The coming boom in multi-eligible player recruitment

The much more important and pressing recruitment IMO. Only a friendly during a time we have no friendly and I don’t believe this makes Mexico the favorite, but Berhalter can’t slack off here.

Tata Martino and Mexico will reportedly call up 18-year-old Real Sociedad LB Jonathan Gomez for their upcoming friendly against Guatemala, per @GibranAraige/@TUDNUSA.

He made his USMNT debut in a friendly against Bosnia in December 2021. pic.twitter.com/KpRJcSyHFl

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) April 21, 2022

 

An interesting Twitter thread about dual national recruitment from Mexico:

Could be regarding Jonathan Gomez or others but I asked an FMF scout last Dec if more U.S. youth players are going to switch to #ElTriEng like Ochoa or Araujo.

“Yeah, there will be. There will be coming soon.”

“The reasons, I don’t know. We just offer them the opportunity"

— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) April 21, 2022

For years now, El Tri has maintained a list of dual nat players that they closely monitor, scout and come in contact with in order to gauge their interest in playing for 🇲🇽.

And the ones they’ve zeroed in on the most almost always end up committing to Mexico. Fine work, so far. https://t.co/4wP2NAcD0H

— Eric Gomez (@EricGomez86) April 21, 2022

I tend to agree with Herc in the thread that there hasn't been a lot of end product and only recently have we seen US-developed duals committing to Mexico:

I’d take that comment with a grain of Salt too tho. Opportunity can mean a lot of different things, but there have been only two that have really had a run on the field; Pepi and Julian.

Both programs are giving chicanos more love than ever before, still need more. Lots more.

— herculez gomez (@herculezg) April 21, 2022

 

Mexico has given Ochoa no opportunities. Given the state of their GK position, that speaks to the lack of opportunity young players get for Mexico. All their main GK’s are in their mid/late 30’s. Araujo has barely gotten an opportunity. Given the state of their RB position, I’d argue he should be playing more than he has. Alvarez is given very little opportunity.

Where is all this opportunity coming from? Mexico refused to promote Pepi to their senior NT, which was a deciding factor for him. Diego Lainez, who is nearly 22 years old, doesn’t even always make their senior NT. They constantly maintain a very old core of players.

 

Do people remember the confident tweets and comments coming out of Mexico regarding Pepi before his decision? ya know, the USMNT/USSF keeps a "list" of dual-nationals to scout and evaluate too. It was started by Thomas Rongen, who was the first to demand a budget from the USSF for that purpose. What am I supposed to think about a tweet saying Mexico keeps a list of dual-nats they're interested in? Of course they do. The hyperventilating about Mexican-American recruiting gets comical to me at times. A list!!! Heaven's to Betsy! Every federation worth its salt is doing that. I mean, look at the recently announced US U19 camp.

Dual-nats in camp:
🇺🇸🇲🇽Emmy Ochoa
🇺🇸🇲🇽Carlos Díaz
🇺🇸🇲🇽Ozzie Cisneros
🇺🇸🇲🇽Bryan Moyado
🇺🇸🇲🇽Sergio Oregel
🇺🇸🇲🇽Anthony Ramirez
🇺🇸🇨🇴Mateo Pinilla
🇺🇸🇺🇾Gonzalo Agustoni
🇺🇸🇦🇷Benjamin Cremaschi
🇺🇸🇮🇹Robert Deziel
🇺🇸🇨🇱Favian Loyola
🇺🇸🇪🇸Rodrigo Neri
🇺🇸🇳🇬Korede Osundina
🇺🇸🇱🇷Brooklyn Raines

— Marcus Chairez (@chai_asc) April 21, 2022

 

It wasn't only Pepi. It was going to be a wave -- Pepi, Ledezma, Mendez and others were all slated to go as a group.

 

I suspect Jonathan Gomez will be called up by both teams for the U20 tournament. It won't be definitive but this will be a fairly strong indicator of where he stands. Stronger than accepting a callup to a friendly. In Caleb Wiley we have a very talented alternative at left back. But I want Jonathan!

 

Nah. I think Jonathan is past the U20s at this point, and the recruiting battle has a lot to do with that.

Which nation will call him up to their senior team for the Nations League?
And if both do, which does he choose?

Last summer the USMNT called up Julian Araujo. He declined, and we knew the writing was on the wall.

As with Pepi (and soon to be Slonina), we need to be aggressive with these top youngsters.

THe problem is that we can't have a national team of 17 year olds. We can't call up every player in a recruiting battle to the senior team. Just the very top. If we call up a player like Gomez to be our backup at the Nations League, that means we're likely not working with George Bello there. Some people would be fine with that. Some wouldn't.

We all want Gomez. But if we don't get it him, then we trust the assembly line to keep cranking out players.

 

He said recently in an interview with Scuffed Podcast that he was going to play for the USA at U-20 qualifying because he’s already experienced the Mexican U-20 set-up. It’s possible that may change, but that’s what we should suspect until we have reason to think otherwise.

 

I have no idea what Gomez will do, but I don't think anyone can with a straight face say Mexico has been giving the guys who have switched more opportunities.

Ochoa has gotten no chance with the full Mexican national team, whereas Berhalter was willing to call him up for the Nations League. Araujo also would have seen way more time playing for the USMNT than he has with Mexico. Alvarez has been a case of cap and forget. Meanwhile they seem to just ignore that Pepi went the other way.

Some guys are going to pick Mexico and some guys are going to pick the US, but this idea Mexico is propagating that the guys they focus on they get is nonsense.

More generally the US under Berhalter is far more willing to give young players opportunities as compared to the Mexico under Tata Martino.

 

You have to wonder who, before this recent wave of young players, they were referencing? Brizuela? Ponce? There just weren't that many duals that were good enough for both teams.

 

"When we gave Gabriel the national team jersey with his name on it, he showed me his hands and said that he had goosebumps just holding it. It was a very touching moment for him."

🗣️ Czeslaw Michniewicz via Łączy Nas Piłka

— PSN Futbol (@PSN_Futbol) April 25, 2022

 

They imply that he has shaky hands?

 

Why wouldn’t they?

I'm hearing that the FMF will be hosting an 18-player U.S camp this upcoming week with Mexican-American players (born 2007 & 2008). Nearly all of the players are associated with MLS clubs. #ElTriEng

— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) May 2, 2022

 

Roald Mitchell ('03) and Caleb Borneo ('05) are both on the list.

 

Oh this should be fun to speculate.

 

I can only think about JoGo or is he talking about someone else? Balogun maybe?

 

@Rahbiefowlah Provided this little nugget of information in the dual national thread in case people missed it

 

Berhalter specified he's never played at the senior level. That could include Slonina. Names I'd also throw out there are Gressel and Frei.

I'm actually surprised it's not more than 1 given all the possibilities. Though I guess Jonathan Gomez has played, so he could be there in addition.

If I had to guess on the name, it'd be Gressel. He's the type of creative fb Gregg likes for his system, his timeline for citizenship is between last camp & the next one, & the coach had nice things to say about him when this issue was brought up previously.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/dc-u...ed D.C. United,after acquiring his green card.

 

In the olden days, a 28 year old who came from the college system used to be looked at as young. Now that's not so much the case. The threshold is about mid 20's, i.e. Miles still gets the moniker sometimes.

OK, with that qualifier added, presuming 28 is too old, how about Obed Vargas? You don't get younger than him.