“He has his opinion and I have mine,” Johannsson said of Thorsteinsson’s remarks. “But it’s his opinion and I respect that. With everyone I’ve spoken to, a lot of them wanted me to play for Iceland but they understand it was not their choice and it was my choice. They respected that.”

Leaving for the United States is high risk, high reward. As the United States team has continued to improve, it has become an increasingly difficult team for a player to make, but it also offers the opportunity to play in a World Cup every four years. Iceland, on the other hand, has never qualified.

“I thought about it for a long, long time and in the end I thought it was the best decision for me and my family,” Johannsson said. “My dad was especially excited for me. When I was younger he wanted me to play at the highest level possible. This made him happy.”

Johannsson made his senior international debut for the United States when he was inserted in the 63rd minute of the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Johannsson showed his potential with a lively start, combining well with his teammates and consistently looking dangerous in the 4-3 win.

Johannsson’s longtime Icelandic agent Magnus Agnar Magnusson has watched his client publicly deal with the decision for the past year but is happy with the outcome. “I spoke to Aron after the game against Bosnia; he was 100 percent sure that he made the right decision,” Magnusson said.

Johannson said: “I was just proud to get a jersey from such a big country. I didn’t realize how big an occasion it was for me. The United States is a country of 300 million people and is ranked inside the top 20. When Klinsmann called me I started to follow their games. I thought they played well, and after I played with them I realized this was a good team with good players.”

Before and after the Bosnia game Klinsmann was quick to admit that he believed Johannsson was going to be a major addition to the United States team. When the roster for the game was announced, Klinsmann told U.S Soccer’s Web site that Johannsson “is one of the very promising strikers in European football.”