The one thing that concerns me is Tab seems far too hesitant to bring in someone new late in the cycle. He doesn’t seem to like to change things much from the WCQs. Ledezma is really really good and could be the best player on the team if he went to Poland. But I don’t think he would say he wasn’t going to Poland with such certainty unless PSV had already told him they weren’t going to release him. But the U20 WC isn’t until after the Eredivisie is over, so I’m willing to bet that he wasn’t going to be released for the camp (or camps) before the World Cup so Tab didn’t want to bring him in cold for the World Cup.
Lozano is at PSV. thats very easy for Mexico. They dont have to come to the house and stalk 3 times. One phone call to Chucky, is all that is required.
This bit from the MARCA exclusive with Richie Ledezma, translated. https://t.co/ZwoBYhnXrA pic.twitter.com/sG6iaJ2uuv— Arthur Kogan (@artur_kogan) February 19, 2019
So basically he wants to play for Mexico, but he is not trying to shut the door on us. Also I think that Mexico will have contacted him soon if they have any interest in him because their federation actually has their s*** together when it comes to recruiting dual nationals.
Mwah, if he's here for 5 years and gets a Dutch passport because it's handy in Europe he also can choose the Orange squad
Ha... you know very well that if he’s there 5 years and isn’t cap tied that the Orange wouldn’t want him
I don’t understand why people like Kogan fuel the paranoia. This was the question before the excerpt he chose to post: ¿Has jugado algún torneo oficial con Estados Unidos o únicamente partidos amistosos? "Nada más amistosos. También he estado con el equipo. No pude jugar la eliminatoria de Concacaf para el Mundial Sub-20 que ganó Estados Unidos porque estaba lesionado. El entrenador Tab Ramos habla mucho conmigo, me dice que esté listo para jugar el mundial, pero yo pienso que los jugadores que participaron en la eliminatoria tienen más derecho, así que yo tengo que ganarme mi lugar de regreso". Have you played in an official tournament with the US or just friendlies? Just friendlies. I have also been with the team. I couldn’t play in the CONCACAF qualifiers that the US won because I was injured. The coach, Tab Ramos, talks with me a lot. He tells me to be ready for the World Cup but I think the players who played in the qualifiers have more of a right, that I have to earn my place back. Why couldn’t he post that response to show that we aren’t just sitting around waiting for Mexico to take him?
I think Alex is off base in that we're not doing our best or close to it for Richie, but this article is the first one that makes me think that Richie does indeed want to play for Mexico just as much as the US. He talks a lot about wanting to eventually play for Club America in that article. That's quite concerning.
I think he’s just dangling it out there to try to get an NT to bite. As someone who isn’t a dual national, I think it’s really impossible for me to relate to the idea of playing for anyone but the US. But I can kind of understand having some pride in your culture and tradition, especially when you grew up watching a team that was a big deal among your friends and family. I think @butters59 is right. I think it was bshred who said he talked to his agent and his agent said Ledezma’s probably going to go to Poland with us. I also think at least the best 2-3 performers from Poland will be on the GC group stage roster. I just hope he starts to understand how much brighter his future is with the US than it is with Mex. Efra had been called into Mex camps from an early age. Ledezma would basically be starting from scratch. He’d also realize that a lot of the camaraderie and friendships he had developed in the US system would change, and many would dissipate. All of this is in addition to the fact that he’s one of our best prospects and who knows where he’d rank on their prospect lists or how they’d value him. They may very well just call him in just so we didn’t get him.
...Going to PSV makes it awfully hard for me to see him playing for Club America (of course, this is not like playing for Chivas). Either he's good enough for PSV, which will mean he'll probably get picked up by another European team, or he's not good enough for PSV, which will mean he's probably not good enough for Club America.
Given the current political climate, I can certainly why any Mexican-American would find playing for Mexico attractive.
I think he'd find playing for them attractive no matter what. The reality is Mexican-Americans grow up watching El Tri. Many of them always want to play for them. That's why it's important for us not only to build a strong national team and identity, but also to develop more of an outreach in all communities so that all kids grow up wanting to play for the US. I know, thats just crazy talk. Why would we invest money in youth when we could pay Dan Flynn's successsor a million dollars to... do whatever Dan Flynn did. As it stands, I think we are in a pretty good spot with him. I think it'd be one thing if he was living in anonymity, didn't feel like he belonged, and felt like no one cared or kinew who he was. We might lose him that way. But the reality is none of that is true. He is very well-known, has 4,000 instagram followers, dozens of friends in the USYNT setup, seems to know that he's one of the favorite prospects of American fans, and it seems like he is valued and treated well by the US coaching staff. Or at least one coach on the staff. One of the 2 coaches on the staff that oversees 8 or 9 teams.
ESPN reports that Richie turned down an offer from Barca to go to PSV. http://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-t...edezma-rejected-barcelona-move-for-psv-father
Also father quoted saying he wants him to play for Mexico. Of course, each situation is different, but this is starting to sound reminiscent of Jonathan Gonzalez, when everyone said "it's fine, let him SETTLE IN with Monterrey, no need to call him up now!" Hopefully we can get him either to re-commit, or he shows enough where a GC callup might be warranted.
No do not call him up to the NT. He hasn't done anything but sign with PSV. Is he really that good? No one really knows because he's barely played in like a year. Also if he wants to play for Mexico screw it.
ESPN article today...the father says he prefers Richie play for Mexico but he will respect his son’s decision. U.S. youngster Richard Ledezma rejected Barcelona move for PSV - father https://t.co/W380QzBZKw pic.twitter.com/cp0q6TkjwY— CleanSheet ⚽🏟️🥅 (@Cleansheet) February 20, 2019
But this doesn't fit the narrative that USSF doesn't know what it's doing when it comes to duals! It also explains Carleton's case, and why Tab said he has work to do. People were quick to make it sound like there are a bunch of players ahead of him based on ability. I'd be willing to bet that not only is Ramos talking to him on a regular basis, but that he is counseling him to keep his options open regarding Mexico because you never know what the future will bring.
When I spoke to Ledezma in January, he said he had yet to ever hear from the Mexican federation. If Ledezma 1) plays nearly the whole U-20 cycle with the United States 2) goes to the U-20 WC with the United States, 3) switches soon afterward to Mexico despite not having heard from their fed until he succeeded and shown promise with the United States. If all that happens, then he simply did not want to play for the United States and the U.S. was never going to win his allegiance anyway.
Hopefully, Tab hates Mexico’s soccer team as much as we do and would never advise a player to consider them. It’s really the agents job to make sure the player keeps his options open.
Right. Then linking Barcelona to him would certainly be a good way to catch the eye of the Mexican Fed, no? And with all due respect to PSV, it's very difficult for me to believe that a kid would turn down Barça for them. Sure, it's not impossible. But the whole story sounds rather suspect to me.
Donot think the Mex Fed is going to jump in any moment. They'll wait and see how he does with PSV and at this moment he hasnot played yet so it'all is a bit premature to say the least.