Who’s Alejandro Zendejas? The Membership America ‘baller’ in the midst of a tug of battle between USMNT and Mexico

Alejandro Zendejas wasn’t going to be drawn in.

As reporter after reporter requested in regards to the ongoing tug of battle between the U.S. males’s nationwide crew and Mexico, Zendejas supplied some model of the identical reply again and again. Reporters rephrased their query, Zendejas rephrased his reply, and on it went.

Zendejas did not reveal a lot, repeatedly saying he was simply dwelling within the current and having fun with his first U.S. males’s nationwide crew camp. The Membership America star stated he was excited to be right here, excited to see some outdated buddies and excited to possibly get his first USMNT cap.

“I am simply having fun with the second,” he stated when pressed on his worldwide standing. “I am having fun with this week. It is enjoyable to reconnect with a bunch of gamers that I used to play with. And like I stated, it is an honor to be right here.”

However, in not revealing a lot, Zendejas did reveal one thing: that the tug of battle is probably going nonetheless on and that every thing stays on the desk.

The 24-year-old winger is again with the U.S. nationwide crew program after practically eight years away. These years have been spent with Mexico and, as Zendejas joins the USMNT’s January camp, his international future is the talking point, even when he himself is not keen to speak about it.

As a teen, Zendejas, who was born in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico earlier than transferring to El Paso as a toddler, was an everyday for the U.S. U-17 squad that additionally options future USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams.

Like these two, Zendejas appeared destined for a brilliant future with the USMNT sometime, and the winger says that Pulisic was amongst these to succeed in out to him when he obtained his call-up.

“Alex is an absolute baller,” stated Brandon Vazquez, one other member of that U-17 crew that can also be in USMNT camp for the primary time.

“He is so shifty. His velocity and velocity are nice. He is superb on the ball, so enjoying with him is at all times actually, actually enjoyable.”

Every little thing modified, although, when Zendejas left the FC Dallas system to affix Mexican giants Chivas in June 2016. With a purpose to fulfill the membership’s requirement to solely play Mexican gamers, Zendejas agreed to reject future U.S. call-ups ought to they happen.

In August 2017, he made his debut for Mexico’s U-21s, and in October 2021, he made his senior debut below Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino in a pleasant towards Ecuador for his first of two senior caps.

Because it seems, although, Zendejas wasn’t eligible to make these appearances. He’d by no means filed a one-time swap to symbolize Mexico after enjoying for the U.S. in official competitions. Zendejas, by FIFA regulation, was nonetheless an American participant, having not filed the right paperwork to symbolize Mexico.

In response to Martino, Zendejas refused to signal a one-time swap except assured a World Cup spot, with the now-ex-Mexico supervisor accusing him of “extortion”.

“The participant needed to signal a doc and he didn’t wish to signal it,” Martino stated again in September. “There isn’t any federation drawback, nor a coach drawback.

“His demand or his doubt is whether or not or not he’s going to go to a World Cup and in that case I don’t need a participant who thinks that means. It’s virtually an extortion.

“However the actuality is {that a} doc needed to be signed, a federation switch, and the footballer first stated that he was going to signal it after which he didn’t signal it. That’s what they advised me.”

On January 10, Mexico was penalized for playing Zendejas while he wasn’t an eligible player. They have been ordered to forfeit the 2 friendlies he performed for the senior crew, three friendlies he performed for the U-23s and pay a nice for violating eligibility guidelines.

So, what’s it that makes Zendejas so attention-grabbing? Why is the USMNT able to deliver him again in any case of those years away? And why is there an opportunity that Mexico may nonetheless have an interest regardless of the controversy?

Nicely, firstly he is a left-footed winger, one thing that almost all nationwide groups can use. He is technically gifted and versatile, with the flexibility to play on both facet or as a central midfielder.

As he heads to January camp, Zendejas has discovered a house with Membership America after failing to interrupt via at Chivas earlier than, finally, impressing at Necaxa. His success on the latter paved the best way for him to make the transfer to America, arguably Mexico’s largest membership, in January 2022.

And since making that transfer, Zendejas has excelled. After scoring 5 objectives in 18 video games in his first season, he is scored eight occasions in 22 appearances within the 2022-23 marketing campaign.

The newest of these objectives got here simply final weekend when he scored America’s second in a 2-2 draw with Puebla.

It was a completely gorgeous end, as Zendejas smashed a bouncing ball into the again of the web after beforehand assistant Henry Martin’s opener for America.

Zendejas is, by all accounts, a key determine for his membership, which did U.S. Soccer a favor in releasing him for this camp.

He’ll play Wednesday’s pleasant towards Serbia earlier than heading again to his membership, lacking the Colombia pleasant in favor of a Liga MX conflict with Mazatlan.

“After we put the checklist collectively, we put names on there and he was considered one of them,” interim USMNT boss Anthony Hudson stated.

“I’ve to be sincere, I did not suppose there was any probability we have been gonna get him in as a result of he is clearly enjoying in season proper now, so once we made the decision to the membership, the membership was superb, actually constructive, very supportive of him coming in. I used to be shocked.”

Regardless that he is with the U.S. at the moment, Zendejas nonetheless has a call to make.

A U.S. Soccer spokesman confirmed that the winger is, in truth, nonetheless eligible for Mexico, though he must file that pesky one-time swap to symbolize El Tri.

Profession-wise, it might be the most effective transfer.

The U.S. has a plethora of wingers, headlined by Zendejas’ outdated teammate Pulisic. Stars like Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson and Gio Reyna are additionally within the combine, and that is not even getting to a couple of the opposite promising kids on this camp and elsewhere.

Nevertheless, there’s an opportunity that Zendejas additionally burned some bridges with El Tri with all the controversy that occurred round his eligibility.

Complicating that call is the truth that, proper now, neither crew has a supervisor.

The USMNT is in a state of flux after latest allegations towards Gregg Berhalter and an ensuing conflict with the Reyna household derailed the coach hiring course of.

And Mexico, too, are trying to find a brand new coach, with Marcelo Bielsa amongst these linked with taking on as Martino’s alternative.

Who is aware of when that call will come? He will not must make it till not less than March, when the U.S. and Mexico will each play official video games within the CONCACAF Nations League.

However, till then, we all know Zendejas’ reply.

“Hopefully, tomorrow might be a fantastic recreation for the entire crew,” he stated. “Hopefully, we get that win after which on a private stage, on that facet, I hope it is a fantastic recreation for me after which I will in all probability concentrate on the longer term as soon as we get to that time once more.”