Cameron highlights lack of EPL Yanks

The weekend brought some mixed emotions for American fans. Most of the soccer world was excited for the opening of the English Premier League season but the U.S. presence on the field in the Premier League hasn’t been this minimal for nearly two decades.

Aside from two goalkeepers—Tim Howard and Brad Guzan—Geoff Cameron is the only field player with a realistic chance of seeing any minutes this season unless other players join or DeAndre Yedlin’s circumstances dramatically change at Tottenham. There used to be a time when Fulham alone would start multiple Yanks but those days are long gone.

That being said, Cameron earned the start in central defense for Stoke City on Sunday and played well in a 1-0 loss to Liverpool. The Massachusetts native was given a rare opportunity to play his natural position and he looked very comfortable. It’s no secret that the U.S. national team struggled in central defense at the Gold Cup so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cameron rejoin the team sooner rather than later. 

Fabian Johnson and BMG

Fabian Johnson may very well be the best American player in the game right now and it is a welcome development that he is a starter for Champions League-bound team.

On Monday, Johnson earned the start at left midfield for Borussia Moenchengladbach in its 4-1 win over St. Pauli in the German Cup. He looked very effective in a 90-minute effort, was dangerous throughout the contest, and played an important part in the buildup to Monchengladbach’s third goal.

Hertha Berlin Bus under fire

There was a scary moment on Sunday when the Hertha Berlin team bus was apparently shot at while en route to its Cup matchup against Arminia Bielefeld. Thankfully no one was injured but the incident was very alarming for all of German soccer.

Hertha Berlin defeated Arminia Bielefeld 2-0 on Monday and American John Brooks came on in the 86^th minute with Hertha up 1-0.

Corona settling in at Veracuz

Joe Corona is one of many American players based in Mexico currently adjusting to a new club. In just his second game at Veracruz, Corona was dominant in central midfield, completing 48 of 54 passes with one assist as Veracuz defeated Chiapas.

VIDEO #UDLigaMX: ¡Gooool! Al 90', Albín anota y le da la vuelta al marcador @ClubTiburones 2-1 @Chiapas_FC http://t.co/HNLvhfnr3e

— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) August 8, 2015

For the San Diego State product, it was one of his best games in a long time.

Stanko debuts; Cropper to follow?

It’s always significant news when an American player makes his professional debut at a high level and Caleb Stanko joined the ranks as he played the final few minutes of Freiburg’s 5-0 win over Barmbek-Uhlenhorst in the German Cup.

Stanko, 22, was closing in on his debut last season but an ACL injury sidelined him for a year. Now he is back and clearly part of Freiburg’s plans. The club was relegated last year to the 2.Bundesliga and that should only help the Michigan native in his push to earn regular minutes.

Next up on the pro debut front: Cody Cropper, who is likely to earn the start for MK Dons in its League Cup matchup on Tuesday against Leyton Orient.

Valentin helps a surging Bodo/Glimt

In Norway, there is no club hotter than Bodo/Glimt—a team that plays north of the Arctic Circle. On Saturday, Bodo/Glimt won its sixth in a row in a 5-1 rout over IK Start. In the game, American right back Zarek Valentin was terrific, notching an assist and helping in the build-up to two other goals.

Once in the relegation zone, Bodo/Glimt is now in eighth place.

Langley clinches Dublin Derby win

The Dublin Derby, which features Shamrock Rovers and St. Patrick’s Athletic, is always an intense contest. This particular installment was played at Shamrock Rover’s Tallaght Stadium in South Dublin.

St. Patrick’s Athletic took the game to the hosts and earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory for its eighth straight win, moving into third place in the process. Hawaii native Morgan Langley scored the second goal of the match, rounding Shamrock goalkeeper Craig Hyland and finishing into an empty net.

Wooten scores in shootout

Andrew Wooten is the hottest striker right now in the 2.Bundesliga and over the weekend he carried that momentum into the German Cup when he scored in a shootout to help lift Sandhausen past Regionalliga’s Bahlinger SC.

Wooten now has three goals in his first two games to start the year.

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