USSoccerPlayers' Graig Carbino works through the situations in Europe for multiple American players looking for playing time.
By Graig Carbino
ALBANY, NY (Nov 10, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Stay or go? That remains the question for a number of American players. For most, the upper reaches of Europe remains the measure of an elite career. It's worth the risks to take the chance. Based on what we have seen so far this season, success seems to be more down to individual situations than anything else.
Clint Dempsey has gone from a regular with Fulham to a substitute because a new manager decided to bring in somebody else. Michael Bradley is facing a similar situation with his move from Holland to the Bundesliga. Bundesliga.2 club Hansa Rostock drop to the middle of the table after a four-game winless streak, and Heath Pearce will need to impress a new coach after Frank Pagelsdorf was fired.
In MLS, all three would be starring, much less starting. It's a situation players like Taylor Twellman and Landon Donovan know from first-hand experience. Both began their careers in Europe before joining Major League Soccer as young players. Both would very much like to go back to Europe, even with the risk of fighting for place week in and week out.
Examine the case of a former Fulham player and your outlook on what can be in European football may change. Carlos Bocanegra went from an automatic starter and part-time captain under Lawrie Sanchez at Fulham to a marginal role player off the bench in one seasons time. By the end of last season he was playing 5-10 minutes per game and needed to make a move fast. Enter Rennes.
Bocanegra made the move to France and hasn’t looked back since. He has started every league game for Rennes, albeit at left back, and has flourished while playing both league and UEFA Cup games. This is a guy who couldn’t get a break at relegation battling Fulham and is now starting in European competition. By all accounts, he is in the form of his life. Again, it’s down to the situation as much as it is the player.
You can look at Eddie Johnson, Bobby Convey, Danny Szetela, Freddy Adu, etc. and see the same things. Does Convey really deserve to be left out of the Reading squad every single week. I’m sure he could get into a lot of other English Championship teams, it’s just not working for him at Reading right now. Is Danny Szetela really an every week starter in Italy? He was, that is until a new coach came in and sent him to the bench.
Situations change. The only thing that any player can do is work hard in training and take the opportunities to impress when chances present themselves. You get the feeling that players who have been there before get that. You get the feeling that for them, that's the point.
Americans Abroad Report Card
English Premier League: Clint Dempsey was a 64th minute substitute for Fulham in their 2-1 home win against Newcastle United. Andy Johnson and Danny Murphy scored for the Whites while Shola Ameobi scored for Newcastle.
Tim Howard was in goal for Everton in their 3-1 win over West Ham United. Jonathan Spector is injured and did not feature for West Ham. Jack Collison scored for the Hammers in the 63rd minute and they looked to be on the way to a victory. It wasn’t meant to be, with Everton scoring three times in the final eight minutes. Louis Saha scored twice for the Toffees.
Brad Friedel started for Aston Villa’s 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough on Sunday while Brad Guzan served as his backup. Steve Sidwell scored for Villa but Middlesbrough’s Tuncay Sanli was the star of the show as his two goals proved to be the difference.
The Championship: Reading beat Derby County 3-nil on Saturday. Marcus Hahnemann started in goal for Reading while Bobby Convey did not make the game day roster. Two goals from Kevin Doyle and one from Noel Hunt eased the Royals to victory.
Jay Demerit started and played 90 minutes for Watford in a 3-1 loss to Swansea. Ferrie Bodde, Jason Scotland and Guillem Bauza scored for the Swans while Lee Williamson scored Watford's goal.
Eddie Johnson received his first league start for Cardiff City in their 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers. Gavin Mahon scored in the 80th minute to hand Rangers the victory. Johnson, who went 72 minutes, had few sights at goal before being replaced. Frank Simek did not make the bench for Sheffield Wednesday in their 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers.
Germany: Steve Cherundolo started and went 90 minutes for Hannover 96 in their 2-1 loss to FC Koln. Sal Zizzo did not make the substitutes bench. Pedro Tunon Geromel and Wilfried Sanou scored for Koln while Jan Schlaudraff tallied for Hannover.
Michael Bradley started and went the full 90 for Borussia Monchengladbach in their 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld. Marco Marin scored both goals for ‘Gladbach.
Neven Subotic started in the heart of defense for Borussia Dortmund in their 2-1 loss to Hamburg SV. Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic scored for Hamburg and Tamas Hajnal scored for Dortmund. Bryan Arguez was not involved for Hertha Berlin in their 1-nil win over TSG Hoffenheim.
Heath Pearce was an unused substitute for Hansa Rostock in their 2-2 draw with VfL Osnabruck in 2.Bundesliga action. Robert Lechleiter scored twice for Rostock while Thomas Reichenberger and Marvin Braun scored for Osnabruck. Grover Gibson did not make the game day roster for Ahlen in their 1-nil win over MSV Duisburg.
David Yelldell started and played 90 minutes in goal for TuS Koblenz in their 2-0 loss to Alemania Aachen. Patrick Milchraum and Szilard Nemeth scored for Aachen. Matt Taylor was brought on at the interval for Koblenz to provide an offensive spark but was unable to find the back of the net.
Gregg Berhalter started and went 90 minutes for 1860 Munich in their 1-nil loss to RW Oberhausen. Mike Terranova scored the Oberhausen goal.
Scotland: DaMarcus Beasley was an unused substitute for Rangers in their 4-0 win over Kilmarnock. Maurice Edu did not make the game day roster. Second half goals from David Weir, Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller and Steven Whittaker led Rangers to victory.
France: Carlos Bocanegra started at his usual left back position for Rennes in their 3-0 win over St. Etienne. Two goals from Mickael Pagis and one from Rod Fanni eased Rennes to the comfortable win. Freddy Adu was an unused substitute for Monaco in their 1-0 loss to Lyon. Fred scored the only goal of the contest. Andrew Jacobson was not named to the squad for Lorient’s 1-0 loss to Nice.
Spain: Jozy Altidore did not make the bench for Villareal in their 2-1 win over Almeria. Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente scored for Villareal while Pablo Piatti scored for Almeria. The victory leaves Villareal in second place in the Liga standings on 24 points, only one point behind league leaders Barcelona.
Belgium: Oguchi Onyewu started and played 90 minutes for Standard Liege in their 3-1 win over Germinal Beerschot on Sunday. Deiudonne Mbokani scored twice for Liege in the victory. The win catapults Liege into second plance in the Jupiler League standings.
Italy: Danny Szetela made the bench for Brescia in their 1-nil loss to Piacenza but saw no game action. Davide Moscardelli scored the only goal of the game. The loss drops Brescia into 9th place in the Serie B standings, 5 points behind dual table toppers Grosseto and Empoli.
Graig Carbino covers American Abroad and writes a weekly column for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at graiger11@yahoo.com
