ASN: Jonathan Amon on incomes his first USMNT call-up:

Jonathan Amon has taken the Danish Superliga by storm together with his capability to tackle defenders. Now on the U.S. nationwide staff for the primary time, Amon will look to make a splash on the worldwide stage.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
October 02, 2018
6:30 PM

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BACK IN AUGUST, present Brondby supervisor and former Stuttgart and RB Leipzig supervisor ,Alexander Zorniger, was interviewed on tv by a pair of native Danish soccer pundits. They requested the German a easy query: if he might select one participant on FC Nordsjaelland to be on his staff, who would it not be?

His reply was easy.

“I like Amon, very much,” Zorniger stated.

“I would like him too,” one of many commentators replied. “Why do you like him?”

“He has the speed,” Zorniger answered. “He definitely has the speed.”

Over the previous 12 months, Amon, a left winger, has made fairly a reputation for himself in Denmark regardless of lacking time on two separate events on account of accidents. Final season he clearly showcased glimpses of very excessive ceiling together with his capability to easily blow previous defenders in 1v1 conditions.

In 2018/2019, he’s lastly wholesome and is now showcasing one thing much more necessary: consistency. In almost each sport Amon is taking part in, he’s both scoring, aiding, or serving to to create performs that lead to harmful probabilities.

Throughout all competitions this 12 months within the Danish Superliga, the Danish Cup, or the Europa League, Amon has 4 targets and an help in 9 appearances over 517 minutes. Final season he two targets and three assists in 565 minutes.

On Monday, Amon arrived at Nordsjaelland’s stadium, the Proper to Dream Park, forward of its sport that night time towards SønderjyskE. He anticipated it to a typical house sport however this time his supervisor, Kasper Hjulmand, had a shock for him earlier than kickoff: the information that Amon was referred to as as much as the U.S. nationwide staff for the primary time.

“Last week I got a call from the coach that I was in the preliminary squad,” Amon advised ASN from Denmark. “I was happy about that. Kasper told me today that I was in squad. I was really excited. I was a little surprised, but excited. I can’t stop smiling.”

After receiving the excellent news, Amon went out and placed on one other spectacular efficiency. His go primarily created the primary aim with a powerful play into the field. Then within the second half, he drew cheers from the gang when he nutmegged a defender which resulted in a foul.

Amon making issues occur right this moment – as is the norm pic.twitter.com/auGYGvqYCj

— American Soccer Now (@ClassicASN) October 1, 2018

Amon is simply clowning folks right this moment – then forcing fouls pic.twitter.com/3yCWMSKz0j

— American Soccer Now (@ClassicASN) October 1, 2018

Amon credit a whole lot of his development as a participant to the atmosphere at Nordsjaelland. His transfer to Denmark was uncommon. Whereas in Charleston, he was recruited by a Danish scout to attend the Kies College, a boarding college in Copenhagen. It was there he was found by Nordsjaelland and started to play for its youth groups – usually with the membership taking steps to cover him out of sight from huge golf equipment till he turned 18 when he might formally signal.

However Nordsjaelland is exclusive. With a mean age of simply 21.3 years outdated, it’s the youngest high flight staff in all of Europe. The membership prioritizes improvement and Amon believes it’s paying dividends.

— CIES Soccer Obs (@CIES_Football) October 1, 2018

“They teach you a lot of technical and tactical stuff with my team – we focus on positioning, how to play, when to play one-touch, when to dribble,” Amon defined. “We focus on that so much and we have a very young team. I’ve learned a lot here…Nordsjaelland has always been good. Everyone knows how good they are and everyone has confidence. Being so young you have to confidence to play with the older guys.”

Ever since the USA nationwide staff didn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup final October, interim head coach Dave Sarachan has determined to usher in a wave of younger gamers who he believes have a protracted future with the staff. Among the many notable gamers to have debuted beneath his watch are Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, Zack Steffen, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Josh Sargent.

Whereas Sarachan has introduced in a whole lot of new gamers, the staff nonetheless lacks depth on the wing place and attackers that may take defenders. With that, Sarachan believes Amon will help fill that void.

Jonathan Amon’s aim right this moment vs Brondby pic.twitter.com/IdAw5b9gNj

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) April 29, 2018

“Jonathan is a player we have been following for a bit,” Sarachan stated. “Obviously he is a starter for his club where he is getting full minutes, producing goals and contributing a lot of value in the attack. He has a dynamic presence, so he’s a guy I wanted to see up close and get to know. With the combination of his speed and ability to [run] at defenders in the final third, he’s someone that has shown to have a certain skillset that we have been missing. He’s young, but I think it’s a good time to get to know him.”

The US nationwide staff may not be the one time the place Amon might be representing his nation. United States U-20 nationwide staff head coach Tab Ramos additionally has huge plans for Amon as his staff makes an attempt to qualify for the U-20 World Cup subsequent 12 months in Poland.

Whereas golf equipment will not be required to launch gamers for U-20 qualifying in November, there’s little doubt Ramos will hope he can add Amon to the staff – a minimum of for the qualifying portion which falls worldwide window.

“Amon should be one of our core players,” Ramos stated of Amon. “He has the special ability to get by defenders 1v1 and create danger in the final third from a wide position. There aren’t many of those players around.”

Again in January, Ramos referred to as Amon as much as the U-20 staff for the Youth Summit which featured all the U.S. youth nationwide groups. For Amon it was his first involvement with the USA since taking part in with the U-14 staff earlier than he moved to Denmark.

“[The youth summit] was a good experience. It was my first time with that U-20 team. It was a good group of guys. It was a really good training camp. It was a very good quality. All of the guys were really good.

“Every time I hear about the coaches talking about me, I am happy and proud,” he added in regards to the U-20 staff. “But honestly, I am just focused on my club team right now but it has been in the back of my head. I have been thinking about it a little. Of course I know about [U-20 qualifying], it’s a big tournament. If I get called up to it, it would be nice.”

However there’s nonetheless loads of soccer between now and November. Now in sixth place, Nordsjaelland might transfer as excessive as third with a win on Sunday over Hobro.

Following that, Amon will return to the USA for his first nationwide staff camp in Florida. He’s unsure of what to anticipate and the one two gamers he is aware of are Tyler Adams and Tim Weah – who he performed with on the U-14 staff however has not spoken to since.

That doesn’t diminish his pleasure and excessive hopes for what the camp will carry.

“I obviously expect that there will be some really good players and I have been watching some of the games,” Amon stated. “I expect a high quality.”