Good move. The US striker moves to a bigger club in a bigger league. Werder Bremen are turning things around under former player Viktor Skrypnyk who took charge in October 2014 and effected a spectacular turnaround from relegation zone to 10th place.
Skrypnyk has built this success around a group of proven, consistent performers who responded positively to his clear lines of communication. The 24 year old Johannsson will be particularly encouraged by the fact that Skrypnyk is building for the future by consciously tapping into the club’s youth talent. The Icelandic American will be available straightaway as Werder’s top scorer Franco Di Santo transferred to Schalke and can slot into Skrypnyk’s 4-1-3-2 formation partnering Anthony Ujah up front.
Johannsson’s trajectory is exactly in line with national coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s desires, to see more and more American players push themselves to the bigger European leagues. However, the trend so far has been a swath of players returning to the warmer embrace of the MLS after finding minutes difficult to come by overseas.