photo courtesy of Ed van de Pol
By FRANCO PANIZO
There is just no stopping Jozy Altidore at the club level right now and Roda JC Kerkrade were the latest team to find that out.
Altidore delivered what is sure to be a prime candidate for top performance of the Americans Abroad season, scoring a hat-trick and assisting on another goal in a dominant performance in AZ Alkmaar's 4-0 thrashing of Roda on Sunday. Altidore's hat-trick was his first at the club level and second in his career (he scored three goals for the U.S. men's national team in a World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago in 2009), and it gave him seven goals in five league games this season.
While Altidore's finishing may have been on display in the match, so too were his improved combination play and timely runs. The 22-year-old striker linked up with his teammates well, paving the way for a couple of goals, and he also made good runs to put himself into dangerous positions.
Jose Torres also netted this weekend, scoring the winner in Pachuca's 3-2 victory over Morelia on Friday. The goal, which came off a free kick from a narrow angle on the right flank, gave Pachuca just their second win this season and it was Torres' first tally in league play since the 2010 Clausura campaign.
Clint Dempsey did not find the back of the net, but he did make his Tottenham Hotspur debut on Sunday. Dempsey came off the bench to replace Gareth Bale and he played 12 minutes en route to helping the Spurs close out their 3-1 win against Reading.
Here's how the Americans Abroad did this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard and Everton play Newcastle United on Monday.
- Brad Friedel started, played 90 minutes and made one save in Tottenham Hotspur's 3-1 win vs. Reading on Sunday.
- Clint Dempsey came off the bench and played 12 minutes for Tottenham Hotspur.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Aston Villa's 2-0 win vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
- Eric Lichaj started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card for Aston Villa.
- Geoff Cameron came off the bench and played five minutes in Stoke City's 1-1 draw vs. Manchester City on Saturday.
- Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City.
Championship
- Tim Ream did not dress in Bolton Wanderers' 2-1 win vs. Watford on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City's 2-2 draw vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City.
- Conor Doyle started and played 64 minutes in Derby County's 1-0 loss vs. Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
- Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest's 2-2 draw vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Leicester City's 2-1 loss vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
League One
- Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United's 2-2 draw vs. Swindon Town on Saturday.
- Robbie Rogers did not dress in Stevenage's 2-2 draw vs. Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.
- Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United's 1-0 win vs. Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.
SPAIN
La Liga
- Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Malaga CF's 3-1 win vs. Levante on Saturday.
Segunda Division
- Carlos Bocanega dressed but did not play in Racing Santander's 3-0 win vs. Recreativo Huelva on Saturday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley did not dress in AS Roma's 3-2 loss vs. Bologna on Sunday. He is recovering from a thigh injury.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96's 3-2 win vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday.
- Jermaine Jones started and played 90 minutes in Schalke 04's 2-0 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday.
- Fabian Johnson started, played 90 minutes and had an ASSIST in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's 5-3 loss vs. SC Freiburg on Sunday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-H7qjKf3Lo?feature=player_detailpage]
- Danny Williams started and played 90 minutes for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg's 3-2 win vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen's 3-0 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
- Alfredo Morales did not dress in Hertha Berlin's 2-0 win vs. VfR Aalen on Sunday.
- John Anthony Brooks dressed but did not play for Hertha Berlin.
- Andrew Wooten dressed but did not play in SV Sandhausen's 1-1 draw vs. Dynamo Dresden on Saturday.
- Joe Gyau and St Pauli play FC Cologne on Monday.
NETHERLANDS
- Jozy Altidore started, played 90 minutes and scored THREE GOALS and had an ASSIST in AZ Alkmaar's 4-0 win vs. Roda JC Kerkrade on Sunday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjL1POnIVEE?feature=player_detailpage]
PORTUGAL
- Tony Taylor and G.D. Estoril Praia did not play this weekend.
- Caleb Patterson-Sewell and Vitoria Setubal FC did not play this weekend.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht's 1-1 draw vs. Lierse on Saturday.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov did not dress in FC Rostov's 1-0 win vs. Dinamo Moscow on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started and played 67 minutes in Rapid Vienna's 0-0 draw vs. FC Trenkwalder Admira on Saturday.
DENMARK
- Michael Parkhurst started, played 90 minutes and helped create an own goal in FC Nordsjaelland's 2-1 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RymUNIhmNPo?feature=player_embedded]
- Clarence Goodson started and played 90 minutes in Brondby IF's 2-2 draw vs. AC Horsens on Sunday.
- Conor O'Brien started and played 90 minutes in SonderjyskE's 2-0 loss vs. Silkeborg IF on Saturday.
- Charlie Davies came off the bench and played 31 minutes in Randers FC's 4-0 loss vs. Aalborg BK on Sunday.
SWEDEN
- Alejandro Bedoya did not dress in Helsingborgs IF's 4-0 win vs. GIF Sundsvall on Saturday.
- Brian Span dressed but did not play in Djurgardens IF's 3-0 loss vs. AIK on Sunday.
NORWAY
- Josh Gatt did not dress in Molde FK's 1-0 win vs. Haugesund on Saturday. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Steve Clark started and played 90 minutes in Honefoss BK's 2-2 draw vs. Viking on Sunday.
- Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in Rosenborg BK's 3-0 win vs. Valerenga on Sunday.
- Sean Cunningham did not dress in Stabaek IF's 2-1 win vs. Odd Grenland on Sunday.
- Chad Barrett started and played 56 mintues in Valerenga's 3-0 loss vs. Rosenborg BK on Sunday.
MEXICO
- Jose Torres started, played 71 minutes and scored a GOAL in Pachuca's 3-2 win vs. Morelia on Friday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FndPfcwSg4o?feature=player_embedded]
- Herculez Gomez came off the bench and played 22 minutes in Santos Laguna's 2-0 loss vs. Club America on Saturday.
- Hector Joya dressed but did not play for Santos Laguna.
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes in Puebla's 3-2 loss vs. Monterrey on Sunday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Tigres UANL's 2-0 win vs. Cruz Azul on Saturday.
- Michael Orozco Fiscal dressed but did not play in San Luis' 1-0 win vs. Pumas UNAM on Sunday.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana's 2-1 win vs. Atlante on Sunday.
- Joe Corona came off the bench and played 25 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Ventura Alvarado did not dress in Club America's 2-0 win vs. Santos Laguna on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Think Altidore will be bought by a bigger club next summer if he keeps this up? Impressed with Torres' free kick finish? Do you see Dempsey breaking into the Spurs' starting lineup next week?
Share your thoughts below.