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Report: German-American Brooks to be called up for USMNT match in Bosnia

JohnAnthonyBrooksHerthaBerlin2 (DPA)

By DAN KARELL

Highly-coveted German-American John Anthony Brooks could make his U.S. Men’s National Team debut as soon as next month.

According to a report in Germany, the Hertha Berlin defender has been selected by USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for next month’s friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarejevo. If Brooks plays, it would be his second debut in four days, as he is set to make his Bundesliga debut on August 10.

The 20-year-old centerback decided to use the summer to rest, turning the chance of playing for the U.S. Under-20 team at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. Many thought that his decision to spurn the U-20 squad was a sign that he was still waiting for a chance within the German National Team setup, but if the veracity of the report is true, Brooks seems set to become a member of the USMNT.

Though he wouldn’t be be cap-tied with an appearance in the August 14 friendly, Klinsmann having a chance to see Brooks up close and speak with him will help the USMNT boss’ assessment of the young defender, and spending time with the USMNT could help Brooks make his own decision on whether to play for the U.S. or Germany.

What do you think of this news? Do you see Klinsmann playing Brooks against Bosnia and Herzegovina? Do you believe that Brooks should be in the USMNT centerback conversation?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I really hope JAB doesn’t read this thread and then read all of the positive reactions the article about AJ committing to the U.S. is getting. Speaks volumes about the state of race relations in the U.S.

    I’d personally love to see the best players we can possibly put on the pitch. If either can add to an already pretty solid U.S. squad I will be more than delighted.

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    • Okay. The difference between the optimism of Johansson to the cynicism of Brooks is simply Brooks has a legitimate chance of playing for Germany (he’s had looks). And no disrespect to Iceland, but Germany is understandably a sexier pull. I don’t think this has anything to do with the fact that he’s half African-American.

      I don’t have a problem with him playing for the U.S., and I’m happy to have him as long as he’s committed to this team, on which he hasn’t shown any indication that he wasn’t. Same with Johansson. The minute someone starts going “Timothy Chandler” on us, that’s when I’ll let all hell break loose.

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      • So you completely ignore the comments about black fathers “bailing” on their kids. This isn’t about race to you and that is fine. That is actually the way it should be. To others it is completely about race. They are quick to talk about people who don’t “look American.”

        I hope you can understand that. I also understand for some people ignorance is bliss.

      • Yes, I understand completely, no need to get defensive.

        I didn’t see someone saying he didn’t “look American” in this thread, so maybe that’s where the misunderstanding is coming from. The majority of comments I have seen have been debating the American experience. In addition, if a person was generalizing and making these comments about absentee black fathers to be a douchebag, then yes, that person is ignorant. That we can agree on.

  2. this all boils down to the fact that many folks who post here who don’t want to see US soccer end up like the other American team sports – mostly non-caucausian. These are the same folks who whined about the mostly hispanic side fielded at the U20’s

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  3. Easy test,…

    Listen to them speak English. If they have a regional American accent, they’re in.

    Except for that Baltimore accent – obviously subhuman garbage

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  4. As an outsider (non American) may I ask you all, why an American serviceman is “more American” than an American who doesn`t serve in the military? They should be equal in front of the law/constitution after all.

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  5. All in all, I don`t see anything wrong with recruiting dual nationals. However, I can imagine that it could create problems in the future. I remember one of the Croatian players saying in 2008 that they sometimes held team talks in German rather than Croatian because the Croatian players grew up in Germany,Switzerland and Austria and were more comfortable speaking German.

    Should the United States ever come to this point, I can see a possible friction with the fans.

    Reply
    • Croatia is kinda a special case. Those wars in the 90s caused a lot of people to leave.

      For the US, I bet we have on field communication in Spanish/German sometimes. Might actually be useful depending on who we are playing. I don’t see Jurgen doing it though. I mean… we all know how important “faster!!!!!” is.

      There is more danger of practice in Spanish someday than German in my mind.(Still low) I think that using Spanish is by no means bad but… it would kinda be divisive if it became the “primary” language. Chivas USA as an example.

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  6. Just to want to note that Brooks was quoted in two other German news articles speaking about his preferences between playing for the USMNT or for Germany. Very enlightening comments.

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  7. The reason all of these players like Brooks are half black might be.

    1. blacks are better athletes
    2. white fathers would be more likely to stay around and either bring them back to the US or be more involved in their lives and teach them american sports.

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    • Huh? AYSO was around long before any of our current players were born. I’d say it’s a fairly “American” sport by now. You do realize US soccer is celebrating its centennial this year, right?

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    • Juan (if that really is your name), those are pretty broad and ignorant statements. I am not a huge politically correct person, because I feel it is someone’s right to speak their mind.This statement is misinformed. First of all, not all of these guys had absentee fathers. Second, there were a lot of kids with white military dads who not around. Look at the numbers post WWII when there were less interracial relationships. Third, sadly, a lot relationships that these guys get end badly due to the nature of different cultures and types of stressful careers these guys have.

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