Study Abroad
GK
TIM HOWARD
EVERTONENG
Veteran keeper will once again try to push Everton into Premier League top six.
CB
CARLOS BOCANEGRA
RANGERSSCT
U.S. captain likely on the move (along with Maurice Edu) after bankrupted Rangers demoted to Scottish fourth tier.
RB
STEVE CHERUNDOLO
HANNOVERGER
Longtime Hannover captain begins 15th campaign with club, which finished seventh in Bundesliga last season.
MF
MICHAEL BRADLEY
ROMAITA
Big chance for 25-year-old, who impressed at Chievo, earning a move to Italian capital.
MF
CLINT DEMPSEY
FULHAMENG
Coming off career season, biggest U.S. star abroad missed EPL opener as he awaited transfer to a bigger club.
F
JOZY ALTIDORE AZ
ALKMAARNED
Nineteen goals in all club competitions last season, and netted twice in each of two opening '12 games. Finally settling in Europe.
CB
MICHAEL PARKHURST
NORDSJAELLANDDEN
Starts alongside five Danish nationals; will play in Champions League group stage after '12 league title.
LB
FABIAN JOHNSON
HOFFENHEIMGER
Nationalized German gains versatility as a MF for Hoffenheim, which finished 11th in '11--12.
MF
JERMAINE JONES
SCHALKEGER
Champions League group stage (and a sweet seeding) awaits German-American plagued by yellow cards.
MF
GEOFF CAMERON
STOKE CITYENG
Expert marker and star of U.S. win over Mexico is latest to get EPL call-up; will play further up for Stoke after visa issue scuppered Week 1 debut.
F
TERRENCE BOYD
RAPID VIENNAAUT
Promising 21-year-old German-American scored twice in his debut after a transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
FOLLOW @GrantWahl
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS
While the clubs with Americans slog through the quagmire of qualifying, these five powerhouses are eyeing Wembley in May
1 REAL MADRID
Coach José Mourinho brings the experience of two Champions League crowns, and Cristiano Ronaldo is on a hot streak like no other (71 goals in 67 games last season). That could spell Real Madrid's first crown since 2001--02.
2 BARCELONA
New coach Tito Vilanova, a Pep Guardiola protégé, will maintain tiki-taka with a roster almost wholly unchanged, though it's fair to wonder whether vets Xavi and Carles Puyol have another elite season in them. After being knocked off Spain's top perch last season, the Blaugrana are plenty motivated to take down Real in a dream final.
3 MANCHESTER UNITED
The unthinkable happened last season when United failed to get out of the group stage. It's hard to envision the same this time, especially with last year's leading EPL scorer, Robin van Persie (30 goals), joining Wayne Rooney, who finished second (27).
4 MANCHESTER CITY
They, too, failed to advance, a slipup unforgotten even after a dramatic EPL title win. But a peaking Mario Balotelli (star of this summer's Euro) and a resurgent Carlos Tevez (who's made nice with manager Roberto Mancini) make City a contender.
5 BAYERN MUNICH
Finalist in two of the last three years, Bayern seems built for European success. Transfer trophies Mario Mandžukic (who scored three times at Euro 2012) and Xherdan Shaqiri (two assists when Basel FC bounced Manchester United last season) should help Bayern forget the painful PK loss at home to Chelsea in last May's final.
PHOTO
JOERN POLLEX/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES (CHERUNDULO)
PHOTO
SCOTT HEPPELL/AP (BOCANEGRA)
PHOTO
MALCOLM COUZENS/SPORTIMAGE/CAL SPORT MEDIA (HOWARD)
PHOTO
SARA STRANDLUND/EUROFOOTBALL/GETTY IMAGES (PARKHURST)
PHOTO
IMAGO/ZUMAPRESS.COM (JOHNSON)
PHOTO
JULIAN FINNEY/GETTY IMAGES (DEMPSEY)
PHOTO
FRED KFOURY/ICON SMI (BRADLEY)
PHOTO
MORITZ MUELLER/IMAGO/ICON SMI (JONES)
PHOTO
SCOTT A. MILLER/AP (CAMERON)
PHOTO
DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS/GETTY IMAGES (ALTIDORE)
PHOTO
IMAGO/ZUMAPRESS.COM (BOYD)
PHOTO
CHRIS SZAGOLA/CAL SPORT MEDIA (RONALDO)
PHOTO
PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS (TEVEZ)