AMSTERDAM — It was a hard luck Sunday for some American Exports, with Rangers sub Alejandro Bedoya denied on his team's best chance late in a shock 1-0 loss at Kilmarnock.
The US midfielder, who replaced teammate and countrymate Maurice Edu on 70 minutes, saw his last-gasp bid for an equalizer well saved. With Carlos Bocanegra missing out due to a last minute hamstring injury, the champs saw their tabletop edge over arch-nemeses Celtic trimmed to four points.
Turning focus to Serie A, Michael Bradley and Chievo suffered a 4-0 lesson at AC Milan. The US international was not complicit in any of the goal breakdowns and was given his team's joint-highest rating by Italian paper La Repubblica.
Back up north, in Germany's 2.Bundesliga, Edson Buddle drew one save and one yellow card in 73 minutes of Ingolstadt's 0-0 stalemate at Energie Cottbus. Ingolstadt remain at the bottom of the table.
To the east, in the Czech Gambrinus Liga, Stefan Jerome made a four-minute cameo as Sigma Olomouc slipped to 12th with a galling 2-0 home loss to FC Hradec Králové.
Further north, in Denmark, Michael Parkhurst set up the winner as FC Nordsjælland quickly got back on track with a 2-1 smash-and-grab at Silkeborg. The center back surged forward in the final minute to tee up Henrik Kildentoft's first goal in three years as the Wild Tigers remained just four points off the title pace.
Aalborg BK right midfielder Chris Rolfe worked an active full shift in a disappointing 2-0 home loss to AGF Aarhus. With their unbeaten run snapped at four games, AaB slipped two spots to fifth place.
Brad Rusin returned from injury with nine relief minutes in celler-dwelling HB Køge's 2-1 loss at leaders FC Copenhagen. The visitors valiantly led until the past the hour, but leaked two goals inside three minutes just before the American entered the contest.
Also, Conor O'Brien was an unused sub in SønderjyskE's 3-1 victory over Lyngby.
Across the Skagerrak strait, it was closing day in Norway's Tippeligaen. Mikkel Diskerud worked a solid shift as Stabæk slid into the offseason after suffering a 2-0 defeat at nearby rivals Vålerenga. The southerners closed out the season winless in six and finished in 10th place.
Sogndal netminder Joe Bendik both committed the foul and conceded an ensuing spot kick midway through the opening frame, but rallied with three big saves in the late going to backstop a 2-1 fightback win over league champs Molde FK.
Finally, on the other side of the North Sea, in the English Premier League, Brad Guzan acted as back-up goaltender again for Aston Villa's 0-0 draw at Swansea City.
