By FRANCO PANIZO
Easter Weekend was kind to the Americans Abroad contingent.
Several players delivered strong performances this past weekend, including Rapid Vienna striker Terrence Boyd. Boyd bagged a brace in the club’s 2-2 draw vs. SV Grodig on Sunday, scoring his first goal in the 24th minute before converting a penalty kick that he drew late in the first half. The two-goal outing ended a scoring drought for the 23-year-old Boyd that dated back to March 2, and gave him 16 in all competitions this season.
Alejandro Bedoya was another player to find the back of the net, giving the veteran midfielder two goals in the month of April. Bedoya scored for the second time in three games on Sunday, netting FC Nantes’ second tally in a 6-2 road rout of Valenciennes. Bedoya’s well-taken effort, which came following a skipping pass that was trickier than it initially looked, gave him five goals in Ligue 1 and six across all competitions.
Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore also enjoyed good weekends. Howard made two saves as Everton kept their UEFA Champions League dreams alive with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, and Altidore came off the bench and drew the penalty kick that gave Sunderland a surprise 2-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday.
Here is how the Americans Abroad did this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton’s 2-0 win vs. Manchester United on Sunday.
- Jozy Altidore came off the bench, played 24 minutes and drew a penalty kick in Sunderland’s 2-1 win vs. Chelsea on Saturday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-1 draw vs. Cardiff City on Saturday.
- Brek Shea did not dress for Stoke City.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw vs. Southampton on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 win vs. Fulham on Saturday.
- Cody Cropper did not dress in Southampton’s 0-0 draw vs. Aston Villa on Saturday.
- Sebastian Lletget did not dress in West Ham United’s 1-0 loss vs. Crystal Palace on Saturday.
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes in Sheffield Wednesday’s 4-2 win vs. AFC Bournemouth on Friday. Onyewu and Sheffield Wednesday play Charlton Athletic on Monday.
- Danny Williams started, played 55 minutes and received a yellow card in Reading’s 3-0 loss vs. Wigan Athletic on Friday.
- Duane Holmes dressed but did not play in Huddersfield Town’s 1-1 draw vs. Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday. Holmes and Huddersfield Town play Yeovil Town on Monday.
- Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 1-0 loss vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Spector and Birmingham City play Blackburn Rovers on Monday.
- Will Packwood dressed but did not play for Birmingham City. Packwood and Birmingham City play Blackburn Rovers on Monday.
- Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 0-0 draw vs. Charlton Athletic on Friday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Eric Lichaj did not dress in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 win vs. Birmingham City on Saturday. He is recovering from a groin injury. Nottingham Forest play Leeds United on Monday.
- Zak Whitbread dressed but did not play in Derby County’s 2-0 win vs. Doncaster Rovers on Friday. Whitbread and Derby County play Barnsley on Monday.
League One
- Gboly Ariyibi did not dress in Tranmere Rovers’ 2-0 loss vs. Gillingham on Friday. Ariyibi and Tranmere Rovers play Sheffield United on Monday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 3-1 loss vs. Werder Bremen on Saturday.
- Joe Gyau dressed but did not play for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- John Brooks started and played 90 minutes in Hertha Berlin’s 0-0 draw vs. FC Augsburg on Saturday.
- Timmy Chandler did not dress in FC Nurberg’s 4-1 loss vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
- David Yelldell dressed but did not play in Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-1 win vs. FC Nurnberg on Sunday.
Bundesliga 2
- Alfredo Morales started and played 90 minutes in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 0-0 draw vs. VfR Aalen on Sunday.
- Bobby Wood came off the bench and played 45 minutes in TSV 1860 Munich’s 2-1 win vs. Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.
- Andrew Wooten started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in FSV Frankfurt’s 3-2 loss vs. FSV Kaiserslautern on Sunday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro Bedoya started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in FC Nantes’ 6-2 win vs. Valenciennes on Sunday.
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NETHERLANDS
- Aron Johannsson and AZ Alkmaar did not play this weekend.
- Juan Agudelo and FC Utrecht did not play this weekend.
TURKEY
- Jermaine Jones started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Besiktas’ 1-1 draw vs. Fenerbahce on Sunday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht play Racing Genk in the Pro League playoff on Monday.
DENMARK
- Conor O’Brien dressed but did not play in Odense BK’s 1-0 loss vs. FC Vestsjaelland on Sunday.
- Babajide Ogunbiyi and Viborg FF play FC Midtjylland on Monday.
NORWAY
- Mix Diskerud and Rosenborg BK play FK Bodo/Glimt on Monday.
- Ethan Horvath and Molde FK play Sarpsborg 08 on Monday.
- Josh Gatt and Molde FK play Sarpsborg 08 on Monday.
- Zarek Valentin did not dress in FK Bodo/Glimt play Rosenborg BK on Monday.
- Michael Stephens and Stabaek IF play Odd on Monday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started, played 90 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in Rapid Vienna’s 2-2 draw vs. SV Grodig on Sunday.
MEXICO
- DaMarcus Beasley started and played 40 minutes before coming off with an injury in Puebla’s 2-1 win vs. Pachuca on Saturday.
- Michael Orozco did not dress for Puebla. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes in Tigres UANL’s 3-1 loss vs. Club Leon on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Atlante’s 2-1 loss vs. Club Tijuana on Sunday.
- Edgar Castillo started and played 90 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 2-1 win vs. Atlante on Sunday.
- Herculez Gomez came off the bench and played 30 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Joe Corona came off the bench and played seven minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Paul Arriola dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Alejandro Guido did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Fernando Arce Jr did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Joaquin Alonso Hernandez did not dress in Monterrey’s 4-1 win vs. Veracruz on Saturday.
- Gabriel Farfan did not dress in Jaguares de Chiapas’ 3-2 win vs. Santos Laguna on Saturday.
- Michael Farfan dressed but did not play in Cruz Azul’s 5-1 loss vs. Morelia on Friday.
- Dennis Flores dressed but did not play in Club Leon’s 3-1 win vs. Tigres UANL on Saturday.
- Miguel Palafox did not dress for Club Leon.
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What do you think of these performances? Did Boyd’s performance all but pencil him in for a place in Brazil this summer? Do you see Bedoya making the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup roster? Think Altidore is set for a strong finish to the campaign?
Share your thoughts below.