Mexico-based attacker Alex Zendejas wasn’t called up by U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettini last month for the Atlanta friendlies, but he showed up 250 miles north to captain Club America against Nashville SC on Tuesday.
Coaching Nashville SC, which settled for a 0-0 tie in Concacaf Champions Cup first-leg quarterfinal, was B.J. Callaghan, who in 2023 as interim USMNT head coach started Zendejas in four Gold Cup games.
“First and foremost, I look at the person and the human and he’s just a great guy, a team guy,” Callaghan said. “You saw he was the captain tonight. Even when I coached him with the national team, he was just a selfless person.”
Zendejas won his third straight Liga MX title with Club America in December 2024 but Pochettino in March 2025 left him off the U.S. squad for the Concacaf Nations League final four, at which the USA lost to Panama and Canada.
When Pochettino finally called him in, Zendejas’ golazo opened the scoring in a 2-0 win over Japan that sparked an upward swing for the USMNT. He scored and assisted in Club America’s two Liga MX games before Pochettini announced the squad that would lose to Belgium and Portugal.
SUBSCRIBE TO KEEP READING
Start for $0 & enjoy free unlimited access for 30 days.
- Daily TV listings for U.S. and global soccer.
- Inside access to USA’s 2026 World Cup prep.
- Exclusive interviews with players and coaches.
- Expert analysis of top soccer headlines.
- Cancel anytime.
Already have an account? Sign in here.
CHECK OUT MORE STORIES
Not ready to subscribe? Sign up here for our free newsletter.
Already have an account? Sign in here.
