Any time the US national team takes on Mexico, it's a big occasion. But beyond the rivalry aspect, players selected for the match always have an opportunity to impress their coaches to be in consideration for future call-ups.
Ahead of the latest chapter in the border rivalry in San Antonio (Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET, FS1), USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann discussed the opportunities for players in the friendly and insisted that the door was never closed to players who had not received a recent selection, as long as they rebound in their form.
"It's very important that the players understand, even if they are for a long stretch of time not with us, they're always observed," Klinsmann said on Monday, in video provided to the media. "We always watch them."
He also noted that the coaching staff struggled, to an extent, alongside their players, such as New England Revolution forward Juan Agudelo, returning to the national team after spending more than a year on the sidelines, as they struggled on the club front.
"We kind of suffer with them when things are not going so well, like Julian Green, like Juan Agudelo when he had his journey through Europe, or Brek Shea over that time, or Joe Corona was injured. So every one of them has their own individual issues, and they have their down periods, and they have their struggles, but that doesn't mean they are out of sight. We watch them. We are communicating with them and we want to help them. And when they're kind of coming back up and there is an opportunity like now, other players are not there."
On a similar note, the US boss also insisted that players in the set-up were not permanently assured of their places.
"...Often people say, 'Well the national team program, once you're in, you're always in. Once you're out, you're not getting back in anymore.' That is not true. There's always an open door, no matter in what phase of your career you are, as long as you show that with your performances," he said.
With the Gold Cup coming up later this summer, Klinsmann said that while he could not use Wednesday's friendly to fully construct a lineup to be used in the upcoming tournament, as most European-based players were not released for the match, there was value in the friendly, for individual players to set themselves apart.
"This game doesn't really help you to zoom in, because you are restricted to the players you have just now," he explained. "But it is a great opportunity for everyone [individually] to show where they are right now, where they are at this stage with MLS teams, down in Mexico, and just show us at what stage you are. And then obviously the closer we get to the Gold Cup the more we kind of define things."
