GUADALAJARA, Mexico – United States Under-20 national team regular Juan Pablo Ocegueda has joined Chivas de Guadalajara from Tigres UANL, according to a report in Saturday’s Cancha.
The story says 19-year-old left back Ocegueda will be registered with Chivas’ third-division side, but will also be eligible for the club’s Under-20s and the first team. It states the deal is a one-year loan with the option to buy.
The move puts into question Ocegueda’s future with the US U-20 national team, with Chivas releasing a statement last November explicitly indicating that their players could not feature for a foreign national team.
Ocegueda did Tweet on Saturday evening that he was proud to play for the US and would remain part of it as long as he is called up, although there has been no official statement from Chivas.
What is clear is that either Ocegueda will have to stop playing for the US or Chivas will have to make an exception to their stated club policy.
Ocegueda is rejoining Chivas sporting director Dennis te Kloese, who brought the player in from Riverside, Calif., to Tigres in 2009 when te Kloese was head of that club’s youth system.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. Contact him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com
