusseldorf play Dynamo Dresden on Monday.
FRANCE
- Quentin Westberg dressed but did not play in Evian Thonon Gaillard's 3-0 win vs. Valenciennes on Sunday.
- Charlie Davies did not dress in Sochaux's 1-0 win vs. Dijon FCO on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Jozy Altidore started, played 65 minutes and scored a GOAL in AZ Alkmaar's 3-2 loss vs. PSV Eindhoven on Saturday.
PORTUGAL
- Oguchi Onyewu and Sporting CP did not play this weekend.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov did not dress in Zenit St Petersburg's 2-0 win vs. CSKA Moscow on Saturday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 45 minutes in RSC Anderlecht's 3-1 loss vs. Racing Genk in the Pro League playoffs on Saturday.
- Mikkel Diskerud dressed but did not play in KAA Gent's 1-0 loss vs. Club Brugge in the Pro League playoffs on Sunday.
DENMARK
- Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Nordsjaelland's 2-1 win vs. Silkeborg IF on Sunday.
- Clarence Goodson did not dress in Brondby IF's 2-0 loss vs. AC Horsens on Sunday.
- Chris Rolfe and Aalborg BK play AGF Aarhus on Monday.
- Conor O'Brien started, played 90 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in SonderjyskE's 4-0 win vs. Lyngby on Sunday. (You can see both goals here.)
- Brad Rusin dressed but did not play in HB Koge's 5-0 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
SWEDEN
- Samuel Petrone did not dress in Mjallby AIF's 2-0 win vs. Atvidabergs FF on Sunday.
NORWAY
- Josh Gatt and Molde FK play Viking on Monday.
- Steve Clark and Honefoss BK play Stabaek IF on Monday.
- Ricardo Clark and Stabaek IF play Honefoss BK on Monday.
- Sean Cunningham and Stabaek IF play Honefoss BK on Monday.
MEXICO
- Jose Torres started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Pachuca's 2-1 loss vs. Morelia on Saturday.
- Herculez Gomez did not dress in Santos Laguna's 3-1 loss vs. Club America on Saturday.
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 72 minutes in Puebla's 1-1 draw vs. Estudiantes Tecos U.A. de G. on Friday.
- Sonny Guadarrama did not dress in Atlante's 2-1 loss vs. Pumas UNAM on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Tigres UANL's 2-1 win vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Saturday.
- Adrian Ruelas came off the bench and played 1 minute in Jaguares de Chiapas' 0-0 draw vs. Club Tijuana on Friday.
- Michael Orozco Fiscal started and played 90 minutes in San Luis' 2-2 draw vs. Queretaro on Saturday.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana's 0-0 draw vs. Jaguares de Chiapas on Saturday.
- Joe Corona started and played 85 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
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What do you think of these performances? How many times have you rewatched Altidore's screamer? Expecting him to wreak havoc on opposing defenses during World Cup qualifying this summer? More impressed by Grella's second goal in five days, or O'Brien's brace?
Share your thoughts below.