The Jonathan Gonzalez Thread

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by TheFalseNine, Dec 14, 2017.

  1. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Yes not being called in for a meaningless friendly vs Portugal sent him into this tailspin.
     
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  2. Thundering165

    Thundering165 Member+

    North Carolina FC
    United States
    May 1, 2017
    Raleigh
    Less ridiculous when the player notes that he was not called up when there was ample opportunity to do so.
     
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  3. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    #328 Clint Eastwood, Jan 8, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2018
    Keep in mind he was with our US U20s for the 2017 CONCACAF U20 Championships.
    We just didn't call him up to the USMNT in the time in between those championships and today, which we can be counted in terms of months. [An obvious failure of the program. Can't argue with that. Epic failure by Arena, who lest we forget had no interest in the long term health of the program. He knew he was a temporary appointment to get us thru the World Cup. And we really can't blame Sarachan, who's really an interim boss. There's a lot of blame to go around, but I don't think Sarachan should bear the brunt of it. Ramos tried to keep him in the program. Its just a general strategic failure by the USSF.]

    But if he's changing to Mexico, then how committed to our program was he in the first place? Not at all in fact. Do people want players who'll switch to our biggest rival at the drop of a hat? Or would they rather roll with McKennie/Adams and kids that actually want to be part of our program?

    Lest we forget, we've recruited more of the dual-nationals away from other national teams recently than we've lost. We know we're total hypocrites when it comes to this issue. And that's fine because we're fans.
     
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  4. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Love some of these posts...goes from "we're never losing him, he's turned down call ups before, desperation by Mexico" to "who cares, good riddance, we don't want him if he's not committed".

    What an absolute joke in every single sense. Sure, the easy excuse is the second one above, but this is a situation that should NEVER have happened, and the current/past leadership of US Soccer allowed. A top player, in a league better than MLS, at age 18. Nope, no need to call him in. He's shown his commitment to the US in the past!! We have MB and Acosta!

    Really is just about unbelievable.
     
  5. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hopefully not true as the more options the better but I was still slightly doubtful about how a mid in the Mexican league would fare with our team after Torres and Corona have been just OK. If there is a position to lose a big time player mid is it as there are so many emerging central mid talents.
     
  6. USSoccerNova

    USSoccerNova Member+

    Sep 28, 2005
    Not ridiculous at all. It's clear from his comments, and ultimately his decision to play for Mexico, that he wasn't happy about not being contacted for the Portugal friendly. The professional and competent way to handle it would have been to call him, communicate that he's a key piece of a promising young core going forward, talk up the potential of the program and explain the process of transitioning to a new coach, and then leave it up to him as to whether he wants to attend the camp.

    Not making the World Cup was a bad break, but it's inexcusable not to contact him given his potential and dual national status. And a good portion of this board pointed that out in November.
     
  7. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    And there's another classic excuse..."we don't need him, our MF is good enough". From a team that missed WC qualification out of the easiest/2nd easiest region in the world.

    This is why there is zero impetus to change in US Soccer. Nobody cares, excuses everywhere.

    Not me, I'm out.
     
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  8. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    [​IMG]
     
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  9. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    Sad to hear, but also hard to blame the kid. In addition to the giant factor of Mexico heading to a World Cup and the US staying home, the history of the US integrating Mexico-based players is pretty poor. He knows he can play and play successfully in a Mexican team, playing a possession style game. With the dramatic stylistic differences between the US and Mexico, he may not be so certain that he'd be as good a fit in the US team.

    He looks at one side of the coin and sees a program in turmoil, one that hasn't reached out to him, one that he has no idea if he'd fit in with or not, one that has recently utterly failed and is not going to the World Cup. And, on the other, he sees a more successful team reaching out to him, one that he feels comfortable with the style of play, one from the country he is currently playing where the style of play and team culture is likely more similar, one where he can likely feel more confident about his ability to succeed... It's hard to blame the kid and he'd basically have to be a hard core USA or bust type to even consider turning Mexico away.

    Of course, we can still wait for official confirmation, but the deck really does look stacked to any objective analysis. Shouldn't be a shock even if it is a disappointment.
     
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  10. USSoccerNova

    USSoccerNova Member+

    Sep 28, 2005
    Plenty of dual nationals are understandably conflicted about which nation they want to represent. It's our federation's job to sell them on why we're the best option and certainly not to offend them by not calling them after they break out in an almost unprecedented way at 18 years old.

    I agree with your earlier point that this is a collective failure.
     
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  11. dougtee

    dougtee Member+

    Feb 7, 2007
    also if jonathan doesnt make the 2018 world cup squad - which seems like a stretch - then this is a very strange time to make this decision
     
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  12. dougtee

    dougtee Member+

    Feb 7, 2007
    goff confirms
     
  13. USSoccerNova

    USSoccerNova Member+

    Sep 28, 2005
    Doesn't change the fact that you don't overcome that colossal failure by not communicating your intentions with a high-potential, dual national. I'm not sure if you've ever recruited top talent, but I have, and this is not how you handle people that have options. The smart thing to do is to make them feel valued, stay in constant communication and sell them on a vision of why it's a good fit for them.
     
  14. a_new_fan

    a_new_fan Member+

    Jul 6, 2006
    or they could've gone after south american players and specifically argentinian players because their manager is.....(fill in the nationality here and a light bulb should go off)
     
  15. ifsteve

    ifsteve Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Jul 7, 2013
    MS and ID
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think Mexico making the WC and us sitting home is really weak sauce if that's why he decided to go that way. I doubt he makes their roster anyway. But it is stupid the way this was handled by USSF. Call the kid in and get him locked in. If he pans out fantastic. If he doesn't so be it. But the more potential quality players you have to draw from the better off you will be.
     
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  16. a_new_fan

    a_new_fan Member+

    Jul 6, 2006

    but what are those intentions

    to guarantee him a spot without even knowing who ur coach is...let alone ur president or gm?

    they called him up non-stop for youth teams...if that doesn't show ur intentions and he has to have his hand held then its good this is over.

    what if the coach decided he wasn't the guy for his team..or played someone over him. then what? I mean do you tell the coach...we've guaranteed these players these spots and this playing time before you pick the coach?
     
  17. Sebsasour

    Sebsasour Member+

    New Mexico United
    May 26, 2012
    Albuquerque NM
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Solid point from @bshredder

     
  18. Dolemite

    Dolemite Member+

    Apr 2, 2001
    East Bay, Ca
    is it wrong to wish him the same success with mexico that Giuseppe Rossi had with the italian national team???
     
  19. grandinquisitor28

    Feb 11, 2002
    Nevada
    Trying really hard not to post about this because I’m just too irate to post with some reasonable detachment. Have visions of us sending Mexico to the World Cup in ‘13 and how they returned the favor letting goals bounce off their keepers head and into the net when we were so inept we needed them to return the favor so of course it didn’t happen. My experience teaching in the Bay Area and Reno over the past two decades where literally every single Latino I taught save one was a fan over the USMNT when it came to US soccer so it kinda shocks me this doesn’t happen w/nearly 100% of dual nationals.

    I have a hard time w/it because I wrongly compare it to the olympics and the miracle on ice and don’t understand how people can be so flippant about whose flag they fight for in international competition. It’s not the same. International play is marketing and a a sporting career that only lasts a decade long f you’re lucky, raising your profile for the transfer market and getting to play in these cups matters. I’m both rational and irrational about this. Mayb this is irrational but Osorio can you ————————— you know what when it comes to July 2018 and hiring a new coach. Go tata or European, get the best qualified guy for GM who know how to rebuild and then hire a Pekerman type. Nobody related to MLS/SUM or the USSF other than I Guess maybe Tata if he’s the best available. Jus beyond angry right now. The past 14 months could not have gone worse save U-20 and U-17 teams, the worst year I’ve ever seen since I started watching in 1990.
     
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  20. manfromgallifrey91

    Swansea City
    United States
    Jul 24, 2015
    Wyoming, USA
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It was, according to reports, the fact that they didn't call or text or communicate with him during that camp. Now, he may have just been looking for a reason to switch and this gave him that chance.
     
  21. Thundering165

    Thundering165 Member+

    North Carolina FC
    United States
    May 1, 2017
    Raleigh
    I do think there's a difference between being a Mexican-American playing in Mexico from 14 on, to being a Colombian-American who plays in Belgium and has never lived in Colombia.\

    I don't like Gonzalez's decision but I get it. There's a ton of pressure to play for El Tri while he's in Mexico, he has a great chance to play in a World Cup this summer, and the federation he was formerly committed to couldn't be bothered to call him up for a friendly. Also, if we're being honest, he's unquestionably the #1 young DM in the Mexico pool and that spot is fiercely competitive in the USA pool. Finally, there's a strong chance that the USMNT coach successor will be an MLS shill who commits to mediocrity and plays Bradley over everyone else at the 6. Would you bet your international career on USSF at the moment?
     
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  22. manfromgallifrey91

    Swansea City
    United States
    Jul 24, 2015
    Wyoming, USA
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well here is the thing, a lot of today's athletes are looking to frow their brand. What can get them the most money, which is okay. But as a fan, especially national teams of any sport, we are there more for pride of country.

    Not saying national pride doesn't play a part of some or all players, but I think its a much smaller part of a lot of them than say 20 years ago. So we see betrayal and have a sense of anger. But the guy is just doing what he feels is right for him. So I understand the rational and irrational points of your argument.
     
  23. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wow. I am absolutely disgusted.
     
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  24. UnitedBorn

    UnitedBorn Member+

    Dec 7, 2015
    301
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If the Portugal game was the reason then his commitment wasn't all that strong to begin with.
     
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  25. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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