Kenny Saief at Maccabi Haifa

And scores:

36': GOOOAAL !! Saief schuift een perfect aangesneden voorzet tegen de netten: 2-0 !!! #gntzwa #PO1 pic.twitter.com/5LsmG4OnA5

— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) May 18, 2017

 

70' GOOOOOAAAAAL!!! 2-1! Kenny Saief loopt recht door de Brugse verdediging en legt de bal in het hoekje!#CluGnt #COBW pic.twitter.com/zfT8XzBiNG

— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) May 21, 2017

Yank on yank crime

 

Well that goal did not suck.

 

Today was the first time I saw him in domestic play after watching all of their European matches and he usually doesn't disappoint. I genuinely hope Bruce considers him because he'd probably be our best LB/LWB aside from Villafana.

 

how is it that Israel hasn't cap tied him by now?

 

I think he's said he wants to play for the US and he's probably holding out hope for a call up.

 

I think it's that he wasn't called in for a couple of cap tying matches & let the FA know he wasn't happy. He started waving the U.S. option & seems to have burned that bridge with Israel.

 

I don't think Israel has ever called a Druze to their NT. Mahran Lala, for example, had a solid career in the Israeli Premier, but was never called to play for their NT in a game that mattered.

 

for those of us whose not really sure about these things?

would Israel really keep him from playing for them if he would be a advantage?

 

Not really, they've always been fine with the Druzes. If anything, the Druzes have historical reasons to hold a grudge against local Muslims.

I was just noting he'd be the first Druze to play for them.

 

On the USA's Gold Cup 40-man roster

 

That's great to see, I've ignored him quite a bit assuming he was lost. Looks like I'll have to start paying more attention to him

I wonder if he's filed the switch

 

#USMNT preliminary Gold Cup roster: Midfielders. pic.twitter.com/dElz9myB8j

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 4, 2017

I guess he's filing that one-time switch.

 

Not that it's so crazy, but I still have to confess I didn't see it coming from Arena. Press release:

MIDFIELDERS (15): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana/MEX), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana/MEX), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Tommy McNamara (New York City FC), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC), Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution), Kenny Saief (Gent/BEL), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)​

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...yer-preliminary-2017-concacaf-gold-cup-roster

 

Holden just said that US soccer told him that the switch has been filed. He's ours

 

Per @FOXSoccer broadcast, Kenny Saief has filed his one-time switch to play for the #usmnt. Once approved, that ties him to the US program

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) June 4, 2017

Filed. He's a US National Team player now.

 

He'll be the rare player who comes into the US with friendly caps from another national team. Castillo and Jones are two who did. Any others in the "one time switch" era?

 

I'm happy it happened, but I really didn't think Arena would be in contact with him at all

 

There really was a myth that Arena didn't care for dual nationals

His quotes were take out of context. His past always showed that he was willing to play them.

 

Losing coaches get fired, not-winning coaches get expired contracts, but winning coaches get their contracts extended. Arena wants to reach Russia and go out on a high, so he'll call up the best players available to him and, unless he has a beef with a player so intense that it'll undermine his authority, he'll then select the players who can get the MNT to the World Cup.

Stating, perhaps inelegantly, that the USA should be in charge of its own player development and not relying on other countries' systems to refine an unpredictable and declining supply of dual nationals is not incompatible with that. It's simply stating the obvious.

 

I think his hesitancy would be less about his previous comments and more about the comments made earlier by Tim Howard. Even if Howard was off-base, bringing in a player who has barely lived in the US has the potential to trigger some resentment. I think that's why Arena was really careful about inviting him in (plus you don't want to encourage a player to switch and then not call him in).

 

I wonder if this is getting much attention in the Israeli sports press. Perhaps @MHaifa1913 could fill us in?

 

If this article is any indication, the news doesn't seem to be particularly well received by the Israeli federation.

Via Google Translate:
In addition, about two weeks ago, Saief conceded a call up to the Israeli team claiming injury. The timing was problematic after Saief claimed he was injured despite a summons from Elisha Levy, a day after he finished 90 minutes against Club Bruges.

The Israeli team responded angrily to the news: "He told us he was wounded, he lied." A source in the association said: "There were so many chances to let him play and he deserved it."


Saief's agent, Dudu Dahan , said in response: "In the past month, the technical team of the Football Association in the United States has contacted Kenny Saief, and the talks were good and full of warmth, respect and appreciation. Kenny is now considered the best left wing player in the Belgian league, unrivaled, he is more than happy to play in the team that he wants and wants him, as we all prefer to be in a place where we are valued and desirable.


http://www.sport5.co.il/articles.aspx?FolderID=285&docID=243774&lang=HE