Youth Talents and National Team Choices

There is no young player with more projection in the Liga MX than the midfielder from Rayados, Jonathan González, but at the same time, there is also no one who represents as much risk of nostalgia.

He made his debut in the first team just last July, he is only 18 years old, he was indisputable in Monterrey's lineup, the leader of the league, and he was included in the ideal 11 of the Liga MX Apertura 2017.

However, his future at the national team level seems to be with the United States, for whom he has already played with the U-20 team in a Concacaf tournament, so the next year, 2018, could be decisive only if he is called up by Osorio for Russia 2018.

Among his generation in the Liga MX, no one came close to him in relevance during the last semester, when he played 1,078 minutes and 15 matches. The closest was Brian Figueroa (Pumas/724 minutes), followed by José Juan Macías (Chivas/305), Francisco Figueroa (Pachuca/268), Roberto de la Rosa (Pachuca/230), and Diego Láinez (América/225).

In the Mexican Football Federation, they have tried to convince him to play for Mexico, but the player, without closing the door, is clear that he prefers the United States because he was born in California.

According to the Statutes of the organization, a player who has dual citizenship can be called up by two Federations but can only represent one at the senior level.

Everything indicates that it will not be until 2019 when he will have to make the final decision since, being under 23 years old, it will not be a friendly match, not even at the senior level, but only an official tournament that may prevent him from changing his mind.

The United States will not compete in official tournaments in 2018 because they will not be in the World Cup, unlike Mexico, although the possibility of him going seems remote, even though he is to Osorio's liking, but more as a midfielder than as a defensive midfielder.

Mexico could call him up for the Central American Games in Colombia in July, although that tournament is still considered minor since it is usually played by U-23 teams.

González's decision is similar to the one made by players like Edgar Castillo and Jesse González, who played for Mexico in youth teams but later chose the United States.

In that sense, the FMF hopes that the jewel of Rayados will make the opposite decision and that, after playing with the U-20 team of the USA, he will choose the Mexican National Team at the senior level.