Bobby Wood, DeAndre Yedlin Show Growth in USMNT’s Win over Puerto Rico

The United States men’s national team did not turn in its best performance as a whole on Sunday against Puerto Rico, but two important cogs of the likely starting XI for the Copa America Centenario displayed plenty of progression. 

Forward Bobby Wood and right back DeAndre Yedlin were the stars of the 3-1 victory at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The match was an opportunity to keep the first teamers who play in Europe fresh and to give some young guys a look before the 23-man Copa squad meets up on Monday. 

Wood, who lit the nets on fire in the 2.Bundesliga with Union Berlin this season, extended his impressive scoring form on Sunday as he netted the USMNT’s second goal in the 34th minute. Wood was able to latch onto the ball thanks to a splendid run around a defender in the middle of the pitch. The 23-year-old then raced into the box and finished over the goalkeeper. 

Bobby Wood lifts a clever shot over Sanchez to give the #USMNT a 2-0 lead over Puerto Rico. #USAvPUR https://t.co/7zV5xb3CG6

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 22, 2016

The recent Hamburg signee will take on a more important role at the Copa with Jozy Altidore out of the picture yet again due to a hamstring injury. If he displays the same quality he has over the last nine months, Wood should be the USMNT’s top scorer by the time the June tournament concludes. 

However, Wood won’t be able to do everything by himself in the final third. The Hawaii native will need the players behind him to break down opposing defenses in order to create chances on a consistent basis against Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay. The delivery from the central area of the pitch was lacking on Sunday, but we can’t …

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