Even after the Gold Cup, US national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be bringing new players into the fold, as Hertha Berlin defender John Anthony Brooks will be called up for the senior national team's friendly on August 14 at Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a Friday report Friday on the website of German magazine Kicker.
The 20-year-old center back enjoyed a breakout season with Hertha in the 2.Bundesliga, starting 26 of the 29 games he appeared in without drawing a single card as the capital side regained its place in the German top flight.
Brooks, who is eligible to represent both Germany and the United States, has been closely followed by the US national team coaching staff and has participated in a number of camps with the US Under-20 national team under Tab Ramos. He was, however, left off the preliminary roster for the U-20 World Cup after choosing to spend his summer recovering from his first full professional campaign.
The 6-foot-4 defender has also been in a camp with the German youth national team, but was not called up for Germany's U-21 European Championship campaign this summer.
Brooks recently signed a new contract with Hertha Berlin, tying him to the club through 2017.
A U.S. Soccer spokesperson told MLSsoccer.com that the federation had not put out any official requests to clubs for the release of players, and has until July 29 to do so.
However, Yanks Abroad reporter Brian Sciaretta reported that a source close to Brooks said that the player had indeed been called up:
