Trailing 2-0 in the last fifteen minutes of extra time, the USMNT appeared to be drifting aimlessly towards the finish line — the end of its World Cup Run.
That is, until Julian Green decided to make things interesting with this brilliant finish.
For the remaining fifteen minutes, the U.S. came dangerously close to tying up the game and sending it to penalty kicks, eventually leaving Americans wondering “What if?”
I’ve got another question: Who the heck is Julian Green?
Turns out that when Green, 19, subbed onto the pitch, he was the youngest American player to make an appearance in a World Cup game. Therefore, he is the youngest World Cup goal scorer in U.S. history.
While Green was born in Florida, his family moved to Germany when he was just two years old. He has dual citizenship — with Germany and with the U.S.
Green actually made his international debut with Germany before ultimately deciding to play for the U.S. He’s currently signed with Bayern Munich and made his professional debut last fall.
All of this is good new for the U.S. Green is playing for a top club in a top league, meaning that he will hopefully improve in time for the 2018 World Cup. We saw him create a moment of brilliance today, here’s hoping he’ll be back in 2018 as more than just an end of the game substitute.
[genericon icon=twitter] Follow Sean Wagner-McGough on Twitter @seanjwagner
