Hardly the final word, but a photo and quote in a Spanish-language publication seems to be a pretty strong indication that Andy Najar has made up his mind about where he wants to play internationally, and it's not the United States. (NOTE: The accuracy of this information has been called into question, so go ahead and ignore it.) Najar is quoted in Diez, a Honduran publication, as saying, "The shirt I'll defend is the place of my birth." He's also pictured wearing a Honduras national team jersey with a Honduras flag draped around him. It doesn't say whether or not this is just for the Under-20 call-up, which itself is now in question, but this seems to be a pretty strong indication of where his heart is.
More Signs Point To Andy Najar Playing For Honduras, Not USA
What does this mean for the USMNT? It would be a loss, to be sure, but probably not a huge one, at least not right now. Najar was years away from being eligible to suit up for the Stars and Stripes and wide midfielder is one position that is not a current need. Maybe Najar could have developed into more of an attacking fullback, as he has occasionally been known to do with DC United, but any concerns over Najar have much more to do with projection.
In a bigger sense, the USMNT has fared pretty well with winning over dual-nationals and this would be an example of an increasingly rare defeat. Jermaine Jones, Mikkel Diskerud and Teal Bunbury are just three of the higher-profile players who have recently decided to play for the United States, rather than other countries for which they were eligible. As long as the United States is able to win its fair share of these kind of players, there's little reason to fret over losing someone like Najar.
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