Since Jurgen Klinsmann took over the U.S. men’s nationalteam, no player has enjoyed a sharper rise to prominence than striker TerrenceBoyd. On Monday, the Americansoccer community was abuzz over the news that the 21-year-old would sooncomplete a move from German champion Borussia Dortmund to Rapid Vienna of theAustrian Bundesliga. It will be afirst chance at top-flight soccer for Boyd, who scored twenty goals for Dortmund’sreserve side last season.
Few know what awaits Boyd better than D.C. United forwardHamdi Salihi.
“I think it’s a really good step for him because it’s a bigclub,” said Salihi, who was Rapid’s combined top scorer from 2009-2011. “First he must fight to play like astarter because there he will find really good players.”
Though regular playing time is the primary reason for Boyd’stransfer, Salihi cautioned against expecting the youngster to ease into Vienna’sstarting eleven. When Salihi arrivedat Rapid halfway through the 2009 season, he was just one of many options inattack for then-manager Peter Pacult. Vienna ended that campaign with three of the Austrian league’s top fivescorers, including Croatian forward Nikica Jelavic. The Croat – who currently plays for EPL side Everton and isa good friend of Salihi’s – parlayed his success into a move to Scottish giantsRangers, a career-step the Albanian thinks Boyd could replicate.
“He will be in the middle of Europe,” Salihi added,intimating that the Austrian league would offer Boyd plenty of exposure. “You can play at a high level and playin Europa League. With some goodgoals there he can make another big step to another big club like Jelavic.”
Salihi also noted that Vienna’s fans are a demanding bunch,a group that won’t wait long before turning up the pressure on their latestacquisition.
“If he wants to play at a high level he has to play withpressure,” Salihi. “The pressureof fans, pressure of results, he has to know that football is not easy, it’shard. It is important [in Vienna]to start good.”
United midfielder Branko Boskovic also played for Rapid from2006-2010, and believes the Vienna-outfit’s attacking style will bode well forthe young American.
“There are good players around him and they will serve himthe ball,” said Boskovic on Tuesday. “They are one of best teams and everywhere they go they attack. [He will] have the ball more at hisfeet, I think for him this is good.”
