Jordan at Gladbach: ideal conditions for USMNT return?

Jordan arrived in the Bundesliga at Union Berlin in July 2022, on the back of scoring 22 goals in 32 league outings for Swiss side Young Boys Bern the previous season.

And while he initially looked like replicating that kind of form for Urs Fischer’s side in the German capital, registering three goals and two assists across the first seven matchdays of 2022/23, the 27-year-old was ultimately unable to perform consistently as he adapted to his new surroundings and was largely used as a substitute in the second half of the campaign.

As a result, the last of his nine USMNT appearances to date came in March 2022, and he has not been called up since then. However, under Gladbach boss Seoane that could all be set to change.

Seoane was in charge at Young Boys from 2018 to 2021 and was at the helm when Jordan joined the Swiss outfit in September 2020. At the time, Jordan was considered a talented forward, but by no means a prolific one, with just three Ligue 1 goals from 29 appearances across the previous two seasons.

Fast forward to the end of 2020/21 and Jordan had played a leading role in the side winning the Swiss Super League title with 12 goals in 32 outings, plus three more in eight UEFA Europa League games. So impressive was the 6’2” powerhouse that Gregg Berhalter handed him his senior international debut for the USA in a 4-1 friendly win over Jamaica in March 2021.

And the bond between player and coach was one of the driving reasons behind Jordan’s switch to the Foals. “We have a good relationship and he knows me well,” Jordan said after signing on. “He obviously knows how best to use me.”

“He’s a physical striker and knows how to use his physique well,” Seoane said. “He won’t need long to settle in with us because he already knows the Bundesliga.”

Jordan made his Gladbach debut on Matchday 3, coming off the bench in the 60th minute of the Foals’ 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich, and he also played for 75 minutes of the team’s friendly against Werder Bremen on Thursday.

“He held up a lot of balls with his back to goal and I don’t think he misplaced a single pass,” Seoane enthused afterwards. “In order to make better use of his qualities we need to get more balls into the box, more crosses and more set pieces.”

Gladbach are yet to win any of their three Bundesliga games so far this season following a summer of upheaval in which a number of their key players departed, including Jonas Hofmann, Lars Stindl, Ramy Bensebaini and Marcus Thuram.

However, they have brought in some exciting players too: Julian Weigl’s move from Benfica has been made permanent, while Maximilian Wöber, Grant-Leon Ranos and Tomas Cvancara form a gifted spine throughout the side.

With Seoane overseeing Jordan’s day-to-day work at Gladbach - where he will play alongside compatriot Joe Scally - and Berhalter back in charge of the USMNT, the future holds plenty of promise for both club and country.