Here's an NYT story that will feel near and dear to many who read this thread, and which prominently features (I'm pretty sure) a frequent BigSoccer poster. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/sports/soccer/usmnt-el-salvador-world-cup.html?smid=tw-share
Julian Araujo has removed the @USMNT handle from his IG profile, per this post ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/9UEuCwFmNu— Eric Gomez (@EricGomez86) September 7, 2021
Has anyone seen the quotes attributed to Chile's manager about international recruitment reported in any more mainstream sources, even if they weren't originally written in English? https://thedailyguardian.net/in-chi...n-the-us-uk-zimbabwe-or-anywhere-else-sports/
Some have asked about Julian Araujo's situation with the USMNT & Mexico. Sources tell me that he's still waiting on a decision by FIFA for the one-time switch to Mex.The assumption is that the U.S. is essentially out of the running for him at this point but nothing confirmed.— Roger Gonzalez (@RGonzalezCBS) September 29, 2021
I know a few people that went through it and the paperwork can be a bitch. Many hispanics have 4 names (mother's maiden name and father's). If there is any discrepancy in the birth certificate then the parents (or player) will have to go through a lawyer to have name changes done to exactly match the IDs. It can take a ton of time if there is even a minor mistake.
True, but that work happens *before* it goes to FIFA (unless FIFA kicks it back). FIFA decisions are pretty quick these days -- two weeks at the most.
It seems like applications of this sort, to say nothing of the resolutions, should, or at least arguably should, be made transparent by FIFA.
also if it’s a paperwork formality then the player can just announce the decision and let the paperwork delay work itself out
I think it’s more of a question of the paperwork being finalized in time for him to be on the roster for this window.
sure, but he could be out there right now saying his intention is to play for mexico and the paperwork will be cleared up eventually. the paperwork is a formality if hes truly decided on where hes playing.
Yeah I mean presumably he wants to do some kind of announcement like Ochoa did and wants to have everything in order before he does. He does share the same agent apparently. We’ll see once Mexico’s roster is named though, which should come soon.
¡Venga, Jonathan! Que tengas mucho éxito. 👊🏻 ⚽️— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) September 30, 2021 US Soccer, don't sleep on this, please.
Why not do the reverse. Why announce something that isn't final nor approved. Just announce it when it is. To each his own.
I can see both sides of this -- in a way, it's like a job application, I suppose -- but applications for change of association at the senior level seem like something about which fans might reasonably expect transparency. Unless perhaps one or both federations aren't notified by FIFA or whoever until a decision is official? How various parties might might to handle announcements after a decision is made feels like a different matter.
The losing fed has to provide a copy of the player's playing record, so it's never a surprise to them.
i still dont understand how a decision isnt a decision. if its made then he can announce it and el tri can announce it and the paperwork delay doesnt matter much and its all done with and in the past and he can look forward. it does dovetail nicely with a theory that he isnt guaranteed a callup by el tri and is not ready to be used more for gloating than playing purposees
I’ve seen a lot of people today on different places of the American soccer internet claiming there’s a rumor Gomez is going to play for Mexico. Nothing is imminent as far as I’ve heard with Gomez making a decision. I think one guy who has 5,000 Twitter followed said so and a lot of people are running with it. I don’t think this is a situation we can be sure about. There’s a chance he plays for Mexico, but most of what I’ve heard recently is positive. I think it’s more likely he plays for us than Mexico. Not all situations will be like that. Araujo is one that I’ve heard almost the exact opposite, nothing but pessimism of late. I think that one may be over, as Roger Gonzalez stated.
Who knows with Gomez but he’s also not close to a call up for either national team for WCQ so there’s no rush for him to make a decision either way. He’s also never played in an official match for either so he has no need to even file a switch. Everything seems to be pointing in the wrong direction with Araujo but I do find it odd he’s not on the Mexico roster just for training purposes. Ochoa and Gomez both were asked to train with Mexico as a recruitment thing, but Araujo turned that opportunity down when first asked. All signs are pointing in the wrong direction for the US, but I’m surprised I guess he wouldn’t want to train with them first and see what it’s like compared to the US setup.
It seems like everyone's stuck for a bit now that WCQ is under way. If you're Mexico, it seems like it would be a terrible look, and probably also just a silly idea, to bring in a guy currently committed to a direct competitor for your WCQ preparations. And if you're the U.S., same goes in the other direction. If there was a low-stakes international window, maybe it's another story. It feels all or nothing at this point.
My frustration with the dual national game is when the federation screws it up and we lose a player that we could have had. With Araujo, I'm over this back and forth. He was given a chance at U20, U23 qualifying, called into GC, and called into last window. If after all that, he isn't ready to commit then there isn't anything else the federation can do. At a certain point, a player has to show commitment and it would rub the team the wrong way if he somehow comes in 6-12 months later and takes a WC spot when we've qualified from a guy that helped battle through WCQ. The Harkes affair was the big one in 1998, but naturaluzing David Regis a month before the World Cup and benching WCQ starter Agoos rubbed the locker room the wrong way perhaps more than Regis' quality improved it on the field.
Obviously I'm not in the man's head, but it seems likely that this is one of the things on Berhalter's mind; the clock is ticking. I would guess there's some kind of sliding scale -- perhaps taking into account, for example, stuff like whether a player is already part of the program (like Araujo) or not (like, I dunno, Balogun maybe). I suppose it's possible that his perception of the player pool's need at a given time is part of the equation. I doubt he'll tell us, but I wish he would!
I think the people advising Araujo and Ochoa are the same. It's not a trend across players. https://t.co/Njhyf0UK41— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 5, 2021