Klinsmann watches as Holden passes test

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Sep 8, 2011

[AMERICANS ABROAD] With both his coaches watching -- Owen Coyle, Bolton Wanderers' first-team manager, and U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann -- Stuart Holden passed a second test in his bid to return to action following the knee injury suffered last fall. The midfielder played 65 minutes for Bolton's reserves in their shootout win over Rochdale in the Manchester Senior Cup.

Holden set up Tope Obadey for the only Bolton goal in regulation of a game played in a torrential rainfall at the 500-seat County Ground in Leyland, site of the Lancashire County FA, which organizes the Manchester Senior Cup, first contested in 1885 and now a competition for the reserve teams of pro clubs in the Manchester area.

Afterward, Holden met with Klinsmann, who remained in Europe following Tuesday's Belgium-USA to visit with national team players and their club representatives.

Bolton's next EPL game is Saturday against Manchester United, against which Holden was playing when United's Jonny Evans broke Holden's leg in March.

There is no word whether Holden will be included in the Bolton first team for the United game.