U.S. Abroad: Adu debuts in KuPS victory

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Apr 19, 2015

Freddy Adu played his first league game in 20 months, starting for Finnish club KuPS in its 1-0 victory over KTP in its Veikkausliiga opener. Danny Williams started for Reading in its 2-1 overtime loss to Arsenal in the English FA Cup semifinals. Cole Grossman scored his first goal since moving to Stabaek in its 1-0 win over Viking in Norway.

Adu's only appearance for Serbian club FK Jagodina was a cup game in September 2014. He had last played for Bahia in the Brazilian national championship in July 2013.

ENGLAND. Danny Williams started for Reading in its 2-1 overtime loss to Arsenal in the English FA Cup semifinals. As has been the case through Aston Villa's FA Cup run, Brad Guzan sat while Shane Given started in goal for Villa in its 2-1 win over favored Liverpool that moved it into the final against Arsenal on May 30.

-- Tim Howard (Everton) and Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) both started in EPL wins on Saturday. DeAndre Yedlin dressed again but did not play in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

FRANCE. Alejandro Bedoya started for Nantes in its 1-0 win over Marseille before more than 36,000 fans at the Stade de la Beaujoire. The Canaris are in 10th place with five games left in Ligue 1.

GERMANY. Bobby Wood returned to action two months after being sidelined with a knee injury. He started in Erzgebirge Aue's 1-0 win over FSV Frankfurt that moved it out of the 2. Bundesliga basement and into a tie with St. Pauli for 16th in the 18-team league.

-- It was zeroes across the board in the Bundesliga as John Brooks (Hertha Berlin) and Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach) started and Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt) came off the bench in scoreless draws.

MEXICO. Greg Garza and Joe Corona, who both played the first half for the USA in its 2-0 win over Mexico, started in Tijuana’s 1-1 draw with Chivas de Guadalajara two days later. William Yarbrough, who came on in the second half against Mexico, made four saves in Leon’s 1-1 tie with Toluca. Ventura Alvarado, who went the distance against Mexico, did not play in Club America’s 4-0 loss to Queretaro. He'll likely start against the Montreal Impact in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League Wednesday at Azteca Stadium.

-- Michael Orozco, who was not released for the USA-Mexico game because of Puebla's position in the relegation zone, started and Herculez Gomez came off the bench as La Franja dropped a 1-0 decision to Atlas. Edgar Castillo did not play for Atlas after starting in its 1-0 win over Atletico Mineiro in the Libertadores Cup in midweek action.

NETHERLANDS. Aron Johannsson had an assist in AZ’s 3-1 win over ADO, while Rubio Rubin also went the distance in FC Utrecht’s 1-0 win over FC Twente.

NORWAY. Cole Grossman scored his first goal since moving to Stabaek in its 1-0 win over Viking. The former Real Salt Lake midfielder's goal came in the 87th minute and gave Bob Bradley's club its first win in three games in the Eliteserien.