Tag: Alejandro Zendejas

The Americans Abroad Five: Carnage, carnage everywhere

It was the kind of weekend where those who played envied those who didn’t

This has not been the greatest season overall for Americans Abroad, and this weekend was a nice little encapsulation of that sad reality.

It was the kind of weekend where those who played envied those who didn’t. Where, in one day, three of the best performing Americans in Europe were lost for the season. Where more shocking performances left some top USMNT players staring relegation right in the face.

It was carnage. And relief may not be coming anytime soon.

Let’s look back on a truly ugly weekend in the Five.

Cocca gives update on Mexico’s pursuit of USMNT-eligible Zendejas

The new Mexico boss wants the winger with El Tri — but he was nowhere to be found on his first roster

Mexico head coach Diego Cocca has said he’s actively looking to recruit Alejandro Zendejas — but the U.S.-eligible winger was not on his first roster after taking over El Tri.

Cocca, who was named Tata Martino’s successor last month, named a 34-player roster for Mexico’s Nations League matches against Suriname on March 23, and against Jamaica three days later.

Zendejas, who was born in Mexico and raised in the United States, played in two friendlies with Mexico’s senior national team after representing the U.S. at the youth level.

After a FIFA investigation, Mexico was forced to forfeit both of those matches because Zendejas never filed the one-time switch he would have needed to be eligible to play for El Tri.

The Club América winger received his first senior call for the USMNT in January, and he impressed in his debut against Serbia. The 25-year-old made it clear, however, that he had yet to decide his international future.

Speaking at a press conference after his roster was revealed on Thursday, Cocca said he is hoping to convince Zendejas to join Mexico but believes the winger still needs time to make his decision.

“I’ve spoken with [Zendejas] personally two times,” Cocca said. “First, I wanted to tell him that our intention is to have him with us. And second, I wanted to make clear that today he is not eligible because he has to sign a document to be with the Mexico national team. It’s his decision and we’ll give him time to make his decision.”

Zendejas not being on Mexico’s roster can be seen as a win for the USMNT, as his presence would have permanently tied him to Mexico. Should Zendejas be called up and play for the USMNT in its Nations League matches in March, he’d be permanently tied to the U.S.

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The Americans Abroad Five: The Pefok and Pepi paradoxes

How much does club form really matter for Gregg Berhalter?

How much does club form matter for the U.S. national team?

To a certain extent, a lot. Gregg Berhalter would find it hard to call up any players outside his core group who aren’t at least getting regular minutes with their club side.

But as this past week has shown, Berhalter also has a pretty clear idea of which players fit his system and which don’t — and no amount of club success is going to change that.

To wit, let’s look at the examples of two strikers in Europe who have experienced vastly different fates over the past year, and what their USMNT status says about club form.

Let’s get to the Five.

Pefok, Ream and Vazquez headline the biggest USMNT roster snubs

Barring injuries or a real turn of form at club level, these guys are likely to be watching the World Cup on TV

There will always be a few snubs from any U.S. men’s national team roster, but rarely are they as meaningful as these ones.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter has insisted that the non-injured players who didn’t make his 26-man roster for September’s friendlies still have a shot to make the World Cup squad.

But it will be tough.

This is the last chance to impress Berhalter before the World Cup, so barring injuries or a real turn of form at club level, the following players are likely to be watching the USMNT on TV in Qatar.

Let’s get to the biggest omissions from the USMNT September roster.

Martino accuses Zendejas of demanding World Cup spot in exchange for Mexico commitment

The coach charged that the winger was committing an act of “extortion”

Mexico head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino has accused Club América star Alejandro Zendejas of “extortion” as the bizarre saga involving the dual-national took another turn on Wednesday night.

Zendejas was born in Mexico and raised in Texas. He represented the U.S. at the Under-17 level, including the 2015 U-17 World Cup, before switching his allegiance to Mexico.

The 24-year-old played in two friendlies for the Mexico senior team, in October 2021 and April 2022, which would have required him to file a one-time switch with FIFA due to his previous participation with the U.S. youth national team.

Only, it seems that Zendejas maybe didn’t file that one-time switch.

The in-form winger wasn’t called up for Mexico’s squad for Wednesday night’s friendly against Paraguay (a game El Tri lost 1-0), and reports began to emerge that his absence was due to his refusal to sign a document committing to Mexico over the USMNT.

But what, exactly would this document have been? If it was a one-time switch with FIFA, then how could he have played for Mexico in those two friendlies?

As it turns out, the answer could be: illegally. ESPN confirmed last week that FIFA was investigating the situation, with Mexico vulnerable to potential sanctions.

Martino hits out at Zendejas

Let’s return to Wednesday night, when Martino was quizzed on the Zendejas affair by TUDN. The manager launched an extraordinary accusation that the winger was trying to extort Mexico by saying he would only sign if he were guaranteed a World Cup roster spot.

“The player had to sign a document and he didn’t want to sign it,” Martino charged.

“There is no federation problem, nor a coach problem. His demand or his doubt is whether or not he is going to go to a World Cup and in that case I do not want a player who thinks that way. It’s almost an extortion.

“But the reality is that a document had to be signed, a federation transfer, and the footballer first said that he was going to sign it and then he did not sign it. That’s what they told me.”

Martino’s accusation appears to be a tacit admission that Zendejas never filed a one-time switch with FIFA. It would also seem to destroy any chance the winger has of returning to the Mexico national team setup as long as Martino is the coach.

As long as that switch wasn’t filed, Zendejas remains eligible to play for the USMNT.

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