USMNT manager Anthony Hudson reveals why did didn’t call up Alejandro Zendejas for the game against Mexico
Mexico face the USMNT on 19 April and Hudson didn’t select Zendejas in the squad. And now he has revealed why...
The USMNT revealed their squad for the upcoming game against Mexico on 19 April, a date that falls outside the FIFA international calendar. As such, head coach Anthony Hudson has had to make up a 23-strong list of players who play in MLS. Sergiño Dest is the only player outside of the American continent who has made the squad, but he has not played for AC Milan since January.
One name that Hudson left off the list which has caused eyebrows to raise is that of Alejandro Zendejas, the Club América footballer who was tipped by many to make the cut. The 25-year-old, born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, is seen by fans and pundits as one of the high hopes of the USMNT for the future.
Hudson: ‘we would have loved to have had him here’
The manager revealed the reason for Zendejas not being in the squad shortly after the list was announced. According to Hudson, Club América “politely declined” a call-up for the player, given that he has only recently returned from a broken nose that he suffered in the recent win over Monterrey.
“The club politely declined and that’s well within their right to do that,” Hudson said. “And all I will say is we were disappointed because we would have loved to have had him here. I know he was desperate to come.”
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“We’re disappointed”, he added, gracious in defeat of his attempt to call up the player, “but the fact we’ve built this relationship with Alejandro is because the club have been so good with us. We have no issues with that, we accept it.”
“Who knows if the situation would have been different if it wasn’t for his injury... They didn’t need to let him come in January and they’ve been really, really supportive. So we have no issues with that. We accept it.”