Matthew Hoppe scores 1st senior club goal in 21 months
By The Associated Press
American forward Matthew Hoppe scored his first senior club goal in 21 months, helping Hibernian beat visiting Kilmarnock 2-0 Saturday in the Scottish Premier League.
The 21-year-old from Yorba Linda, California, gave fourth-place Hibs a two-goal lead in the 47th minute.
James Jeggo’s shot was cleared by defender Ash Taylor only to bounce off the face of his teammate Lewis Mayo in the 6-yard box and fall to the feet of Hoppe. The forward settled the ball with his right foot, spun and beat goalkeeper Sam Walker with his left foot from 4 yards.
On Jan. 9, 2021, Hoppe became the first American to score a hat trick in the Bundesliga when he did it for Schalke against Hoffenheim. Before Saturday, he had not scored a senior goal since May 15, 2021, against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hoppe went without a goal in six matches for Middlesbrough of England’s second tier this season before he was loaned to Hibs on Jan. 31. He played one previous match for Hibs for this month, making his debut against St Mirren on Feb. 4.
He spent 2021-22 with Mallorca but made just five La Liga and two Copa del Rey appearances.
Hoppe has one goal in eight U.S. appearances, against Jamaica in the quarterfinals of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
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