AMSTERDAM – It was a fairly tough Saturday overall for Americans playing in Europe, but not for Rapid Vienna forward Terrence Boyd, who bagged his first road goal of the campaign to cap a 3-0 victory at Mattersburg.
The US forward finished off a strong team move eight minutes before halftime to take his team-leading totals to seven league goals and 10 across all competitions this term. The active Boyd also went close another three times in his 86 minutes and drew a yellow card that will see him suspended for next weekend's trip to Admira.
The win halted Rapid's four-game losing slide away from home and kept them within nine points of league-leading rivals Austria Vienna.
Turning to England's Premier League, Brad Guzan was not to blame as Aston Villa were blasted 5-0 at Manchester City.
The former Chivas USA backstop registered five saves, with his finest coming near the break on Carlos Tévez and David Silva. With two of the five City goals coming from the spot, Villa slipped into the bottom three.
Tim Howard and Everton squandered an early lead to fall 2-1 at Reading. The netminder was rarely put to work before Adam Le Fondre potted a fine header and penalty kick to send the fifth-place Toffees to their first EPL loss in nine.
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Halftime sub Clint Dempsey worked a decent shift to no avail as 10-man Tottenham Hotspur were drubbed 5-2 at north London derby rivals Arsenal. Brad Friedel was rotated to the bench as Spurs lost their third in a row and fourth in the last five.
One floor down in the Championship, Zak Whitbread and Leicester City snapped a four-game win drought in style, romping past guests Ipswich Town 6-0. On a day when nine of the top 11 teams in the table were victorious, the Foxes held firm in fifth place.
Birmingham City right back Jonathan Spector notched an "MLS assist" in their 3-2 home defeat to Hull City. With his side already down three on 38 minutes, the US international crossed for Nikola Zigic to knock down for scorer Ravel Morrison, but it was not enough to stop the Brums suffering their fourth loss in the last six home games.
Bolton defender Tim Ream went unused in their 1-1 home draw with Barnsley.
Over in the Bundesliga, Timothy Chandler had a lukewarm day in helping FC Nürnberg post a 1-1 draw against visiting leaders Bayern Munich.
After losing opening scorer Mario Mandzukic in the third minute, the home right back worked an active first half and saw yellow just past the break. Despite the result's moral victory, Nürnberg still have won just one of their last nine.
Jermaine Jones departed after 74 minutes as Schalke were blanked 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen. Although they lost consecutive road games for the first time since March, the Miners remained in second place.
Next door in the Netherlands, Jozy Altidore had a solid if unspectacular outing in AZ Alkmaar's 1-1 share at FC Groningen.
The US striker set up his side's best first-half chance and was involved in Adam Maher's 72nd-minute equalizer. Winless in three, the Cheese Farmers sank to 12th place.
Over in Spain's La Liga, Oguchi Onyewu went unused as Málaga played out a 0-0 stalemate at Osasuna.
Finally, in Denmark's Superliga, Conor O'Brien and SønderjyskE lost two leads in a 3-2 home defeat to Silkeborg. The ninth-place club has dropped three straight and five of six.
