[AMERICANS ABROAD] Oguchi Onyewu scored the winning goal in Standard Liege's 4-1 win at Zulte Waregem to open the 2007-08 Belgian First Division season.

Onyewu scored on a header off a corner kick three minutes into the second half as Standard rallied from an early 1-0 deficit. The game was the American defender's first since returning to Belgium after spending the second half of the 2006-07 season on loan to Middlesbrough of the English Premier League.

GERMANY. American Ian Joy was in the starting lineup for promoted Second Division club St. Pauli in its 1-0 upset victory over First Division Bayer Leverkusen in the first round of the German Cup.

Other Americans who were first-round winners included Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Neven Subotic (Mainz), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock) and Josh Wolff and Gregg Berhalter (1860 Munich).

MEXICO. Americans Edgar Castillo and Michael Orozco played on the opening weekend of the 2007 Torneo Apertura.

Castillo went the entire 90 minutes at left back for Santos, a 2-0 winner at home over Cruz Azul. Orozco came on to start the second half in San Luis' 0-0 tie at Tigres.