By FRANCO PANIZO

FK Bodo/Glimt finally moved out of last place in Eliteserien this past weekend, and it was one of the club’s Americans who played a key part in making that happen.

Danny Cruz enjoyed arguably his best game of the season on Sunday despite playing less than an hour, as he scored a game-winner and assisted on another goal in Bodo/Glimt’s 5-1 rout of Mjondalen. Cruz set up the opener in the 19th minute and also mustered up a response to Mjondalen’s equalizer by giving his side the lead for good five minutes before halftime.

The 25-year-old midfielder – who now has two goals in the Norwegian season – was subbed off in the 56th minute while compatriot Zarek Valentin logged a full 90-minute shift in Bodo/Glimt’s defense. The win pushed the club up two spots in the standings, leaving Bodo/Glimt in the relegation play-off position after 11 matches.

While Cruz and Valentin were celebrating a lopsided victory, Jonathan Bornstein and Conor O’Brien were dealt blows. Bornstein and Queretaro fell short in the Clausura Liguilla finals despite winning the second leg, 3-0, and O’Brien and FC Magna Wiener Neustadt were relegated from the Austrian Bundesliga after suffering a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to Rheindorf Altach on the final match-day of the season.

Here is how the Americans Abroad did this weekend:

AUSTRIA

• Conor O’Brien started and played 68 minutes in FC Magna Wiener Neustadt’s 1-0 loss vs. Rheindorf Altach on Sunday.

SWEDEN

• Heath Pearce dressed in IFK Goteborg’s match vs. Djurgardens IF on Monday.

NORWAY

• Zarek Valentin started and played 90 minutes in FK Bodo/Glimt’s 5-1 win vs. Mjondalen on Sunday.

• Danny Cruz started, played 56 minutes, scored a GOAL, and had an ASSIST for FK Bodo/Glimt.

• Ethan Horvath dressed but did not play in Molde FK’s 6-1 win vs. Sandefjord on Saturday.

• Josh Gatt did not dress for Molde FK.

• Cole Grossman started and played 90 minutes in Stabaek IF’s 1-0 win vs. Sarpsborg 08 on Sunday.

• A.J. Soares started and played 90 minutes in Viking’s 4-3 loss vs. Valerenga on Sunday.

FINLAND

• Freddy Adu dressed but did not play in Kuopion Palloseura’s 1-1 draw vs. HJK on Friday.

• Stephen McCarthy did not dress for Kuopion Palloseura.

MEXICO

• Jonathan Bornstein started and played 60 minutes in Queretaro’s 3-0 win vs. Santos Laguna in the second leg of their Liga MX Liguilla finals series on Sunday. Queretaro lost via a 5-3 aggregate score.

What do you think of these performances? How impressed are you with Cruz’s showing for Bodo/Glimt? More disappointed to see Bornstein lose the Liguilla finals or O’Brien get relegated?

Share your thoughts below.