Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
Despite Timmy Chandler's insistence that he wants to play for the United States, a familar name in American soccer has floated the possibility that the German-born fullback might still be considering playing for his native country.
Tony Sanneh, a former U.S. international and FC Nurnberg player who helped bring Chandler to the U.S. national team in the spring, suggested on his Twitter feed that Chandler may end up switching allegiances back to his native Germany after all.
Sanneh wrote: "Rumor is chandler gonna play for germany. Lowe visits nberg today" with Lowe referring to German national team coach Joachim Loew (a former assistant of then Germany and now U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann) and nberg referring to FC Nurnberg, Chandler's current club.
Chandler, who missed the Gold Cup but has suited up in friendlies for the United States, is not yet tied to U.S. Soccer and could still represent either country internationally. This past summer Chandler repeatedly stated his desire to play for the United States, while also shooting down suggestions he might still play for Germany:
"Some people were saying I wanted to play for Germany, but I've always wanted to play for the U.S. team," Chandler said in an interview with the U.S. Soccer website. "I'm with the ‘A’ team for the USA, and I want to keep playing. No question about it."
Chandler was even more emphatic about not wanting to play for Germany, telling Yanks Abroad in July, "I will absolutely not play for Germany. There is no way that will happen."
Chandler's comments sound like those of a player committed to the U.S. national team, but as we learned with Serbian star defender Neven Subotic, a former U.S. Under-17 national team player who once said that playing for anybody but the United States would be like back-stabbing, players can and do change their minds.
Chandler's situation is a bit different. Subotic was a youth player for the United States while Chandler has now represented the United States on the senior level on four occasions.
What do you think of this development? Worried that Chandler might choose Germany? Confident that Jurgen Klinsmann will get Chandler to stay with the USA?
Share your thoughts below.
Worried would be an understatement. Chandler is a great/amazing player and would be a lock starting for us in Brazil. Please don’t go Timmy!!
+1
So does Steve. And he’s captain. And was captain during one of the team’s best seasons. Best seasons ever.
+1
+1
+1
I will personally punch Chandler in the face if he switches. It would be stupid anyway since he’d probably get a lot less PT with Germany…
To me the issue is the statements he made. There really was no reason for him to make them if he didn’t feel that way. If he had chosen Germany without proclaiming that there was no way he’d ever play for them, I wouldn’t have minded. To leave us after making those proclamations seems duplicitous and unnecessarily inconsiderate to American fans.
I’ve said it before that Timmy was using the NATS as an advertising tool. He pretty much used the NATS to show case his skills to the Germans, kinda of like saying, look at me, I’m a decent RB who belongs in the German team. You guys better hurry before I decide to make the U.S a permanent home. He knew exactly not to play in the Gold Cup, I strongly believe that people around Grrmany were telling him to wait it out, and for the mean time just to play in friendlies….. Chandler you a crazy boy! … I hope someone hits him in the nutz if he does decide to switch.
On a brighter note, my car insurance went down $42.62!!! I hope this helps cheer some of you up.
Ugh. If Jurgen freaking Klinsmann loses Chandler, that would be… very disappointing.
Lahm plays both.
We still have Cherundolo and Frankie Hejduk
“Are you saying if Chandler plays for the US he won’t move to a top team and get that coaching anyway?”
I challenge you to find anything in my post that provides evidence for your conjecture.
I’m just saying that it’s only natural to be drawn to the higher quality.
For a somewhat off the wall example we can look at girl’s college basketball. Most of those girls will not go on to play professional basketball; they are not getting paid. Yet they are drawn to the University of Connecticut like a moth to the flame. Of course, some of it is facilities. But most would say it’s the reputation of quality and the coaching. People want to be a part of that.
This is not some kind of anti-American rant. I’m just saying that right now Klinsi is neither fish nor foul. He cannot use the patriotism card to draw players, because he ain’t really American. Neither is he so great a coach that his reputation alone is capable of persuading top class players to play for him. Right now I think our best argument to persuade Chandler is “we asked you first.”
Should he list his top 10 favorites in order bruh? maybe top 32 bruh? Just because Spain and Netherlands arent mentioned doesnt mean anyone is writing them off. Relax bruh. Also, a lot can happen in the 4 years between cups, just look at Italy from 06 to 10, or France from 98 to 02. BRUH BRUH!
he needs to decide now. leave or stay. we cant waste time playing him in friendlies when those minutes could go to another LB.
It’s a shame we have to rely on Germany for our players. We should have been doing a better job developing actual Americans. Don’t get me wrong if he’s good enough and has the credentials I’ll take a foreign player. It’s a shame were so dependent on them.
It’s obvious now that Chandler just didn’t want to get cap tied by the Gold Cup.
Also obvious Lamn is doing it to spite Klinsman.
If Chandler wants to give up a probable starting spot in a wc for the US in order to wear the German jersey 2 or 3 times before taking a permanent spot as a fringe player for them then so be it.
Really? How much crap has Nuri Sahin received for choosing Turkey over Germany? He’s 5 times the player that Chandler is right now. There have been plenty of players eligible for Germany who have chosen to play for other countries.
Ja wohl! Sehr proud! Der rot, weiss und blau!
Wir brauchen alles der halb deutsches spielers fur uns!!! Doch!
As an American who is foreign born I find this thought process repugnant.
I want 1. US citizens who 2. want to play for the US and 3. are good at soccer.
Aside from that, I don’t care.
Chandler may be good enough to be a top flight champions league regular for a top team some day soon.
Lichaj may be an EPL regular if he’s very lucky. He’s at least one level below Chandler as a player.
I actually expected Chandler to play RW in one of these past friendlies but didn’t happened.
Are you saying if Chandler plays for the US he won’t move to a top team and get that coaching anyway?
A national team plays something like 14-24 games per season depending on what tournaments are going on and how succesful they are.
If Chandler were to move to Bayern Munich for example he could easily play double that number of games, not to mention all the training and exhibitions.
To me the biggest reason for Chandler to playfor Germany, besides the obvious ones, and not the US is the travel.
Playing for Germany, over time, would probably be a lot easier on him, since he will continue to live and work in Germany or at least Europe for the time being.
I happen to think this rumour is BS but I also can’t think of one good reason for him to choose the US over Germany.
You all might want to think about how much crap US fans give Rossi.
The multiply that about 20 times for Chandler if he turns down Die Mannschaft.
The man will be living in Germany or at least Europe for the foreseeable future. At is all very easy for US fans to criticize.
i really hope he doesnt switch….but if he does, screw him! we didnt want him anyway
+1.
This is not club football. As much as I’d like US to win, I’d like the country to be represented by players who want to play for the US, not those that you have to bribe / coax / beg to play.
I think he’s welcome if he wants to play for us. If he doesn’t, let’s not get upset. What happens if the guy is cap tied and suddenly doesn’t want to play anymore? It’s a shame. Let him make the choice while he can.
I’ll never forget Sanneh’s performance in the 2002 World Cup. Dude played way above himself, and nearly got the equalizer against Germany.
Although this would definately be a big loss for the US National team, we shouldn’t get too upset. At right back we currently have Cherundolo and Lichaj. We currently have so many foreign born players that are in the US Nats mix. A few foreign born players is not bad. However, would you be proud of an American National team thats predominatly foreign born?
Wow, what a blow. No doubt that we would win the next two World Cups if he were on our squad.
National team representation in world football has absolutely nothing to do with a sense of patriotism. All about whatever the Euro equivalent to the Benjamin is.
After finding nothing on Grant Wahl’s twitter, I’m inclined to agree with you.
At the same time, it’s rare that Ives posts rubbish. Guess we’ll know for sure sometime before the day is done.
Your opinion is uninformed, ignorant and has been proven wrong time and time again. But feel free to stick to it. That’s the mark of a true idiot.
+1 to the SBI parenthesis, well said.
1. Chandler is one of the top five best players in our current player pool, one of the ones with the most upside, and probably the most likely to one day play for a big club (given the age of other regulars).
2. Klinsmann is playing Cherundolo over Chandler at right back, even though Cherundolo is not the future at that position and Chandler most likely is. Okay, no big deal, WC qualifying is still relatively far away…
3. Klinsmann is playing ROBBIE ROGERS over Chandler as a right wing, so that Chandler is left at the unfamiliar position of left back where he’s not nearly as comfortable or effective (see his attempts to cross the ball).
Robbie Rogers.
Let that sink in for a minute.
It’s not serious. It makes more sense for him to play for Germany and we do have players that can play left back and right back, who can attack as well given the chance (Zach Lloyd for one). It’s time for the US to look within it’s own ranks for players and stop looking for mercenaries (although if Chandler was really committed to the USA that would be a different story). It’s about the honor of playing for the country you love.
My first thought, exactly!
You’re just joking, right?
That better just be the Lichaj bias talking
Pretty sure it was Obama’s fault
The computer police! 😐
Not Bob’s fault. It’s clearly Thomas Rongen’s fault. Not sure how yet, but it is.
You want to represent the RW&B, great, but if you’re half-hearted about it, move on. I won’t get bent our of shapae about it. Make decision and stick with it.
I don’t see how either of the Bradleys fit into the equation one single bit. I mean, honestly…
He does have a club team, you know.
First of all, I can see where you’re coming from.
Second of all, I count myself among those who hate Bierhoff. (But let’s remember, Loew inherited Bierhoff from Klinsi– which is totally understandable since Bierhoff almost singlehandedly won the Euro final in ’96, but Klinsi still got to hoist the trophy!)
Loew is a southerner, and some Germans (those north of Frankfurt) will always view someone with a Sueddeutsche Dialekt as backward thinking and even stupid. (Not so different from here.)
Having said all that, Loew is far and away my favorite national team coach at the moment (since Karel Brueckner retired).
I hope you’re right in your feeling that Chandler will stick with the US, but if Loew really makes Timmy feel wanted and NEEDED, it could be hard to resist.
German coaching right now is going through a bit of a renaissance. There are tons of younger coaches who are trying out different methods and are getting a load of respect from throughout the league. Guys like Tuchel, Dutt, Klopp, Stanislawski are demonstrating you no longer have to talk down to your players to get results. Right now Chandler is coached by an average coach in an average team and he is still gaining attention. It’s just a matter of time before he’s able to latch onto a top team with a top coach, and Klinsi’s hurrah tactics will not be adequate. It will be just fine for the likes of Donovan and all the other guys who have already reached their peak,but not to someone whose career is on the upswing like Chandler.
I certainly feel that Klinsi is a step up from Bradley, but without a top #2 I feel that Klinsi’s impact may be limited, due to his coaching and management style.
But I hope I’m wrong!
So Chandler is “better than Steve”? And you’re basing this claim on 4 appearances for the USMNT? Wow.
Yes, Chandler shows some promise, but I’d wait for another 70 national team appearances or so before I make that claim.
Well…for his club career sittig on the bench for Germany looks better than staring for the US, unfortunately.
Actually, I don’t think his international choices will impact his club career nearly as much as his club play will.
No, unlike Subotic and Rossi, who basically grew up in the US, Chandler grew up in Germany.
He’s way more German than American. He can barely speak English.
Well, if Bradley had stuck to his guns in the Gold Cup then we wouldn’t be having this discussion. He backed down on calling Timmy into games that would have tied him to the US.
(SBI-That’s a joke. Bradley didn’t “back down”. The person, if anybody, who “backed down” is Timmy Chandler. He agreed with his club that he needed rest, at least that was the story, and if Chandler had wanted to play in the Gold Cup he could have stood his ground. Bradley couldn’t make him come if he didn’t want to. It’s that simple, even if that doesn’t fit into your cozy “blame Bradley” theory.)
Still, he seems to be an upgrade over the current available options. Sure, he isn’t the one guy that will win games. But the goal is to improve at each position. Having a solid RB that can get up and down the field and is a threat in the final third may change up the entire way we can play.
I think it’s flawed saying one player can’t change a team. Just think if a pre-accident Charlie Davies was around. He’s no Ronaldo, but a player like that allows for an entire different formation than what we normally do. So yes, I would take Chandler over Lichaj or other up-and-coming options I’ve seen so far.
How are we exploiting anybody? This gives them a chance to play internationally that they may not have received otherwise. It’s not like we forced him to play for the US.
Well if is uncertain it was shroud of him to miss the Gold Cup, because now it will be longtime before he is officially cap tied for the US.