USMNT
Alejandro Zendejas explains why he chose the USMNT over Mexico
The Club América ace will represent the United States at international level after making his debut during the January camp.
Alejandro Zendejas is fully committed to the United States men’s national team and he was included in the roster that will participate in the CONCACAF Nations League fixtures against Grenada and El Salvador during the international break of March. The Club América ace made his debut with the USMNT in the 2-1 defeat against Serbia in a friendly played at BMO stadium on 25 January.
After experiencing his first call up during January’s camp, Zendejas had his mind set up about his international future and declined the option to play for Mexico. The 25-year-old was eligible to represent El Tri if he made the one-time switch and submitted the paperwork to FIFA, but in the end declined the option.
Why Zendejas chose the US
It was reported that Zendejas would only file the document if he was promised to play in the last World Cup when Gerardo Martino was in charge, but the Club América player explained what happened throughout the process. The 25-year-old stated that he never demanded El Tri anything and his family helped him a lot with the decision.
“Obviously I spoke to my family about it almost every day or every week because I was getting calls from everywhere,” Zendejas said in a press conference. “But in terms of that thing about securing a spot, I don’t think anyone can be in a position for someone to secure something for you. We have to work on that daily and prove to people that we deserve the opportunity.
“I don’t know. It was chaos, people saying stuff that wasn’t true, people saying that stuff that was true, but at the end of the day, I just try not to focus on that. I try to focus on my club team and playing well. Then at the end of the day, I spoke to my family and we decided to represent the USA.”
The 25-year-old will have tough competition for a starting spot as he will have to compete with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson and Gio Reyna. Zendejas has arrived in Orlando, Florida for training camp ahead of the first official game of the year in Grenada.