AARHUS, Denmark – In a year of transition for the US national team, the latest newcomers to the group come from south of the border.
Leon goalkeeper William Yarbrough (above) and Club America defender Ventura Alvarado each received their first senior call-ups for the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies against Denmark on Wednesday (3 pm ET, ESPN) and then Tuesday at Switzerland (12 pm ET, Fox Sports 1).
Both dual Mexican-American citizens who had also reportedly considered representing El Tri, head coach Jürgen Klinsmann said their inclusion in the March camp was a no-brainer.
“It’s exciting in the first few days here to have Yarbrough and Alvarado in the group now,” Klinsmann told media ahead of the game in Denmark. “That’s two new faces that we want to better integrate into the team. We want to see us now really zooming in and starting to prepare for the summer. We want to see individual answers to problems that we have at the back of our minds.”
The 25-year-old Yarbrough, who was born in Mexico to American parents, has proven himself a reliable asset as Leon’s starting goalkeeper since 2013, and won back-to-back titles with the team in the 2013 Apertura and 2014 Clausura tournaments. He also started all eight games in Leon's 2014 Copa Libertadores campaign as the team were eliminated on away goals in the Round of 16.
Alvarado’s role in helping his team grab the Liga MX title in the Apertura 2014 tournament also didn’t go unnoticed in international circles, particularly not by Klinsmann. He spent most of his childhood in Phoenix, Ariz., before moving with his parents to Mexico. He finally broke into the team in the second half of 2014, and has since established himself as a starter on one of Mexico's most high-pressure clubs.
The two join other dual nationality holders like John Brooks, Julian Green and Aron Johannsson on a US team scouted and recruited from across the globe.
“The January camp has its own character because it’s mainly MLS-based, but now we have a chance to reconnect with all the European guys and bring in the new Mexican league players,” Klinsmann said. “So you can sit down, discuss things with them, talk about the individual situation, so you get a better idea of what they’re going through and tell them where they stand within the national team.”
