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'Good riddance': Landon Donovan slams Noahkai Banks for declining USMNT call-up
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- 'Good riddance': Landon Donovan slams Noahkai Banks for declining USMNT call-up
Landon Donovan took umbrage with Noahkai Banks declining a call-up to the U.S. men's national team, saying the defender shouldn't return if he's not fully committed to the program.
Banks turned down a call for the USMNT's March camp , which features friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta.
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The 19-year-old is currently wavering between the USMNT and Germany , which has been making a push for the defender to switch.
"It's a difficult decision regarding my nationality. I'm very torn," the Augsburg defender said last month. "I'm in contact with both the USA and Germany and both national [team] coaches."
Though Banks is undoubtedly one of the top prospects American soccer has seen in recent years, Donovan said he shouldn't return to the USMNT unless he's fully on board.
"From the federation's standpoint, and particularly (sporting director) Matt Crocker, who makes these decisions, if someone does not want to play for your country, good riddance. Goodbye," Donovan said on his "Unfiltered Soccer" show.
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"And I'm not mad at him. He can make his decision. But now, I don't care about you anymore. I don't. I don't care about Noahkai – if he does not want to play for the U.S., totally fine. I get it. If he feels more German, I've always said, make the decision where you're passionate.
"Clearly, if he wanted to be a part of the U.S. team – he's been in many camps. He's been in youth camps. The federation has been on him for a long time."
Banks was born in Hawaii and moved to Germany when he was a small child. So far, the teenager has only represented the United States at the international level.
The center back earned his first senior call-up in September, though he didn't see the field.
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Donovan, the joint all-time leading goal-scorer for the USMNT, added his belief that U.S. Soccer should have taken a more hard-line approach to its recruitment of Banks.
"It's clear that the federation is telling him that the door's still open," he said. "This is just a classic negotiation, because they've left the door open for him. Now he's like, 'OK, then I won't choose. I'll take my time.'
"They should have said, 'I need to know right now. In fact, I need to know yesterday. You're either in or you're out. If you're not in, you're out.'"
If he were to opt for Germany, Banks would have to file a one-time change of association request with FIFA, making him ineligible to play for the United States again.
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Donovan's co-host Tim Howard said that should Banks make the switch, he would be taking a big risk with Germany playing time far from a guarantee.
"[Banks] plays a position that we need," Howard said. "He could go and play in a World Cup and be a part of a team that goes to a World Cup and be an impactful player. He's declining that for a maybe."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Landon Donovan slams Noahkai Banks for declining USMNT call-up
