Our boys abroad: Weekend highlights of Yanks in Europe and Mexico

I know Brad Friedel retired from international play some years back. But is there any question that if misfortune were to fell Tim Howard before South Africa next summer that the Aston Villa man would step in heroically?

Friedel, who at age 38 is still humming along like a $60,000 mid-life crisis sports car, went the full 90 and posted his second consecutive clean sheet in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win at Birmingham in EPL action.

Meanwhile, Marcus Hahnemann continues to ride the bench at Wolves. He’s already 37, and he’s probably not destined for an EPL starting assignment. Wonder at what point the Seattle native will make his way back into MLS? With Philadelphia coming on-line next year, and two teams from the Northwest due to begin passing and trapping 12 months after that, it seems like a logical move for him, perhaps even this winter during the next transfer window.

Kenny Cooper played the first half in 1860 Munich’s 3-1 win in the 2 Bundesliga, which qualified as the highlight for U.S. forwards abroad this week. Jozy Altidore got a 26-minute run-about in Hull’s 4-1 loss at Sunderland while Charlie Davies was on the field just less than an hour in as Sochaux lost at Lille 1-0. (If you ever get to France, Lille is a little gem of a city north of Paris, a major rail exchange point tucked just inside the Belgian border. Oh, and say hi to Charlie while you’re there.)

You know how Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson have spent so much time out of the 18-man game-day rosters at Fulham and at whatever hard-to-pronounce Portuguese team Adu is playing for this week? Yeah, well, same deal this go-round.

Ditto for DaMarcus Beasley at Rangers. If that guy has any hope whatsoever of playing in South Africa, he’ll absolutely have to make his way back to the States in the Winter transfer window. It’s a long shot, but it’s about the only one Beasley has.

Michael Bradley was on the bench, at least, as Borusia Moenchengladbach fell 1-0 at Nurnberg

All the papers are writing about Damien Duff and his career rebirth at Fulham. But our man from Texas in London, Clint Dempsey, earned high marks himself in Fulham’s big 2-1 win over Howard and Everton at Craven Cottage.

Fulham made four changes from the side that lost at Villa Park in the Cottagers’ previous match. Dempsey held his spot, so, good on him for that. Then he was bright and busy over the full 90 for his West London side. Now, why can’t he do the same in the U.S. shirt?

Big U.S. center back Oguchi Onyewu did not suit up for AC Milan’s match at Livorno (a scoreless draw). So, three matches into the Serie A season, and I have officially played exactly the same number of first team minutes in league play as Onyewu. Yea, me!

Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover) and recently U.S. transfer success Edgar Castillo (Tigres) had their usual starting spots.

Perhaps you’re saying, "Castillo who?" As there’s little time to explain, let me sum up: Castillo grew up in New Mexico but launched his pro career south of the border. He played in friendlies for Hugo Sanchez with El Tri but has recently switched his official soccer allegiance and is now available for selection on Bob Bradley’s U.S. side. Fingers crossed, he could be the long-sought answer to the U.S. black hole at left back.

Michael Orozco scored a goal for San Luis in a big 4-0 win over Chivas.

Jonathan Spector and Jay DeMerit were not named for their teams’ 18 in England. Ditto for national team pool fringers Frank Simik, Michael Parkhurst and Danny Califf.