Americans Abroad

Several youngsters off to strong starts training with European sides.

(Sunday, July 23, 2000) -- A number of young Americans in preseason training with European clubs are off to a fast start. John O'Brien, Landon Donovan, Gregg Berhalter and Taylor Twellman are all having good training camps.

United States coach Bruce Arena decided not to call O'Brien, midfielder, into camp for the Guatemala and Costa Rica World Cup qualifying matches over the last week so he would have a chance of making Ajax Amsterdam's starting side under its new coach. The decision probably paid off for O’Brien.

John O'Brien

O'Brien, 22, started and played the full 90 minutes at left midfield in Ajax's major pre-season test, a 5-2 loss to French side St. Etienne. He turned in a solid performance in a 3-4-3 system, but spent much of the night tracking back to support a disorganized Ajax defense.

In the fourth minute, O'Brien made a strong run into the left corner then shook his marker to send a strong cross into the six-yard box to set up the Amsterdam club's first scoring chance. Thirty seconds later, at the other end, he headed clear a dangerous cross in front of the Ajax goal.

With four new players being worked into the back line, Ajax yielded four goals in the first 17 minutes to a surprisingly talented St Etienne side. For the remainder of the first half Ajax effectively fell into a 5-3-2 system to weather the storm.

In the second half, the side looked more organized and scored two goals while allowing St. Etienne another tally. O'Brien's through ball into the area started the first successful Ajax attack and, in the late going, he unleashed two shots, one which sailed over the bar and the other which was handily saved by the keeper.

Competition still exists for several starting positions, including O'Brien's, and his solid performance in a starting role should help his cause.

Many of the Bundesliga teams including Bayern Munich, 1860 Munich, Hertha Berlin, Borussia Dortmund, are training at secluded sites in the Alps and playing test matches against smaller semi-amateur Austrian and Italian sides. The results have been lopsided.

For instance, American defender Tony Sanneh's Hertha Berlin beat FC Kaprun 20-0 with Sanneh scoring a goal before leaving to join the United States for today’s loss to Costa Rica. The opponent was actually an amateur side of off-season ski instructors from Kaprun.

Landon Donovan

The question after last season at Bayer Leverkusen was whether American teenage striker Landon Donovan would be loaned out for his second professional season, or whether he would be given a chance to make the first team on the Bundesliga runner-up. With Brazilian Emerson departed for La Coruna and Stephan Beinlich off to Hertha Berlin, not only was Donovan kept with the first team, but he has been given major pre-season playing time. He has responded with some very impressive play.

With two goals against FC Rheindorf, in a 14-1 romp, Donovan notched his sixth and seventh goals in the last two weeks of preseason play. Donovan scored another goal in Leverkusen's 14-0 win over Norderney FC, a small club from the north German coast.

Reports from the Leverkusen camp would seem to indicate that Donovan not only will make the full squad, but is considered a replacement for Beinlich, if not immediately, then not too far in the future.

Other reports from Leverkusen indicate U.S. midfielder\defender Frankie Hejduk is expected to return to the Bayer's training camp at Norderney following his stint with the U.S. national team. Despite conflicting reports that linked him with a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, it now appears Hejduk will stay at Leverkusen for the coming season.

Twellman, a striker, is off to a torrid start in his first training camp at 1860 Munich. He has four goals and three assists in five preseason games. He scored one against FC Saadelbeen, two against Grodhaldern FC and the winner against Italian side Ratsching. Twellman also saw action this past weekend starting against FC Nicosia of Cyprus.

It looks, however, like Twellman will not make 1860's full squad. He was not with the full side when it crushed SV Heidingsfeld 8-0. He was back in Munich, preparing for the reserve\amateur side's Regionalliga Sud (third division) opener.

1860 has been gathering experienced players. It has sought out solid, veteran players from all over Europe. In fact, 17 veteran players have joined the 1860 first team in the past two years alone.

Reports from Munich would indicate that it will be very difficult for young reserve players to break into the full team for at least two or three seasons. 1860 is losing its more talented younger players and it is likely that if Twellman continues to impress with 1860's amateur squad, he will be quickly snatched up by another team.

Interestingly, new DFB (German Federation) regulations affecting "amateur" player status were published this week. The new rules will allow more freedom of movement for amateur players up until January 2001. Smaller clubs who stand to lose the most under these new rules are moaning over the rising cost of finding and keeping young players.

In other news at 1860, it appears the career, or at least the German career, of American Shawn Petroski may be at an end. The team is now listing him as a "sportinvalide" (out for unspecified reasons), which means his injuries render him unable to work as a professional.

While this often means the end of a player's career, comebacks are sometimes possible. Last year, American Matthew Okoh was listed as a sportinvalide at Unterhaching but managed to get himself healthy to find work with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.

American Raul Palomares is working with the 1FC Kaiserslautern youth squad, but there is not much word yet on his prospects for the coming season.

The coaching staff at Hannover 96 is expressing disappointment in the ongoing medical problems of U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo, but the team is holding a place on its back line for when he returns. Hannover is a preseason favorite for one of the promotion spots to the top Bundesliga division

U.S. under-20 player Carlo Espinosa, 19, has signed a two-year deal with German third division club Karlsruhe SC. After impressing trainer Stefan Kuntz during a trial which included one goal in a test game against Heilbronn, Espinosa was offered a deal.

Newly-relegated Karsruhe is looking to make its stay in the third division a short one by raiding the amateur teams of Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern, and by looking for young new players abroad. Kuntz has yet to settle on a starting 11 and according to press reports as many as six spots are up for grabs. If Espinosa can continue to impress in the next two weeks leading up to the season's start, one of those starting positions, on the left outside midfield, could be his.

In news from England, it appears Berhalter is about to complete a move from the Netherlands to Huddersfield Town of the English first division (second tier). He has been on trial with the club on its preseason trip in Scotland. The Terriers finished eighth in the first division last season.

Huddersfield Town manager Steve Bruce said "Gregg is not short of ability, as you would expect from someone with a dozen caps for the USA." Final contract approval is apparently awaiting the issuance of a work permit, which should be a formality because Berhalter carries an Irish passport.

American striker Bruno Schneider sustained a severe injury today in a collision with another player while training with Blackburn Rovers. Set to make his youth team debut this coming weekend, he will be sidelined for a few weeks.

At first-division Bolton, American striker Michael Ricketts, acquired from Walsall for a reported $850,000, is said to be eligible to play for the U.S.

Ricketts scored twice in his first preseason match for Bolton. It will be interesting to see him play against the U.S. (under-23) Olympic team in an exhibition later this month. Bolton is also giving a tryout to American John Thorrington, who played last season on Leverkusen's reserve side.

Senior correspondent Robert Wagman can be e-mailed at bobwagman@soccertimes.com Christopher Courtney is an American living in Wuerzburg, Germany where he follows 1FC Nuernburg and Bayern Munich. He can be e-mailed at yanksgermany@yahoo.com. Willy Calderon, an American living in Bristol, England, writes about soccer for various publications and netzines and can be contacted at willy@netcity.co.uk.