Fabian Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fabian Johnson

Johnson playing for the United States in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Fabian Marco Johnson
Date of birth	(1987-12-11) December 11, 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Munich, West Germany
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Full-back, wide midfielder
Youth career
1991–1996	Sportfreunde München
1996–2006	1860 Munich
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2007	1860 Munich II	43	(0)
2006–2009	1860 Munich	90	(4)
2009–2011	VfL Wolfsburg	16	(1)
2011–2014	1899 Hoffenheim	87	(5)
2014–2020	Borussia Mönchengladbach	106	(12)
Total		342	(22)
International career‡
2003–2004	Germany U17	13	(0)
2004–2005	Germany U18	3	(0)
2005–2006	Germany U19	11	(0)
2006–2007	Germany U20	2	(0)
2007–2009	Germany U21	6	(0)
2011–2017	United States	57	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2009
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:55, August 12, 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 10, 2017

Fabian Marco Johnson (born December 11, 1987) is a former professional soccer player known for his speed and ability to play multiple positions. He was a versatile player who could be a full-back or a wide midfielder.

Although he was born in Germany and played for Germany's youth teams, he chose to represent the United States national team for his senior career.

Early Life and Start in Soccer

Fabian Johnson was born in Munich, Germany. His father was an African-American soldier and basketball player, and his mother is German-American. Johnson began his soccer journey at a young age. In 1991, when he was just four years old, he started playing for a local club called Sportfreunde München.

In 1996, he joined the youth program of a famous German club, 1860 Munich. He spent ten years there, learning and improving his skills.

Professional Club Career

Johnson's professional career took him to several top clubs in Germany's main soccer league, the Bundesliga.

1860 Munich and VfL Wolfsburg

In 2006, Johnson was promoted to the first team of 1860 Munich. He played 89 league games and scored four goals for the club. His strong performances caught the eye of other teams.

In 2009, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg. He scored his first goal for his new team in a 2–2 draw against SC Freiburg. After two years with Wolfsburg, he transferred to 1899 Hoffenheim in 2011.

Success at Hoffenheim and Mönchengladbach

At Hoffenheim, Johnson continued to be an important player. On September 26, 2012, he scored a goal in a 3–0 victory over VfB Stuttgart.

In 2014, Johnson made another big move, joining Borussia Mönchengladbach. This would be the club where he played for the longest time.

Johnson with Mönchengladbach in 2015

He made his first appearance for the team on August 23, 2014. He quickly became a key player, scoring his first UEFA Champions League goal against the famous Italian club Juventus in 2015. He also scored his first Bundesliga goal for Mönchengladbach in a match against SC Paderborn. He played for the club until 2020.

International Career with Team USA

Even though Johnson played for Germany's youth teams, he was able to switch and play for the United States because of his American father. This is allowed by FIFA's rules for players with dual citizenship.

Joining the U.S. National Team

In August 2011, U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann called Johnson up to the team. He officially made his first appearance for the United States on November 11, 2011, in a game against France.

Johnson became a regular player for the U.S. team. He was known for his assists, like the one he made in a game against Brazil in 2012. He scored his first goal for the U.S. on June 1, 2014, in a friendly match against Turkey.

2014 FIFA World Cup

A major highlight of Johnson's career was playing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was a starting player in all of the United States' group stage matches and in the exciting Round of 16 game against the Belgium.

His last game for the United States was in September 2017. In total, he played 57 times for the national team and scored two goals.

Career Statistics

These tables show how many games Johnson played (apps) and how many goals he scored for each club and for the national team.

Club

International

Scores and results list United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Johnson goal.

List of international goals scored by Fabian Johnson

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1.	June 1, 2014	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	Turkey	1–0	2–1	Friendly	1
2.	November 13, 2015	Busch Stadium, St. Louis, United States	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	2–1	6–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification	2

Honors

International

Germany U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

See also

In Spanish: Fabian Johnson para niños