WASHINGTON - If Julian Green is in the U.S. lineup when they take on New Zealand in a friendly Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/WatchESPN) at RFK Stadium, it will mark the 21-year-old's first back-to-back starts for his country.
This wasn't necessarily how it was supposed to go. He figured to become a national team regular in the two-plus years since being the youngest player on the American roster at the 2014 World Cup. Instead, Friday's 2-0 win in Cuba marked just his seventh career cap.
Green's fortunes finally appeared to be changing in August, when he cracked mighty Bayern Munich's first-team roster for this season. The feat was roundly celebrated by American fans. Then, Green didn't play in the club's first six Bundesliga matches, making his invitation from U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann for this month's two exhibition games somewhat surprising.
But as it turns out, Green was summoned partly because he hasn't been able to get on the field ahead of Bayern's gaggle of world-famous stars. So far, he's more than made the most of it.
"We wish obviously that he gets minutes there," Klinsmann told reporters before training on Monday.
"But when you train alongside [Arjen] Robben and [Franck] Ribery and Thomas Muller and all these guys day in, day out, that means you train at the highest level possible.
"So I called Bayern and I said: 'Where is he?' They said: 'Jurgen, if you want to bring him in, we would be delighted. He's doing well in training. He's waiting for his chance.'"
It came in Havana. Green scored one and assisted on the other, showing a sharpness and urgency that had been missing at times in the past. He was named the man of the match afterward.
Now, with fellow forwards Jordan Morris, Chris Wondolowski and Bobby Wood having returned to their clubs, Green looks like a good bet to keep his lineup spot against the hard-running Kiwis.
"I feel very good at this moment," the Tampa-born, Germany-raised dual national told ESPN earlier Monday in an interview.
"I scored a goal, and that's the most important thing for me."
Two years ago, Green was the latest young American shouldering the dreams of the country's fans. The excitement was understandable. His club pedigree and the memorable goal he scored against Belgium in the second round at the World Cup in Brazil had many convinced he'd soon become a go-to player for the Yanks.
A failed loan to Hamburg followed by another season back in Bayern's reserves had some writing him off as another overly hyped prospect who failed to live up to the billing. Klinsmann clearly wasn't impressed, either. Green went all of 2015 without making a single U.S. appearance.
So when he started Bayern's first five preseason games under new coach Carlo Ancelotti -- highlighted by a 35-minute hat trick against Inter Milan -- skepticism reigned.
Besides, Borussia Dortmund's teenage sensation, Christian Pulisic, had already eclipsed him as American soccer's the Next Big Thing.
Green has long insisted that working alongside the likes of Muller, Ribery and Robben on a daily basis would eventually pay off. Klinsmann said earlier this week that Green has also matured off the field by not letting the inevitable ups and downs get to him as they had in the past. That the spotlight had dimmed considerably probably didn't hurt, either.
"From the first day on he made an impression," Klinsmann said of Green's impact during this camp, which earned him the start in Cuba. "Every training session, he went at people.
"You look where Julian was two years ago, when he went into his dive in a certain way because he was not getting the games he wanted to. Now, it seems like he's coming back up."
The New Zealand game presents another test. Sooner or later, though, Green knows he will need to command regular action at club level. It hasn't happened yet at Bayern, where his contract expires at season's end. Green said there have been no discussions about an extension, not that he's thinking much about it. With the team involved in the Champions League and German Cup in addition to the regular schedule, Green believes his chance will eventually arrive.
"When I get up in the morning I think that, and when I go to bed I think that," Green said.
Ancelotti, who replaced Pep Guardiola over the summer, has helped keep his spirits high.
"He says I'm doing well in training and to just keep improving and keep scoring goals. That's what I'm doing."
He's also worked to better his finishing with his head and his weaker left foot, and has strengthened his 5-foot-8 frame.
Green's progress might not have happened as quickly as some had hoped, but his recent strides haven't gone unnoticed, either. "He helped himself a lot," Klinsmann said. "It's really nice to see."
Expect to see him Tuesday, too.