Tesho Akindele applying for American citizenship, could play for USMNT

Tesho Akindele could be a United States citizen by the end of the year and eligible for the national team as early as January camp. According to American Soccer Now, the FC Dallas player will take his citizenship test next month and, assuming he passes, have citizenship not long after.

A relatively unknown player from the Colorado School of Mines, Akindele has been superb for Dallas this season and may win MLS Rookie of the Year. The 22 year-old has seven goals in two assists in 18 matches, playing almost exclusively up top next to Blas Perez or Fabian Castillo. He has shown that he can play as a winger too, but as a well-built 6'1'' player with pace, he has shown that he slots in best as a striker.

Akindele was born in Calgary to a Canadian mother and Nigerian father, but moved to the Denver area when he was nine years old and has been in the U.S. ever since. Canada called him up for their matches this month, but he declined, saying that he wanted to focus on his club play at the moment. Whether that is truly the case or not remains unclear, because he could have just be stalling until he has U.S. citizenship.

Akindele hasn't said whether he would prefer to play for the U.S. or Canada. He hasn't even hinted one way or the other.

"You want to play for someone who wants you and where you have a chance to play," Akindele told ASN. "As for who that is, I don’t know. That will probably take care of itself."

At the very least, the U.S. is in the picture for Akindele and, one would assume, Akindele is in the picture for the U.S. With the Americans struggling to produce strikers in recent years, and one domestic one scoring goals by the bucketload, it would be inconceivable that Jurgen Klinsmann wouldn't at least be interested. Maybe a January camp calling is in the offing, where Klinsmann could get a first hand look at Akindele, assuming he accepts of course. With citizenship a couple months away, the striker will have a choice to make before long.