ASN: After taking part in himself onto the USMNT roster, Ferreira decided to grab the chance

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
November 08, 2021
10:00 PM

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EARLIER THIS YEAR, the US nationwide crew opened its 2021 calendar yr with a 7-0 rout over a poor Trinidad & Tobago crew to conclude its January Camp. Jesus Ferreira, 20, dominated and was named the Man of the Match with two objectives and three assists.  

Whereas his efficiency was stable, the extent of opposition was poor and it revealed little. Ferreira wanted a powerful season with FC Dallas to get his profession again onto monitor and return to the extent many hoped he could be at throughout the 2019 season when he was one of many high younger gamers in MLS after scoring eight objectives and helping six instances as an 18 yr previous.

The 2020 season was a large disappointment for Ferreira. The pandemic shutdown halted his momentum and when play resumed, he struggled badly the rest of the yr – scoring and helping simply as soon as whereas head coach Luchi Gonzalez performed him at numerous positions, from wing to the deep-lying midfield, hoping one thing would stick.

“I think in 2020, not getting goals, not getting assists – I was getting frustrated and in the offseason, that was something that I told the coaching staff that I wanted to work on, because that could take my game to another level.”

— Main League Soccer (@MLS) August 1, 2021

The 2021 season has seen Ferreira take exceptional strides in his recreation. He was shifted to the No. 10 position at Dallas and completed with eight objectives and 9 assists. He factors out that having the ability to be a part of the crew’s playmaking, versus simply ending, has helped his recreation take off.  

Ferreira succeeded however FC Dallas had a poor season – falling means wanting the playoffs and Luchi Gonzalez misplaced his job. On the person facet, nevertheless, the crew’s younger gamers continued to develop nicely. Ferreira’s enchancment put him on a path to being one other success story in a corporation which has been key to the event of lots of the high gamers in the US.

Unsurprisingly, Ferreira credit the crew’s teaching employees for serving to his turnaround and improvement.

“The main focus for me that made me improve my game was my mentality,” Ferreira stated. “Numerous it was the teaching employees. Once I was getting annoyed, they might inform. The coaches knew each participant’s mentality and their moods. Once they observed me getting annoyed and I would not play this identical after I was annoyed. I’d zone out. I’d not play the identical recreation myself if I used to be mentally sturdy. “

— Main League Soccer (@MLS) August 8, 2021

Ferreira’s performances all through 2021  has landed him a spot on the present U.S. nationwide crew roster. It’s his third call-up however first exterior of a January camp. Head coach Gregg Berhalter singled Ferreira out for each is type and his clever play and believes he can function a backup at quite a few totally different positions.

Whereas it stays to be seen how a lot he’ll play, Ferreira is just a case of a participant who forcecd himself onto a roster.

“When you look at Jesus’ body of work with the national team, he’s been playing a No. 9,” Berhalter stated. “We expect his performances – albeit in opposition to lesser opponents – we actually appreciated what he did on the No. 9 place. We all know he is a man who can hyperlink play, we all know he is a man who can arrive within the penalty field, we all know he is a man who leads the road defensively to construct strain, and he is been in excellent type in Dallas. We all know he is been taking part in extra of an attacking midfield position however Jesus has the kind of intelligence, recreation intelligence, that makes him in a position to adapt to a place very simply.”

Ferreira stated he was honored to obtain the call-up and it displays the arduous work he put in to over come 2020. He stated it was robust watching rosters come out earlier within the yr for both the Gold Cup or the primary two rounds of qualifying and he was not on it.

Whereas that was tough, Ferreira stated he wasn’t offended or disillusioned, he was simply extra motivated to work tougher.

“I’ve seen every game they’ve played,” Ferreira stated of the U.S. crew. “Every time they put out a roster for World Cup qualifying and my name wasn’t there, it just showed me that I had to keep working. I can’t stop and get upset because if I get upset, I’ll lose a spot and then someone else is going to take advantage.”

Because the U.S. nationwide crew assembles in Cincinnati forward of Friday’s massive recreation, it marks yet one more milestone Ferreira is taking with Ricardo Pepi. Ferreira has been with the FC Dallas academy since he was 2009 and made his first crew debut in 2017. Pepi joined Dallas in 2016 and made his debut in 2019. Pepi’s 13 objectives this season noticed him end as the highest American scorer in MLS. Ferreira and Pepi mixed for 21 objectives and 13 assists in 2021.

Off the sphere, the 2 are shut associates and have celebrated one another’s accomplishments whereas serving to one another by means of low factors as nicely. Now, the 2 will try to hold their relationship over to the worldwide stage.

“This is just another achievement we accomplished together,” Ferreira stated of Pepi. “We’ve both been having a great season with FC Dallas, and it just shows that our chemistry is there. We have chemistry off the field, so I think that helps, that helps to just simplify the game. We have each other’s back on the field and off the field. We’re more than just teammates or we’re friends and we care about each other. Getting called up together, we’re both excited for each other, but it’s more than just a game.”

— Main League Soccer (@MLS) September 15, 2021

Pepi agrees and is fast to level out the pair’s distinctive chemistry on the sphere – which he believes can be an asset to the nationwide crew in the event that they’re on the sphere collectively.

“Jesus is always a player who can bring something to the table,” Pepi stated. “He’s played different positions. He can play as a No. 9 or play as a No. 10. He has that vision, he has that finishing. He’s a special player with me on FC Dallas. We have some good chemistry, and now bringing that to the national team, I think it’s very special for the both of us.”

— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) November 8, 2021

Born in Colombia, Ferreira moved to the US when his father, Colombian worldwide David Ferreira, signed for FC Dallas (and would develop into the league’s MVP in 2011). The youthful Ferreira missed out on key youth nationwide crew occasions with the US as a result of it wasn’t till December 2019 when he turned a U.S. citizen. He acquired U-20 call-ups in 2019 in hopes he would get his citizenship forward of that yr’s U-20 World Cup, but it surely by no means occurred.

Two years later, Ferreira has put himself in place to contribute to World Cup qualifying at a pivotal second in opposition to archrival Mexico. Ferreira has been by means of quite a bit this yr and he’s decided seize the chance this window.

“It meant a lot,” Ferreira stated of when he was instructed by Berhalter that he was referred to as up. “It came at a moment where I’m doing things well. Having the coach call me and tell me you’re going to be called up for a World Cup qualifier.”

“I’ve never experienced a game like this,” he added. “I’m very, very excited and honored to be called up for a game like this. We all know how important a game against Mexico is, and it is not just a friendly or anything, it’s a World Cup qualifier. It means that they believe in me. They trusted me to take me and I’m going to do everything that I can to try and get in the field, because that will be an amazing feeling that I’ll never forget.”