BEAVERTON, Ore. – When he finally received official word that he had been called up to the U.S. Men's National Team, the preternaturally calm Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe told his wife what both of them had been hoping to hear since the day Nagbe received his U.S. citizenship in September.
No special celebrations. No screaming from the rooftop. And in Nagbe's own words, no expectations either. Only quiet confidence.
“Now that it's happening, now we just go from there, go out there, meet the guys, and perform,” Nagbe said on Friday after training.
But this latest stop on Nagbe's soccer journey, from the high school soccer fields of Ohio to the Akron Zips to Major League Soccer, doesn't surprise Timbers head coach Caleb Porter, who expects Nagbe to do great things with the USMNT.
“I've seen him go from club player to college player to pro player and every step he makes he seems to rise to it and raise his level. So I'm really excited to see him take this next step and go to the next level, to see what more is in the tank of Darlington Nagbe.”
This past season, Nagbe has time and again stepped up when his team has needed him the most, consistently ranking near the top of the league in chances created and scoring big, meaningful goals in clutch situations. Against Vancouver last weekend, Nagbe became the first player to record over 100 touches, eight dribbles, and three tackles in an MLS game since Opta first began tracking that data in 2011. The durable Nagbe has also played 160 career regular season games for Portland—tied for tops across all eras for the club.
In short, Nagbe, who also received his second MLS Fair Play Award on Friday, has earned his national team call-up.
But if he's nervous about heading out into what his club coach calls “a new ocean with new fish,” Nagbe's not showing it. If anything, Nagbe was far more nervous about taking his U.S. citizenship test in September.
“That's the biggest part [of taking the citizenship exam], you have to control your nerves,” he said. “But I went in there and took the test. The interviewer was real nice, a calm guy, real polite. After that it was just a relief, knowing that I was going to become a citizen in this great country.”
Right now, though, all of Nagbe's attention is focused on Vancouver Whitecaps FC, whom the Timbers face on Sunday in the second leg of their Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs series (7pm PT, FOX Sports 1).
“Vancouver comes first on Sunday and we can go on from there,” he said.
Added Porter, “With new players and a new challenge, new competition, I think it will raise his level and hopefully bring more out of him.”
For now, Nagbe's just enjoying this special moment, the long culmination of so much hard work both on and off the pitch.
“I'm happy because you're getting recognized for performing well with your club team and helping your team win,” he said. “So it's definitely exciting and satisfying as well.”
