By FRANCO PANIZO
Those wanting to see Mix Diskerud earn a U.S. Men’s National Team start in central midfield next to Michael Bradley received more ammunition for their argument this weekend.
Diskerud delivered what is surely to be one of the best goals scored by an American playing overseas this season on Sunday, as he unleashed a cannon of a shot into the top corner of the net after masterfully sidestepping a diving defender. The stunning strike brought Diskerud and Rosenborg BK level in the NM Cupen final vs. Molde FK, but they ultimately blew a 2-1 lead before falling 4-2. Diskerud started and went the distance.
The other American to net this weekend was the red-hot Aron Johannsson, who continued his fine run of form with a goal and assist in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-2 draw vs. Roda JC Kerkrade. Johannsson first set up the game’s opener with a left-footed pass that may have been unintentional in the 25th minute before scoring his 15th goal across all competitions 14 minutes later with what is becoming his trademark cutback-and-finish move.
More good news came out of England and Denmark. Danny Williams made his long-awaited return from a foot injury in Reading’s scoreless draw with Blackburn Rovers on Saturday by coming off the bench and playing the final 45 minutes (his first game since Sept. 18), and Mike Grella had a five-minute cameo that marked his Viborg FF debut in the club’s 4-1 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
Here is how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton’s 3-3 draw vs. Liverpool on Saturday.
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played five minutes in Sunderland’s 2-0 loss vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 2-0 win vs. Sunderland on Sunday.
- Brek Shea dressed but did not play for Stoke City.
- Maurice Edu did not dress for Stoke City.
- Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play West Bromwich Albion on Monday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham Hotspur’s 6-0 loss vs. Manchester City on Sunday.
Championship
- Jonathan Spector did not dress in Birmingham City’s 1-1 draw vs. Blackpool on Saturday. He is recovering from a thigh injury.
- Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 1-0 win vs. Watford on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton Wanderers. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Derby County’s 1-0 win vs. AFC Bournemouth on Saturday. He is recovering from a calf injury.
- Eric Lichaj started and played 45 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 1-1 draw vs. Burnley on Saturday.
- Danny Williams came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Reading’s 0-0 draw vs. Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
- Oguchi Onyewu dressed but did not play in Queens Park Rangers’ 1-0 win vs. Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
- Duane Holmes dressed but did not play in Huddersfield Town’s 2-1 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
ITALY
- Michael Bradley and AS Roma play Cagliari on Monday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 2-0 loss vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday.
- Joe Gyau did not dress for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- Timmy Chandler started and played 90 minutes in FC Nurnberg’s 1-1 draw vs. VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.
- Michael Parkhurst did not dress in FC Augsburg’s 2-0 win vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday.
- Jermaine Jones started and played 90 minutes in Schalke 04’s 3-3 draw vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
- Steve Cherundolo dressed but did not play in Hannover 96′s 3-1 loss vs. Hamburg SV on Sunday.
- John Brooks did not dress in Hertha Berlin’s 1-0 loss vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
2. Bundesliga
- Alfredo Morales started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 1-0 win vs. FC Cologne on Saturday.
- Andrew Wooten did not dress in Kaiserslautern’s 3-0 win vs. FC Union Berlin on Saturday.
- Bobby Wood and TSV 1860 Munich play SpVgg Greuther Furth on Monday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro Bedoya came off the bench and played 24 minutes in FC Nantes’ 1-0 loss vs. AS Monaco on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Aron Johannsson started, played 78 minutes, scored a GOAL and had an ASSIST in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-2 draw vs. Roda JC Kerkrade on Saturday.
RUSSIA
- Eugene Starikov did not dress in FK Tom’ Tomsk’s 1-0 loss vs. FK Rubin Kazan on Saturday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started and played 90 minutes in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-1 loss vs. Royal Charleroi SC on Saturday.
DENMARK
- Conor O’Brien came off the bench, played 82 minutes and received a yellow card in Odense BK’s 1-1 draw vs. Odense BK on Saturday.
- Babajide Ogunbiyi started and played 90 minutes in Viborg FF’s 4-1 loss vs. FC Copenhagen on Sunday.
- Mike Grella came off the bench and played six minutes for Viborg FF.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started and played 87 minutes in Rapid Vienna’s 2-1 win vs. Red Bull Salzburg on Sunday.
NORWAY
- Mix Diskerud started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Rosenborg BK’s 4-2 loss vs. Molde FK in the NM Cupen final on Sunday.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv9H39dBQds?feature=player_embedded]
- Josh Gatt did not dress in Molde FK’s 4-2 win vs. Rosenborg BK in the NM Cupen final on Sunday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Ben Spencer did not play for Molde FK.
- Ethan Horvath did not play for Molde FK .
MEXICO
- Jose Torres came off the bench and played 45 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 2-2 draw vs. Club America in the first leg of their Apertura Liguilla quarterfinals series on Sunday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress for Tigres UANL.
BRAZIL
- Freddy Adu did not dress in Bahia’s 1-0 win vs. Portuguesa de Desportos on Sunday.
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What do you think of these performances? How impressed are you by Diskerud’s golazo? Do you see Johannsson moving to a bigger club after the end of the season?
Share your thoughts below.