[AMERICANS IN EUROPE] Defender Steve Cherundolo's unlucky own goal contributed to Hannover 96's 2-1 loss to relegation threatened VfL Bochum in Germany. In the Netherlands, Michael Bradley's team, Heerenveen fell 3-2 to Nijmegen and slipped to sixth place. In Belgium, Standard Liege with Oguchi Onyewu, slipped out of first place.

 

Hannover, which had been in the midst of the battle for a UEFA Cup spot, dropped to 10th place with the loss to Bochum. Hannover conceded the first goal when keeper Robert Enke blocked Stanislav Sestak's 12-yard shot on a break away only to see it bounce off Cherundolo's thigh and into the goal. [VIDEO]

Playing at home in front of 25,200 fans, Heerenveen lead, 2-0, after 29 minutes on goals by Roy Beerens and Geert Arend Roorda but gave up three second-half goals. For Heerenveen, which played the last 67 minutes with 10 men because of Brian Vandenbussche's ejection, it marked its first loss of 2008. Bradley played the full 90.

The second- through fifth-place Dutch Eredivisie finishers play off for a European Champions League spot. Heerenveen is two points behind fifth-place NAC Breda.

Standard Liege, with Onyewu marshaling the central defense, played to a scoreless tie with Gent, which coupled with Club Brugge's 1-0 win at Sporting Lokeren dropped Standard back to second place, two points behind Club Brugge.