Season Review: Big year for Yanks in Europe

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, May 23, 2017

Much of the spotlight on Americans in Europe was on 18-year-old Christian Pulisic, who continued to break barriers at Borussia Dortmund.

He became the youngest American to score in the Champions League and tied DaMarcus Beasley for the most appearances in a Champions League season with 10. But he was not alone to have a strong season in Europe.

RECORD AMI CONTINGENT. Pulisic was one of six Americans who played 20 or more games in the Bundesliga and among a record nine Americans who played in Germany's top division.

John Brooks was a big factor in Hertha Berlin's sixth-place finish, Fabian Johnson's season at Borussia Moenchengladbach included a run in the Champions League, and Bobby Wood scored five goals in his first Bundesliga season at Hamburg.

Pulisic could face Timmy Chandler in Saturday's German Cup final between Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, and the winner will join a select group of Americans who have won titles in Europe's big five leagues:

American champions in Europe's big five leagues:
John Harkes (Sheffield Wed. 1991 English League Cup)
Kasey Keller (Leicester City, 1997 English League Cup))
Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers, 2002 English League Cup)
Tim Howard (Man. United, 2004 English FA Cup)
Jovan Kirovski (Borussia Dortmund, 1997 Intercontinental Cup)

EUROPE-BOUND. Pulisic, who helped Dortmund clinch direct qualification to the group stage of the 2017-18 Champions League, will be joined in Europe next season by at least six players. After signing with Belgium's Club Brugge in January, 21-year-old Ethan Horvath took over in goal late in the Jupiler League championship playoffs, where Brugge finished second to clinch a berth in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

Americans in 2017-18 Europa League:
Matt Miazga (Vitesse -- Dutch Cup winners, group stage)
John Brooks (Hertha Berlin -- German Bundesliga, 3rd qualifying round)
Alex Horwath (Brann -- Norwegian Tippeligaen, 2nd qualifying round)
Aaron Schoenfeld (Maccabi Tel Aviv --  Israeli Ligat ha’Al, 1st or 2nd qualifying round)
Nermin Crnkic (FK Sarajevo -- Bosnian Premier Liga, 1st qualifying round)
Note: Chandler's Eintracht Frankfurt will qualify for Europa League if it wins German Cup.

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON. DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United), Julian Green (VfB Stuttgart) and Gedion Zelalem (VVV) all won second-tier championships in their respective leagues.

Danny Williams (Reading) and Shane O'Neill (NAC Breda) also have a chance to win promotion when they play in the English League Championship playoff final and Dutch promotion-relegation playoffs, respectively.

AWARD WINNERS. In his eighth season in England, Eric Lichaj was named the Nottingham Forest Player of the Year and could earn a call-up to the U.S. national team. Emerson Hyndman, 21, was named the Rangers Young Player Of The Year with four goals and four assists in 12 games for the Glaswegian club before hurting his foot. He should return to Bournemouth next season.

FUTURE WATCH. Pulisic was joined by two other teenagers who made their debuts at big European clubs. Josh Perez (19), Hugo Perez's nephew, debuted for Fiorentina at famed San Siro in November. On the final day of the Bundesliga season, Weston McKennie (18) played his first game for Schalke 04 while fellow American Haji Wright (19) also dressed. McKinze Gaines (19) saw action with Wolfsburg in friendly games.

2016-17 Americans in Europe (League stats):
BELGIUM, Jupiler Pro League (16 teams)
4/0 Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge, 2nd), 

DENMARK, Superliga (14 teams)
12/0 George Fochive (Viborg, 13th)
11/0 Steve Clark (Horsens, 10th)
31/1 Conor O’Brien (Horsens, 10th)
3/0 Rubio Rubin (Silkeborg, 9th)

ENGLAND, Premier League (20 teams)
19/0 Geoff Cameron (Stoke City, 13th)
11/0 Lynden Gooch (Sunderland, 20th)
10/0 Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough, 19th)
0/0 Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham, 2nd)
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0/0 Emerson Hyndman (Bournemouth, 9th)
0/0 Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal, 5th)

ENGLAND, League Championship (24 teams)
43/4 Danny Williams (Reading, 3rd)
41/2 Eric Lichaj (Nott. Forest, 21st)
36/1 Tim Ream (Fulham, 6th)
27/1 DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United, 1st)
0/0 Gboly Ariyibi (Nott. Forest, 21st)
0/0 Luca De la Torre (Fulham, 6th)
0/0 James Murphy (Sheffield Wed., 4th)
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22/0 Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City, 19th)

GERMANY, Bundesliga (18 teams)
32/0 Timmy Chandler (Ein. Frankfurt, 11th)
29/3 Christian Pulisic (Bor. Dortmund, 3rd)
28/5 Bobby Wood (Hamburg, 14th)
27/1 Alfredo Morales (FC Ingolstadt, 17th)
24/2 John Brooks (Hertha Berlin, 6th)
21/3 Fabian Johnson (Bor. Moenchengladbach, 9th)
9/1 Aron Johansson (Werder Bremen, 8th)
7/1 Terrence Boyd (RB Leipzig, 2nd/Darmstadt, 18th)
1/0 Weston McKennie (Schalke 04, 10th)
0/0 Haji Wright (Schalke 04, 10th)
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0/0 Julian Green (Bayern Munich, 1st)

GERMANY, 2. Bundesliga (18 teams)
23/9 Andrew Wooten (Sandhausen, 10th)
20/1 Russell Canouse (Bochum, 9th)
18/2 Jerome Kiesewetter (Fortuna Duesseldorf, 11st)
10/1 Julian Green (VfB Stuttgart, 1st)
0/0 Joel Sonora (VfB Stuttgart, 1st)
0/0 Justin vom Steeg (Fortuna Duesseldorf, 11st)

ITALY, Serie A (20 teams)
1/0 *Joshua Perez (Fiorentina, 8th)
*Fiorentina has one game to play.

NETHERLANDS, Eredivisie (18 teams)
23/0 Matt Miazga (Vitesse, 5th),
6/1 Desevio Payne (Groningen, 9th),

NETHERLANDS, Eerste Divisie (20 teams)
25/1 *Shane O'Neill (NAC Breda, 5th)
9/1 Gedion Zelalem (VVV, 1st)
*NAC Breda plays NEC in promotion/relegation playoffs.

SCOTLAND, Premier League (12 teams)
34/5 Bjorn Johnsen (Hearts, 5th)
29/0 Perry Kitchen (Hearts, 5th)
13/4 Emerson Hyndman (Rangers, 3rd)

SWITZERLAND, Super League (10 teams)
25/0 *Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz, 10th)
*FC Vaduz has two games to play.