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Hawaii-born center back Noahkai Banks continues to pile up strong performances for Augsburg in the Bundesliga, and he's "very torn" while on the radar of Germany's powerful national team.
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Banks just turned 19 in December and has represented the United States at the U17, U19, and U20 levels. He made his Bundesliga debut last season and has started 18 of his 20 appearances for the Fuggerstädter.
Augsburg are ninth on the Bundesliga table, and the 6-foot-4 Banks has played the fifth-most minutes for the club while chipping in a goal and an assist.
MORE — USMNT schedule, scores | USMNT records
Banks second on the side in accurate passes per 90 minutes including 2.7 accurate long balls/90. He's also piled up a respectable 2.2 tackles per 90.
Noahkai Banks: Head turned from USMNT to Germany?
Banks told reporters last month that he was very happy with the U.S. set-up despite contact from Germany, and he was called into USMNT camp this Fall but did not play in a game (The friendlies wouldn't have cap-tied him to the country).
And while the Yanks may be more ready to dangle a World Cup spot to tie him to the country, he's made clear that's not the deciding factor.
“It’s a difficult decision regarding my nationality. I’m very torn,” Banks told Sky Sports Germany, as translated by Ryan Tolmich of Yahoo!. “I’m in contact with both the USA and Germany and both national coaches."
Germany have a great group of defenders ahead of the World Cup, and he wouldn't easily slot into the team. Newcastle's Malick Thiaw, Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck, and Bayern's Jonathan Tah are all stars. Antonio Rudiger and Robin Koch weren't even called into Germany's last camp.
Coincidentally there's also Nathaniel Brown, the 22-year-old who was eligible for USMNT duty.
As for the USMNT, there's no question that Tim Ream and Chris Richards will be with the team for the World Cup and Pochettino may carry more center backs due to his recent use of a back three and a long-term injury to Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Banks' inclusion with or even over Miles Robinson, Auston Trusty, and/or Mark McKenzie would be a smart move for the future.