Dear Edgar and Jermaine, Due to the new FIFA rules changes announced just yesterday, you are now both eligible to play for the United States and are no longer cap-tied to Mexico and Germany respectively. How would you like to help the right United States fluttering ship and become near locks to play in the World Cup next year should we succeed in qualifying? Edgar: I know you were born in the United States and we screwed up not calling you in. But the truth is that you are going to be a backup for El Tri if you stay there. I know you get caught up field once in awhile, but believe us when we say that you are the best LB we have by a long shot. You will be 23 next year and if you work hard and improve your shortcomings, you can easily be our LB for the 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?? Jermaine: While you are somewhat frequently injured, you are still a Bundesliga player that has played 60 times the past two seasons. I know the USA has a few defensive midfielders but hey, they aren't exactly impressing at the moment. You are in your prime at 27, but this is probably the best chance you have of ever playing in a World Cup. Let's face reality, you played for Germany at the U21 level, but most experts agree you are not in the senior team's plans at the moment. Anyway, I hope you see the benefits of playing for the USA. We can certainly use you ASAP. We'll be in touch shortly, Sincerely, Sunil Gulati
Castillo has a pretty good chance of happening. I know USSF is kicking itself for losing him in the first place and he would be open to the switch. He's not really in Mexico's plans. If he can work on not getting caught upfield, he can be very beneficial to us. Jones is a bit more unlikely but still possible.
Hmmm.. with Castillo,,, Would you rather play for Aguirre or Bradley...Chivas USA/Metrostars or Atletico Madrid... That's tough.
Guys lets be honest, either one of them changing is too good to be true. Not to mention, it makes too much sense for the USSF to actually to do something right. Castillo will stay with Mexico, Jones will stay with Germany. Nobody wants to play with a third rate national team.
A few things about this. Castillo has to ask himself, would he rather continue to not play for Aguirre or play for the USA who will still probably be going to the World Cup. And regarding Bradley, Castillo is 22. Bradley will be the coach for at most another year. Castillo could be in the USMNT picture for 10 years. Obviously he has to think about the future beyond Bradley and I don't think he's going to base his judgement on one crap game. Why else does Alvarez want to switch from the USA to a worse team in El Savador? People will switch if they can go from a NT where they aren't in the plans to a team they have chance at. But this is especially true if the team they switch to has a great chance of going to the World Cup. Jones will never play another NT game unless he switches. Castillo has a chance to start for a long time with the USA. That is not the case if he stays. Things always look terrible the day after a tough loss. I know. But there is a good future for the USMNT. We still have a good chance to make this WC. Bob Bradley isn't going to be around forever. We have a bunch of exciting young players. We may be a "third rate" team (even if it is a made-up term), but we have lots of room to grow over the next decade and we will make most if not every World Cup. That's a very good factor for us
in regards to Jones, it is a goal and dream of every professional player to play in the World Cup, and Jones sees that his chances are slim and none of that happening for Germany. If he wanted to even play in 2014 for the USA, he'd have to get his name in the hat right now. I'd say if he wants to play for us and he gets his name in now he could have a shot at WC2010.
If Mastro plays the way he did in last night's game again that 50/50 may change.. Besides, Schalke 04 starter who is alledgedly shunned from the German NT vs. lifelong MLS player. I think he would be better than Mastro on the surface even without having seen him play.
I think that once you are cap tied you are cap tied. the new rule allows people who have stated one country over the other but have not played for said country to switch.
Thats just it, through these friendlies they have not "officially" played for the country they originally selected
I remember Sonny Guadaramma playing for the US youths but then switched to the Mexican u-20. When it was evident he was not going to get called up by the Mexican u-20 he decided to go back with the US. But the US players didn't want him back. What makes you guys so sure the US players would want Castillo?
I can't speak for the US players, but we have been extremely desperate at LB for awhile now. Heath Pearce doesn't make the bench for a crappy B2 side. Beasley is trying but is in over his head. Bornstein isn't very good and doesn't even play LB for his club anymore. The US will take anyone at LB and Castillo, while flawed, is pretty good with a high ceiling. That alone is a massive upgrade.
Castillo is young and solid in a good league at a position of our needs. Guadaramma is playing in the second division, a big drop off, and at a position we don't need help in. Castillo has never been with the US at any level, so saying the players would not take him is preposterous if the reason were to be his personality.
The reason Guadarrama was not accepted by the US players because he was looked as a guy who had chosen another team. That was two years ago when he was a reserves with Santos Laguna. Everyone knows that Castillo got a call by Bradley when he found out that he was called up by Mexico. And Castillo rejected the invitation and chose Mexico. Some players might feel offended for a player to now accept a call-up knowing that he had rejected the team before.
we will see, with the team in a tough spot such as this and the world cup fast approaching, who knows? I mean, I always thought 21 was a bit young to make a choice that important to your career, you're still very young and most likely internationally inexperienced. EDIT: Addittionally, would you think that the US would accept a player such as Jones who had not ever really heard from the US or came close to wearing a US shirt vs. a Castillo who 100% turned to Mexico over US.
Are you serious? This is great news! When healthy, Jermaine Jones is better club player and more experienced at high club levels than any of our central midfielders. He has played ver well in Europe vs. clubs like Barcelona the last 2 years. Schalke has the best defense in the BL, and Jones has been in the group of best central midfielders in the BL over the past 2 year (not the best- but in the group). There is no question about this, and Jones will likely still be a better option than any of the current pack a year from now as well. Odds are heavy in his favor, barring injury. Mastro is the only one who is close, and he is becoming increasing iffy and even more so by next year. Edu is talented, but young and still learning and currently injured. Bradley is very inconsistent and young, etc. and could be better by June 2010, or still an inconsistent player on a relegation threatened club who let in a ton of goals. There is no question Bob should aggressive pursue Jones or he is not acting in the best interests of US Soccer or logic. Especially after last night, in which central midfield was an embarrasment
Fabian Johnson for backup at LB for the future. Also Seb Hines if he gets his career back on track could now suit up for the US as well.
Jones and Löw are finished with each other. He knows he will never play for Germany again under that coach, so the question is not "would he give up his chances of playing for Germany", but "would he be interested to play for the US". His American father left his mother and Germany when he was a baby, if I remember correctly, and he has no personal ties to the US.
I can't find any confirmation of this. Even Mexican fans on BigSoccer have said he's not on the roster
Bradley is a fool if he doesn't do whatever it takes to get Jones and now. If Jones were a regular old YA, we'd have a million threads devoted to someone this highly rated in a top 4 European league for 2 consecutive seasons (see Kicker's ratings below). Thomas Dooley is the only US Men's Nat field player who comes to mind who EVER did something like in a top 4 European league. Even McBride's performance wasn't this good over 2 years * Note: I don't take Kicker as gospel, but when you are looking at 2 full seasons- its clear Jones has played very well * 2008-2009 Bundesliga season (Kicker rankings for all midfielders) Notenbeste 1RiberyBayern2,74 ÖzilBremen2,98 Carlos EduardoHoffenheim3,02 JONES, SCHALKE 3,03 Renato AugustoLeverkusen3,05 SalihovicHoffenheim3,07 KehlDortmund3,10 Zé RobertoBayern3,13 DiegoBremen3,14 KhediraStuttgart3,14 2007-2008 1RiberyBayern2,54 2 Zé RobertoBayern2,91 3RolfesLeverkusen2,93 4JarolimHSV3,00 5van BommelBayern3,02 6DiegoBremen3,10 7 FErnst Schalke 3,11 8 JONES, SCHALKE 3,14 9 KlugeNürnberg3,21 10de JongHSV292813,25
Say Bob Bradley decides to stop being his idiotic self for a second and does get Jermaine Jones to agree to play for us. What's the earliest we could see him in a US shirt?
For either Castillo and Jones, probably the best we could do if everything went our way is probably mid August. Most likely it wouldnt be until September. If I had to chose one player between Jones and Castillo, it would be Castillo. We just need a LB that much more and Castillo is 5 years yonger.