ASN: Intriguing future awaits Ferreira after robust begin with U.S. U-20 crew

By all accounts, Jesus Ferreira is making a robust first impression with the U.S. U-20 crew. However now with American citizenship and first crew membership minutes doubtlessly on the horizon, it units the desk for a intriguing 12 months for the FC Dallas homegrown product.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
January 10, 2019
11:00 AM

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WHEN THE United States U-20 crew received CONCACAF in November, the crew appeared so spectacular all through the match that it raised expectations for a future on the upcoming 2019 World Cup in Poland. What’s much more fascinating, nonetheless, is that head coach Tab Ramos didn’t even have lots of his high gamers at his disposal for that match.

The competitors to make the present upcoming World Cup crew is extraordinarily intense, and that isn’t even together with gamers like Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, and Tim Weah who’re principally now with the senior crew. Ramos will certainly have many robust selections for placing collectively his roster.

One participant who’s at present in camp and performing effectively is ahead Jesus Ferreira who’s making his debut for the USA U-20 crew. On Tuesday, the FC Dallas homegrown performed effectively within the second half because the U.S. U-20 crew defeated the U-19 crew 2-0.

Ferreira has impressed the employees to date and is very regarded within the robust youth system at FC Dallas. However the looming subject over Ferreira with U.S U-20 crew is that he’s not but an American citizen. His formal utility for citizenship was filed not too long ago on his 18th birthday on December 24 however it’s unclear how lengthy the method will take.

However that didn’t cease Ramos from calling up Ferreira to get him built-in into the crew. Ramos, actually, has been monitoring Ferreira for a while and now felt that the timing is true. To this point, Ferreira is having fun with his time at camp.

— OSCAR JAVIER GARCES (@DOGORBiG) June 4, 2017

“I’ve been meeting new guys,” Ferreira advised ASN of the present camp. “The coaching staff is nice. It’s been a pretty good experience so far. It’s been a little bit better than expected. I thought it was going to be players mostly focused on practicing but it’s more than that.”

“I actually got called up to a U-16 camp once but I don’t think they knew I couldn’t play,” he added. “At the end, they said they were just going to keep an eye on me because there was no real point for me going to camps since I couldn’t play. But my agent has kept in contact with Tab and I’ve always wanted to try a U.S. camp. It’s always been on the table…I don’t have a timeline for citizenship but I completed the paperwork before I turned 18 in November. I had everything ready so right when I turned 18, we sent everything in and made phone calls. I don’t know how long it will be but it shouldn’t be long. Hopefully it’s before the U-20 World Cup.”

Ferreira’s recruitment is perhaps one of the most interesting pursuits of an American dual-national (or potential dual-national) in recent times. His pending citizenship stems from his father David Ferreira who was a former attacking midfielder for the Colombian national team. In 2009 the elder Ferreira joined FC Dallas from Atlético Paranaense and immediately became one of the best players in the league including in 2010 when he was voted as the MLS Most Valuable player. In 2013 he returned to his native Colombia to continue his career – where he still plays at age 39 for Unión Magdalena.

While his son moved with his father at a young age to Dallas, he made the decision to stay with FC Dallas when his father left and joined its academy where he signed a homegrown contract in November 2016.

“It was a great opportunity,” the younger Ferreira recalled of moving to Dallas. “We were living in Brazil and the opportunity came at FC Dallas. Everyone was talking about MLS and how it was growing. When it was my turn, he was telling me how the league was going to be even better for me than it was when he was playing. He told me to enjoy my time there… He talks about how the level increases in the United States and when you get into the national teams, the level rises by a lot. He tells me that I always have to be at my top form.”

However now Ferriera is making the transition to the worldwide degree and is placing himself right into a place the place enjoying within the U-20 World Cup could possibly be inside attain, if his citizenship is acquired. To this point in camp, his teammates see Ferreira’s big upside.

“I like him,” star attacking midfielder Nick Taitague said. “He’s young, obviously, but he came in without any fear and I think that was important. He is really dangerous around the goal. He is a pain in the ass for center backs, I can already tell that. It’s good. He likes to combine. I think he specializes in being in the box and finishing. He is really tricky.”

As Ferreira is establishing himself with the U.S. U-20 crew, it’s also going to be an necessary 12 months for him at FC Dallas. The membership not too long ago employed Luchi Gonzalez as head coach and Gonzalez was previously the membership’s academy director and oversaw the event of Ferreira and different key U.S. youth internationals like Brandon Servania, Paxton Pomykal, Thomas Roberts, Reggie Cannon, and even Weston McKennie who left the membership earlier than signing a professional contract.

There’s little doubt that the door is open for younger gamers at FC Dallas. After spending most of 2018 on mortgage with the Tulsa within the USL (with six objectives and two assists in 14 video games), Ferreira is optimistic of a possible breakthrough in 2019 with FC Dallas.

“He was my coach two years ago,” Ferreira mentioned of Luchi Gonzalez. “He is an amazing coach and I favored him lots. He is aware of what he’s doing. When he has a objective, he strives to attain it and will not cease till he achieves it. He works laborious and I believe he is going an amazing job. He doens’t care about age, when you have the expertise and also you do effectively in coaching, you’ll play. If we do what he expects and asks whereas working laborious, I believe we’re going to get minutes.

As with every dual-national there’s additionally the looming debate over which nation to characterize. That is notably tough for Ferreira as he isn’t but even a dual-national and solely holds a Colombian passport, for now. His father additionally represented Colombia on three Copa America groups – together with the Championship-winning 2001 squad.

Ferreira admits he feels conflicted but in addition notes Colombia has but to name him up. A figuring out issue, nonetheless, could possibly be the present U.S. U-20 crew. Whereas solely a senior cap in an official competitors would formally tie him to a nation, Ferreira believes it will be robust to stroll away from a program that calls him as much as a World Cup, even when its on the youth degree.

Jesus Ferreira is having an evening for the books!

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“Every guy’s dream is to play for where they were born,” Ferreira mentioned. “I was born in Colombia and my dad played for Colombia. So it would be really nice to play for them. But I am here in the United States and I really like it too. So it’s 50-50 for both. I wouldn’t mind either.

“But everybody’s dream is to play in the World Cup. If I get the chance to play with the U.S. team at the U-20 World Cup, that would be amazing. I think the U.S. would be my path then.”

Both manner, Ferreira is off to a flying begin in 2019 and the U.S. U-20 camp is simply the primary steps of a 12 months which might see him transfer from a prospect to first crew participant and U-20 World Cup veteran.

“2019 started with a bang,” he mentioned with a smile. “Hopefully it continues to be great.”