Alejandro Zendejas commits to USA
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Mar 15, 2023
Alejandro Zendejas has committed his national team future to the USA.
He made the announcement on Tuesday ahead of the USA's Concacaf Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador. The roster for those games will be announced on Wednesday.
"I am very proud of being Mexican-American, Zendejas said in a statement Tuesday. "Values from both cultures have made me the person I am today. Making a decision on your international career is very difficult, and I believe in following your heart. Mine tells me that my future lies representing the USA."
The Club America star played for the USA at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup and for the USA and Mexico in senior international matches. He was born in Ciudad Juarez and grew up across the border in El Paso. He started his pro career with FC Dallas before moving to Liga MX in 2016.
His selection for El Tri -- he played in friendlies against Ecuador and Guatemala -- was unusual in that he did so without ever filing paperwork with FIFA to make him eligible to play for Mexico. His participation with the U.S. U-17s tied him to the USA until he filed a switch of association and FIFA approved the application.
FIFA ordered Mexico to forfeit the national team's two senior friendlies and three under-23 games in which Zendejas played and issued a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,900) for fielding the ineligible player.
The FIFA sanctions did not affect Zendejas' eligibility to play for the USA or Mexico (with the proper paperwork).
Zendejas played in his first friendly for the USA in January in a 2-1 loss to Serbia.
Zendejas grew up in the U.S youth system early in the last decade with players such as Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Haji Wright and Luca de la Torre, who went with him to the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile and represented the USA at the 2022 World Cup.
He was reunited on the senior national team with another former U-17 teammate and fellow Mexican-American Brandon Vazquez, who scored against Serbia.
Houston,,, "We have a Problem"
He is an "inverted" Right Wing...
Now, we have another Person Challenging Weah and Reyna for Time out there.!!!
Nice Problem to Have.... :)
For March.... I want to see.. For WC22 Roster of 26
1st Group ... u25
CP, Reyna, Aaronson, McKenNIE, Musah, Adams, Jedi, CCV, Dest, Weah, LDLT, Scally, Sargent.
Turner, Horvath (excluding GKs)
u25s Out from WC22 Roster;
Jesus bring in Pepi
Wright, Bring in Dike
WC22 Too Old,,, But could Bring due to Quality of Replacements Issue;
Acosta bring Cardoso
Ream bring Richards
WC22 TOO OLD and Not So Good either;
Morris, bring Tillman
Roldan, bring Booth
Long, bring McKenZIE
Zimmerman, bring EPB
Moore, bring Zendejas
Yedling, bring Trusty
Leaves out Mihailovic
Steffen for Johnson
Sounds good to me.
Miles Robinson? But he's 26...
Turned 26 on March 14th...
Will be 29 in June of 2026, if i did the Calculations Correctly.???
If he holds up Physically, He should be in his Prime...(got to get OFF that Astroturf in Atlanta)
As Back-Up to CCV and Richards, Should be OK, unless he gets surpassed by EPB, McKenZIE or Trusty... (or someone even Younger.???)
Stayed up Late, to watch the America vs Guadalajara "Classico"
Zendejas came ON about the 60th minute:
A VERY UNIQUE PLAYER FOR THE USA.!!!
Left Footer, who Plays on the Right Wing...
Likes to Cut-In across the Midfield...
Combines VERY Well with Midfielders as far as Possesion and Switcing Play.
Can SPIN TURN on a Dime to His left, When Closed Down on the Line.
He has a Low Center of Gravity, which helps him on his Turn and Cuts, and makes him Hard to Knock off the Ball, without Fouling him.
of Course that means he is Facing away from Goal and Has to Drop the Ball Back
(That's An ATTACK KILLER...Can he Beat his Defender down the Wing and then Cross with his Right Foot.??? Still to be Determined. I don't think he even attempted to go Around his Defender to the End Line.)
I Don't want to Over-Hype him, but he has that Explosiveness on his Runs that Reminds you of Messi...
"IF" he can continue to progress;
Definetely a Player that can;
CHANGE THE WAY THE WORLD SEE US SOCCER.!!! (We don't have anyone like him)