SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia – Another Bundesliga season is set to kick off, and there's nine Americans hoping to play a big part for their respective clubs.
We've got countrymen working on contenders for both Europe and the drop, players coming back from injury and guys shooting to make their name at a new level. Say hello to all of them.
Terrence Boyd - RB Leipzig
The US forward has not appeared in a game since December of 2014, but played in every preseason match for Germany's Red Bulls. Boyd still needs to regain match fitness and drop a few pounds, so don't expect him to play much right away.
Once back to his best, the likable Boyd would again provide a fine aerial target and a shark-like area presence. The question is: Can he get there after battling nagging knee woes for so long?
FORECAST: He should be able to start battling for pitch time with Davie Selke and new signing Timo Werner before too long. The risers are entering their debut Bundesliga campaign, so all hands will be needed on deck at some point.
As for the club, there seems to be more than enough talent on hand to ensure they are still in the top flight come next fall. Much of it is young, though, so inconsistency could be an issue.
John Brooks - Hertha Berlin
Coming off an encouraging Bundesliga campaign, a contract extension and some top-shelf USMNT performances at Copa America Centenario, Brooks is back in the capital aiming to help Hertha earn Europa League berths in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2010.
Last term, the young defender took a quantum leap in performance on the ball while taking efficient care at the back. It will be interesting to see what he can do for an encore if he avoids the injury bugs that nibbled away 14 league starts in 2015-16.
FORECAST: Two seasons ago, Brooks showed he can dominate a game defensively. Last year, moving the ball along positively. This seems like the year he smooths out the rough edges to come through the other side with a solidly rounded game.
If Brooks can hit 30 Bundesliga appearances, it says here they get that second straight European berth. If Vedad Ibisevic can match him for games played, perhaps Hertha can sustain the Champions League qualification pace they lost down the stretch last season.
Timothy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt
The US international is often an enigma, even in club life. He can look great one half, and sloppy in another. It would be nice to see him improve his consistency. He could even benefit by forcing his way back into the picture on right wing, his original position.
Wherever he can line up, Chandler would do well to get back to tackling and sending in those nasty crosses, like he did in prior seasons.
FORECAST: It's worth mentioning that Chandler was linked with a Hamburg move. It's also of note that they nabbed a young Manchester United product for the right back chart. If he stays, he should be hitting his prime. If he goes, HSV is a step up in class.
Eintracht has made some shrewd buys in attack and defense; some will need to pay off if they to avoid another relegation fight.
Julian Green - Bayern Munich
After patiently striving for three years to crack the Bavarians' first team, persistence has finally paid off. New boss Carlo Ancelotti sees great things ahead for the 21-year-old, who made the the squad after bagging four preseason goals, including a hat trick against Inter Milan in Charlotte.
FORECAST: Star wingers Kingsley Coman and Arjen Robben are on the mend as the season begins, giving Green an early shot at proving his worth to Ancelotti. When they return, he could also get looks as Robert Lewandowski's center forward understudy. What he does with these chances will determine how much pitch time he'll see.
As for Bayern, they added Mats Hummels and Euro 2016 standout Renato Sanches to an already sterling squad. There's no good reason to think they can't celebrate a fifth consecutive league crown and compete for cup honors.
Aron Johannsson - Werder Bremen
Just as Johannsson is returning from recovery bay, Bremen are experiencing an selection crisis up top. Both Max Kruse and Claudio Pizarro are on the shelf, leaving the US forward as the senior choice for now.
The American will heavily rely on Austria playmaker Zlatko Junuzovic for service and veteran winger Fin Bartels for combination play. He will also go back to working on his hold-up game, which was showing promise when injury struck him last September.
FORECAST: Because of Bremen's current strike situation, Johannsson can cement a place by staying fit and returning to pre-injury form. He still must build match fitness, but if he stays in one piece, a dozen league goals should be doable playing with Junuzovic.
If he can't stay healthy, manager Viktor Skrypnyk and his Green-Whites may be in serious early trouble, regardless of how much they may have solidified last year's leaky defense in the transfer market.
Fabian Johnson - Borussia Mönchengladbach
Last year was a bit of a dream season for both Johnson and the Foals. The former notched eight overall goals, including two in the Champions League, and the club repeated as Champions League qualifiers for the first time since the 1970's.
Despite season bookend injuries, Johnson started 25 times while competing with a deep wide playmaking pool. If he can best that, he will be a threat to crack double digits in both goals and assists on the upcoming campaign.
FORECAST: Johnson will again tussle with Thorgan Hazard for starts on left wing, where the American will likely make most of his appearances again this season. It remains to see if he'll start the opener this weekend. A post-Copa vacation granted his playing time rival a head start on the job audition – but that happened last year, too.
Even though 'Gladbach need to rebuild their defensive spine, they should compete for European places again. They've done summer shopping and we'll see how the newbies look before deciding if they can finish top four again. For now, they look a great bet to reach the Champions League group stage again.
Alfredo Morales - Ingolstadt
Despite a mid-year injury setback, the US midfielder established himself as a Bundesliga regular last season. Ingolstadt would surely love Morales to tidy up his passing game, but his two-way tenacity helped the promoted side post the fourth-stingiest goals against total in the league.
FORECAST: Despite a coaching change, look for Morales to remain a line-up constant. He plays the midfield bulldog so sorely needed by underdogs at this level and will again be charged with slowing opponents down (if not roughing them up a little).
In addition to the new manager, the Audi boys will have three new starters in defense, making it a rather tall task to replicate the impressive 11th place finish from their top flight debut. With no notable attackers arriving to pump up the offense, Morales & Co. are probably in for a real relegation scrap.
Christian Pulisic - Borussia Dortmund
The 17-year-old Pennsylvania native made quite the splash after making his first team debut in January. Aided by a cool demeanor and feisty technical skills, Pulisic became the youngest player to score twice in the Bundesliga before eventually netting his first USMNT goal in May.
The club have added old boy Mario Gotze and Andre Schurrle to spur the attack, while also adding a couple of teen hotshots in Rennes strike sensation Ousmane Dembele and promising Turkey winger Emre Mor. All these acquisitions have American observers concerned that Pulisic will be squeezed out of playing time.
FORECAST: These worries are not unfounded, but they should remember that Pulisic is older and more experienced than when he forced his way into the rotation last season. It says here his growth will continue at a fair pace, with him likely splitting time between the senior side and BvB II.
Dortmund finished 10 points behind champs Bayern in second place last season, but they've loaded up for a title charge. The new additions could help them close the title gap, but with skipper Hummels switching to Munich this summer, perhaps not all the way.
Bobby Wood - Hamburg
After eight years in Germany, the US international is finally getting the chance to bring his buzzing runs and opportunistic finishing to the Bundesliga. Last season with second-flight side Union Berlin, Wood set an American record for goals in a single German season with 17, earning himself a move up the league ladder.
Wood is just one of several summer signings brought in by manager Bruno Labbadia to beef up an attack that managed a paltry 40 league goals last term. That said, the Hawaii native looks set to open the season as a starter in Hamburg's 4-2-3-1 set, so he's the one most being counted on by Labbadia to complete scoring plays.
FORECAST: Young newcomers Alen Halilovic and Filip Kostic should provide plenty of fresh playmaking ideas to help returning right winger Nicolai Muller supply the forwards. As such, Wood should be expected to bag at least 8-10 goals in league play.
Hamburg's attack should improve upon last term's goal haul and the backline stable (which includes German-American Ashton Gotz and New York-born Japan international Gotuko Sakai at the right back position) is decent enough. However, with the loss of Lewis Holtby to a preseason biking accident exacerbating a hole in the defensive midfield, HSV don't quite look like Europa League contenders yet.
