CHICAGO (AP) — Aron Johannsson is eligible to play for the United States in Wednesday’s exhibition against Bosnia-Herzegovina after FIFA approved his request to switch national teams.
Johannsson was born in Mobile, Ala., but moved to his parents’ native Iceland when he was 3 years old. Because he played for Iceland at the Under-21 level, appearing in eight qualifiers for the 2012 UEFA Under-21 Championship, he needed FIFA’s approval to switch national teams.
Johannsson says he didn’t expect to be eligible when he was called into this week’s training camp, and is “super happy” the switch was approved. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann says there’s a chance the forward, who plays professionally for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, could get make his U.S. debut in Wednesday night’s game in Sarajevo.
