Most of the soccer leagues around the world are winding down this month, which means that it is a good time to assess how United States national team regulars performed for their club teams.

In this first installment, we’ll shine a light on 10 Yanks who made the grade during their 2010-11 campaigns. All told, an impressive number of Americans over-delivered this season — including Clint Dempsey’s record-breaking run at Fulham and Eric Lichaj’s sterling loan performance at Leeds United.

(On Thursday, we’ll focus on the Americans who scuffed it this season.)



Clint Dempsey has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. Currently tied for eighth in Premier League goals with 12, he recently became Fulham’s all-time leading scorer in the Premiership era with 33 goals. Equally important, he has helped the slow-starting Cottagers claw their way into the top half of the Premier League table. This is Dempsey’s best season by a wide margin, and one of the best performances ever by an American playing overseas.

Steve Cherundolo cannot claim the same scoring statistics as Dempsey – the right back doesn’t have a single shot on goal all season – but as captain of the Bundesliga side Hannover 96, he can take plenty of credit for the club’s fantastic form. Hannover currently sits in fourth place and is assured of a spot in next season’s Europa League competition – two huge accomplishments for this mid-size squad.



Before a crunching tackle by Manchester United’s Jonny Evans ended his 2010-11 campaign in March, Bolton’s Stuart Holden was enjoying a breakout season. The central midfielder scored impressive goals, made strong runs and linked up cleverly with Bolton’s talented strike trio. Holden also led the E.P.L. in tackles at one point, demonstrating his box-to-box versatility. Still just 25 and playing for a coach who loves his flair for the game, Holden appears to have an incredibly bright future.



Jermaine Jones missed out on Schalke’s impressive run to the Champions League semifinals, but if he felt any remorse it certainly didn’t show on the field. Stuck in the doghouse with his German club, Jones turned his season around after he was loaned to Blackburn Rovers in January. He instantly became a force in the midfield, showcasing his positional intelligence, relentlessness and feisty edge. Expect Blackburn to bring him back to anchor the midfield next season.

Timmy Chandler came on as a substitute in the 85th minute of a January 19 German Cup match versus Kickers Offenbach, and has been making steady, significant progress ever since. A winger/midfielder who is still just 21 years old, Chandler has edged his way into the starting lineup and has become an influential player for Nuremberg, currently in sixth place in the Bundesliga. His youth, his athleticism and his soccer IQ all suggest big things lie ahead for the German-born American.

You want to see young players making progress, and Maurice Edu, 25, checked that box over the past nine months. In 2009-10, the midfielder was eased into the Glasgow Rangers squad, making 15 appearances and logging 979 minutes for the Scottish Premier League champs. He has more than doubled both numbers already this season, is a regular starter, and is building a reputation as a clutch performer. Edu is showing the world he is ready to graduate to a better league, perhaps the E.P.L.

Ho-hum — another top-half finish for Tim Howard and Everton, another season as one of the top goalkeepers in the E.P.L. Howard didn’t necessarily get better this season, but he certainly didn’t drop off either. Bob Bradley and the United States national team will take it.

At this stage of his international career, Carlos Bocanegra needs to stay in the lineup with his club team (he has made 30 appearances thus far), score an occasional goal (he has two), and help ensure his squad gets results (St. Etienne could finish as high as fifth in France’s Ligue 1). Yes, the American captain has lost a step or two, but you can’t find much fault with Bocanegra’s season.

Eric Lichaj had a whirlwind first half of the season at Aston Villa, which ultimately led to him being loaned to second-tier Leeds United. Rather than pout or pack it in, Lichaj turned the demotion into a tremendous positive. He became a fixture at right back for Leeds, and — more important for his international career — did a great job when Leeds shifted him to left back. Will he go back to Villa? Stay at Leeds? Head somewhere else? Whatever happens, you get the sense that the plucky, energetic Lichaj will make the most of it.

Jonathan Spector occasionally commits the sort of gaffes that make you shake your head and wonder if the guy knows which end is up. But every time you consider writing him off, he surprises you with a magnificent performance that hints at future greatness. Due to injuries in West Ham’s midfield this season, Spector was given a chance to show what he could do in the center of the field. He didn’t disappoint.

Corner kick: What do you think of the grades we gave these players? Are there other Americans playing abroad who deserve a B or better? Share your comments below, and come back Thursday for the second installment of this report card.

John Godfrey obsessively tracks the progress of far-flung American soccer players and is a regular contributor to the Goal blog. Follow him on Twitter: @jhgodfrey.