Macoumba Kandji, New York Red Bulls striker and newly named MLS player of the week, has yet to be capped internationally. Born in Senegal but raised in Gambia, Kandji has been in the United States since 2003.
In an interview with a Senegalese news outlet, Kandji mentioned that out of the three possibilities available, he would prefer to play for the USA (link in French).
That little tidbit was also mentioned on the New York Times Goal blog today.
I realize the Kandji isn't Giuseppe Rossi, but it's nice to hear a young player with options profess his desire to play for the Nats (different circumstances I know; Senegal and Gambia aren't quite Italy). So now the question is, should Bradley call him up?
Kandji is still developing, though he seems to have made strides during his time with New York. He's a big player (6'3") and appears to have some skill. While he might not be a first team candidate or make sense up top with Jozy (they seem like similar players), I think he could absolutely contribute during this packed upcoming summer. Because he plays in MLS, he'll be in shape and possibly in form while some of his counterparts will be out-of-season in Europe.
I took a look at the U.S. striker pool last month, and it would appear that Kandji compares favorably with most of the second tier players. I realize that "out of sight out of mind" might apply a bit with strikers playing abroad like Charlie Davies, and Marcus Tracy, so Kandji could appear better simply because we see more of him.
Just to be clear, I'm not touting Kandji as the next big Nats prospect; I'm just wondering if he might be able to contribute on some level to our efforts going forward. Bradley can't afford to overlook anyone, and Kandji's age and size make him an intriguing possibility.
Bottom line? If Bradley believes that Kandji is better than Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe, Robbie Findley, etc. (a judgment I'm not making, I'm just presenting the argument), he should absolutely consider calling him up at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Where would you rank Kandji among U.S. strikers, and would you consider calling him up if you were Bob Bradley?
