By FRANCO PANIZO
If Carlos Bocanegra was supposed to be out for six weeks with the injury he sustained in the U.S. Men’s National Team’s November friendly with Russia, no one told him that.
Just over a month removed from tearing a muscle in his left leg, Bocanegra slipped back into Racing Santander’s starting lineup for the club’s match against CD Sabadell on Sunday. Bocanegra went the distance in the game and received a yellow card but was unable to help the club end its current losing streak, as Santander fell, 1-0, to go winless in their last six games.
One player who did have a big role in helping his team win was Brad Guzan. Guzan put forth a seven-save performance in Aston Villa’s 3-1 upset victory over Liverpool on Saturday. The Villans’ triumph kept them undefeated in their last five league matches.
Jozy Altidore also propelled his team to victory, bagging a brace in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-1 win over PEC Zwolle on Saturday. Altidore’s goals gave him 14 across all competitions this season and ended a scoring drought for him that dated back to Nov. 10.
Here’s how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Everton’s 1-1 draw vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham’s 1-0 win vs. Swansea City on Sunday.
- Clint Dempsey started and played 70 minutes for Tottenham.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made seven saves in Aston Villa’s 3-1 win vs. Liverpool on Saturday.
- Eric Lichaj started and played 90 minutes for Aston Villa.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-1 draw vs. Everton on Saturday.
- Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City.
- Sebastian Lletget dressed but did not play in West Ham United’s 0-0 draw vs. West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Championship
- Tim Ream dressed but did not play in Bolton Wanderers’ 2-0 win vs. Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers.
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in Birmingham City’s 2-2 draw vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City.
- Conor Doyle dressed but did not play in Derby County’s 2-0 win vs. Bristol City on Saturday.
- Zak Whitbread started and played 90 minutes in Leicester City’s 1-0 loss vs. Millwall on Saturday.
- Robbie Findley did not dress in Nottingham Forest’s 0-0 draw vs. Brighton Hove & Albion on Saturday.
League One
- Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 2-1 loss vs. Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.
- Robbie Rogers dressed but did not play in Stevenage’s 2-1 loss vs. Crawley Town on Saturday.
- Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United’s 3-1 win vs. Leyton Orient on Saturday.
SPAIN
La Liga
- Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Malaga CF’s 2-0 win vs. Sevilla on Saturday.
Segunda Division
- Carlos Bocanega started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Racing Santander’s 1-0 loss vs. CD Sabadell on Sunday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley started and played 68 minutes in AS Roma’s 1-0 loss vs. Chievo Verona on Sunday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Steve Cherundolo started and played 90 minutes in Hannover 96’s 2-1 loss vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.
- Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04’s 3-1 loss vs. SC Freiburg on Saturday. He is serving a four-game suspension for a red card he received.
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-1 loss vs. Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
- Danny Williams did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s 1-1 draw vs. Werder Bremen on Sunday.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-0 win vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
- John Anthony Brooks started and played 90 minutes in Hertha Berlin’s 2-1 win vs. FSV Frankfurt on Saturday.
- Alfredo Morales did not dress for Herha Berlin.
- Andrew Wooten started, played 85 minutes and received a yellow card in SV Sandhausen’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Cologne on Friday.
- Joe Gyau came off the bench and payed 12 minutes in St Pauli’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Ingolstadt 04 on Saturday.
- Bobby Wood came off the bench and played 32 minutes in TSV 1860 Munich’s 1-1 draw vs. Dynamo Dresden on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Jozy Altidore started, played 90 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-1 win vs. PEC Zwolle on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knb9seS4ga4?feature=player_detailpage]
PORTUGAL
- Tony Taylor did not dress in G.D. Estoril Praia’s 3-0 loss vs. Braga on Sunday.
- Caleb Patterson-Sewell and Vitoria Setubal’s match vs. Porto on Friday was postponed due to inclement weather.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-1 win vs. OH Leuven on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started and played 90 minutes in Rapid Vienna’s 1-0 loss vs. FC Magna Wr. Neustadt on Saturday.
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What do you think of these performances? Impressed with Bocanegra’s quick comeback? Surprised by how well Guzan has done this season?
Share your thoughts below.