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Green won’t be joining USMNT for November camp

JulianGreenBayernMunich3 (AFP)

By DAN KARELL

After multiple reports and then confirmation that 18-year-old German-American midfielder Julian Green would be joining the U.S. Men’s National Team to train next month, it now turns out the young prospect will not be taking part in his first USMNT camp.

In an interview with U.S. Soccer, Klinsmann confirmed that the Bayern Munich youngster will stay with his club during the international break.

“We are going to give Julian an opportunity to breathe,” Klinsmann told U.S. Soccer. “All of these conversations and attention can be a bit overwhelming for a young player, so we decided to take the foot off the pedal and let him focus on his work at Bayern.

“We had a great conversation. He’s a mature young man and he clearly has a bright future. I told him that when the time is right, the door is wide open.”

When the time will be right is unknown, as Green would still have to file a one-time switch with FIFA in order to play with the USMNT in the future. Earlier in October, Green featured for the Germany U-19 squad in UEFA Under-19 Championship qualifying.

The Tampa, Fla. native continued his hot start to the 2013/2014 season with another two goals last Sunday for Bayern Munich II, the Under-23 team for the reigning European and German champions. He now has 15 goals in 15 games this season.

In addition to his decision on the Green saga, Klinsmann revealed that he’s preparing for the Scotland (Nov. 15) and Austria (Nov. 19) friendly matches as if they’re World Cup tuneup games, considering that there’s only one more official FIFA match before the squad will be announced next May.

Our approach to the games against Scotland and Austria is that they are World Cup preparation matches,” Klinsmann said. “That means we have to look at bringing the best available players. We will be following the situations in Europe and MLS carefully. We plan on taking the strongest squad possible for these games.”

Klinsmann also praised MLS for respecting the international FIFA dates next month, altering their postseason schedule to allow for Klinsmann to potentially select a handful of players based in MLS who would normally have been unavailable due to the playoffs.

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What do you think of this development? Do you agree with Klinsmann’s decision? Do you expect to see Green join the USMNT for training in the future?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. How bout we collectively start thinking, understanding, and believing that playing for the US, is actually the best career move anybody could make. Largest emerging market in the western football/soccer world. Being able to be a new pioneer of the game here, in Italy, Germany, they have been there and done that, with the likes of Gert Muller, Beckenbauer, Paolo Rossi etc etc…
    what do we got Rick Davis, and Kyle Rote Jr.
    Be a world champion for the US, now that would be something new and absolutely special.

    Reply
  2. I have seen Green play. He scored a goal in a test game for the A team in almost no time. I think it won’t be long before he plays for the German National team.

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  3. This is a good move by Klinsmann. I’ve watched all of his games and the kid is pretty bad. He’s going to flunk out and will undoubtedly be a journeyman if he’s fortunate.

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  4. I wouldn’t be surprised if he played for Germany… but if Klinsmann wants to try to convince hum other wise, then why not!! Nothing to lose…

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  5. Maybe the current political climate also had a little something to do with it?
    can you say nsa etc…
    Furthermore, we are beginning to see fully the scope of just how important making last years Olympiad really was. It was vital, crucial for the young, undecided, and up and coming talent.

    Reply
    • You’re forgetting the failure to win the 2011 Gold Cup and therefore win entry to this year’s Confederations Cup.

      Along with the Olympics that would have given JK a minimum of six extra competitve games to evaluate this player pool, three in Brazil.

      Reply
      • true GW, not forgetting those tournaments are good for the senior team development, however I was specifically referring to the grandest amateur tournament. The operative words were, young, up and coming, and undecided. You got a shot at a gold medal as a teenager you take it, and then we are talking about JG having to possibly file a switch in the other direction. Where Germany at that point would probably not have bothered.

  6. Not even bothered. Let the kid take his time and make up his mind. He’s not playing for either senior squad anytime soon anyway.

    But in the meantime, we can show how much he’s wanted here… does he have Twitter?

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  7. Good call by the kid. He needs to hang around the German system as long as possible if he wants to develop to his full potential.
    He’ll learn a lot more being around Lahm, Muller or Gotze than he ever will with Altidore or Dempsey

    Reply
    • Oh, that was nice to read from top to botton. Wonder how those jokers feel who a few days ago were insisting they just love reading last posts first and then reading down backwards 🙂

      anyway, agreed, Roman Lewandowski. If the other news stories saying Green had not made up his mind are accurate, seems like a classic case of damage control from Jurgy Klinsmann, who is trying to wiggle out of the corner he painted himself into, while at the same time trying to show what a understanding guy he is.

      Reply
  8. Pretty obvious he decided not to accept the call-up knowing even that would make him ineligible for Germany since he would have to file the switch and be tied to the US. Other sources report the same, so I’m not sure why we insist that it was our call to rescind the invitation (even though it was most surely already extended).

    Reply
    • come on guys, READ. he would NOT have to file any switch because he was called up to be a part of training. nothing else. no sources reported he would have to switch to accept the callup.

      “However, Klinsmann has clarified that because the 18-year-old Green has played for Germany in an official FIFA competition (UEFA U-19 qualifying), and would have to file a one-time switch to play for the USA, he’s only joining the USMNT to train and for the coaching staff to get to know him better.” – SBI

      Reply
      • not sure what that has to do with what i was responding to given i was responding to the assumption he is not coming because he would have to file a one-time switch. that assumption is wrong.

        your assumption could be right and i could see that too. but i think it’s more because his phone/email probably exploded with media requests…all for a training stint. he’s 18 and undecided. i think he made the right decision. way too much made over this whole thing.

  9. any knee jerk reactions are the exact reason this is happening. Ives claimed in the Q&A that it sounds like Green is waiting to see who is more interested in him and making him feel apart of something. JK is obviously doing that. and of course his dad wants him to play for the US.

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  10. Probably a good decesion, by whoever made it. No need to rush the 18 year old who isnt playing professionally or at the national team level to make this choice yet.

    I love how USSF/Jürgen is so proactive in the duel national front but they might be pushing to hard if they are calling youth players into “world cup tune up” camps

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  11. I think the big deal here is that by filing the one time switch paperwork he would then be tied to the USA even if he doesn’t see the field. That would be great for us, but Green may not be willing to make the decision, or limit his options, at this point.

    Reply
    • he wasn’t going to file anything though. it was just to train with the US. not play. meaning he didn’t have to make that decision about switching yet. i think this is telling of the reaction from the media surrounding it.

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  12. It’s probably not over. It sounds like JK is afraid that the recent pressure on Green is going to make him bolt, and decided to ease off. Disappointing, and he’ll probably go to Germany, but then we said the same about Brooks.

    If Green told him to stuff it, the headline would say so, it always does.

    Reply
    • “It is correct that Jurgen Klinsmann has nominated Julian for the November matches, but he did not accept the call-up,” Green rep Katharina Schrott told MLSsoccer.com on Monday. “He hasn’t made a final decision yet.

      Reply
  13. Is he German or American? the story says he is a Tampa Florida native yet states that he would have to register to switch from Germany (which would imply he is German)? The question is whether he is that good that Klinsi guarantees him a spot in Brazil next year to get him to come over because I am pretty confident he isn’t going to break into the German squad in time. If that is the case, you need look no further than the afforementioned Guiseppe Rossi to see what the right choice is/ was and the mistake he made.

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    • He is both in citizenship, but is currently registered with FIFA as German, having played official age-group matches with age-group German NTs.

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  14. Translation: Jogi whispered in his ear that it may be in his better interests to skip this one if he wants any chance at DFB.

    Reply
    • or he realized that a chance to win Euros and WC every two years beats fighting through the WC group stage and playing Gold Cups… or he isn’t ready to make up his mind…or he just wants to take it easy and is on the same page with JK- no one but he himself knows

      Reply
    • So far, Germany has pretty much said auf wiedersehen to any German citizen who wants to represent another country (usually the US) than Germany.

      Those players were/are in all honesty probably not good enough to play for Germany, but you gotta respect their stubbornness.

      That being said, maybe Green is different and is better. I’ve never seen a highlight.

      Reply
      • Green has actually played in games (not Bundesliga matches have you, but real games none the less) with the Bayern first team.

        The kid is the real freaking deal. He and Brooks are the first two players that a major superpower actually wants.

      • +1. The jury is still out on both, but both have real potential (not just hype) to become the world class players.

      • He has great potential it sounds like, but the big difference between the US and Germany is that there are LOTS of really talented players who COULD develop into a national team player Germany. The US just doesn’t have that deep of talent, so we get REALLY excited about a young prospect such as Green.

        You say he’s the real deal, but from Germany’s perspective, he’s not yet. Frankly, he’s not there yet for the US team either, but much closer. I think this is part of the appeal for dual nationals to come to the USA. They just don’t face the extreme competition that they would elsewhere. There’s just a lot of kids his age who are supremely talented.

        Take Rossi, he would (likely) be the all time best forward for the US, but instead he may or may not even start for Italy.

      • Fabian Johnson could play for Germany. Lahm is “mostly” a right back.(Whatever he wants these days it seems….)

        That left back spot is totally open. Schmelzer gets time there and he is nothing amazing. I’m not saying he would be a lock but he would definitely be in the mix.

      • We will just have to wait for him to top out in the German system or get impatient. Back to the original plan.

      • They’re trying to convince some kid who has played for Turkey’s youth teams to switch sides. I’ll look it up and post the name.

      • Hakan Calhanoglu – a young prospect who plays for Hamburg

        Looks like he has played a game for the Turkey senior team, but it was a friendly. My German is not perfect, but a few months ago I read an article in which he said Germany was trying to get him to switch and that he hadn’t decided yet.

        For a showdown involving Calhanoglu from a recent Poland-Turkey U-21 match:

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rolLhjKrNoI

  15. If we develop our own players here rather than simply trying to find Germericans with some tenuous connection here, we won’t have this problem.

    Reply
      • I think Mason was simply pointing out that being born in the US of A is much more than “a tenuous connection here,” and I’d have to agree.

    • like Joey Rossi, a fine young player born and raised in America, by parents also born and raised here! Or Mikey Hoyos, also born here, spending 14 years from birth well into his youth career in America. or even Neven Subotic, whose family was offered refugee status and who developed his game in Bradenton- are these the players you’re speaking of?

      Because they all represent other countries now… so why should a mediocre USMNT (relative to the world powers) only stand to lose among dual-nationals, why not gain some to offset losing some?

      (this is avoiding the whole children of US citizens and US citizens by birth like AJ and Green, who also don’t qualify under your definition…)

      Reply
    • Interesting twist to this position. What do you think of the two kid who have recently gone over to Spain (RM and Barca) to train in their youth system. One went over when he was 8-9 or something like that.

      Would you want them excluded from the USMNT because they weren’t “developed” here?

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      • Why do people respond to slowleftarm anymore? He posts the same exact 2 sentences anytime there is a nationality question.

      • Yep, slowleftbrain’s posts regarding dual citizens are getting stale. Perhaps we should demand to see his birth certificate and proof of residence! 🙂

      • +1… we get it, you think if you don’t learn the sport here you shouldn’t wear our flag, regardless of your legal citizenship. It’s the way international soccer works nowadays, get over it.

    • I’m breaking my own rule here. But please don’t respond to slow’s comments. We all get that he doesn’t like the way international soccer works these days. He consistently trolls these conversations and people fall for it every time.

      Slow, add something to the discussion. Don’t just come here to state your controversial opinions over and over. We’ve all heard you.

      Reply
      • I’m looking for the exact formula of who qualifies as American under his definition-because it clearly differs from the LEGAL definition-the one that truly matters

      • A baseball blog I was once an active commenter on had a list of commandments.

        Among those were:
        -Don’t bait other commenter,
        -Don’t argue for the sake of arguing,
        -Don’t make the same point repeatedly.

        It was a good list, and if Ives had it, SLA would be looking at a banning for repeated violations.

      • Just to play devil’s advocate You’re wrong, you’ve always been wrong and you will always be wrong Mr. Baseball George Mason

        I think that covers all 3…

    • What exactly is the problem here, slow?

      If green opts for germany we still have jozy and dempsey and donovan who came up in the us system. And johann and boyd who didn’t.

      If green chooses the usmnt we’ll still have all those guys. Plus green.

      It’s almost like recruiting dual nationals is a no-risk high-reward strategy.

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    • Stop dude. Seriously, stop. He was born in the United States. Has returned regularly to see his family. Speaks perfect English. Follows American sports. Has played for US youth teams.

      Most importantly–and the only real deciding factor–he is a US citizen.

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    • Being born in this country isn’t necessarily tenuous. The overall point would be sound but we don’t have the infrastructure or expertise to develop youth players yet…maybe someday but today is not that day nor is that likely to change in the near future. The MLS would have to grow into a legitimate league. Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch….what I mean is a league like…Serie A, Bundeliga, La Liga, or the EPL. The kid is a gamer, is American and therefore should be asked if he wants to suit up.

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    • One day, Julian Green is going to wake up in bed and slowleftarm will be sitting next to him, draped in a tattered American flag a la Bill the Butcher, warning him that he has run afoul of the Natives.

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      • The problem is all youth development at every academy in the country comes to a halt any time klinsmann has a conversation with a dual national.

      • If a kid lets that talk slow him down then he won’t be good enough to play for the USMNT anyway.

        I want kids who say ” ‘ I will show them that I am better”

        People on SBI don’t believe in competition.

  16. North American USMNT vs European USMNT, who wins?

    EJ-Dempsey
    Davis-Donovan-Zusi
    Beckerman
    Beasley-Besler-OG-Evans
    Rimando

    versus

    Altidore-AJ
    Bedoya-Bradley-Jones-Chandler
    FJ-Brooks-Cameron-Parkhurst
    Howard

    who wins?

    Reply
      • yet, somehow the MLS/MX team consistently puts more USMNT starters on the field, game in and game out…

        Dempsey, Donovan, Zusi, the back-line

      • Fire Klinsmann? Are you soft in the skull? I’ve been waiting for years for the us to FINALLY hire a good european coach. And its freaking WORKING!!!!!!!! We have the best team I thin we’ve ever had!

      • Fire Bradley then! and Arena! and Kreis, just to get a step ahead! At the very least fire SOMEBODY!!!!

        (oh and I think you meant to reply to the comment above this thread….)

    • I would never put Chandler at wing so you’d have to change things around, but your donut MLS formation has no chance if you’re expecting Beckerman to battle alone against JJ and MB in the CM that team is in a world of hurt.

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    • Is joke?

      Seriously though, the European team would steamroll the NA team. A midfield of Donovan and Beckerman against Bradley and Jones?

      Bad news.

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    • Swap out Chandler, move Bedoya back to the right side an slot Shea on the left. Both strong line-ups, but the Euro group would come out ahead due to the strong CM pairing.

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    • blokhin: Due solely to the midfield, the NA team stands no chance. All the other positions are reasonably well-matched.

      Even if we look at depth with subs, the NA team doesn’t get any stronger, again because of the DM: Mix or Sacha vs Torres (though Jurgen would insist on playing him as winger anyway). There are a few positions where the NA team has more depth though: Goodson at centerback, Gomez at forward. Any others? Certainly not at goalie.

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    • No, he’s already playing in a competition for Germany, so he would have to file a one-time switch to play for any US team in any situation.

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      • No, not for youth teams. He played for the US youth team before the German one without having to file a switch so I’m assuming he can play for the US again without filing a switch. At the youth level that is.

      • you assume wrong. he played in an official FIFA sanctioned youth tournament with Germany, provisionally cap-tying him to Germany.

      • He played in a U19 UEFA Qualifier. That counts. The friendlies he played in before, don’t. Competitions are what matter at the youth level.

  17. Can’t imagine this saga was fun for the kid. He was probably bombarded in every possible way from American media to German media. One side attacking and the other welcoming.

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    • Bombarded in every possible way from the American media? Wow. Either you live in a very different America than I do, or I’ve somehow missed that wall to wall Green coverage on Sportscenter, SI, etc.

      Reply
      • It’s not about the coverage. It’s about the phone calls. The emails. The constant questions from journalists.

        That kids phone probably didnt’ stop ringing for weeks.

        He doesn’t live here, so SC is irrelevant.

      • Don’t forget the talkshow guest spots, the twisted cries for help from his delinquent younger brother and the denial-of-service attacks on his computer — utter and total media saturation people

      • “It is correct that Jurgen Klinsmann has nominated Julian for the November matches, but he did not accept the call-up,” Green rep Katharina Schrott told MLSsoccer.com on Monday. “He hasn’t made a final decision yet.

      • JK is not going to invite anyone that he hasn’t spoken to first. In this case, the kid probably started to have second thoughts after committing, if that is the case, then it sounds to me that he was going to switch and play but I think he just didn’t get his paperwork going and thus not play. So JK pulled the invite and let the kid think about it.

    • I also second it as being spin. Maybe the kid is still hoping for Germany and turned JK down? So the way to cover it is to say we backed off

      We have enough homegrown talent and I really don’t care to see a team where English is the second language.

      Reply

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