Yanks in Europe Recap: The Return of DMB

There weren't too many USMNT players in action today, but the day still had one big surprise. DaMarcus Beasley made his first league appearance for Rangers in a 2-1 victory over St. Mirren. Beasley came on at halftime and played well, showing no serious signs of rust. He contributed to the buildup in Rangers' second goal by slotting a wonderful through-ball to Nacho Novo, who then crossed the ball to Kris Boyd for the goal.

Beasley contributed on the defensive end as well, and he also made a few long attacking runs at the St Mirren backline. Overall, he did well on the wing, sending in several good crosses and showing his skill with a couple of quality turns and quick passes. Beasley's attacking efforts caused problems for St. Mirren, and his play earned him a 10 on SkySports' fan player ratings.

Since there isn't a great deal of depth at outside midfield (particularly on the left), Beasley could still conceivably work his way back into the National Team picture with a good run in domestic play. The January transfer window might play a huge part in that, since it seems unlikely that he will find consistent playing time at Rangers (it's also believed that the Glasgow club wants to unload his salary). Then again, his performance today might just earn him some more minutes in the near future. For a player who has been a part of the National Team setup for awhile, Beasley went through a fall from grace this past year, and it will be interesting to see if he can work his way back into Bob Bradley's squad. More than anything, though, it was great to see DaMarcus back on the field and playing well.

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Elsewhere, Benny Feilhaber played 90 minutes for AGF Aarhus in their 1-1 draw with bottom feeders Koege. Feilhaber's squad lost points late thanks to a header off the arm of a defender that went into the back of the net.

Michael Bradley also went the distance in Borussia Monchengladbach's 0-0 tie with VfB Stuttgart. After a rough start to the season, BMG have enjoyed a nice little run, with a draw against Cologne, a victory over title contenders Hamburg, and today's draw against Champions League side Stuttgart (who, to be fair, are having an awful Bundesliga campaign). Bradley has been a fixture in the lineup as of late after a reported dust-up with the manager saw him miss some playing time at the beginning of the season. He will hope to take his good form into next weekend's friendlies.