The first domino has reportedly fallen for Major League Soccer for the July transfer window. For the United States Men’s National Team it is not necessarily a good one.
On Thursday, Goal.com reported that FC Dallas winger Alejandro Zendejas would be sold to Liga MX side Chivas Guadalajara. The move was confirmed by Sports Illustrated’s Brian Sciaretta via Twitter Friday morning.
Although FC Dallas has yet to confirm the deal and as per league policy exact details will not be officially released the goal.com report lists the transfer fee at around $500K.
Zendejas, 18, originally signed a Homegrown player deal with FC Dallas in 2014. The El Paso, Texas native has played in eight matches for the club, all of which occurred in 2015. Zendejas has been plagued by injuries this season although he recently resumed training with Dallas.
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In addition to his club time Zendejas has also featured for the United States at the under-15 and under-17 levels. He also played in all three matches for the USMNT during their failed 2015 U-17 World Cup campaign.
This move is a win-win-win for both Dallas, MLS, and for Chivas. If the reported transfer value is true then this move will give Dallas additional flexibility during the July window to either acquire help for their MLS Cup or to replenish their youth academy system.
Although the club has dabbled in the international transfer market in the past, the club generally tends to build from within. The club currently has seven Homegrown players on its roster.
For MLS this move further cements the league’s ability to grow players from within their ranks. Since the establishment of the Homegrown player rule and a legitimate youth academy structure younger players have increasingly found opportunities both within MLS and abroad.
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Although it is by no means a perfect system there is certainly some evidence that teams are able to produce players that can play abroad.
The one party that perhaps will not be pleased with this move is the USMNT. As a policy Chivas only allows players to play for them who are either from Mexico or refuse to play for a non-Meican national team.
As the Goal piece mentions a similar situation occurred with Juan Pablo Ocegueda, a Mexican-American who signed with Chivas on loan back in July of 2013. While he was on loan with Chivas, the left back had to announce that he would not play for the United States. Ocegueda has since left Chivas and did play for the U.S. under-23 team in 2014.
The difference between the two moves is that Ocegueda’s move was a loan and Zendejas is a full transfer. Although Zendejas is just 18 years old, it does put his advancement through the U.S. Soccer structure to a grinding halt. Zendejas has been considered one of the top prospects for the USMNT and in brief appearances for FC Dallas has shown that he can play against players who are much older than him.
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What will be interesting to see is how Chivas opts to use him. Zendejas will likely spend the better part of the 2016-2017 Liga MX season with their under-20 side. Despite Chivas’ pro-Mexican leanings the club has shown themselves to being a side that can help players develop and take the next step in their professional careers. Although it may come at the cost of any international ambitions in the short-term, the move to Chivas may benefit Zendejas’ career in the long-term.