Timothy Chandler's Absence from USMNT Brings Back Thoughts of Giuseppe Rossi

Today it was announced that Nuremberg back Timothy Chandler would not be included in the U.S. roster for the USMNT’s upcoming games. USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said the decision was because Chandler wanted to “take a break.”

Not exactly what fans of the USMNT were hoping for.

The decision by Chandler to skip the May and June games is concerning for a couple of reasons. First, without Chandler, the U.S. back line is much weaker. In both the U.S.’s recent friendlies and the Bundesliga, Chandler's play has been solid.

More troubling is that, for the second summer in a row, Chandler has decided to miss games that would tie him internationally to the United States. So far, all of the games Chandler has played in have been friendlies, which means that Chandler is still eligible to switch countries and represent Germany.

Last summer, Chandler opted not to participate in the Gold Cup, a FIFA competition that would have bound him to the U.S. for the future. In that case, Chandler cited fatigue. Chandler’s absence from upcoming matches means that he will miss the USMNT’s World Cup qualifiers against Antigua and Guatemala, which means Chandler will still not be tied to the U.S. internationally.

Perhaps this is all coincidence, and in Chandler’s heart, he wishes to represent the U.S. Or, more cynically, maybe with a rapidly rising career, he has realized he doesn’t want to get bound to the U.S. in case the Germans happen to come calling in the future.

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