By FRANCO PANIZO
John Brooks’ new back tattoo was apparently not a hindrance to his performance this weekend.
Brooks gave his World Cup chances a boost on Saturday by scoring the winner and helping Hertha Berlin record a cleansheet in a 2-0 triumph over TSV Eintracht Braunschweig. The goal was the 21-year-old Brooks’ second of the Bundesliga campaign and first since he hit home the winner in the season-opening 6-1 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt back in August.
Two other German-Americans found the back of the net this weekend. Terrence Boyd bagged a brace for a second straight match to lift Rapid Vienna to a 2-1 win vs. Red Bull Salzburg and his season scoring total to 18 goals across all competitions, and Andrew Wooten also netted twice to help FSV Frankfurt knock off Energie Cottbus, 3-1. Wooten now has three goals in his last two matches.
Other notable outings came in the German Bundesliga, as Timmy Chandler made his return from injury and Joe Gyau enjoyed his league debut. Chandler started and played 45 minutes for the first time since February in FC Nurnberg’s 2-0 defeat vs. Mainz on Saturday, and Gyau played in his first Bundesliga match by contributing 21 minutes off the bench in Hoffenheim’s scoreless draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
It was not all good news, however. Tim Howard and Everton saw their UEFA Champions League bid suffer a big blow with a 2-0 loss to Southampton on Saturday, a surprise result that came about due to two own goals. The Toffees are still just one point behind Arsenal in the standings for that Champions League qualifiers spot, but the Gunners have a game in hand.
Here is how the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Everton’s 2-0 loss vs. Southampton on Saturday.
- Jozy Altidore dressed but did not play in Sunderland’s 4-0 win vs. Cardiff City on Sunday.
- Geoff Cameron started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 1-0 loss vs. Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
- Brek Shea did not dress for Stoke City.
- Brad Guzan started, played 90 minutes and made four saves in Aston Villa’s 4-1 loss vs. Swansea City on Saturday.
- Brad Friedel dressed but did not play in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
- Cody Cropper did not dress in Southampton’s 2-0 win vs. Everton on Saturday.
- Sebastian Lletget did not dress in West Ham United’s 1-0 loss vs. West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Oguchi Onyewu started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Sheffield Wednesday’s 3-1 loss vs. Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.
- Danny Williams did not dress in Reading’s 3-1 win vs. Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
- Duane Holmes started and played 63 minutes in Huddersfield Town’s 2-0 loss vs. Leicester City on Saturday.
- Jonathan Spector started and played 90 minutes in Birmingham City’s 3-1 loss vs. Leeds United on Saturday.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City.
- Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 3-1 win vs. Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
- Stuart Holden did not dress for Bolton. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Eric Lichaj did not dress in Nottingham Forest’s 4-1 loss vs. AFC Bournemouth on Saturday. He is recovering from a groin injury.
- Zak Whitbread dressed but did not play in Derby County’s 4-2 win vs. Watford on Saturday.
League One
- Gboly Ariyibi did not dress in Tranmere Rovers’ 2-0 loss vs. Leyton Orient on Friday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s 0-0 draw vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
- Joe Gyau came off the bench and played 21 minutes for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
- John Brooks started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL in Hertha Berlin’s 2-0 win vs. TSV Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday.
- Timmy Chandler started and played 45 minutes in FC Nurberg’s 2-0 loss vs. Mainz on Saturday.
- David Yelldell dressed but did not play in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw vs. Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
Bundesliga 2
- Alfredo Morales started, played 90 minutes received a yellow card in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 1-1 draw vs. FC Cologne on Friday.
- Bobby Wood came off the bench and played 34 minutes in TSV 1860 Munich’s 2-1 win vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth on Friday.
- Andrew Wooten started, played 71 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in FSV Frankfurt’s 3-1 win vs. Energie Cottbus on Saturday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro Bedoya started and played 90 minutes in FC Nantes’ 1-1 draw vs. Marseille on Friday.
NETHERLANDS
- Aron Johannsson started and played 60 minutes in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-1 win vs. ADO Den Haag on Sunday.
- Juan Agudelo came off the bench, played 26 minutes and had an ASSIST in FC Utrecht’s 4-1 loss vs. SC Heerenveen on Sunday.
TURKEY
- Jermaine Jones did not dress in Besiktas’ 3-0 loss vs. Sivasspor on Sunday. He was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan dressed but did not play in RSC Anderlecht’s 2-1 win vs. Standard Liege on Sunday.
AUSTRIA
- Terrence Boyd started, played 90 minutes and scored TWO GOALS in Rapid Vienna’s 2-1 win vs. Red Bull Salzburg on Saturday.
DENMARK
- Conor O’Brien came off the bench and played 23 minutes in Odense BK’s 3-2 loss vs. Aalborg BK on Saturday.
- Babajide Ogunbiyi started and played 90 minutes in Viborg FF’s 3-0 win vs. AGF Aarhus on Sunday.
NORWAY
- Mix Diskerud started and played 90 minutes in Rosenborg BK’s 5-2 win vs. Brann on Sunday.
- Ethan Horvath dressed but did not play in Molde FK’s 3-1 win vs. Sandnes Ulf.
- Josh Gatt did not dress for Molde FK. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Zarek Valentin did not dress in FK Bodo/Glimt’s 2-1 loss vs. Stabaek IF on Sunday.
- Michael Stephens started and played 90 minutes in Stabaek IF’s 2-1 win vs. FK Bodo/Glimt on Sunday.
MEXICO
- DaMarcus Beasley did not dress in Puebla’s 3-1 win vs. Morelia on Sunday.
- Michael Orozco did not dress for Puebla. He is recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Jose Torres started, played 81 minutes and had an ASSIST in Tigres UANL’s 2-1 win vs. Atlas on Saturday.
- Jonathan Bornstein did not dress in Atlante’s 5-2 loss vs. Jaguares de Chiapas on Saturday.
- Edgar Castillo started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Club Tijuana’s 2-1 loss vs. Club Leon on Friday.
- Joe Corona started and played 59 minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Paul Arriola came off the bench and played six minutes for Club Tijuana.
- Greg Garza dressed but did not play for Club Tijuana.
- Herculez Gomez did not dress 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 1-0 win vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday evening.
- Gabriel Farfan dressed but did not play in Jaguares de Chiapas’ 5-2 win vs. Atlante on Saturday.
- Michael Farfan did not dress in Cruz Azul’s 2-1 win vs. Pumas UNAM on Saturday.
- Dennis Flores did not dress in Club Leon’s 2-1 win vs. Club Tijuana on Friday.
- 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.