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USMNT Watch: Julian Green Bags Brace, Moves Scoring Total into Double Digits
February 28, 2016
It's been quite some time since Julian Green was on the radar of the United States men's national team. The 20-year-old, who has five USMNT appearances to his name, has been out of sight since he plays in the fourth tier of German football with Bayern Munich's reserve team.
In his latest game for the fourth-division side, Green bagged a brace that extended his decent run of form in front of the net.
In addition to Green's success up top, Bobby Wood had another impressive week in Germany, while a USMNT stalwart returned to action in England.
We'll have news on all of that and more below in our latest USMNT Watch.
Julian Green Scores Twice, Moves Goal Total into Double Figures
Not only did Green's brace on Friday help Bayern Munich II get past Rain/Lech, he also moved his personal goal total for the season to 10.
The highlight of Green's season before Friday was a hat-trick against Augsburg II on October 23.
Green has only received one appearance in a meaningless UEFA Champions League game for the first team this season, and one has to wonder how much his stock would've risen if he went out on loan during the summer transfer window.
Despite all the questions, Green has been able to produce, albeit in the German fourth tier, which is a good sign for his prospects at Bayern or elsewhere in the coming months.
Another American continued his scoring ways in the lower divisions of German football on Friday, as Wood scored in his third consecutive match for Union Berlin. The strike in the 2-1 win over Karlsruher moved Wood into double figures in the scoring column as well. In 22 appearances for Union Berlin this season, Wood has found the back of the net on 10 occasions.
In the Bundesliga, John Brooks helped Hertha Berlin earn a 1-0 win on the road over Cologne on Friday. The victory was the first in league play for Hertha Berlin since December 20.
On Sunday in the top flight, Fabian Johnson scored for Borussia Monchengladbach, while Timothy Chandler and Christian Pulisic did not feature in their respective matchday squads.
Geoff Cameron Returns to Stoke City Lineup
Geoff Cameron returned to the pitch for Stoke City on Saturday in their 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Britannia Stadium.
The 30-year-old played 90 minutes at center back for the Potters in his first appearance since January 5.
If Cameron rounds back into form over the next few weeks, he should find himself on the roster for the pair of World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala at the end of March.
DeAndre Yedlin produced a splendid 90-minute shift for Sunderland in the first game of the weekend in the Premier League. Despite losing 1-0 to West Ham United, Yedlin displayed plenty of skill on the right flank and almost picked up an assist in the contest.
Danny Williams returned to the pitch for Reading on Saturday, as he made a 25-minute appearance as a substitute in a wild 4-3 win over Charlton Athletic.
Eric Lichaj started and went the full 90 for Nottingham Forest in their 2-1 loss to Bristol City on Saturday.
Tim Ream, Emerson Hyndman and Jonathan Spector did not see the pitch for their respective teams in the Championship.
In League One, Lynden Gooch featured for 30 minutes off the bench for Doncaster Rovers, while Zak Whitbread played the full 90 for Shrewsbury Town.
Tim Howard Reportedly Close to Joining Colorado Rapids
Tim Howard's return to Major League Soccer became more of a reality on Saturday. ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle reported the 36-year-old goalkeeper is set to join the Colorado Rapids from Everton.
According to the report, Howard is expected to link up with the Rapids during the summer transfer window, which opens after the Copa America Centenario.
Howard is set to earn $2 million per year with the Rapids, who will pay a transfer fee somewhere between $600,000 and $750,000, per the report.
The move will guarantee Howard playing time, but he won't get it until the Copa America Centenario concludes.
Omar Gonzalez Highlights Quiet Weekend in Mexico
Omar Gonzalez was one of the few USMNT players to earn time on the field in Liga MX this weekend. The former LA Galaxy man went 90 minutes in Club Pachuca's 1-0 victory over Toluca.
William Yarbrough once again started in net for Club Leon, but he failed to make a major impact on his side's 3-1 defeat to Chiapas.
Edgar Castillo started and played 45 minutes for Monterrey in their 4-0 loss at the hands of Cruz Azul on Saturday.
Jonathan Bornstein, Luis Gil, Ventura Alvarado and Jorge Villafana all did not play in league action for their respective sides.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.