AMSTERDAM – As the weather starts to warm, the various races and chases get hotter for American players over in Europe.
As usual, we're here to give you the rundown on what American Exports have left to play for as spring quickly approaches. Several players recovering from serious injury and others awaiting club debuts are listed, since the awaited results will affect them next season.
TITLE/CUP CHASES
Tim Howard is the last American remaining in UEFA cup play, and as such is the one chasing the biggest prize.
His Everton side are a mere draw away from reaching the Europa League quarterfinals at Dinamo Kyiv next Thursday. The only piece of European silver in the Toffees' trophy case is from winning the 1985 Cup Winners' Cup.
On the domestic front, seven years have gone by since the traditional fall-to-spring European season ended without at least one American celebrating a top-flight championship somewhere on the continent. If that title streak is to continue, our hopes all rest on one player virtually unknown to most stateside fans: FC Pyunik top scorer Cesar Romero.
Currently atop the Armenian Premier League goalscoring chart, the former Chivas USA forward is on a team that sits one point up with 10 games to go. Romero & Co. are actually after the double, with their Armenia Independence Cup semifinal set to begin in April.
Over in Germany, an Ingolstadt midfielder is in position to join John Anthony Brooks, Conor Casey and Thomas Dooley as American champs in the 2.Bundesliga. The Audi boys stand three points clear with nine to play.
Meanwhile, the Dfb-Pokal quarterfinals includes Fabian Johnson's Borussia Mönchengladbach and injured winger Joseph Gyau's Borussia Dortmund.
Over in England, the FA Cup final four features Brad Guzan's Aston Villa and Daniel Williams' Reading in separate semifinals.
Despite having just arrived, Heath Pearce has already helped IFK Göteborg into the Svenska Cupen semifinals. And though he has yet to debut for Sparta Prague, Fafa Picault will find himself in both a title race and the cup chase.
THE RACE FOR EUROPE
Naturally, those that win their top-flight crowns and cups will be set for the corresponding UEFA Champions League or Europa League place this fall.
Among those mentioned above, Johnson and 'Gladbach could trade up for a Champions League group phase invite if they remain in the Bundesliga top three. They are two points ahead (and five up on the nearest chaser for the fourth berth) with nine games to play.
Timothy Chandler's Eintracht Frankfurt are just four points shy of the last Europa League slot in the Bundesliga. Even Dortmund are now only eight points back of a table berth to Europe after a disastrous start to the season.
In the Premier League, DeAndre Yedlin will eventually debut with a club currently trailing England's last Europa League place by mere goal differential. Geoff Cameron’s Stoke City are next in line, eight points back of Spurs and Southampton.
Finally, Aron Jóhannsson and AZ Alkmaar are just four points out of the Eredivisie’s automatic spot in the Europa League with seven games left. If they fall short of that, the four-team playoff likely beckons.
PROMOTION
In addition to Morales at Ingolstadt, a handful of other Americans working in second divisions around Europe are busy racing to reach the elevator to the top flight.
Ingolstadt has company in Germany's race, with injured striker Terrence Boyd rooting on dark horse RB Leipzig. The Red Bulls are eight points back with nine matches to play.
A pair of Americans look set for varying levels of influence in the English Championship promotion push. Oft-injured Zak Whitbread is struggling to break back into a Derby County side that stands two points away from a Premier League boost with nine games remaining.
In Italy's Serie B, Robert Kristo is awaiting his debut with a Spezia outfit sitting in the final promotion playoff spot. Up in Denmark, Viborg defender Babajide Ogunbiyi is chasing his Superliga return. The Greens still have 14 to play, but they are also three points clear at the top.
RELEGATION WORRIES
Guzan and Villa have snapped back to life recently, giving them a three-point cushion on the EPL drop zone with just nine games left. One flight down in the Championship, it won't be long before Emerson Hyndman is healed and back in the fight with Fulham. The slumping Cottagers are only six points above the quicksand.
Brooks and Hertha Berlin are just three points over the Bundesliga relegation places, while controversial loan attacker Julian Green and Hamburg are just two above the fray. Injured Freiburg prospect Caleb Stanko and recent Stuttgart debutant Jerome Kiesewetter are currently residing in the bottom two spots, a win away from the safety zone.
Bobby Wood is also out injured, unable for the moment to help Erzgebirge Aue out of the 2.Bundesliga basement. They have a two-point deficit on the survival playoff spot and are four short of the safety zone.
Next door in Austria, Conor O'Brien's Wiener Neustadt are looking more and more as though they'll avoid the drop. Though a four-game unbeaten run was snapped with the American sidelined this past weekend, the team is still one point above the danger line with nine games to go.
Greg Seltzer covers Americans based in Europe for MLSsoccer.com.
