Yanks in Europe: DeMerit, Bradley, and more

It's been a busy weekend already for USMNT players in Europe. Here's the run-down of how things have gone thus far:

England

-Jozy Altidore once again got the start for Hull City, but the Tigers saw their solid run of form come to an end at Villa Park. Aston Villa outclassed Phil Brown's side, and Altidore had little help in the attack. Though he did not get a great deal of quality service, Altidore had trouble holding up the ball at times. He was subbed out in the 54th minute, and Villa went on to win by a score of 3-0. Altidore has looked good in his past several performances, so one underwhelming showing is not cause for panic.

-Jonathan Spector played 90 minutes in West Ham's 4-0 defeat against Manchester United. The Hammers were only down 1-0 after the first half, and Spector was one key reason behind that. The former Manchester United prospect earned praise from the commentators on numerous occasions, as he made several stops and clearances to break up the relentless Red Devils attack. The second half was a tough one for the Hammers' defense, as United piled in three more goals to seal a comfortable victory.

-Jay DeMerit was dressed and on the bench for Watford's game against Newcastle United. DeMerit is returning to action after several months out of action due to an eye injury and surgery. This is great news for USMNT fans, as it looks like DeMerit will have plenty of time to get fit and return to the level of form he showed this past summer before the World Cup.

Scotland

-DaMarcus Beasley came on as Rangers' first substitute in the 62nd minute of their 3-1 victory over Falkirk. It was a very good appearance for the MLS product, as he was very active and involved in the attack. Beasley left his mark on the game by drawing a penalty that led to Rangers' third goal that put the match away. Beasley streaked behind the Falkirk backline and got his chest to a lofted ball before taking a boot across the chest inside the box. Though Beasley's appearances have been few and far between, he has looked good in each, possibly earning him some more minutes in the coming weeks. Beasley can still work his way back into the World Cup conversation if he can continue to put in similar performances over the next couple of months.

Germany

-Michael Bradley played 79 minutes in Borussia Monchengladbach's 2-1 road defeat to Bayern Munich. The result ends 'Gladbach's five match unbeaten run. With Bayern up 1-0 early in the first half, Bradley put a beautiful one-touch pass through the defense and onto the foot of Roel Brouwers, who went in all alone and finished with ease. You can see Bradley's great assist here. Unfortunately, this was not enough, as Bayern would grab another goal in the 75th minute to give them the victory.

-Steve Cherundolo returned to the lineup for Hannover 96 in their match against first-place Bayer Leverkusen. Cherundolo played 90 minutes at right back, getting forward in the attack a couple times and picking up a yellow card late in the second half. With their veteran leader back in the fold, the Hannover backline was able to keep Leverkusen off the board, as the two sides settled for a 0-0 draw.

France

-Carlos Bocanegra went 90 minutes for Stade Rennes in their 1-0 victory over Lorient. It was another solid performance for Bocanegra, who has been very consistent in his time in Ligue 1.