COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — As a youngster in Hawaii, the significance of the World Cup never dawned on forward Bobby Wood.
Full disclosure: He didn’t even know what it was.
He understands now.
With his balky back feeling better, Wood hopes to provide a spark for the Americans as the squad resumes the final round of World Cup qualifying. He’s been playing hurt in high-stress games with Hamburg, which wasn’t assured of Bundesliga survival until the last day of the season.
A chance for him to exhale — if for only a moment. A week after the end of his first Bundesliga season, he reported to the U.