Dom Dywer talks U.S. citizenship, dreams of playing for USMNT this year
Dom Dwyer is coming up on an important milestone in February. The England-born forward will reach five years of residency with a green card in the United States on Feb. 14. Per FIFA's rules, reaching that five-year milestone allows Dwyer to now position himself to play for the U.S. men's national team. His representatives are already starting the process.
"It’s something we’ve been working on. Myself and some lawyers are doing the paperwork, that’s not my skill really. They’re trying to get it done as fast as they can, and when that point arises then we’ll see where we go," Dwyer told FOXSoccer.com's Ryan Rosenblatt on Tuesday.
As the rules stand now, Dwyer had to wait five years to be eligible as he didn't meet any of the other eligibility conditions. Per FIFA guidelines, a player must have "lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant Association." Dwyer reaches that point in just under a month. It's a moment and opportunity the 26-year-old has been looking forward to for years.
"I always wanted to play on the international stage. I think any footballer wants to play on the biggest stage they can. It’s an honor to be even in that conversation," Dwyer said. "It would be a fantastic experience. It would be an honor. I’m injured right now, so January camp wasn’t an option for me."
Dwyer's inclusion would be a welcome addition to Bruce Arena's squad, should it come to fruition. The Sporting KC forward has notched double-digits in goals scored the past three seasons in MLS. While the U.S. currently has the likes of Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood to call upon down the road, there are question marks beyond that duo. Clint Dempsey's health remains up in the air, and Juan Agudelo and Chris Wondolowski have their own respective flaws. Jordan Morris has shown promise, but he's still a touch raw at 22 years old.
That's not to say Dwyer would automatically become a starter, but he'd certainly warrant an audition based on his success in MLS. Dwyer seems to understand that, too.
"Just gotta get my head down and work hard, do things for my club and maybe the rest will fall into place."
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