Johan Gomez: Who is Eintracht Braunschweig's American attacking talent?
Texan Johan Gomez has joined Bundesliga 2 outfit Eintracht Braunschweig after impressing in the third tier for Zwickau.
bundesliga.com has the lowdown on Braunschweig's ambitious young American addition...
Stats correct as of 30 June 2023
Johan Gomez
Age: 21 (born 23 July 2001)
Club: Eintracht Braunschweig
Position: Striker
Country: USA (two caps for U20s)
Key stats
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Gomez began playing soccer for local clubs as a young child before starting to train at the FC Dallas academy at the age of 12. He made a name for himself for his goalscoring ability with the Dallas academy teams, leading to a call-up for the US U16 national team - and he also represented the national futsal team at several youth levels.
After making six appearances for North Texas SC in the third tier of the American game, Gomez decided to seek his fortune in Europe upon turning 18 and signed his first professional contract at FC Porto. He made three appearances for their UEFA Youth League team before playing for FC Porto B in the Portuguese second tier (23 appearances and one goal). Gomez played twice for the US U20 team during his spell in Portugal.
Gomez left Portugal in summer 2021 and signed for Zwickau - who were coached at the time by fellow American Joe Enochs - after impressing on a trial. Germany's third division proved to be an ideal platform for showcasing his talent, with Gomez scoring six goals and providing two assists in his first season there in 2021/22.
It was more of the same in 2022/23 with six goals in the league and three strikes in three appearances in the Saxony Cup. He became a firm fans' favourite during a difficult campaign for Zwickau, not least for scoring a winning goal in a 1-0 win at local rivals Erzgebirge Aue in November 2022. Shortly after Zwickau's relegation to the regional league was confirmed, his signing by Eintracht Braunschweig was confirmed in June 2023 - meaning Gomez will step up a level to Bundesliga 2 at the start of the 2023/24 season.
Plays a bit like: Karim Adeyemi
While Gomez has not yet hit the same heights as his fellow 21-year-old, and tends to operate in a more central position (generally behind a number nine), the drive and pace of the American is reminiscent of Adeyemi's sharp attacking play. Gomez appears just as willing to sniff out openings for teammates as to strike himself, so has the potential to match Adeyemi's habit of regularly clocking up assists.
The way Gomez raced behind the back of a defender and slammed an angled shot straight past the goalkeeper in a 2-2 draw against 1860 Munich on the final Matchday of 2022/23 suggests that both his finishing is on an upwards trajectory and that he can also be a handful on a flank akin to Adeyemi.
Watch: All of Karim Adeyemi's 2022/23 goals and assists
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Did you know?
Johan Gomez's little brother, Jonathan Gomez, is also firmly making his mark in the world of football. Also an FC Dallas academy product, the younger Gomez currently plays for Real Sociedad B in Spain. The brothers have Mexican parents, and both the Mexican and US national federations have vied for Jonathan's international allegiance.
Having played for Mexico in a friendly against Guatamala and the US national team in friendly encounters with Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia, Jonathan became just the fourth player to represent both nations in full international football.
What they're saying
"Johan has developed really well over the past two years and is set to take his next step with us. He can be used in various attacking positions and therefore increases our options up front." - Eintracht Braunschweig head of football Peter Vollmann
"Johan is a top-class footballer. He plays very intelligently, with both feet, and he is only 21." - former Zwickau coach Joe Enochs
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