Ben Mckendry (Vancouver Whitecaps)

just signed a professionnal contract in the mls as a homegrown player. he won t count as a foreigner because he has the dual citizenship. i don t know if the aw coach knows about his eligibity with nz but if yes he has to be quick because canada might be interested in him for the senior team.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/01/26/v...

go abris! looks like Canada is his first choice for the moment though....

Will he still be a homegrown player if he represents NZ?

Welcome back abris! I've been missing your regular updates on kiwi players!

Pretty sure a homegrown player in MLS simply means a player that has been part of the club's youth development program, and nationality doesn't matter. (Used so a club can sign development players without having to put them in the SuperDraft). I could be wrong though!

Even so, if he plays for NZ he'll still not be an import because he has a Canadian passport.

thanks guys. there is still andrew bevin competing for a spot with seattle sounders but the competition is hard with the presence of dempsey and obafemi martins. unfortunately nikko boxall hasn t been invited to the mls combine and hasn t been picked up by an mls team.

Wow, one that had until now escaped the AW yellowfever net!  

C'mon Hudson, play him in NZ's next competitive AW game thus locking him up for the future!!!

Just have to sell him the very valid point that he will have a far greater chance of playing at the WC with us then Canada.

Nop, there's plenty of talk about him in the Kiwis at US colleges thread

Are you sure?  Rory was in a similar situation.

Cheers for that.  I tend to avoid that one as 90+ % of kiwis who head down that path end up back here often below ASBP level.

That's a fair point, i have some doubts about his quality

Navarro Montoya was allowed

"As a naturalized Argentine, Navarro wanted to represent its national team, but was denied from doing so by FIFA because he had already played for Colombia in three 1986 FIFA World Cupqualifiers – two against the same opponent, Paraguay – conceding four goals.

In 1998 FIFA relented and allowed the player a special dispensation to play for Argentina but, at the age of 32, he was considered too old and never represented his adopted nation"

.

good preseason for mckendry. 

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2015/02/26/whitecaps-...

Any word on where his loyalties are ? Canadas national team is pretty much MLS regular and you are in I suppose a bit like the all whites

How is McKendry tied to NZ? was it his parents? 

he still can change his mind

Hasn't he already been capped though at a FIFA U20 tournament? Doesn't that rule him out?

No, because he was eligible for NZ at the time he played at the 2013 U20 WC. He can still change until/if he plays for Canada in a competitive match at 'A' level.

Follow him a bit for Whitecaps. He has been out with injury lately at a time when he looked primed for MLS first team minutes. The whitecaps MLS team is  at top of league, and there is stiff competition in the DM role. He has been on the fringes of Canada U23 group and didn't go to Pan Am games. His bio makes interesting reading: http://www.whitecapsfc.com/players/ben-mckendry

Strong NZ connections and eligible, but needs FIFA approval to switch given he played for Canada U20 in WCQ..... 

Good to see McKendry return from knee injury in bright  20 minutes off bench in 3-1 WFC2 win over Timbers 2.  

Not a bad nudge.

What a rocket by Vancouver boy @ben_mckendry! ?? pic.twitter.com/HJqoJSry2k

— Whitecaps FC 2 (@wfc2) April 28, 2016

Not stupid either lets sign him up

Does anyone know if he has any interest in wearing the Fern?

I'm sure the Canadian FA is far better run then our pub side is and Canada plays regular international football.  I just can't see him ever playing for us even though I'd love for him to do that.

Canada has good depth with MLS/NASL/USLPro box to box midfielders and McKendry part of that group. With strong family connections (Mother and Father) and fact that went to camp with NZ U20 under Milicich when he was younger suggests he might be tempted to get some international football with AWs. Would need to move fast though as his stock going up with goals like that! Pity NZ Rio campaign fizzled as that would have been a carrot.

Based on what I've seen of him the last 2 games, NZF should be looking at getting him in the squad NOW. Looks to have great talent.

I see McKendry made USL Pro player of the week based on the game winning long ranger:

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/wfc2/post/2016/05/03/ben-mckendry-named-usl-player-week

Sounds like NZF were a bit slow off the mark. Still tough to break into full Canadian National Team so a couple of international friendlies likely good experience for him.

My understanding is that he has never expressed an interest in representing the All Whites.