After choosing to sit out recent friendlies with the USMNT, will Jurgen Klinsmann still select Darlington Nagbe for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers?
Portland Timbers‘ midfidler, Darlington Nagbe, reportedly chose to miss the USMNT’s recent camp and friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand so that he could spend time with his family. There is absolutely no reason why the young attacking midfielder should be criticized for his decision. Family comes before everything but with that being said, it may have hurt his chances of being selected for the World Cup Qualifiers later this year.
*Updated: Steve Zakuani says there is more to the story and Nagbe is “definitely committed.”*
As one of the most promising prospects for the USMNT, there is plenty of hype surrounding Nagbe and most expect him to be a part of the squad for years to come. After being selected for the Copa America 2016 tournament by Jurgen Klinsmann, Darlington seemed to have earned his spot with the team. Now that he missed out on the two most recent friendlies, which were used to give young players a chance, Darlington may not be called up going forward.
The 26-year old midfielder has made 10 appearances for the United States Men’s National Team and has recorded one goal during his service. (Wikipedia) He was included in the USA’s most recent WCQ against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago but he did not feature in either match.
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Now that Nagbe missed out on the friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand, other midfielders like Sacha Kljestan, Lynden Gooch, Danny Williams, and even Julian Green may take his spot in the World Cup Qualifiers. All of these midfield players were not included in the USMNT’s squad for the Copa America Centenario but they did get playing time during the recent friendlies. The impression that they made on Klinsmann could cause the German manager to overlook Darlington going forward.
Kljestan made the biggest improvement to his game over the past few months and with that growth, he could take Nagbe’s spot. Julian Green scored two goals during the friendlies and left a lasting impression looking ahead. He is also younger than Darlington so that could also come into play.
Danny Williams and Lynden Gooch each played limited minutes but with their play in training and in games, Klinsmann could be inclined to select them because he has seen them more recently than Nagbe. Darlington also hasn’t had the best season for the Portland Timbers in MLS this season. His form isn’t great and that could lead to him not being picked.
The Liberian born midfielder has been hyped up by media and fans alike for the past few years. It would be disappointing if Jurgen chose not to select the promising player because of missing out on two friendlies and a small camp. That could very much be the case though.
This is not an indictment on Nagbe’s decision to be with his family over playing in meaningless friendlies but rather looking ahead and what results may come out of his decision. Hopefully it doesn’t impact his selection for World Cup Qualifiers and Jurgen makes the final decision based mainly on his performance on the field rather than a choice to be with family.
It will be interesting to see what decisions Jurgen Klinsmann makes going forward. Darlington Nagbe has proven that he can produce but after missing out on important friendlies that could’ve helped him secure his spot, his selection is now in jeopardy. Wth the growth and development of the USMNT, many great players are now battling for a limited number of spots on the squad.