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In the last couple of years, American strikers have built their reputations in the Eredivisie, the Netherland's top-flight club league. Jozy Altidore scored 51 goals in 93 appearances for AZ Alkmaar from 2011-13 before this year's crashing-return-to-Earth with Sunderland, and Aron Johannsson, in his first full season with AZ Alkmaar, has 13 goals in 21 appearances.
Now, multiple news sources are reporting that Juan Agudelo will try his luck in the Dutch league, after securing a six-month loan at FC Utrecht from his new parent club, Stoke City.
As we reported last week, Agudelo was signed by Stoke but had difficulties securing a work permit in the United Kingdom. Rather than lose out on the American, Stoke's applied for a second work permit, which they're hoping will be accepted and processed in time to make him part of the team's 2014-15 Premier League campaign. Agudelo was already moved off the USMNT January roster -- and out of consideration for the upcoming Feb. 1 World Cup tune-up match against South Korea in Carson, Calif. -- in anticipation of his landing minutes overseas.
Utrecht is currently ninth in the 18-team league, and Stoke is seemingly safe from relegation at 14th place, massed with a number of underachieving teams hovering three to six points above the drop zone.