AMSTERDAM – With several of our boys making news across the pond, the time has come again to spill straight from the old American Exports notepad.
That Settling Feeling
It took Fabian Johnson several months to nail down a regular place in his first season with Borussia Mönchengladbach – and, in turn, to calm the US national team fanbase about his place on the field. However, since returning from an short injury layoff to open his Foals account with the early winner in a March 1 tilt against Paderborn, the left winger is feuer (the German equivalent of en fuego).
In addition to that strike, Johnson has added four assists over the his seven starts and one sub appearance, and 'Gladbach have gone 6-0-2 to clinch a UEFA Champions League invite for the fall. While repeatedly asserting himself on the dribble, Johnson has also fired 10 shots, created nine total scoring chances for teammates, completed passes at a better than 84-percent clip and drawn 16 free kicks during these eight appearances.
This was no soft slate of opponents, either. During this run, 'Gladbach have beaten second-place Wolfsburg and form side Borussia Dortmund, as well as topping champs Bayern in Munich. All told, Johnson is far more relaxed now than when everyone was having a stressful debate about whether he even belongs in attack.
"It made me crazy," Johnson told German paper Express of his early-season struggles and the positional haggle that went with it. “Whether I better play at right back or front left – this is not so important.
"I had to get settled here," he explained. "The routine, the demands of the coach … Maybe it also played a role that I could not fully join the preparation after [suffering a hamstring injury at the] World Cup. And now, I am happy."
Sherwood Backs Guzan
After Aston Villa netminder
Brad Guzan
's silly error gifted Sergio Agüero the free opener in a 3-2 loss at Manchester City last weekend, there was a fair amount of quick wonder over the solidity of Guzan's starting place.
Rumors even began to swirl around Birmingham that new manager Tim Sherwood actually preferred former Villa No. 1 Shay Given, otherwise known as the guy who has successfully backstopped the club to an FA Cup final date with Arsenal at Wembley on May 30.
However, Sherwood quickly put such talk to rest in mid-week.
"Brad knows he's just got to bounce back," Sherwood told reporters. "I am confident he will. It won't be his first mistake, and it won't his last. That's the nature of the game for a goalkeeper. You just have to get on with it. I know the boys aren't pointing any fingers at him.
"Unfortunately, for goalkeepers, there's no hiding place. But he's a good character and he'll get over it. I’ve always got decisions to make, but that kind of thing won’t have any influence."
Trophy Case Check
Last week,
Tim Ream
won the Bolton supporters' Player of the Season prize for the second year running. It should come as no surprise.
The St. Louis native easily leads Wanderers in minutes played, having worked four different stations. Ream has a 77.2 percent passing success rate and notched three assists from 25 created chances while posting 155 clearances, 104 pass picks and 93 tackles at the defensive end.
If he can also earn a repeat when the official club award is announced (probably on Friday), the defensive handyman will become just the third American to pull such a feat for an English club, following the fairly recent Fulham duo of Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey.
Back To The Future?
Winter pickup
Bobby Wood
only needed to play five matches for 2.Bundesliga survivalists Erzgebirge Aue to spark some transfer interest. Believe it or not, the club that looks most likely to step up to the summer market stall is none other than former employers 1860 Munich.
Wood left the Allianz Arena outfit due to being dropped last October following tensions with then-1860 boss Markus von Ahlen. However, the manager was let go in February, and new head coach Torsten Fröhling made public noise this week about wanting the USMNT attacker back to the Lions' den.
"Bobby's young, and his game is unbelievably dynamic," he told reporters after watching Wood bag his third goal for Aue over the weekend. "Now he's scoring every week. He surely is an interesting player. That he had to go [from 1860] was not his fault, and I wouldn't mind if he came back."
