Owen Otasowie returned to Club Brugge’s first team squad this preseason with a new opportunity at the club, and the American defender earned his first competitive start in Sunday’s Belgian Super Cup triumph.
Otasowie started and played 59 minutes in Club Brugge’s 1-0 win over Gent, giving the defending Belgian champions their first trophy of the new season. The 20-year-old struggled to make an impact under Philippe Clement last season, but with Carl Hoefkens taking over as manager, Otasowie has been given an early opportunity to play regularly in the new season. Otasowie won two of three duels, made one interception, made one block, helping Club Brugge earn a clean sheet in its first competitive match of the season.
Club Brugge opens its league schedule on July 24 against Genk with Otasowie aiming to remain in the starting lineup.
In Germany, Julian Green and Timothy Tillman both celebrated goals as Greuther Furth tied Holstein Kiel 2-2 in its 2. Bundesliga opener on Saturday. Green and Tillman both started the match and logged their first minutes of the new competitive season as the hosts fought back to earn one point.
In Austria, Ulysses Llanez scored his first goal of the season as SKN St. Poelten advanced in the Austrian Cup past Leobendorf 2-1.
Here is a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad:
Germany
2. Bundesliga
Timothy Tillman started, scored ONE GOAL, and played 90 minutes in Greuther Furth’s 2-2 draw with Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
Julian Green started, scored ONE GOAL, and played 65 minutes for Furth.
Terrence Boyd started, registered ONE ASSIST, and played 65 minutes in Kaiserslautern’s 2-1 win over Hannover on Friday.
George Bello came off the bench and played 19 minutes in Arminia Bielefeld’s 2-1 loss to Sandhausen on Saturday.
Nico Carrera did not dress for Holstein Kiel.
Belgium
Super Cup
Owen Otasowie started and played 59 minutes in Club Brugge’s 1-0 win over Gent on Sunday.
Denmark
Superliagen
Christian Cappis started and played 90 minutes in Brondby’s 1-0 win over AGF Aarhus on Sunday.
Emmanuel Sabbi did not dress in Odense’s 2-0 loss to Nordsjaelland on Monday.
Austria
Cup
Ulysses Llanez started, scored ONE GOAL, and played 75 minutes in SKN St. Poelten’s 2-1 win over SV Leobendorf on Saturday.
Norway
Eliteserien
Sam Rogers started and played 90 minutes in Rosenborg’s 0-0 draw with Aalesund on Sunday.
Kobe Hernandez-Foster started and played 90 minutes in HamKam’s 2-0 loss to Bodo/Glimt on Saturday.
Sweden
Allsvenskan
Jeffrey Gal started, made ONE PENALTY SAVE, and played 90 minutes in Degerfors 2-0 win over Sirius on Sunday.
Joe Gyau started and played 83 minutes for Degerfors.
Forrest Lasso started and played 90 minutes in Sundsvall’s 5-1 loss to Hacken on Monday.
Romain Gall did not dress in Malmo’s 2-0 win over IFK Norrkoping on Saturday.
Joe Corona did not dress for Sundsvall.
Argentina
Liga Profesional
Alan Sonora started and played 90 minutes in Independiente’s 0-0 draw with Rosario Central on Saturday.
Joel Sonora did not dress in Velez Sarsfield’s 2-2 draw with River Plate on Sunday.
Brazil
Serie A
Johnny Cardoso came off the bench and played 27 minutes in Internacional’s 0-0 draw with Athletico Paranaense on Saturday.
Christian Cappis continuing to do good things for Brondby. Did Ottasowie play CB? But nonetheless good to see him starting to get minutes.
CB in a back 3. Brugge reported on their website he left with an injury but didn’t say what or severity. Apparently Stanley Nsoki a regular starter was suspended for a head butt during a friendly earlier this summer, so Owen got the start.