US forward Bobby Wood to join Real Salt Lake of MLS in July

SANDY, Utah — Out-of-form American forward Bobby Wood will leave Hamburg at the end of the season to join Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.

Salt Lake said Friday it had signed the 28-year-old to a contract that starts July 1 and runs through 2023.

The Honolulu native scored 17 league goals for Union Berlin in the second tier in 2015-16 and five for Hamburg in the Bundesliga in 2016-17 but has slumped since. He had just two league goals for Hamburg in 2017-18 and three during a loan to Hannover in 2018-19, then none in six league matches with Hamburg in the second tier last season.

Wood had one goal in 15 league matches with Hamburg this season.

He has 13 goals in 44 appearances for the United States, but he has not played for the national team since an exhibition at Italy in November 2018.

“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 in a statement. “He is a player who we have tracked for several years and are quite familiar with from his extensive experience with the U.S. national team.”


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