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Real Salt Lake’s well-documented pursuit of Bobby Wood has concluded with his signing, according to a club press release today.
Wood, 29, has been playing in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga since 2007, when he joined TSV 1860 Munich as a 15-year-old. His youth soccer experience before that consisted of playing for youth clubs in Hawaii and California.
Arguably Wood’s best year in his career to date was the 2015-16 season when he played with Union Berlin — alongside Damir Kreilach — scoring 17 goals in 31 games. His goalscoring record otherwise has been mixed.
Wood has also been played sporadically with the U.S. National Team, though he hasn’t received a call-up since 2018.
Quotes from the press release follow
Bobby Wood
“It was really important for me to get into a club that felt like a family and that’s why it feels so good to come into Real Salt Lake. In talking with the coaches, that was the vibe I got and made it an easy decision,” Wood said. “I’m excited for this new chapter and challenge and I want to make it as successful as possible.”
Elliot Fall
“We are extremely excited to welcome Bobby and his family to Salt Lake City and our Club. His proven track-record as a goal scorer, combined with his work rate and tenacity will be invaluable additions to our roster,” RSL General Manager Elliot Fall said. “He is a player who we have tracked for several years and are quite familiar with from his extensive experience with the US National Team. Over the last several months, we have had the pleasure to get to know him more personally and have the utmost confidence he will have a positive impact on our roster and locker room for years to come.”
Freddy Juarez
“We are excited to have Bobby come in to give us a great option of his quality in our attack. He brings many years of European experience and experience with our national team and we are looking forward to having him here to compete and make everyone better.”