By FRANCO PANIZO
Herculez Gomez has picked up right where left off last season.
The U.S. men's national team striker started his Apertura season with Santos Laguna by scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Michael Orozco Fiscal and San Luis. Gomez opened his season account after he made a good run in behind the defense, brought the ball down well and rifled home a well-placed, right-footed effort in the second half.
Gomez was not the only forward who enjoyed a degree of success this weekend. Charlie Davies made his first appearance for Danish side Randers in their 1-0 win over Odense BK by coming off the bench in the second half. And Terrence Boyd had a dream professional debut, scoring twice and setting up another tally in Rapid Vienna's 4-0 season-opening win against Wacker Innsbruck.
The other American to find the back of the net this weekend was Josh Gatt. The 20-year-old made an immediate impact after coming off the bench at halftime, scoring a simple goal a minute into his cameo that trimmed the deficit in Molde FK's 2-1 loss to Viking. Unfortunately for Gatt, he suffered an injury shortly thereafter that he could not play through and Molde were unable to replace him as they had used all their substitutions at the intermission.
Here's how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan came off the bench and played 3 minutes in RSC Anderlecht's 3-2 win vs. Lokeren in the Super Cup final on Sunday.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov did not dress in Zenit St. Petersburg's 2-0 win vs. FK Amkar Perm' on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started, play 73 minutes, scored TWO goals and had one ASSIST in Rapid Vienna's 4-0 win vs. Wacker Innsbruck on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvZ475IUXKo?feature=player_detailpage]
DENMARK
- Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Nordsjaelland's 3-1 loss vs. FC Midtjylland on Saturday. He is recovering from a toe injury.
- Clarence Goodson started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Brondby IF's 2-1 loss vs. Aalborg BK on Sunday.
- Conor O'Brien started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in SonderjyskE's 1-1 draw vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
- Charlie Davies came off the bench and played 21 minutes in Randers' 1-0 win vs. Odense BK on Sunday.
SWEDEN
- Samuel Petrone did not dress in Mjallby AIF's 3-1 loss vs. GIF Sundsvall on Saturday.
- Brian Span and Djurgardens IF play Norrkoping on Monday.
NORWAY
- Josh Gatt came off the bench, played 23 minutes before being unable to continue due to an injury and scored a GOAL in Molde FK's 2-1 loss vs. Viking on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbD8kyRukvQ?feature=player_detailpage]
- Steve Clark started and played 90 minutes in Honefoss BK's 2-0 win vs. Fredrikstad on Sunday.
- Sean Cunningham started and played 90 minutes in Stabaek IF's 3-1 loss vs. Valerenga on Sunday.
- Ricardo Clark did not dress for Stabaek IF.
MEXICO
- Jose Torres started and played 79 minutes in Pachuca's 0-0 draw vs. Atlante on Sunday.
- Herculez Gomez started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Santos Laguna's 2-1 win vs. San Luis on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc9S0IgaQAM?feature=player_embedded]
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 22 minutes before being substituted out with an injury in Puebla's 2-0 loss vs. Club Tijuana on Friday.
- Sonny Guadarrama did not dress in Atlante's 0-0 draw vs. Pachuca on Sunday.
- Jonathan Bornstein came off the bench and played 4 minutes in Tigres UANL's 4-0 win vs. Jagaures de Chiapas on Friday.
- Michael Orozco Fiscal started and played 90 minutes in San Luis' 2-1 loss vs. Santos Laguna on Saturday.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 62 minutes in Club Tijuana's 2-0 win vs. Puebla on Friday.
- Joe Corona started and played 56 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza came off the bench and played 28 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Ventura Alvarado dressed but did not play for Club America's 0-0 draw vs. Monterrey on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Expecting another big season from Gomez? Do you see Boyd lighting it up with Rapid Vienna? Expecting Davies to claim a starting role at Randers in the coming weeks?
Share your thoughts below.