Jurgen Klinsmann eyes two more dual-nationals in Akindele, Morales

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jan 21, 2015

Jurgen Klinsmann has his eye on two more dual-national recruits in the U.S. men's national team January camp.

Reigning MLS Rookie of the Year and Canadian-American Tesho Akindele and Mexican-American Julio Morales, both forwards, are the latest players in Klinsmann's crosshairs, with the U.S. manager and technical director inviting both to Carson, California, for the annual winter camp. The Canadian-born Akindele scored seven goals and had three assists in his first season with FC Dallas after being a surprise early pick out of the Colorado School of Mines in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.

Morales, meanwhile, had a stint with Chivas USA in 2013, scoring twice while on loan from Chivas Guadalajara. Born in Glendale, California, he most recently played with Tepic in Mexico's second division.

USMNT's January roster balances ambitions for Olympics, Gold Cup

Should they opt to represent the USA, they would need to secure FIFA clearance. As a result, they're not eligible to play for the USA in next week's friendly in Chile. No matter, Klinsmann is giving them a taste of U.S. camp, much in the same way he did with Julian Green before securing the touted German-American's allegiance last spring.

"The goal is with players like [Akindele] or with Julio Morales or other ones that have come in before is that they get a feeling for our environment, that they get a feeling for their teammates, how things are run with the U.S. program and then down the road they make their decision together with their family," Klinsmann said in video released by U.S. Soccer. "They have to go the direction they feel most comfortable with."

Akindele's pending international decision is the more anticipated of the two given that the 22-year-old turned down Canada's call-up in November. He previously played for Canada on the U-17 level. While Morales represented Mexico at the 2013 U-20 World Cup, his place on Klinsmann's radar was more of a surprise given his lack of club exploits.

"I think so far [Akindele]'s having a blast. He's doing fine, he's looking sharp," Klinsmann said. "Obviously he can't travel with us to Chile nor can Julio, because they need now the [FIFA] one-time switch*. We are not pressuring that. We are not pushing that. We said, 'Take all the time in the world, because once you make that decision, it's a lifetime decision.'

[*Editor's note: U.S. Soccer has clarified that Klinsmann misspoke and that while Akindele still needs to be cleared by FIFA to play for the USA, he does not need to file for a one-time switch. He never played for Canada in an official youth competition.]

"I think we are doing well in that process, because we are honest. We leave it up to the players and their families to make their decision. We tell them how we run things, how we organize it, we're also honest in terms of where he is in the whole player pool. We have a lot of competition. And then hopefully Tesho and Julio will go with us, but no matter what they decide they have to make it right for themselves."

Among the dual-nationals who have committed to the USA since Klinsmann became manager in 2011 are Green, Fabian Johnson, John Anthony Brooks, Terrence Boyd, Daniel Williams and Aron Johannsson. Arsenal prospect Gedion Zelalem recently became a U.S. citizen and has begun the process to have FIFA clear him to join the U.S. men's national team.

GALLERY: Notable U.S. dual-nationals

Notable dual-nationals in U.S. soccer history

Joe Gaetjens - Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Joe Gaetijens, who scored the illustrious goal that lifted the United States to a 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 World Cup, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After returning home a hero, Gaetjens was tragically killed.

John Brooks - Berlin, Germany

Brooks, who scored the game winner in the United States’ 2014 World Cup opener against Ghana, grew up in Berlin, Germany. Although he has never lived in the United States, Brooks made the decision as a youth international to use his dual citizenship to join the USMNT.

Jermaine Jones - Frankfurt, Germany

Jones, a central midfielder known for his aggressive play, grew up in a dangerous neighborhood in Frankfurt, Germany. He debuted for the USMNT in 2010 under Bob Bradley.

Mikkel Diskerud - Oslo, Norway

Nicknamed “Mix” by his mother when he was just a young boy, Mikkel Diskerud has been a part of the USMNT since 2010. He was born in Oslo, Norway, in 1990.

Aron Johannsson - Mobile, Alabama – moved to Reykjavik, Iceland at age of 3

Aron Johannson, born in Mobile, Ala., moved to Reykjavik, Iceland, when he was 3. He has been a member of the USMNT since 2013, and has scored two goals in nine appearances.

Fabian Johnson - Munich, Germany

Fabian Johnson, who hails from Munich, Germany, made his debut for the USMNT against France in November 2011. He is a defender/midfielder on the USMNT.

Timothy Chandler - Frankfurt. Germany

Timmy Chandler, the son of a German mother and an American father, was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1990. He is a defender who has won 13 caps for the USMNT.

Julian Green - Tampa, Florida (born) – lived in Germany since he was 2

Julian Green, born in Tampa, Fla., to an American father and a German mother, moved to Germany at the age of 2 and has lived there ever since. At 18, Green decided to represent the United States and scored a goal in the 2014 World Cup.

Jeff Agoos - Geneva, Switzerland

Jeff Agoos, who was born in Geneva, Switzerland, won over 130 caps for the USMNT in his long career. He played in the 1998 World Cup in France, and the 2002 World Cup in South Korea.

David Regis - La Trinite, Martinique

Known for his speed as a defender, Regis was a starter for the USMNT in the 1998 World Cup. He was born in La Trinite, Martinique, and became a U.S. citizen just a few weeks before the 1998 World Cup began.

Earnie Stewart - Veghel, Netherlands

Earnie Stewart, born in Veghel, Netherlands, in 1969, was a member of the USMNT from 1990 to 2005. He is perhaps most remembered for his goal against Columbia in the 1994 World Cup, which helped the United States advance to the second round.

Fernando Clavijo - Maldonado, Uruguay

Fernando Clavijo moved from his hometown in Uruguay to the United States in 1979. He played in the 1994 World Cup and won 61 caps over his career.

Preki Radosavljevic - Belgrade, Serbia

Appearing in 28 games for the USMNT, Preki competed in the 1998 World Cup in France. He was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1963, and became a U.S. citizen in October 1996.

Roy Wegerle - Pretoria, South Africa

Roy Wegerle, who hails from Pretoria, South Africa, debuted for the USMNT against Iceland. He competed in both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

Tab Ramos - Montevideo, Uruguay

Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Ramos did not get the chance to compete for the USMNT as much as he would have liked. He is currently an assistant under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for the USMNT at the 2014 World Cup.

Thomas Dooley - – Bechhofen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Thomas Dooley, a defender from the USMNT from 1992 to 1999, was born in Bechhofen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He recorded 81 caps and seven goals in his impressive eight-year United States career.