Welcome to another edition of Long Balls: Canadians Abroad. A slightly rejigged version. In an effort to mix things up I've begun to include some Euro-based players from Canada's main Concacaf rivals.
Obviously, the quality of players playing in Europe doesn't have everything to do with success in Concacaf World Cup qualifying (see Canada's 2010 campaign), but surely it has something to do with it. I think Long balls: Canadians abroad, with a minor focus on several Central American players is a bit unwieldy, so the current name stands. In a week where nobody really stood out, the Honduran contingent takes the inaugural prize.
The only Canadian scorer I could find was Issey Nakajima-Farran in Denmark, who slotted in the 74th minute for Horsens in a 3-0 victory over SønderjyskE.
Oh, and for anyone who's been following this regularly: I've given up on Puebla's Isidro Sánchez. At least for now.
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Belgium
Tomasz Radzinski made headlines again, but this time for getting into a training ground brouhaha with French teammate Benjamin Nicaise. Hat tip to Winnipeg-based Out of Touch for digging up this gem.
England
Canada maybe David Hoilett plays 64 minutes in Blackburn's 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Hondurans Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa each play the full 90 in a 2-0 loss to Manchester United. Countryman Wilson Palacios came on in the 88th minute in Tottenham's big 3-2 win over Arsenal.
Netherlands
Atiba Hutchinson plays 90 minutes again at right-back for PSV. He's played there a lot so far this year and beyond the 33-year-old Paul Stalteri, Canada doesn't have a lot of options in that position. Too bad Atiba is such a stellar central midfielder.
Costa Rican forward Bryan Ruiz goes 90 minutes for Twente in a 2-1 loss against AZ. He's scored five goals in 15 appearances so far this year for the 2nd-place Dutch side.
Turkey
Josh Simpson went 90 minutes in Manisaspor's 2-0 loss to Buraspor in the Turkish top flight.
Spain
Canada maybe Jonathan de Guzman again goes 90 minutes in a central attacking midfield role in a spectacular 2-1 come from behind victory over Sevilla.
I do hope that Long Balls becomes a more collaborative process as readers chime in with various performances and players that I'm missing. Yes, the focus remains on Canadians, but I hope that over the next season and a half we can also build an understanding of where are main Concacaf competitors are at, in terms of their players in Europe and South America. So far I'm calling MLS "domestic" for Canadians, but if any Hondurans, Costa Ricans, Jamaicans, Guatemalans, Salvadorians and/or Trinidadians start ripping it up there, then I'll include them too.
I'm not going to track Mexicans or Americans because neither are Canada's primary competition.