Fabian Johnson joined exclusive company on Tuesday, and broke a two-year drought for U.S. Men’s National Team players in the process.
Johnson became the first American to score in the UEFA Champions League since Sacha Kljestan did so in 2013, finishing well with a right-footed effort in the 18th minute of Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 1-1 draw with Juventus. Johnson’s goal, his first Champions League strike, was the opener in the Group D match at Borussia Park. Moenchengladbach, however, surrendered a late first-half equalizer in part because of Johnson and had to settle for just a point that kept it at the bottom of the group.
With his strike, Johnson became the sixth U.S. player to find the back of the net in the presitigious European tournament. The others are Kljestan, Jermaine Jones, Maurice Edu, DaMarcus Beasley, and Jovan Kirovski. Kljestan was the last one to score on Oct. 12, 2013.
The goal comes just three days after the 27-year-old Johnson assisted on Moenchengladbach’s opener in a 4-1 rout of Hertha Berlin in Bundesliga play. It also adds another interesting twist his standing with the U.S. Men’s National Team, from which he was sent home early in October because of what head coach Jurgen Klinsmann perceived as a lack of commitment.
Klinsmann will name his roster for the U.S.’s first two World Cup qualifiers this Sunday, and it is unclear right now whether Johnson will be on it.
You can see Johnson’s goal here at the 0:40 mark:
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What do you think of Johnson’s goal? Should Klinsmann call him up to the U.S.’s November camp? Expecting to see him on the roster?
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