Fabian Johnson may not have earned his club three points, but he saved it from defeat.
Johnson turned in his latest goal-scoring performance of the season on Sunday, as he netted the equalizer in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 2-2 draw with FC Augsburg. The veteran midfielderĀ found the back of the net in the 55th minute,Ā finishing off a good attacking sequence with a low, one-timed effort that ensured his side would not falter. Johnson now has six goals in German Bundesliga play, and eight across all competitions.
The other foreign-based U.S. Men’s National Team player to find the back of the net was Bobby Wood. Thanks to a fortuitous 60th-minute deflection,Ā Wood foundĀ the winner in FC Union Berlin’s 2-1 comeback victory over Karlsruhe on Friday. The 23-year-old forwardĀ now has 10 goals on the season, and is the third-leading scorer in the 2. Bundesliga.
Two other positive developments came via similarly young players. Luis Gil, 22, earned his third start of the Liga MX Clausura campaign on Saturday in Queretaro’s 1-1 draw vs. Morelia, and Cody Cropper, 23, got the nod at Milton Keynes Dons for the second straight game in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers. Both players went the distance for their respective sides, and Cropper turned in five saves for his club.
Here are how the Americans Abroad performed this weekend:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim HowardĀ and Everton did not play this weekend.
- Brad GuzanĀ dressed but did not play in Aston Villa’s 2-1 loss vs. Stoke City on Saturday.
- Geoff CameronĀ started and played 90 minutes in Stoke City’s 2-1 win vs. Aston Villa on Saturday.
- DeAndre YedlinĀ started and played 90 minutes in Sunderland’s 1-0 loss vs. West Ham United on Saturday.
Championship
- Jonathan SpectorĀ dressed but did not play in Birmingham City’s 2-0 loss vs. Queen Park Rangers on Saturday.
- Eric LichajĀ started and played 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 loss vs. Bristol City on Saturday.
- Danny WilliamsĀ came off the bench, played 25 minutes, and received a yellow card in Reading’s 4-3 win vs. Charlton AthleticĀ on Saturday.
- Emerson HyndmanĀ dressed but did not playĀ in Fulham’s 2-0 lossĀ vs. MiddlesbroughĀ on Saturday.
- Tim ReamĀ did not dress for Fulham.
- Cody CropperĀ started, played 90 minutes, and made five savesĀ in Milton Keynes Dons’ 3-2 loss vs. Blackburn RoversĀ on Saturday.
- Duane HolmesĀ dressed but did not play in Huddersfield Town’s 1-0 lossĀ vs. Ipswich Town on Saturday.
League One
- Lynden GoochĀ came off the bench and played 30 minutesĀ in Doncaster Rovers’s 1-1 drawĀ vs. MillwallĀ on Saturday.
SCOTLAND
- Gedion ZelalemĀ did not dress in Rangers’ 1-0 win vs. St MirrenĀ on Saturday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started, played 90 minutes, and scored aĀ GOALĀ in Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 2-2 drawĀ vs.Ā FC AugsburgĀ on Sunday.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izRqQ8266NQ]
- Timmy Chandler did not dress in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 0-0 drawĀ vs. Schalke 04Ā on Sunday.
- John BrooksĀ started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in Hertha Berlin’s 1-0 winĀ vs. FC Cologne on Friday
- Alfredo MoralesĀ did not dress in FC Ingolstadt 04’s 1-1 drawĀ vs. Hamburg SV on Saturday.
- Aron Johannsson did not dress in Werder Bremen’s 2-2 draw vs. SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday.
- Christian PulisicĀ did not dress in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-1 winĀ vs. TSG 1899 HoffenheimĀ on Sunday.
2. Bundesliga
- Bobby WoodĀ started, played 80 minutes, received a yellow card, and scored aĀ GOALĀ in FC Union Berlin’s 2-1 winĀ vs. Karlsruhe on Friday.
https://dailymotion.com/video/x3ui42z
- Andrew WootenĀ did not dressĀ in SV Sandhausen’s 3-2 lossĀ vs. VfL BochumĀ on Saturday.
- Terrence BoydĀ did not dress in RB Leipzig’s 1-0 win vs. SC Paderborn 07 on Friday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- Caleb StankoĀ did not dressĀ in SC Freiburg’s 2-0 winĀ vs. KaiserslauternĀ on Saturday.
- Shawn BarryĀ started and played 90 minutes in FSV Frankfurt’s 0-0 drawĀ vs. TSV Eintracht Braunschweig on Sunday.
FRANCE
- Alejandro BedoyaĀ started and played 90 minutes in FC Nantes’ 0-0 draw vs. AS Monaco on Sunday.
NETHERLANDS
- Rubio RubinĀ did not dress in FC Utrecht’s 2-1 lossĀ vs. Feyenoord RotterdamĀ on Sunday.
- Desevio PayneĀ came off the bench and played 35 minutesĀ in FC Groningen’s 2-0 loss vs. FC TwenteĀ on Saturday.
MEXICO
- Paul ArriolaĀ came off the bench and played 22 minutes in Club Tijuana’s 1-1 drawĀ vs. Chivas de Guadalajara on Sunday.
- Michael OrozcoĀ did not dress for Club Tijuana.
- Greg GarzaĀ did not dressĀ for Club Tijuana.
- Alejandro GuidoĀ did not dressĀ for Club Tijuana. He is recovering from an injury.
- Edgar CastilloĀ started, played 45 minutes, and received a yellow cardĀ in Monterrey’s 4-0 lossĀ vs. Cruz AzulĀ on Saturday.
- Jose TorresĀ dressed but did not play in Tigres UANL’s 4-1 winĀ vs. Club America on Saturday.
- Joe CoronaĀ did not dress in Dorados de Sinaloa’s 2-1 win vs. Atlas on Saturday.
- Sonny GuadarramaĀ did not dress Dorados de Sinaloa.
- Ventura AlvaradoĀ dressed but did not playĀ in Club America’s 4-1 lossĀ vs. Tigres UANLĀ on Saturday.
- Luis GilĀ started and played 90 minutes in Queretaro’sĀ 1-1 drawĀ vs. MoreliaĀ on Saturday.
- Jonathan BornsteinĀ dressed but did not play for Queretaro.
- William YarbroughĀ started and played 90 minutes in Club Leon’s 3-1 loss vs. Jaguares de ChiapasĀ on Saturday.
- Miguel IbarraĀ did not dress for Club Leon.
- Omar GonzalezĀ started and played 90 minutes in Pachuca’s 1-0 win vs. TolucaĀ on Saturday.
- Jorge VillafanaĀ dressed but did not play in Santos Laguna’s 1-1 draw vs. Puebla on Sunday.
- Sebastian SaucedoĀ dressed but did not play in Veracruz’sĀ 0-0 drawĀ vs. Pumas UNAMĀ on Friday.
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What do you think of these performances? Does Johnson’s finish only further emphasized the point that he should be playing in the midfield for the USMNT? How impressive has Wood’s season been so far?
Share your thoughts below.
Not mentioned anywhere here was Ethan Horvath’s performance last week Thursday against Sevilla in the return leg in the round of 32 for Europa. Molde beat Sevilla 1-0 and Horvath had a very solid game.
It’s not unusual for coaches in the Bundisliga and other leagues to rotate young players as fatigue levels rise due to the increase and intensity of training and game play, not to mention the intense pressure of playing in a top division or a large team. If the physios, who measure stress and fatigue levels quite regularly for youth players, see a rise in certain blood levels of certain stress pointers, they will relay this information to the coaching staff who will determine what to do.Sending him down to the youth level is one way to take the stress off and lower fatigue levels. Sometimes teams will bring up a player for a set amount of time and because it is a coaches decision that deals with tactics and strategy, will usually not inform the press.
I thought it is interesting that, while Santos started many of it’s regulars and sat some down, with three subs in the Puebla game., At least 4-6 players for Santos will be playing against the Galaxy on three days res,. If three of those are subbed out, at least 2-3 will play the whole 90. Having 2-3 players playing on three days rest is something that requires a level of fitness that few teams in the MLS have now.
Teams as deep as most of the Liga MX teams are, can afford to do this and this is why it’s really,really hard to beat Liga MX teams at this juncture. If you throw in heat and altitude, you have a double whammy. The Galaxy will have to work very hard to keep possession early and avoid chasing Santos and the game for at least the first half as I expect Santos to press hard to get possession and run the Galaxy to soften them for the second half.
i love that Wood’s goal was deflected off the defender’s face. i’m going to say Wood did that on purpose!
Bedoya had a goal incorrectly called off. Good to see Gil getting 90. Like someone else said above, Villafana was resting for CCL. Arriola looked good once again. hit the post on a ridiculous shot. that kid not only should be on the Olympic team, but seriously pushing for the senior squad. Disappointed to see Ibarra not even dress.
awesome to see Yedlin continue to start and Payne is quickly becoming a depth option at RB for the senior squad given Lichaj is constantly ignored. also great to see Cameron back. think the starting XI for March, as of now, has to be:
GK: Howard (not for much longer…)
DEF (R to L): Yedlin, Cameron, JAB, Villafana
MID (R to L): Lee, Bedoya, Bradley, FJ
ST: Jozy, Dempsey
obviously Jozy has a hammy issue to work out, but for now he stays.
I like your lineup. Question, did VillafaƱa play in the Feb. friendlies? If not, wouldn’t it be unusual to earn your first cap in a qualifier? Not that JK doesn’t do unusual. In fact, the unusual seems to be his usual. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
he did not. chances of JK calling him up are probably decent, but almost 0% to start him. but i’d do it. he showed well for Portland last year and has managed to move to Santos and grab a starting spot. he has the skill to compete in CONCACAF. plus, we need to get him integrated for Copa America.
FWIW, Miazga’s first cap came in the qualifier against SVG in November…
i doubt we see Villafana called up for the qualifiers since he hasnt been called in previously as JK seems to be big on getting a player around the rest of the team so that he is comfortable, so i’m not sure if he makes it in. Jozy will be out, he’s been ruled out for the first few weeks of the season and there will be no time to build his fitness or form before the Guatemala matches. All in all, it should still be quite interesting to see how the senior and u-23 teams come together.
i think he has to get called up. will he start? probably not. but he needs to be integrated ASAP so he is ready to start in Copa America (assuming form stays the same).
and yes, i am well aware of Jozy’s hammy, as noted. but TFC has had multiple reports stating it’s not that bad and given the qualifiers are the end of March, i think he’ll make it in. like you said though, will he be in form?
that all said, Wood, Morris, and Zardes should provide decent enough options.
I’m starting to fade on Zardes. Considering the minutes he got for the US last year he didn’t produce enough. I saw some good play out of him, but unless he has Donovan, Keane and Junihno feeding him and taking away defenders his game suffers. Maybe he’ll find his rhythm this year with the turnover that LA has gone through.
Silver Rey, I agree with you. Zardes does not have the technical or tactical tools to be a starter for us. What he does have is an incredible work rate, and good physical tools, which should be used later in matches against weary defenders, the same way Lukaku was used at the WC.
Yedlin is the same, although his game seems to be improving.
Why is Rubio Rubin not playing?
Still recovering from foot surgery. He said in an interview he was planning on returning mid-march.
A lot of ‘did not dress’ updates. Not good. What’s up with Tim Ream?
was wondering the same thing.
What’s up with Zelalem. Hasn’t been making the game day roster for Rangers in the past few weeks. Also, Pulisic not in the game day roster for the past 2 games.
He is got some kind of injury, not sure what it is
Pulisic started with the youth (u19?) team. Not sure why they brought him back down but its nothing unexpected or to read into imo..
Zalehem and Ream, VillafaƱa too, idk what has happened to them recently.
Good to see Danny Williams and Geoff Cameron back on the field.
I think Villafana is just a CCL scheduling consideration. He went 90 against the Galaxy on Wednesday and they have the 2nd leg tomorrow, so it’s not really realistic for him to play 3 matches in 6 days.