MLS New York City FC

International Report: Six Involved in International Duty

Published on March 27, 2024 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City FC is pleased to welcome back six First Team players who were selected for international duty this month.

Among those call-ups was Mounsef Bakrar. The forward celebrated his senior international debut with Algeria after being introduced as a second-half substitute against Bolivia. Helping his country secure a 3-2 win, Bakrar recorded an assist to make it a memorable debut.

It was a similar story in Algeria's next game against South Africa, with Bakrar once again introduced in the second half and once again tallying an assist as the two teams played out a 3-3 draw.

There was also good news for Mitja Ilenič as he continued his involvement with Slovenia's U21s.

The defender played the full 90 minutes as Slovenia ran out 3-0 winners against Bosnia last week. The result handed Slovenia a significant boost in their pursuit of qualification for the UEFA Under-21 Championships next year.

Unfortunately, Jovan Mijatović had a slightly more challenging time away with Serbia's U19s as they sought to qualify for the UEFA Under-19 Championships taking place this summer.

The forward played the full 90 minutes for Serbia as they were beaten 3-1 by their Danish counterparts. He would sit out his side's second game against Portugal, which they lost 4-1, a result that ended any hope of qualifying. Mijatović was returned to the starting XI for Serbia's final game against Greece during which they recorded a 3-3 draw.

Goalkeeper Tomás Romero enjoyed a busy international break with El Salvador as they took on Bonaire, Argentina, and Honduras. The shot-stopper earned a start against Bonaire in a 1-1 draw before being named on the bench during a 3-0 loss to Argentina. He was restored to the starting XI for El Salvador's final game against Honduras, which finished 1-1.

Elsewhere, New York City FC was represented in the Concacaf Nations League in the form of Tayvon Gray and his involvement with Jamaica. The defender was a late substitute for the Reggae Boyz against the U.S. Men's National Team in a game they would ultimately lose in extra time. He would make a second substitute appearance during Jamaica's win in the Third Place Play-off game against Panama.

Fellow defender Christian McFarlane rounded out the international call-ups and enjoyed a successful time with England's U17s as they qualified for the UEFA Under-17 Championships.

The Three Lions kicked off their March fixture list with a 5-1 win against Northern Ireland, a game in which McFarlane was introduced as a second-half substitute. The defender was then called into the starting XI for England's next game against Hungary and found himself on the scoresheet in a 5-0 success.

England concluded the month with a game against France's U17s with McFarlane once again handed a start as they fell 2-1 to Les Bleus.

The Club would like to congratulate all six players on their involvement with their national teams.

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Major League Soccer Stories from March 27, 2024


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