Jonathan Gonzalez, the 18-year-old wonderkind midfielder for Monterrey in Liga MX and the USMNT's next great midfield boss, has officially received clearance from FIFA to switch national teams and become Mexico's next great midfield boss.
Gonzalez announced his intention to switch national teams earlier this month following a series of calamitous errors made by US Soccer. Apparently Gonzalez has always wanted to play for the USA (he grew up in California), but he's eligible for Mexico, and no one could blame him for wanting to play for a federation that is at least a little bit competent.
No amount of standing under Gonzalez's windowsill holding a boombox blaring "Baby Come Back" can bring Jonathan Gonzalez back into the USMNT fold. It's official. It's over.
Mexico, meanwhile, get an 18-year-old central midfielder who made the all-Apertura XI and is probably headed to Europe sooner rather than later. With Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera and Jonathan Dos Santos all approaching the ends of their primes, some new central midfield blood is a huge need that Gonzalez should help fill.
Gonzalez could feature for Mexico as early as Jan. 31 in a friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina in San Antonio.
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