USMNT vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mexican to play for the Stars and Stripes

In the friendly match on December 18 between the USMNT and Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Mexican will play for the Stars and Stripes, and the name has already been announced: Jonathan Gómez, a left-back and Dallas FC youth player. 

Gómez has announced that the USMNT has called him up for the friendly match they will play this Saturday against the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. 

The player was preparing to join Real Sociedad "B" of Spain when he received the call to participate with the U.S. senior national team. 

Once the U.S. Soccer Federation received the player's response, he was added to the list of called-up players, which was made public through their social networks. 

What the Mexican who will play for USMNT has to say

"This is a good opportunity to see how things are here, train, and gather as much information as possible for when I have to make a decision which probably won't be soon," Gomez said through a radio interview.

"It is an honor to be able to represent two countries and that both are interested in me playing with them, I don't take the questions badly at all, it doesn't bother me when I make a decision, that's when it will stop," he said.

Jonathan Gomez is the son of Mexicans and was born in the United States, but has always been close to his Mexican heritage.

So much so that he has participated with the Mexican national soccer team, in the U16 and U20 teams. 

The last time the player was with El Tri was in the CONCACAF Nations League as a sparring partner for the senior national team. 

And last October he played with Mexico's U-20 team in two friendly matches against England's U-19 and France's U-19 teams. 

In both matches, the Mexican national team was defeated, in the first one with a score of 3-1, and the second one with a score of 4-1. 

Why are the Mexican and U.S. national teams "fighting" over the player? 

Gomez is a young talent who has shown that what he needs is playing time and good guidance to develop his full potential. 

The 18-year-old was born in North Richland Hills, Texas, and in his second season with Louisville City FC of the USL Championship, he has been gradually establishing himself. 

This year he achieved a great achievement in the second division of the United States by being awarded by the league as the Youth Player of the Year, after playing 29 games, scoring 2 goals, and registering 10 assists. 

This achievement also helped him to be considered for selection in the ideal team of the tournament.  

Gomez is not the only Mexican who has chosen the U.S. over Mexico

The case of Jonathan Gomez is not the first in which a player of Mexican descent has chosen to play for the Stars and Stripes. 

So far, the most famous case is that of Ricardo Pepi, a player with FC Dallas who has dual citizenship, just like Gómez. 

The gamble has paid off well for the United States as Pepi has established himself as a starting striker in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring goals for his team at crucial moments.