March 2026 Friendlies

Indeed. That was an interesting interview with McBride.

I wouldn't say the Balogun situation is similar to that of Banks. Folarin had to file a one-time switch to play for us. Flo had never played for the US on any level until he STARTED a Nations League semifinal against Mexico!

Sergino Dest was raised completely in the Netherlands, and most importantly completely within the Netherlands soccer system. We identified him and brought him into our youth levels. After breaking thru at Ajax, the Netherlands came back in for him. He hemmed and hawed, but eventually comitted. Ajax defender Sergino Dest chooses U.S. over Netherlands - ESPN

"Of course, it was a tough decision for me when the Dutch Men's National Team showed their interest, but I have built up a very good feeling with Team USA over the last couple of years and I strongly believe in the plans and potential of U.S. Soccer," Dest said. "I am therefore dedicated to making the next 10-15 years a big success and will do my utmost to help the team play for titles."

The Banks situation is similar. He was born in the US but moved very young to Germany. He's been grown completely within the German soccer system. We identified him early and have incorporated him into USYNTs (U17s and U20s). So now we are at the timeline of the Dest conundrum above. Germany is presumably still of interest to him. He's now uncertain, because we're at the point of becoming cap-tied. He'll be cap-tied if he plays at the World Cup. He has to ask himself if he wants that.

We always think the worst when we hear of players that have been in the system start waffling. Pepi and Slonina and others. We won't win 'em all, particularly with Mexican-Americans. We hold our own, though.

I think we'll likely retain Banks. This is a KNOWN quality chance to make a World Cup with the USMNT versus the unknown. You have to strike while the iron is hot. You could get hurt three years from now and never have this chance again. He knows it. His family knows it. His advisors know it.

if he chooses to represent Germany, then its with his heart and not his head. Sometimes players do that. Some of the Mexican-Americans have said as much. They go with their heart. Rossi has said he doesn't regret choosing Italy over the US despite never getting to go to the World Cup. He had made that decision with his heart. Could Banks be the same? I guess so, but Banks has a relationship with the program that Rossi didn't.

 

Each situation has differences.
We tend to lump all of these guys into a folder entitled "dual nationals."

Noahkai Banks moved to Germany when he was 7 weeks old.

Culturally, I don't know what his connection is to the US. What does his heart feel????

When I was knee-deep in the FC Dallas academy, there were mixed stories about how the American kids reacted when going to a camp with Mexico. Some felt home immediately. There was a story of one kid getting off at the airport in Mexico City and immediately feeling different. Immediately feeling like he didn't belong with the team in a cultural perspective. He never played for Mexico again.

That's probably what Robbie Robinson felt when he went to that camp with Chile. Like.........................what am I doing here?

 

Hard to say what his connection feels like to the US. The espn article mentioned he left at 7 weeks but ‘split time’ between the US and Germany.

As of last summer he certainly enjoyed his time with the US.

"I hope to become a USMNT player. And to win some titles with them, of course." 🙏

Throwback to an 18-year-old Noahkai Banks, in June 2025, talking about his hopes for the future and his dream of becoming a USMNT player. 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/0RcwplPGao

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) March 12, 2026

 

@Clint Eastwood I believe Banks moved at seven years (not weeks) old, but of course that is still very young. He developed in Germany, but he's played for us, so we are not the 'poachers' in this case.

I've always seen 'at age 7,' which would be odd phrasing if 7 weeks.

 

It sounds complicated..........................(which a lot of familes are).

Meet Noahkai Banks, 19, the outside pick to make USMNT's World Cup squad - ESPN

Banks was born in Honolulu, the son of a U.S. serviceman, Sedrick Banks, and a Spanish-German mother, Nadine. According to Nadine, the family moved back to Germany when Noahkai was 7 weeks old and split time between Washington, D.C. and Germany. Nadine and Sedrick split up soon thereafter, with Nadine returning to Dietmannsried, a small town near the Bavarian Alps with a population of around 8,500. Noahkai would still make regular visits to see Sedrick who, according to Noahkai, now works as a volunteer with youth groups in the nation's capital.

Nadine's sister, Nicole, is responsible for Banks' nickname, "Noki." She liked how Noki rhymed with "schoki," which is German for "chocolate bar," and the nickname stuck. Now, Banks says that only his mother calls him Noahkai, "when she's mad at me."

 

I don’t think being on the roster is cap tying. But if you play a single minute in the World Cup it is.

 

If he chooses to switch then it is **** like this that rubs me the wrong way. The US gave him all of his YNT opportunities which almost certainly increased his profile at the club level. Then you add in comments about repping the crest in the future...?

 

You're exactly right.

WC would be cap-tying.
Poch is at the point of only wanting to work with guys for the World Cup.

So Banks is needing to make this decision now vis-a-vi the USMNT.

I'm cynical by nature, though.

I think Noki and his representation know the leverage they do have vis-a-vi selection for the World Cup squad. This is the leverage that dual nationals that aren't cap-tied have.

Aidan Morris flirts with Canada? Aidan Morris is in the next roster.

Ricardo Pepi is being contacted by Mexico? Not only is Ricardo Pepi on our next USMNT roster, he starts.

Its like clockwork.

 

I actually saw 7 years somewhere too but thought I remembered it incorrectly. He certainly has some connections to life in the USA

 

On the other hand we have guys like Vargas and Esmir that never played for another YNT and filed a one-time switch. He could be gaming for sure. Just gotta wait to find out.

 

Sure. I suspect that in cases like that (Araujo and others) we were first. Their heart was with another country, but we came for them first.

Esmir's family is from Srebrenica. If you know, you know.......................
Bajraktarević opens up: “My parents are from Srebrenica, they cried when I debuted for Bosnia” - News - Nogomania

We were super aggressive calling up players like Vargas, Esmir, Araujo, etc. We knew the score. We called Araujo UP A CYCLE with every age group. We know when guys are good and we have to try to build a connection early due to dual national status. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the player develops into a USMNT quality player and sometimes he doesn't.

 

poch has unequivocally stated that he doesnt call players numerous times.

somebody is lying.

 

Oh... I am much less upset at losing guys like this than I used to be. I just need to get a bit smarter about who I follow when they are coming up. Banks was like the poster boy for a couple of squads and I really thought he was a near sure pick to choose the US. So I watched all of his minutes (until last game) w/ Augsburg eagerly assessing his ability. I watched a ton of minutes for Obed and Araujo too and I recall being upset when they defected.... especially Araujo... But now we have a lot of quality guys vying for position and now these names seem more like noise to me.

 

Poch has never called me, not once. If he says he has, he's lying.

 

I think there's a difference between calling players to check in on them/let them know about their status for upcoming rosters or in the national team picture more broadly, and calling a potential long-term national team starter when they're considering switching to another country.

It sounds like Gregg and Poch are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the former -- Gregg was in contact with players constantly, to an unusual extent it seems, while Poch apparently never does that and delegates responsibility for any communication outside of camp to his coaching staff. But Banks wanting to hold out for Germany with only one camp remaining before the World Cup seems like a different situation.

 

Let's all be honest here: Poch knows you'd be doing doughnuts in the parking lot with Scally. Otherwise, you'd be an auto-call.

 

I don't think we really know wha'ts going on behind the scenes.
Poch's comments from early in the cycle indicated he was in contact with dual-nationals. But he clearly wasn't going to beg. He wasn't going to chase down wafflers. If you're in, then you're in.

I think its easy to forget that a number of players cap-tied under Pochettino were dual-nationals. Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang, Sebastian Berhalter, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan, Damion Downs.............the list goes on. Everyone seemingly is a dual-national. We weren't in danger of losing some of those guys. Nevertheless, Damion Downs was a dual-national win. A guy who was of interest to Germany youth teams. He may turn out, he may not. But SOMEBODY did that recruiting. Somebody behind the scenes is working on Banks. I have no doubt.

 

In the end if he’s turning down a likely World Cup roster spot the kid really wants to play for Germany and that’s what he should go do.

I hope he picks the US and i definitely think we should be in contact with him, calling him to camp, etc. But turning down a World Cup is a pretty strong indication of where one stands.

 

IMO, this factor is consistently underrated around these parts. Players coming back to Europe after a stint here very often sit out, or at least start on the bench, of the first match back.

 

However it is counterbalanced by egos and 20 somethings thinking they are invincible. I suspect that risk sets in more for the older guys, say 25 and up.

 

In this tweet, there’s no indication they’ve spoken “numerous times.”

I think you’re trying to create a fake controversy here.

 

no. cap-tying events can occur with a switch of association or from appearances in competitive matches.