By FRANCO PANIZO
The German Bundesliga returns from its winter break this weekend, and Fabian Johnson is surely hoping that it is the start of a better half-season for him.
Johnson was limited to mostly spot duty off the bench during the opening months of the season, but will now aim to break into the lineup more regularly as Borussia Moenchengladbach attempts to move into a guaranteed UEFA Champions League spot.
That journey starts on Saturday for Johnson and his club, as they visit struggling Stuttgart. Moenchengladbach is just a point off of third place in the table: a win could secure the club second place if Bayer Leverkusen is unable to grab maximum points in its game.
Paul Arriola is also looking to get back into the mix this weekend, but not because he’s been on a brief vacation. Arriola has been away from Club Tijuana during the opening weeks of the Liga MX campaign because of the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team’s World Cup qualifying tournament, and he will now attempt to crack the Xolos’ lineup when they take on Morelia on Friday night. Arriola finished the U.S.’s successful qualifying campaign with a goal and an assist in the last two games, so that momentum could carry over as he tries to earn a regular role again at the club level.
Another youngster looking for a steadier dose of minutes in the coming months is Julian Green. Hamburg has seldom used the teenage loanee, but that could begin to change as the club attempts to further distance itself from the relegation zone in Saturday’s clash with Cologne. Green has just five appearances thus far this season, a number that will need to increase exponentially in order for him to have a real case for playing at the Gold Cup this summer.
Here is who the Americans Abroad battle this weekend:
FRIDAY
Greg Garza, Joe Corona, Paul Arriola and Club Tijuana play Morelia.
SATURDAY
Tim Howard and Everton play Crystal Palace. (Howard is out injured.)
Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Queens Park Rangers.
DeAndre Yedlin, Brad Friedel and Tottenham Hotspur play West Bromwich Albion. (Yedlin is with the U.S. Men’s National Team.)
Jonathan Spector, Will Packwood and Birmingham City play Norwich City. (Packwood is out injured.)
Emerson Hyndman and Fulham play Blackburn Rovers. (Hyndman is out injured.)
Tim Ream and Bolton Wanderers play Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Zak Whitbread and Derby County play Cardiff City.
Oguchi Onyewu and Charlton Athletic play Rotherham United.
Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Millwall.
Danny Williams and Reading play Sheffield Wednesday.
Julian Green and Hamburg SV play FC Cologne.
Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt play SC Freiburg.
Fabian Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach play VfB Stuttgart.
Joe Gyau and Borussia Dortmund play Bayer Leverkusen.
Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Lille.
Ventura Alvarado and Club America play Jose Torres and Tigres UANL. (Torres is out injured.)
Michael Orozco, Herculez Gomez and Puebla play Cruz Azul.
Edgar Castillo and Atlas play Pumas UNAM.
SUNDAY
Gedio Zelalem and Arsenal play Brad Guzan and Aston Villa.
John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play Werder Bremen.
Rubio Rubin and FC Utrecht play PEC Zwolle.
Aron Johannsson and AZ Alkmaar play SC Heracles Almelo.
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Which of these matches are you most anticipating? Think Johnson enjoys a better second half-season with Moenchengladbach? Do you see Arriola becoming a regular contributor for Tijuana this Clausura?
Share your thoughts below.
Anybody know what has been happening with Bedoya (Nantes) and Cameron (Stoke) lately? Both had been consistent starters but last few matches have been coming off the bench.
You guys take stuff way to seriously. Ease the foot off the gas.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Americans playing in Canada are as “abroad” as Americans playing in Mexico. Simple rule: if you are an American and have to pay taxes to a foreign country (or get free health care) because your primary employment as a footballer is located in that country, you are “abroad” for all purposes related to sport column reporting of your activities. Call it the “Jozy Bradley Rule.” The “but they play in a league where most teams are in the US” exception is rejected for the same reason it is rejected for hockey. There is similarly no “Don Garber Double Secret Foreign Policy” exception. Mr. Garber, to our knowledge, still lacks the authority to amend the US Constitution to cover Canada. We think. He’s probably tried. Come to think of it, can someone look at the allocation rules? Maybe its in there somewhere.
they play in the domestic league, which is why they aren’t covered.
We are all dumber for having read this comment.
lol
DUH
That makes no sense.
It’s true and why would you expect these FIFA nationality rules to make any sense?
Just an FYI, Green is ineligible to play for the U.S. at the U-20 WC, as he is cap-tied to Germany at that age level.