Curb your enthusiasm: don't rush Jonathan González into repeating Julian Green's case

Jürgen Klinsmann surely thought he had struck the right note when in 2014 Julian Green became the youngest scorer for the USMNT at World Cups (19 years old). His goal against Thibaut Courtois in Salvador da Bahia, a clinical first-touch volley, seemed to announce that long-awaited successor to Donovan and Dempsey.


Back then nobody would have questioned Klinsmann for precipitating Green's international career by making him request from FIFA his definite switch from Germany to the United States. What is more, alongside Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, the boy was regarded by Pep Guardiola as one of the big talents coming from Bayern Munich's grassroots levels.

However, neither Højbjerg nor Green could finally satisfy Pep and both ended up transferred to other clubs. While the Danish is now at Southampton, the American plies his trade at Germany's second division for Greuther Fürth, on loan from Stuttgart. In the international level, the latter's career has been reduced to a couple of friendlies after his shocking Brazil 2014 debut.


In other words, Green was rushed by his environment and is now stuck in 2. Bundesliga.


Jonathan González is the latest case of that sort of rush so characteristic of talented young players with more than one nationality. Think of Adnan Januzaj and Munir El Haddadi, who have almost no chances to play in Russia 2018 after the media hype with which their futures were discussed years ago. International football is truly ruthless at forcing teenagers to make up their minds when they are still far from having settled careers.


Of course most El Tri fans want him and he seems tailor-made for Juan Carlos Osorio’s preferred tactical set-up: a 4-3-3 in which one of the three spots in the midfield is still up for grabs, considering that Andrés Guardado and Héctor Herrera are first choices. Competition comes in the names of Orbelín Pineda, Jesús Duenas, Jonathan Dos Santos and, perhaps, Víctor Guzmán. Over all of them, González has the advantage of his Monterrey role: a lone holding midfielder that, for Mexico, would enable Guardado and Herrera to play higher up in the pitch.

Currently, however, the official request to FIFA for a switch of associations in international football is a definitive one. Once made and granted, there is no way back. A decision like this implies that González is fully aware of Mexico's football environment (above all its media and its federation) and of his own potential and resolve to fulfil it.

The cases of Green, Januzaj and Munir prove that hurrying youngsters into making definitive decisions puts a heavy load onto their shoulders. For the good of González, let us hope that he is in sincere communication with Juan Carlos Osorio, for the worst scenario for him and for El Tri would be the retelling of yet another Mexican drama or "telenovela".