Five fringe US national team players making news this week, with Tijuana’s Paul Arriola and Amando Moreno, Bayern Munich’s Julian Green and RB Leipzig’s Terrence Boyd all scoring for their clubs and Bournemouth’s Emerson Hyndman suffering an injury that will keep him out for most of the Premier League side’s preseason.
Arriola, who made the 18 but didn’t get off the bench in Tijuana’s Apertura-opening win against Morelia last Friday, scored the opening goal in Xolos’ 3-0 Copa MX win against Toluca on Tuesday, with Moreno adding the second three minutes later.
Arriola got things going in the eighth minute, running onto a through ball on the right flank, dribbling into the box and firing a low shot inside the far post from a difficult angle.
Moreno, who wasn’t on the gameday roster for Tijuana’s win against Morelia, made it 2-0 in the 11th minute. The duo, both of whom were part of the US’s pre-Copa America transition camp in Miami, were two of six Americans in Tijuana’s starting lineup on Tuesday. USMNT defender Michael Orozco, goalkeeper Carlos Lopez, defender John Requejo and midfielder Alejandro Guido joined them in the XI.
Tijuana and USMNT defender Greg Garza was not in the 18 on Tuesday after starting and playing 69 minutes against Morelia on Friday.
Over in Europe, Green is having a solid week for Bayern Munich. The 21-year-old scored the first goal of new manager Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure in Bayern’s 4-3 preseason win against Lippstadt last week, then followed that up with another start in Munich’s 1-0 win against former manager Pep Guardiola and Manchester City on Wednesday.
Green, who spent last year with Bayern’s reserve side, is also earning a little love from his teammates, with Javi Martinez telling ESPN FC that he thinks Green is “a very dynamic player” who “will get many opportunities” this year.
Boyd, 25, is making progress in his comeback from a knee injury that kept him out for more than a year-and-a-half, recently returning to the training field and scoring the eighth goal in the Bundesliga newcomer’s 10-0 preseason rout over lower-division FC Frankfurt on Saturday.
Unfortunately, it’s not all good news for Americans in Europe, as Bournemouth announced on Thursday that Hyndman will likely miss most of the club’s preseason due to an ankle injury. Bournemouth, who played incoming MLS club Minnesota United FC in a friendly on Wednesday, signed Hyndman from Championship club Fulham earlier this summer.
