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Nick DeLeon will not play for Trinidad and Tobago

Seattle Sounders v D.C. United

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 7: Nick DeLeon #18 of D.C. United controls the ball against Zach Scott #20 of the Seattle Sounders at RFK Stadium on April 7, 2012 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Ned Dishman/Getty Images)

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We told you earlier about an opportunity in front of D.C. United’s Nick DeLeon, and why the decision was important for the young man’s international exhibitions. He had a chance to play for Trinidad and Tobago’s national team. Still does, in fact.

Courtesy of The Washington Post’s Steven Goff, now we know which way the 22-year-old attacker is leaning for now: He’s not ready to set aside an opportunity to play for the United States, where he grew up.

What he told Goff for this piece in the Soccer Insider blog:

I grew up here and it’s always been my dream to play here. It felt pretty good to get invited, to be honest. It’s a big honor. But I don’t think it’s the right time.”

This does not mean DeLeon is on the fast track for U.S. national team stardom. Far from it.

We don’t know how many stand in his way on the big depth chart of wide and / or attacking midfielders in Jurgen Klinsmann’s head, but we can assume it includes Landon Donovan, Graham Zusi, Brek Shea, Brad Davis, Sacha Kljestan, Josh Gatt, Alejandro Bedoya, Chris Pontius, Joe Corona, Jose Torres, Mix Diskerud, Benny Feilhaber and probably a couple of others that aren’t coming immediately to mind.

But DeLeon is 22 and talented, so he’s a little more in the game this way than if he had begun leaning toward T&T.