After more than a year of debate and inquiry, it appears the tussle over Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst's international future is complete.
Parkhurst accepted a call-up to the United States national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is slated to start on Wednesday in Miami.
If Parkhurst sees the field for the United States during the competition, he will be tied to the U.S. because the competition is FIFA-sanctioned competitive play. This precludes him from appearing for any other nation.
Parkhurst's removal from international free agency will disappoint the Republic of Ireland national team, which invited Parkhurst to train with the team when it was in Foxborough for its May 26 contest with Bolivia. Parkhurst holds Irish citizenship through links with his grandparents.
Parkhurst said that he was taking a pragmatic approach to his international career despite turning down the Irish offer.
"I wasn't going to rule out anything," Parkhurst said. "I thought I'd wait and see what happened."
What happened was the call-up for the Gold Cup from newly anointed U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley. Parkhurst was called into national team camp earlier this year, but did not see the field.
With the opportunity to cap-tie Parkhurst, a Providence, R.I., native, to the United States, it made sense to bring Parkhurst into the American international fold once again, though the Revolution defender hopes his form was more important to the selection than his international future.
"I hope I've earned it rather them just trying to get me a cap," Parkhurst said.
Bradley suggested that the opportunity to clinch Parkhurst's international future was not the principle reason for his selection.
"That wasn't a huge factor," Bradley said. "I had conversations with Michael about his options. He has indicated to me that his goal is to play with the U.S. national team. We didn't feel like it was the right time then, but based upon his play so far, we think his time has come."
Irish manager Steve Staunton, a former defender with Liverpool and Aston Villa of the English Premier League, said that Parkhurst's choice was solely up to the defender.
"If he joins up with them then that's his call," Staunton told the Irish Independent. "If he wants to go down that route, he'll go down that route."
Parkhurst has shone in the center of the Revolution's three-man backline so far this season, displaying composure and awareness that would select him as a candidate for international play.
From his recent national team camp experience, Parkhurst knows that he'll have to be on top of his game in order to see the field, regardless of the international tussle.
"It's a little more intense," Parkhurst said. "You have to be on top of things mentally, especially at my position. You can't take a play off."
Bradley made Parkhurst no promises over his playing time and Parkhurst feels that those in the best form will get a crack in the tournament regardless of pedigree.
"I have no indication of who is going to play what," Parkhurst said. "I'm going to train hard and see what happens."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
