AMSTERDAM – Halftime sub Aron Jóhannsson scored for the third time in his last four Eredivisie games on Sunday afternoon, but it wan't nearly enough as AZ Alkmaar slipped back into fourth place after a 6-2 loss away to Rubio Rubin and FC Utrecht.
Neither American started the match, which saw Utrecht race out to a 3-0 lead after just 17 minutes. Ten minutes after the intermission, Jóhannsson put AZ on the board by slamming home a fast-break rebound with the home netminder caught out.
It was Jóhannsson's fifth goal of the term, putting him at the top of the scoring chart for Americans playing in European top flights this season. He also threatened 14 minutes from time, drawing a low save from distance.
Rubin, meanwhile, joined the fray with seven minutes remaining to work the central forward spot. The youngster created a good chance for Willem Janssen with a cutback from the right flank near time, but the midfielder fired over from 18 yards.
The result dropped AZ two points back of Feyenoord in the race for the automatic Europa League invite, while warming Utrecht extended their unbeaten run to four games to reach 11th place.
Across the border in Bundesliga action, Timothy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt fell 4-2 at FC Cologne.
The US right back was only involved in one Eintracht goal leak, when he was slow to close down Marcel Risse's shot on the home second with 18 minutes to play. Though Chandler did have a mild day at the attacking end, he committed neither a foul nor a handling turnover while logging a team-best four tackles. The defeat shoved Chandler & Co. to ninth place, seven points back of the last Europa League slot.
The day went considerably better for Andrew Wooten down in the 2.Bundesliga, as the American bagged his team-leading eighth goal of the season in streaking Sandhausen's 3-2 victory at 1860 Munich.
The right winger wasted little time charging back into the Top 10 of the league's goal-scoring chart only seven minutes into the contest. The 1860 defense had some trouble dealing with a long throw and the ball kindly fell for an obliging Wooten to find the net for the third time in his last two away games.
Wooten, who was robbed of a brace in the 20th minute, departed shortly before the final whistle. Winning for the third time in a four-game unbeaten run, Sandhausen rose to 10 points clear of the danger zone in 11th place.
Turning to Svenska Cupen group closing day action, Heath Pearce got the nod in central defense as IFK Göteborg sailed into the quarterfinals with a 5-0 demolition of guests Ljungskile. The California native put in a solid all-around shift for the victors, who will take part in Monday's noon-time draw as a seed.
Joining them in the draw as an unseeded team will be Matt Pryzdrowski's Helsingborg, who scraped into the elite eight thanks to a 1-1 home share with group runners-up Halmstads BK.
The netminder pulled off his best bit of larceny by cruelly denying Snorre Krogsgård on a breakaway chance at the hour mark. The visitors would finally beat Pryzdrowski on a rebound off the post with 12 minutes left, but it was too little and too late to take the group.
Greg Seltzer covers Americans based in Europe for MLSsoccer.com.
