Marcel de Jong isn’t flashy, but he is dependable.
The 24-year-old from Newmarket, Ontario, is the model of consistency. Whether it was in his early pro days in the Dutch second tier, to his time in the Eredivisie, to his transition to the 2.Bundesliga, or now in the German top flight, the Canadian international could always be relied upon to put in a solid 90 minutes at left back.
And while it’s still early days yet, de Jong has played the full 90 for FC Augsburg in each of the club’s two Bundesliga matches, the latest a 1-1 draw away to Kaiserslautern on Sunday.
Fellow Canuck defender Kevin McKenna did not fare as well in his 2011-12 Bundesliga debut, as his side 1.FC Köln were shelled 5-1 at Schalke 04. McKenna went the distance and was called for a handball in the Köln area that lead to Schalke’s first goal.
The third Canadian in the German top flight, Rob Friend, was not dressed during Hertha BSC’s 2-2 draw with Hambuger SV as he is nursing an injury.
Down a division, Olivier Occean continues his stellar early season form with new side Greuther Fürth. Occean did not get on the score sheet in Fürth’s 1-0 win at Paderborn on Saturday, but he was involved in the majority of his team’s offensive forays.
The win gives Greuther Fürth nine points after four rounds in the 2.Bundesliga, good for third place on the table.
Meanwhile, Adam Straith remained on the bench for Energie Cottbus in their 2-0 win over hosts Alemannia Aachen. Energie Cottbus are also on nine points.
Over in England, David “Junior” Hoilett played the full match as his side Blackburn Rovers fell 2-1 to visiting Wolves on the opening day of the English Premier League.
Fellow attacker Simeon Jackson will have to wait a little longer for his EPL debut, as he remained on the bench during Norwich City’s 1-1 draw at Wigan on Saturday.
In the English Championship, center back David Edgar was in the starting lineup for Burnley, who were downed 2-0 by Crystal Palace. Edgar was subbed out just after the hour mark.
Down in League One, striker Iain Hume took part in both of Preston North End’s most recent matches. On Saturday, Hume opened the scoring in the 13th minute of an eventual 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe United, and on Tuesday he went 89 minutes in PNE’s 2-0 victory over Chesterfield.
Across the border in Scotland, Marcus Haber continued to get heavy playing time with St. Johnstone of the Premier League. The 22-year-old attacker most recently featured in the Saints’ 1-0 loss to Dunfermline, during which he played 72 minutes before exiting the match with a mild ankle injury.
Haber has appeared in all three of St. Johnstone’s SPL matches so far this season.
In Holland, Atiba Hutchinson was still rehabbing from off-season surgery and missed PSV Eindhoven’s 1-0 win versus RKC Waalwijk. Hutchinson is said to be close to returning for the Dutch giants as they look to regain the Eredivisie crown.
Meanwhile, Andrew Ornoch featured for Dutch second-division side Telstar on Monday, going 83 minutes in the midfield in a 0-0 draw with Den Bosch.
Also in the Eerste Divisie, 22-year-old midfielder Alex Marello watched from the bench as his team SC Veendam fell 3-0 to Almere City.
Up in Norway, goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld put in his customary 90 minutes of work for Vålerenga in a 1-1 draw at Odd Grenland last Friday. Vålerenga are ninth in the Tippeligaen after 18 matches.
In nearby Finland, Mason Trafford and Luca Bellisomo both took part as their club IFK Mariehamn were routed 4-0 by hosts Jaro in Veikkausliiga play last Friday. Trafford played the full 90 while Bellisomo was subbed out in the 77th minute.
There was no sign of Riley O’Neill for MyPa, who could have used their Canadian striker in a 2-0 loss at KuPS. O’Neill is second on the team in scoring, with four goals in 11 Veikkausliiga appearances.
Goalkeeper Tomer Chencinski was most definitely present for VPS, who drew 1-1 with JJK. Checinski was busy all game long, making several key stops to ensure the draw against a JJK side that is 15 points better than VPS on the table.
Canada’s fifth Veikkausliiga player, Frank Jonke, has been seeing spot duty for Inter Turku, and on Friday he played the final half hour of Inter’s 2-0 loss at Haka.
Finally, Randy Edwini-Bonsu bagged himself a braced for AC Oulu over the weekend, scoring his club’s second and third goals in a 3-1 victory over curiously-named KooTeePee. Oulu are fourth in the Finnish second division — the Ykkönen — with Edwini-Bonsu having tallied six goals in 12 appearances since joining the team.
