Americans Abroad Wrap: 2 Americans Secure Champions League Qualification

It was another busy week for Americans plying their trade abroad. Highlighting this week’s action were goals from Sacha Kljestan, Bobby Wood, John Anthony Brooks and Alfredo Morales and assists from Geoff Cameron, Steve Cherundolo and Alejandro Bedoya.

Clint Dempsey’s Tottenham and Jermaine Jones’ Schalke also took their Champions League races down to the final game of their respective seasons and Sacha Kljestan’s Anderlecht battled for the Belgian title.

There’s also contract and transfer news for Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra, Alfredo Morales and Greg Garza.

Check all that out and much, much more in this week’s edition of the Americans Abroad Wrap.

The English Contingent

Clint Dempsey played 73 minutes of Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Sunderland on Sunday, but Arsenal also won their match, meaning Spurs will narrowly, and cruelly, miss Champions League qualification yet again.

Brad Friedel made the 18 for Tottenham, but did not feature.

Geoff Cameron started and went the distance in Stoke’s 1-1 final day draw with Southampton and picked up the assist on Peter Crouch’s goal.

Brek Shea did not make the 18 for Stoke, but apparently was considered in good enough form to get called into the upcoming United States men’s national team camp despite not featuring for Stoke since March 10.

Aston Villa and Brad Guzan tied already-relegated Wigan 2-2 with Guzan in the net, as usual. Eric Lichaj did not make the 18 for Villa.

Tim Howard had a day to forget as Everton lost 2-1 to Chelsea with an error from Howard leading to Chelsea’s opener.

Although all of the Americans playing in the English Championship are done with their seasons, it is noteworthy that Bolton’s Stuart Holden was called into the upcoming USMNT camp after having spent the last two years recovering from injury.

The Germans

Jermaine Jones created an own goal in Schalke’s 2-1 win over Freiburg which put Schalke into the Champions League again next season.

Steve Cherundolo picked up his 300th Bundesliga appearance for Hannover, played 90 minutes and picked up an assist in their 3-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Earlier in the week, however, U.S. Soccer and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann claimed the reason Cherundolo was not called into the upcoming USMNT camp was that because he is injured. It was also reported this week that Cherundolo signed a one-year contract extension with Hannover.

Fabian Johnson and Hoffenheim picked up an unlikely 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on the final game of the season to finish in 16th place and set up a relegation playoff battle with Kaiserlautern.

Danny Williams was not in the 18 for Hoffenheim and, despite not playing a match for Hoffenheim’s first team since March, was considered in good enough form for a USMNT call-up earlier this week.

Timmy Chandler missed Nurnberg’s 3-2 win over Werder Bremen due to injury.

Augsburg beat Greuther Furth 3-1 on the last day of the season to avoid the relegation playoffs, but Michael Parkhurst was not in the 18 again. Parkhurst has only made one appearance since March with the club, but received a national team call-up from Jurgen Klinsmann this week for the USMNT’s upcoming games.

John Anthony Brooks and Hertha Berlin tied Cottbus 1-1 with Brooks picking up Hertha’s goal. In midweek action for Hertha, Alfredo Morales scored the game-winning goal in their 2-1 win over FC Cologne. It was also announced this week that Morales will be playing with Ingolstadt next season.

Bobby Wood started, played 73 minutes and scored a goal in 1860 Munich’s 3-0 win over Aalen.

Joe Gyau came on as a 72nd-minute substitute of St. Pauli’s 2-1 win over Kaiserlautern.

Elsewhere in Europe

Sacha Kljestan and Anderlecht tied Zulte-Waregem 1-1 on Sunday to secure the Belgian title and another year in the Champions League. Kljestan went 90 minutes in the effort. Kljestan also scored in midweek action for Anderlecht in their 4-2 win over Lokeren.

Carlos Bocanegra played 90 minutes in Santander’s 2-0 win over Sabadell. However, despite getting regular playing time recently, Bocanegra was left off the USMNT roster announced earlier this week. It was also reported earlier this week that Bocanegra has yet to decide which club he will be playing for next season.

Michael Bradley and Roma beat Napoli 2-1 with Bradley going the distance. Roma take on Lazio next weekend for the Coppa Italia.

Bursaspor tied Genclerbirligi 2-2, but Maurice Edu was not involved. Edu has only featured once for Bursaspor in the last six weeks, but that was good enough to make Jurgen Klinsmann’s latest USMNT roster this week.

Molde continued their inept start to their 2013 campaign with a 5-1 loss to FK Haugesund on Thursday. Josh Gatt played 90 minutes in the effort, but Molde are dead last in the Tippeligaen after 10 games.

Mix Diskerud’s Rosenborg take on Josh Gatt’s Molde tomorrow.

Conor O’Brien played the second half of Nordsjaelland’s 4-0 loss to Clarence Goodson’s Brondby. Goodson did not play for Brondby, but did receive a national team call-up this week.

Steve Clark was in the net for Honefoss’ 0-0 draw against Viking.

Terrence Boyd played 78 minutes of Rapid Vienna’s 2-0 loss to Mattersburg.

Alejandro Bedoya picked up an assist in Helsingborg’s 5-0 win over Hacken on Monday. Bedoya and Helsingborg take on Elfsborg tomorrow.

Oguchi Onyewu and Malaga did not play this week.

Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar’s Dutch league campaign is over.

South of the Border

Herculez Gomez and Santos play Cruz Azul tonight in the second leg of their semifinal matchup of the Liga MX playoffs. Unfortunately for Santos, they carry a three-goal deficit into that game.

All the rest of the Americans playing in Liga MX are done for the season, but it was reported this week that Greg Garza has signed a new contract with Tijuana.

Edgar Castillo, Joe Corona and DaMarcus Beasley also received call-ups this week for the USMNT’s upcoming games, but Jose Torres was, somewhat surprisingly, left off the roster.

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