IN THE FINAL WEEKEND before the November international break, many Americans continued to struggle overseas. From Mix Diskerud to Geoff Cameron to Fabian Johnson to Julian Green, the U.S. core in Europe seems to be stuck in a holding pattern as playing time and positional woes threaten to stunt their progress.

Two Americans Prosper in Norway

It was the final round of games in the Norwegian Season and Stabaek ended it in style with a 2-0 road win against Sogndal. The featured goals in the 87th and 90th minutes and American midfielder Michael Stephens assisted on both. The 25-year-old Illinois native finished the year with one goal and seven assists.

For Bob Bradley, however, it was his first season in charge of the club and he led the club to an impressive ninth place finish. Many predicted Stabaek would be in a relegation battle this year following its promotion in 2013, but Bradley made many smart acquisitions that gave backbone to the team. Next year, however, more will be expected.

Mix Diskerud faces difficult decisions

Staying in Norway, Rosenborg defeated Stromsgodset 4-1 to finish in second place behind Molde. It was the final day of his contract with Rosenborg and he can now sign on a free transfer deal with any club that wants him. Since he holds a European passport, Diskerud will have more options than most American players. But will he take it? MLS clubs will also be interested in the charismatic midfielder.

Diskerud is now seeing significant minutes with the U.S. national team and at age 24, he should be eying an ambitious move. Expect the rumors to heat up with Diskerud over the next six weeks.

German-Americans struggling

Fabian Johnson is one of the best American players around, but likeGeoff Cameron at Stoke he is the victim of his own versatility. On Sunday he did not get off the bench for Borussia Monchegladbach.

Julian Green earned a handful of minutes but the fact that he is struggling to earn minutes at an offensively inept Hamburg team makes you wonder if he should have dropped down to the 2.Bundesliga where he can see more playing time.

Timothy Chandler played a full 90 minutes for Eintracht Frankfurt but his team was completely outclassed by Bayern Munich.

John Brooks came off the bench for Hertha Berlin in the 55th minute but the squad fell to Hannover 2-0 and now sits just outside of the relegation zone.

Andrew Wooten shines

On Friday, Sandhausen defeated Nurnberg 2-1 to move securely into the 2.Bundesliga midtable. Andrew Wooten assisted on the opener and scored the game winner.

It was Wooten’s fifth goal on the season and he has built on his reputation of being a clutch striker who specializes in timely goals. It only adds to the mystery of why Klinsmann refuses to select Wooten and instead prefers a struggling Bobby Wood, who plays in the same league.

Geoff Cameron Comes off bench early

Geoff Cameron’s situation at Stoke City is a bit odd and it will be interesting to see if he expresses interest in leaving the club. He has made no secret of his desire to play in the center of the field—either in the midfield or in defense—but his versatility is hindering his progress. Blessed with the ability to play multiple positions, Stoke may not want to lose him since he can address key weaknesses.

Despite playing well in midfield recently, Cameron started the game on the bench and entered the contest in the opening minutes due to an injury. His position for the day? Right back. Overall he had a decent performance in a 2-1 win over Tottenham, and his versatility proved useful to Mark Hughes' side.

Kljestan back in good graces?

Sacha Kljestan might be at the end of the road for his national team career and playing time has been tough to find at Anderlecht in 2014. But things are looking much better recently: Kljestan played one of the most noteworthy games of his career recently in a 3-3 Champions League draw against Arsenal in London. He is the only American involved in the Champions League group stages at the moment.

On Sunday, Kljestan went a full 90 for league-leading Anderlecht as it visited second place Gent. Anderlecht won 2-0 and increased its lead at the top of the table. Despite never quite fitting into Klinsmann’s system internationally, Kljestan’s accomplishments at the club level in Europe remain impressive.

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.