Thomas Müller may have just revealed a secret before its official announcement: a new player on the U.S. men’s national team roster.
After scoring his first goal for the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis City on Saturday, the German star revealed that his teammate, Tristan Blackmon, will be called up to the USMNT for next month’s friendlies.
“During the international break, we’ll miss some guys at that moment. Tristan is nominated for the USA,” Müller said.
The former Bayern Munich midfielder quickly realized the roster hadn’t been released yet. “If he plays good today. Ahh, the game is already played. In the end, it is what it is, I heard what I heard… congrats to Tristan and congrats to USA,” he added.
Blackmon, 28, was on the preliminary roster for the Gold Cup but did not make the final team.
The USMNT will play South Korea on September 6 in Harrison, New Jersey, and then Japan on September 9 in Columbus, Ohio.
ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle reported in May that Canada‘s Men’s National Team manager, Jesse Marsch, has also had discussions with Blackmon about playing for Canada.
While Blackmon was born and raised in Las Vegas, sources told ESPN that if he chooses to play for Canada, the Canada Soccer Association is prepared to fast-track his application for a Canadian passport.
Blackmon has spent the last four seasons with the Whitecaps, becoming a key part of their defense. He helped lead Vancouver to the finals of this year’s Concacaf Champions Cup and their current third-place standing in the MLS Western Conference.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
