MNT Rewind: Bobby Wood Penalty Kick Lifts Hamburg in Push to Avoid Relegation
MNT forward Bobby Wood opened the scoring and set up the second goal in Hamburg's crucial 3-1 victory against Wolfsburg.
As leagues in Europe begin to wind down, MNT forward Bobby Wood and Hamburg continued their last-gasp push to stay up in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win at Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Earning his first start since Feb. 10, Wood buried a 43rd minute penalty kick to give the visitors a lead and then helped set up Lewis Holtby’s strike in first-half stoppage time en route to the win at Volkswagen Arena. Having just returned from a lengthy injury layoff, MNT center back John Brooks was an unused substitute for Wolfsburg.
Long thought to have missed out on their chance to remain in the Bundesliga, Hamburg (28 points) are now just two points back of Wolfsburg (30 points) for 16th place and a spot in the Bundesliga’s relegation playoff. Both teams have two matches left.
Back Stateside, Alejandro Bedoya and CJ Sapong combined for a goal in the 60th minute of Philadelphia Union’s 3-2 win against D.C. United. Coming off a cleared corner kick, Union midfielder Haris Medunjanin lobbed the ball back into the box where Bedoya rose to head it back across goal before Sapong nodded his second of the season past United goalkeeper Steve Clark.
WATCH: Sapong, Bedoya Connect in Philadelphia’s 3-2 Win
ICYMI, check out the highlights from yesterday's win 🙌#DOOP pic.twitter.com/SPWcXyROm0
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) April 29, 2018
Earlier in the week, a host of MNT players came ever so close to helping Toronto FC become the first MLS side to win the CONCACAF Champions League. Down 1-0 heading into the second leg tie at Chivas de Guadalajara, Toronto FC faced a bigger deficit when Oberlin Pineda gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.
Jozy Altidore struck back to tie the match six minutes later and then Marky Delgado assisted on Sebastian Giovinco’s series-tying goal just before halftime to eventually force penalty kicks. Coming off due to injury in the 85th minute, Altidore was unavailable for the shootout and TFC fell 4-2 at Estadio Akron.
WATCH: Toronto FC Falls on Penalties to Chivas in Second Leg of CCL Final
Playing at home against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, Bradley recorded his first assist of the season when his delivery into the box on the right found Victor Vazquez in the 22nd minute of TFC’s 2-2 draw.
WATCH: Bradley Records First Assist of Season in 2-2 Draw With Chicago
A few other highlights from this past week:
- Defender Tim Ream and Fulham extended their league-unbeaten streak to 23 matches thanks to a 2-1 win against Sunderland on Friday. The run has helped Fulham stay in the race for automatic promotion, with the Cottagers sitting one point behind Cardiff City for the league’s second spot going into the English League Championship’s final weekend.
- Fellow center back Matt Miazga went 71 minutes in contributing to Vitesse’s 5-0 shutout win against Twente. The victory assured the club of a place in the Eredivisie’s Europa League playoffs with one match remaining in the season.
- Having picked up a groin injury in preseason which required sports hernia surgery, midfielder Kellyn Acosta made the bench for the first time this season in FC Dallas’ 3-1 defeat at New York City FC.
A full rundown of how MNT players performed for their clubs this past week:
Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls) – 90 minutes in 3-2 win at LA Galaxy (April 28)
Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution) – 72 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Sporting KC (April 28)
Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) – 85 minutes, GOAL in 2-1 win (4-3 PK loss) to Chivas de Guadalajara in Concacaf Champions League Final (April 25); Not in 18 for 2-2 draw vs. Chicago Fire (April 28)
Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union) – 90 minutes, ASSIST in 3-2 win vs. D.C. United (April 28)
Matt Besler (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at New England Revolution (April 28)
Alex Bono (Toronto FC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win (4-3 PK loss) to Chivas de Guadalajara in Concacaf Champions League Final (April 25); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Chicago Fire (April 28)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win (4-3 PK loss) to Chivas de Guadalajara in Concacaf Champions League Final (April 25); 90 minutes, ASSIST in 2-2 draw vs. Chicago Fire (April 28)
Joe Corona (Club América) – 74 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Santos Laguna (April 28)
Marky Delgado (Toronto FC) - 90 minutes, ASSIST in 2-1 win (4-3 PK loss) to Chivas de Guadalajara in Concacaf Champions League Final (April 25); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. Chicago Fire (April 28)
Dom Dwyer (Orlando City SC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Colorado Rapids (April 29)
Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca) – 90 minutes in 0-0 draw vs. Atlas (April 28)
Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC) – 90 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Montreal Impact (April 28)
Julian Green (Greuther Fürth) – 90 minutes in 3-0 loss at St. Pauli (April 29)
Bill Hamid (Midtjylland) – 90 minutes in 3-1 Danish Cup loss at Brøndby (April 26)
Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy) – 90 minutes in 3-2 loss vs. New York Red Bulls (april 28)
Weston McKennie (Schalke) – 26 substitute minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (April 28)
Matt Miazga (Vitesse) – 71 minutes in 5-0 win vs. Twente (April 29)
Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United FC) – 90 minutes in 4-1 win vs. Montreal Impact (April 28)
Andrija Novakovich (Telstar) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. Cambuur (April 28)
Ike Opara (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at New England Revolution (April 28)
Erik Palmer-Brown (Kortrijk) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Lierse (April 28)
Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) – 61 minutes in 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen (April 29)
Tim Ream (Fulham) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. Sunderland (April 28)
Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at LAFC (April 29)
Rubio Rubin (Club Tijuana) – 21 substitute minutes in 1-0 win vs. Toluca (April 27)
Kenny Saief (Anderlecht) – 83 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Sporting Charleroi (April 29)
CJ Sapong (Philadelphia Union) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 3-2 win vs. D.C. United (April 28)
Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (April 28)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (April 28)
Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) – 85 minutes in 1-0 loss at Club América (April 28)
Bobby Wood (Hamburg) – 77 minutes, GOAL in 3-1 win at Wolfsburg (April 28)
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss vs. West Bromwich Albion (April 28)
Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC) – 81 minutes in 2-1 win vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Walker Zimmerman (LAFC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Seattle Sounders FC (April 29)
Graham Zusi (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at New England Revolution (April 28)
Injured/Did Not Play
Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas) – In 18, DNP in 3-1 loss at New York City FC (April 29)
Paul Arriola (D.C. United) – Suspended; Not in 18 for 3-2 loss at Philadelphia Union (April 28)
John Brooks (Wolfsburg) – In 18, DNP in 3-1 loss vs. Hamburg (April 28)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) – In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw at Liverpool (April 28)
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Ipswich Town) – Ankle Injury; Not in 18 for 4-0 win at Reading (April 28)
Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt) – In 18, DNP in 4-1 loss at Bayern Munich (April 28)
Luca de la Torre (Fulham) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 win vs. Sunderland (April 27)
Lynden Gooch (Sunderland) – Not in 18 for 2-1 loss at Fulham (April 27)
Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge) – In 18, DNP in 1-1 draw at Genk (April 27)
Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen) – Not in 18 for 1-1 draw vs. Borussia Dortmund (April 29)
Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest) – In 18, DNP in 0-0 draw vs. Bristol City (April 28)
Shaq Moore (Levante) – Not in 18 for 2-1 win vs. Sevilla (April 27)
Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana) – In 18, DNP in 1-0 win vs. Toluca (April 27)
Matt Polster (Chicago Fire) – MCL Sprain; Not in 18 for 2-2 draw at Toronto FC (April 28)
Antonee Robinson (Bolton) – In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss at Burton Albion (April 28)
Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution) – Knee Injury; Not in 18 for 1-0 win vs. Sporting KC (April 28)
Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain) – In 18, DNP in 2-2 draw vs. Guingamp (April 29)
Danny Williams (Huddersfield Town) – Broken Leg; Not in 18 for 2-0 loss vs. Everton (April 28)