In an interview with ESPN's Herculez Gomez on Tuesday, newly-minted Newcastle United forward Santiago Munoz left the door open to choosing to represent the US men's national team.
The 19-year-old, who signed for the English Premier League side on an 18-month loan from Liga MX's Santos Laguna earlier this week, said as much during the interview when Gomez asked whether it was a difficult decision choosing El Tri over the Yanks. As it turns out, as Munoz told Gomez, that choice isn't yet a final one.
"I'm not married to Mexico," he said on Futbol Americas. "The door is still open."
The answer might come as a bit of a surprise since Munoz has already represented Mexico on the youth circuit, starring for their U-17 side with eight goals in 16 appearances while also picking up three caps for the U-23s. Originally born in El Paso, Texas, Munoz has the dual-eligibility to represent either Concacaf rival.
His career is still in its earliest stages, but Munoz has already shown great promise that prompted the move to Newcastle. He broke in with Liga MX side Santos Laguna last season, scoring three goals and dishing out three assists across 19 appearances.
Munoz's move to Newcastle generated many headlines when it was announced, due to his name being nearly identical to the main character from the 2005 film "Goals! The Dream Begins." In the movie, a talented young soccer player by the name of Santiago Munez also ends up playing for Newcastle and leading the club to the UEFA Champions League.
