The day before the U.S. men's vital World Cup qualifying match in Guatemala, one of their top young talents got some exciting news regarding his budding club soccer career.
21-year-old striker Terrence Boyd reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with Austria's Rapid Vienna. No word on how much the transfer fee cost as he shifts over from Germany's Borussia Dortmund.
It's an interesting move since Boyd scored 20 goals and had five assists for Dortmund's reserve squad last season. Common sense dictates that he would get a real shot to make the team next season (especially if he plays well for the U.S.) but I can't fault a guy for going somewhere else in Europe where he know he'll be a starter from day one.
Dortmund youth coordinator Lars Ricken says: "Today he's playing for the U.S. national team. It's further proof that you can have excellent prospects through hard work with our second team."
This follows a similar path taken by fellow U.S. striker Jozy Altidore who bounced from MLS (Red Bulls) to La Liga (Villareal) followed by loans to Hull City (EPL) and Bursaspor (Turkey) before finally finding a home in Holland with AZ Alkmaar. Altidore had to take a step back professionally-going from a Champions League team to a Europa League team but it proved to be the right decision. He rediscovered his confidence and game last season, finishing as Alkmaar's leading goal-scorer with 15 league goals, four in Europa League.
I hate comparing players since everybody is different but from the limited amount of times I've seen Boyd, he seems to possess similar traits to Altidore. He's big, athletic and a good finisher around the net. His journey to Austria should prove to be rewarding if he puts in the time and effort on the training pitch.
The son of an American serviceman and German mother, Boyd made his international debut for Jurgen Klinsmann on February 29, 2012 in the friendly vs. Italy and he's officially CAP tied now after appearing against Antigua and Barbuda on Friday in the U.S.' 3-1 World Cup qualifying win.
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