John Anthony Brooks reportedly invited to August friendly

If Kicker is to be believed, Hertha Berlin central defender John Anthony Brooks has already been invited to play in the United States' August friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Brooks, who is eligible to play for the United States or Germany, stated during the spring that he would play at either the Under-20 World Cup for the U.S. or the Under-21 European Championship for Germany, therefore tying himself to one of the countries. He ended up not playing for either team.

There's no word yet about whether or not Brooks will accept the call-up, but there's no significant drawback to him doing so. Playing in a friendly for the U.S. would not cap tie him to the nation and he would be allowed to file a one-time switch to Germany if they came calling. In an ideal world for Jurgen Klinsmann and the United States, they would win both of their September qualifiers, clinch a World Cup berth and cap Brooks in games that ultimately don't matter come October.

The towering 20-year-old central defender showed plenty of promise last year in the 2. Bundesliga and it's understandable that he doesn't want to make a final decision about which national team to play for quite yet. Germany are an excellent team that will prove difficult to break into, but central defense is arguably their thinnest position. Hertha were promoted to the Bundesliga last season and Brooks should have an opportunity to start games frequently. If he feels significant ties to both countries and doesn't feel more American than German or vice versa, his decision will be a tough one.