The new year has already brought new beginnings for a number of Canadians abroad, with youngster Lucas Cavallini the most recent beneficiary of a change in scenery.
After struggling to find playing time at Nacional in Uruguay, the 21-year-old striker (pictured above) was loaned out to Centro Atlético Fénix several weeks ago. This past Saturday, in just his second game for Fénix, he scored his first goal in a 4-1 win over Sud América.
Simeon Jackson is also making a fresh start this month, playing his first game for Millwall since coming over from Eintracht Braunschweig at the transfer deadline. He came on as a second-half sub against Burnley on Saturday, but his team ultimately fell to a 3-1 defeat.
Andre Hainault had a solid showing in his club’s return from the winter break, going the full 90 in VfR Aalen’s 2-2 draw with Erzgebirge on Friday. It was just the second start of the season for the former Houston Dynamo man.
In his third start for MSV Duisburg since coming over from Hammarby, Nik Ledgerwood picked up his second yellow card in Saturday’s scoreless draw with Chemnitzer. And he wasn’t the only Canadian picking up some discipline this week.
Samuel Piette – who isn’t called “bulldog” for nothing – collected his fifth yellow card of the season for Fortuna Dusseldorf II on Sunday in a full-90 showing against Koln II. Atiba Hutchinson also got in the referee’s book for Besiktas in a 2-1 win over Gaziantepspor on Friday.
Kevin McKenna didn’t get in the referee’s book, or on the field, but was back on the bench for FC Köln as his attempted comeback from serious knee surgery continues. Reports out of Germany suggest the 34-year-old will retire at season’s end, so it’s likely that management at Köln – where he has played since 2007 – will try to get him a final on-field hurrah, if possible.
Pedro Pacheco was back in a familiar position – playing the full 90 in midfield for CD Santa Clara – as his club earned a 1-1 draw with Porto II on the weekend, while fellow veteran Julian de Guzman played 57 minutes for Skoda Xanthi in a 2-1 loss to Apollon Smirnis.
A number of Canadian strikers entered as late-game substitutes for their clubs – Olivier Occean for FC Kaiserslautern, Tosaint Ricketts for Bucaspor, Randy Edwini-Bonsu for Stuttgarter Kickers – but none were able to get on the score sheet this week.
