Define 'interest.' Because a call-up from the DFB to a U-20 camp means something completely different from being named to a U-21 Euro camp roster. Especially when Jurgen Klinsmann is showing interest in having you play for the senior team, with the distinct likelihood of playing in the 2014 World Cup. He's still a dual national that has had no problem playing for the US in the past. Unless Brooks suddenly manufactures some sort of major love affair with Germany and decides he has to be loyal to his birth country no matter what, then it seems pretty preposterous to imagine one would decline the opportunity to play in the World Cup, which puts you on the map like no other tournament in the world can.
That's not the issue. Unless the poster's contention is that Brooks will decline invitations to either or both tournaments this summer. Because if that's not the poster's contention, then Brooks will in fact be making a 'decision' of sorts this June. A decision that may not be completely permanent, but pretty close. It's difficult for me to see Brooks not getting called into the Euros, and then subsequently declining an invitation to the World Cup.
The German U-20s are just a friendly camp and mean nothing. If he starts to accept U-21 call ups from Germany then start to worry, but he hasn't yet and if you read what other people have posted he has repeatedly said the US is his first choice.
If Brooks doesn't get called into this summer's UEFA U21s and declines the U20 WC, he still can provisionally cap tie himself to Germany in September by playing in qualifying games for the 2015 U21s. The fact that he can play with a new cycle of German U21's starting in September might push off his decision to play in the U20 WC.
If the Germans see him as a starter for the U21s next cycle, I'd consider within reason that Brooks would wait out the U20 World Cup and play in the U21 Euros. Not saying I know which way he's leaning, only that it would be within reason.
And why would he want to do that exactly? Play in U21 qualifiers with the aim of playing in the 2015 U-21 Euros, or play in the U20 WC with the aim of playing in the 2014 World Cup? I could see him playing in the 2013 U-21 Euros instead of the U-20 World Cup, but not some U21 qualifiers for a youth tournament that's still two years away. That doesn't make much sense.
And given his comments about the USA in the past, that seems unlikely. Again, like I mentioned earlier, if the guy was really all-in for Germany to the point where he would put at risk a spot in the 2014 WORLD CUP, then he wouldn't have put on a USA shirt multiple times to begin with. He obviously loves Germany too much to ever play for another country. A dual national who is obsessed with Germany would be willing to potentially sacrifice a spot in the FIFA World Cup to 'maybe' get a shot with Die Mannschaft, not a dual national who has played for the US multiple times before and has made comments indicating he enjoys playing with the US and wants to play at the U20 World Cup. Anything is possible, but it seems doubtful.
I wouldn't put too much stock in what a player says. Sure it's better that he says something like playing for America is great rather than, I will never play for America ever, but his still been very diplomatic about it. In German he's talk about how it was an honor to play for the German team in the U20 camps. In English he talks about how he wants to play for the US. It's a base PR strategy. Don't piss off anybody. Remember: "I've played [for the U.S.], I've been in residency, so I'm an American ...And I've worn the crest, and that's also a thing that you have to respect. If you wear it once you're not going to wear another crest. "That would kind of be like back-stabbing, I would say. I'm an American 'til the end. "America was like a second chance to make something of ourselves. I'd like to think I did accomplish something. I made the national team, I went to college and this country made it possible. It's my way of kind of repaying."
I'm not putting stock in anything. But I don't understand where you're going with this. No one said that it's impossible for Brooks to play in neither the 2013 U21 Euros or U20 World Cup this year because he could possibly make the 2015 U21 Euro team. I just said it doesn't seem likely.
Looks like U21 coach Rainer Adrion wants Brooks for the next U21 cycle and prefers Schalke's Kolasinac as an option for the U21 Euro. Kolasinac (LB, CB, DM) got promoted to the U21, Brooks stays in the U20. ____ "Kicker's" new article on Brooks: http://justpic.info/images3/7586/brooks.jpg
I happen to agree almost completely with you. But I do think Brooks in particular fills a gaping hole in our U20 group for the short term. (especially with Packwood out and Zimmerman also unfit & not playing). It also happens to be a major weakness for the USMNT itself. So if Brooks is willing and able to play for the USMNT, then we should at least test him out. If he's not good enough in the long run for whatever reason.............then he's not good enough. In the long term of course we all want the US system to be developing its own players as opposed to longing for Europe's hand-me-downs. That's just basic common sense, and I think the USSF brass would agree with us on that.
Not to be too flip, but Chandler's father died in 2012. Brian S. said in the NY Times that they didn't have a close relationship.
There's a lot to be said for provisionally cap-tying a player. The need (and time) to file that final one-time switch really makes players think about the move. You can't be called into a friendly at any level and it's much easier to rely on inertia to see if you get a cap-tying call from your youth team country.
I was just going to mention this. Kola has CL experience and better skill on the ball. Kola is also eligible for the 2015 U21.
Lets be honest, it has more to do with the German clubs pressuring the German-Americans to wait it out for Germany, then the German-Americans wanting to play for Germany. Just go ask Chandler. There club pays the the bills. BTW, anyone notice how much better Chandler has been playing since he became cap-tied to the US? Huge weight lifted off his shoulders. The back-stabbing of USsoccer could have been effecting him, especially when he probably did not want to do it but his coach had other plans for him.
Central defender Kirchhoff misses the U21 game due to injury. A CB from the U20 is called up today to replace him - but it's not Brooks, it's Shkodran Mustafi. Brooks stays in the U20. Judging from that, his chances of making the U21 Euro roster have just declined drastically.
Isn't Brooks ill anyways? He didn't play for Hertha last weekend, so I guess he couldn't have been called up by Adrion even if the U21 coach wanted to.