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Brooks signs two-year contract extension with Hertha Berlin

JABrooks (Getty)

By FRANCO PANIZO

The international future of John Anthony Brooks may be anything but certain, but the same cannot be said about his standing at the club level.

Brooks signed a two-year contract extension with Hertha Berlin over the weekend, and the deal will now see him stay at the Bundesliga-bound club until summer 2017. The 20-year-old centerback made his professional debut at Hertha this past season, playing in 29 games and scoring one goal as Hertha secured promotion back to Germany’s top tier.

Born to an American serviceman in Berlin, the gangly Brooks is eligible to play for both the U.S. Men’s National Team and Germany at the international level. He has previously played for U.S. youth teams but is undecided as to which team he will represent on a permanent basis going forward.

What do you think of Brooks signing an extension with Hertha Berlin? Is it a good decision? Still believe he will play for the U.S. at the international level?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I wonder if Brooks and his agent were considering his valuation in the Bundesliga. Brooks was in negotiation with Berlin when he decided not to play in the U20 for the US. Do players viewed as potential Germany players draw higher prices like England players do in the EPL?

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  2. This is a player we may see later. At this point in his career, I’m sure he believes he has a shot at playing for Germany. And who can blame him. With the USMNT you have a good chance to go to a World Cup. With Germany you have a good chance to win a World Cup. Like Jones, we will probably get Brooks on our senior team as a 25-28 year old.

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    • He might play for Germany in the next two cycles after this if they like him, and would then have a chance at what you suggest. But with the state of the US backfield, if he chose here and played in the U20s or Gold Cup, he could be on the senior roster for Brazil.

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      • I agree. He is clearly taking a risk. He is passing on a good chance to start his international career with the US senior team for a long shot for Germany 2018.

  3. calling him in for gold cup would have looked like quite the desperate of moves I feel. he said he would make his decision when he feels it necessary so until then, we are patiently waiting

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  4. This guy needs to at least get a look to be on next summer World Cup roster because while OG has been solid, he has definitely looked shaky at times and having Onyewu ride the pine instead of him does nothing for us if it will help him join our squad.

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    • I think Sanneh had a more productive time at Nuremburg but he did play 30-ish games over 3 years at Hertha.

      Hertha to me is a little weird, for a time was like Derry City sitting in the middle of a foreign country with its own league….like the rest of Berlin.

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  5. Personally, I think this is a bad decision for Brooks. He could have gone to DC United at the end of his contract in 2015 and helped anchor the next MLS dynasty.

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  6. the comments already here are exactly what i was going to say… good for him, we could seriously use him in Turkey right now! terrible cb play this whole u20 cycle.. don’t think that brooks would get pushed around by France’s forwards like torre and o’neil are

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    • Could use him, Brooks, and Zimmerman, Packwood, and Pelosi.

      Still lose to Spain but it would have been respectful and we would have beaten France today. Too bad Packwood and Pelosi are hurt, Brooks weighing his options and Zimmerman is apparently not good enough.

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      • Zimmerman played a half and had a goal for FCD over the weekend.

        I know he was an injury risk but he came back quick enough where you can argue that Ramos should have maybe thrown him in as #23 of 23 and seen what happened. The defense is pitiful and it’s actually not a big surprise, in which case status quo isn’t wise (I know Yedlin got switched in, but still….).

      • Zimmerman was not cleared to play when the U-20 roster’s were due to FIFA.

        In the grand scheme of things having Brooks and Z with the U-20’s would be nice, but the real emphaisis is and should be placed on their individual careers and their scarificies especially those involving injuries should only be made for the USMNT if made at all.

      • Sacrifices? He’s playing. And if he’s playing now then maybe it would have been worth it to roster him and then use him if he got cleared.

      • Ramos and USMNT need to be very careful with these situations. If Zimmerman were to re-injure while playing for the U20s, it could damage Ramos’ reputation with club teams. If Dallas chooses to play him, it is on them. Remember this is a youth tournament and clubs don’t have to release players.

      • Far as Brooks is concerned, I’m sure we asked. Don’t know how Ramos approached him but it’s hard to criticize. Heck, I’ve said before we should offer a dude of his size and background Gold Cup just to cap tie them, the U20s would be nice but there is a bigger picture.

      • Basically, Brooks still hadn’t made his decision by the time the preliminary U-20 WC rosters were due, so he was left off. He didn’t play for Germany at the U-21 Euros either, though.

      • Brooks basically said that coming off his 1st year as a pro, his focus now is on being a professional (worried about getting rest staying healthy ect)

      • Brooks has nothing to prove by participating in youth tournaments. He’s not going to show any of his card until all the opportunities play out.

      • I beg to differ, plenty of players have been making names in these U21 and U20 tournaments, and he’s hardly a household item. If he showed well I think he’d be in the catbird’s seat professionally and internationally.

        But there is some injury risk in it and I think he’s taking the lazier, you come to me approach. The risk on that is he then better look good professionally, because that’s his only source of rep, that and his physical potential.

        IMO his reticence towards both youth teams favors Germany because it suggests he’s waiting for a senior call and if he does perform well we may then have no chance. Ironically, if he struggles we have more chance because Germany would be less interested, but if he’s not up to the sales pitch then he may not be the boon we need either.

      • I am confident he is holding out for Germany 2018. If he were to play in this tournament, he would have a shot at getting into our senior team picture as early as next year. He is taking a risk.

      • Fabian Herzeler would have helped, too. He was ready to change his national affiliation back in 2011 had we qualified, would have still be a u20 player this cycle too. Now he starts for Bayern Munich II.

      • This is another player who probably thinks he has a chance to play for Germany. I bet we see a much higher level of commitment from him in 2 or 3 years when the writing is on the wall.

  7. Do he and Geoff Cameron have the same barber? They look like they could be brothers-lining up in central defense for the Nats in the future?

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