AMSTERDAM – Another trio of Americans put their name to European scoresheets on Sunday, headlined by AZ striker Jozy Altidore repeating as Man of the Match with two goals in a 3-1 win over visiting Heracles.
Moments after missing just wide on a chip shot from the right channel, the powerful forward broke the ice in the 16th minute by calmly depositing a Roy Beerens cross from the same lane. Altidore also capped the scoring near time, beating the back line on a jailbreak rush before slotting coolly inside the far post.
KickTV: Jozy hits brace in AZ's 3-1 win
The brace gave Altidore a league-best four goals through two games, as well as five in is last four home Eredivisie matches dating back to last season. Meanwhile, AZ stand third, two points behind the league's sole remaining perfect side, FC Twente.
READ: Altidore shouldering bigger responsibility at AZ
In Germany's DfB-Pokal, fresh Preussen Münster catch Matt Taylor keyed one of the upsets of the first round by notching a hat trick with an assist in a 4-2 defeat of visiting Bundesliga name brand Werder Bremen.
In the 54th minute, the former MLS man rounded the 'keeper not once, but twice, to cancel out a first-half Eljero Elia strike. Bremen soon regained the lead, only to have Taylor spin defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos like a top in the 81st minute to send the match to extra time.
Midway through the first overtime session, Taylor's lay-off teed up strike partner Dima Nazarov for a picturesque match-winner. The Ohio native applied the final nail in Bremen's cup coffin with a nifty counterattack curler in the 118th minute, taking his overall total to six goals in five games for the 3.Bundesliga title-chasers.
Elsewhere in the draw, Alfredo Morales was a halftime sub at right back as Hertha Berlin dropped a 2-1 decision late at fourth-flight Wormatia Worms. The 2.Bundesliga visitors conceded the decider eight minutes from time, when the young American was out-maneuvered to a cross by Romas Dressler.
Hannover 96 skipper Steve Cherundolo pitched in 62 minutes advanced with a 6-1 cruise past fifth-tier hosts Nöttingen.
Timothy Chandler went the distance at right back as FC Nürnberg were bounced by fifth-division mites TSV Havelse, 3-2.
Further north in Denmark, Michael Parkhurst fired the late lone goal in FC Nordsjælland's 1-0 victory at AGF Aarhus.
It was the second straight game-winner for the right back, who accepted a Morten Nordstrand pass to slam home. The defending champs stand third, three pints off the summit, after six games.
Down in Portugal, Vitória Setúbal debutant Caleb Patterson-Sewell was among the standouts as the visitors rallied at 10 men for a 2-2 opening day draw with Nacional.
