Bunbury Ponder’s Call Up to US Men’s National Team

Najar and Bunbury ponder USMNT option

For MLS rookies Andy Najar and Teal Bunbury, the decision on what national team they would represent may have seemed easy a year ago. Today, both appear to have serious decisions to make.

Both Najar and Bunbury have turned down national team call-ups, Najar by Honduras and Bunbury by Canada, as they weigh their options and try to balance the beginnings of their professional careers. For Bunbury, who can play for either Canada or the United States, he didn’t seem to have much of a decision to make after having represented Canada on the youth national team level, but now he is clearly considering the United States.

For Najar, the situation isn’t as simple. He is a native of Honduras and can represent the Catrachos immediately, but he is at least considering the possibility of waiting until he is eligible to play for the United States. He turned down a call-up for Honduras’ upcoming friendly vs. Panama, a call-up that makes it clear Honduras is worried about losing him.

Are Najar and Bunbury wise to wait on their decisions, and are they players who could help the United States down the road? The easy answer to both is yes.

There is no rush for either player. Najar is 17 and Bunbury is 20. Both are very promising prospects who could absolutely provide depth to the U.S. national team pool, though maybe not right away.

Bunbury’s combination of size and speed would make him an attractive option for Bob Bradley, and perhaps more importantly, he’s still young and learning his trade. He came on strong late in the year for the Wizards, finishing with five goals and two assists. Solid numbers considering he started just 13 games.

Najar is a dynamic force who could develop into a difference-maker on the wing. The only issue with him is that he’s still several years to go before he could represent the United States. Does he wait on American citizenship, or does he commit to Honduras now and potentially earn a place in their World Cup qualifying plans?

At 17, Najar is hardly in a position where he has to rush. He’ll be 21 when the 2014 World Cup rolls around so he isn’t facing the same type of time crunch that forced Yura Movsisyan to choose to play for Armenia rather than waiting for American citizenship.

Bunbury’s decision is likely to come sooner, and it will be a tough one. Can he pass on Canada, who his father played for, or will he pass on the United States to play for a national team with a track record of inconsistency and underachievement? He is clearly torn at the moment, meaning he just might choose the United States.

Tough decisions for two young talents. Decisions USA fans will be waiting anxiously for.

What do you think? Hoping both players choose to play for the United States, or do you think they’re better off choosing other options?