American defender John Brooks makes debut for Benfica

By The Associated Press

American defender John Brooks made his debut for Portugal’s Benfica, entering in the 89th minute of a 5-0 win over visiting Maritimo in Lisbon. The 29-year-old signed a one-year contract on Sept. 1 after leaving Germany’s Wolfsburg at the end of last season. He was an used substitute in the first three matches he dressed for Benfica, two in the Champions League and one in the Portuguese league. After appearing in two of the first three World Cup qualifiers last September, Brooks was dropped by U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter and has not been selected for the national team since.