USMNT Watch: Bobby Wood Opens Bundesliga Account Before WCQ Resumes

Things are looking good for the United States men’s national team at the forward position as the pair of September CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers approach.

Bobby Wood added to the excitement surrounding the position on Saturday with his first Bundesliga goal. Jozy Altidore is already in impressive form for Toronto FC as he works his way back from injury. 

Elsewhere in the world, one of the USMNT’s top young players secured a move to a new club and a potential rising star shone in Major League Soccer. 

Continue reading below for more on those stories in our latest USMNT Watch. 

Bobby Wood, Andrew Wooten Score in Germany 

Wood opened his Bundesliga account on Saturday in Hamburg’s first league match of the season, against Ingolstadt. 

Wood used his strength to body off a defender on the edge of the box in the 30th minute to put his new club in the lead.

Bobby Wood: 1st Bundesliga game, 1st Bundesliga goal. #USMNT?? https://t.co/ja31kwIiYX

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 27, 2016

The 23-year-old picked up where he left off last season in the 2. Bundesliga, in which he netted 17 strikes for Union Berlin. 

Wood is expected to compete with Altidore for the starting forward position in the upcoming CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. There is also a possibility Wood ends up starting on the wing or next to Altidore in a 4-4-2 formation in order for the Yanks to get the best out of their forward corps.

Another American found the back of the net in Germany, as Andrew Wooten scored for Sandhausen in their 2-1 defeat to VfB Stuttgart in the 2. Bundesliga on Friday. 

Wooten isn’t near the top of the USMNT forward depth chart yet, but he could climb that list if he continues to rack up goals in the German second division.

Aron Johannsson, who was once directly behind Altidore on the depth chart, returned to first-team action on Friday, playing 64 minutes for Werder Bremen in their 6-0 loss at the hands of Bayern Munich. 

If he is able to work his way back to full fitness and provide Bremen with a boost throughout the Bundesliga season, we could see Johannsson on the roster for the first hexagonal-round matches in November.

Fabian Johnson played the …

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