By FRANCO PANIZO
Jozy Altidore is not the only young American forward in fine form these days.
Terrence Boyd showed why he is also a serious contender to make the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, as he rescued Rapid Vienna from suffering a second straight defeat in league play on Saturday. Vienna went two goals to SV Mattersburg, but Boyd made sure his club did not lose at home by scoring a goal and assisting on the equalizer in the 2-2 draw. Boyd now has 11 goals in league play and 15 across all competitions this season.
Boyd may have had arguably the best performance among the Americans Abroad, but he was the only forward to tally. Herculez Gomez scored for the second straight week, netting on a free kick for the opener in Santos Laguna’s 2-1 win against Atlante on Saturday. Gomez now has three goals in Santos’ last two league games and four all season.
Another bright spot from the weekend was Joe Gyau, who started a second consecutive game for St. Pauli on Friday. Gyau played 85 minutes in St. Pauli’s wild 3-2 win over SSV Jahn Regensburg and helped set up his club’s opener.
It was not all good news, however. Centerback Carlos Bocanegra did not play for Racing Santander in their 2-1 win over Murcia while Fabian Johnson missed out on Hoffenheim’s 3-0 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth with a hip injury.
Here’s how the Americans Abroad did this weekend:
Premiership
- Brek Shea dressed but did not play in Stoke City’s 2-1 loss vs. Newcastle United on Sunday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes for Stoke City.
- Sebastian Lletget and West Ham United did not play this weekend.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham’s 3-2 loss vs. Liverpool on Sunday.
- Clint Dempsey did not dress for Tottenham. He is recovering from a calf injury.
- Tim Howard did not dress in Everton’s 3-0 loss vs. Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. He is recovering from a back injury.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made three saves in Aston Villa’s 2-1 win vs. Reading on Saturday.
- Eric Lichaj did not dress for Aston Villa.
Championship
- Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 3-1 win vs. Derby County on Saturday.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City. He is recovering from a leg injury.
- Conor Doyle dressed but did not played in Derby County’s 3-1 loss vs. Birmingham City on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden dressed but did not play in Bolton Wanderers’ 1-0 win vs. Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
- Tim Ream did not dress for Bolton Wanderers.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Leceister City’s 1-0 loss vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
League One
- Frank Simek started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle United’s 2-0 win vs. Brentford on Saturday.
- Mike Grella dressed but did not play in Scunthorpe United’s 2-1 loss vs. Coventry City on Saturday.
SPAIN
La Liga
- Oguchi Onyewu did not dress in Malaga CF’s 1-1 draw vs. Real Valladolid on Saturday.
Segunda Division
- Carlos Bocanega dressed but did not play in Racing Santander’s 2-1 win vs. Murcia on Sunday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley did not dress in AS Roma’s 1-1 draw vs. Udinese on Saturday. He was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Danny Williams started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-0 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Saturday.
- Fabian Johnson did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He is recovering from a hip injury.
- Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s 2-1 win vs. FC Augsburg on Friday.
- Michael Parkhurst dressed but did not play in FC Augsburg’s 2-1 loss vs. FC Nurnberg on Friday.
- Jermaine Jones did not dress in Schalke 04’s 2-1 win vs. Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. He was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 loss vs. Mainz on Saturday.
- Steve Cherundolo did not dress in Hannover 96’s 0-0 draw vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
2. Bundesliga
- Joe Gyau started, played 85 minutes and helped set up a goal in St Pauli’s 3-2 win vs. SSV Jahn Regensburg on Friday.
- John Anthony Brooks started and played 90 minutes in Hertha Berlin’s 4-2 win vs. MSV Duisburg on Sunday.
- Alfredo Morales did not dress for Hertha Berlin.
- Andrew Wooten started and played 73 minutes in SV Sandhausen’s 1-0 loss vs. TSV 1860 Munich on Friday.
- Bobby Wood dressed but did not play in TSV 1860 Munich’s 1-0 win vs. SV Sandhausen on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Jozy Altidore started and played 90 minutes in AZ Alkmaar’s 1-1 draw vs. ADO Den Haag on Saturday.
PORTUGAL
- Tony Taylor came off the bench and played 14 minutes in G.D. Estoril Praia’s 2-0 loss vs. FC Porto on Friday.
- Caleb Patterson-Sewell and Vitoria Setubal play Vitoria de Guimaraes on Monday.
RUSSIA
- Eugen Starikov came off the bench and played 28 minutes in FK Rostov’s 0-0 draw vs. Alania Vladikavkaz on Saturday.
TURKEY
- Maurice Edu started and played 90 minutes in Bursaspor’s 4-1 loss vs. Fenerbahce on Sunday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 1-0 win vs. Mechelen on Saturday.
DENMARK
- Clarence Goodson started and played 90 minutes in Brondby IF’s 3-0 win vs. AGF Aarhus on Sunday.
- Charlie Davies came off the bench and played 18 minutes in Randers FC’s 2-0 win vs. SonderjyskE on Friday.
- Conor O’Brien and FC Nordsjaelland play FC Midtjylland on Monday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started, played 90 minutes, had an ASSIST and scored a GOAL in Rapid Vienna’s 2-2 draw vs. SV Mattersburg on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74kwew5BnBU?feature=player_embedded]
MEXICO
- Herculez Gomez started, played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and scored a GOAL in Santos Laguna’s 2-1 win vs. Atlante on Saturday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBMN8Ljv3B0?feature=player_embedded]
- Hector Joya did not dress for Santos Laguna.
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 90 minutes in Puebla’s 1-0 loss vs. Pumas UNAM on Sunday.
- Michael Orozco Fiscal started and played 90 minutes.
- Greg Garza started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 1-0 loss vs. Queretaro on Saturday.
- Edgar Castillo did not dress for Club Tijuana. He is recovering from a facial injury.
- Joe Corona did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Jose Torres started and played 82 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 2-1 win vs. San Luis on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress for Tigres UANL.
- Ventura Alvarado dressed but did not play in Club America’s 1-1 draw vs. Morelia on Friday.
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What do you think of these performances? Do you see Boyd scoring more than 15 goals this season? Impressed with Gomez’s latest strike?
Share your thoughts below.