Bobby Wood Shows Promise Against FC Dallas

The veteran striker found success against Dallas on Saturday evening

Photo Courtesy of New England Revolution

Bobby Wood is facing the reality of life as a 30-year-old athlete. His body doesn’t operate as it once did and he has struggled to make it onto the pitch.

Wood has been playing professionally since 2010, playing in nearly 250 matches. After a 2023 season that saw Wood appear in 29 matches, the striker has only made nine appearances this season.

But against Dallas, Wood played 90 minutes for the first time in 2024. His hold-up play was impressive and even though he wasn’t credited for New England’s goal, he deserves praise for his effort.

Wood was jockeying with a Dallas defender and still muscled his way into making an effort on the ball. The 31-year-old looked like he had turned back the clock.

Caleb Porter was impressed with Wood’s performance on Saturday evening.

“I heard that it wasn't [credited as a goal to Bobby Wood],” the coach said. “That surprises me. That's crazy. I don't know, we’ll have to look at that again, because I thought [Wood] got a kick on it. It's great cross, gets a piece of it. Bobby, I thought, put a shift in. Honestly, we thought he'd maybe play 60 [minutes] at most, and he ended up playing 90. A lot of guys – I mean, that's the other thing. When we hit that 60-minute mark, we tried to ride guys as long as we could. I never thought Tommy [McNamara] would play as many minutes as he did, Bobby, Mark-[Anthony Kaye] was only going to play 55.”

While New England still needs some additional depth at the position, it is good to know that Wood can put in a shift. Whether it be in Leagues Cup or the stretch run of the regular season, the striker is a valuable asset off the bench.

Sometimes experience and skill can make up for a body that might not get up to speed or handle hits like it used to. Against Dallas, Wood showed that he still has plenty to offer the Revolution.