The news that Gedion Zelalem is eligible to play for the U.S. was met with excitement, but the journey to become what fans hope he can be is just start, writes Ives Galarcep.

No matter how many times they have been let down by unfulfilled expectations and disappointing careers, American fans can't help but generate a Christmas morning-type reaction to the emergence of — or secured commitment of — the next big prospect.

When the news hit Wednesday that FIFA had granted Gedion Zelalem's request to play for the United States, the buzz was palpable and U.S. fans began buzzing about an Arsenal prospect very few of them have seen much of.

Trying to get supporters to temper their enthusiasm about exciting prospects is a lost cause, and ultimately, fans can't be blamed for hoping and praying that a savior is emerging every time a new face pops up with potential and the right pedigree.

Enter Zelalem, who is just 18 and only in the beginning stages of his pro career. He is already generating the kind of hype normally reserved for established pros, but the best thing about Zelalem's official inclusion in the U.S. player pool is the timing and the ideal circumstances he is being placed in.

Zelalem won't be thrown into the U.S. senior national team right away, like Julian Green was a year ago. He won't be handed a place in the World Cup, and face the scrutiny Green faced for taking up one of the roster spots on a list that didn't include Landon Donovan. That isn't to say he wouldn't have been called to the senior team if the timing were different. Jurgen Klinsmann already contributed to the Zelalem hype train back in March, when he said Zelalem was already good enough for a senior call-up.

"I think he's already at a level that he can definitely play on the senior team," Klinsmann said before the announcement of the Gold Cup groups and schedule. "He’s a special player."

Zelalem's introduction to the U.S. setup won't take place in a domestic-based tournament alongside the full senior team. Instead, it will take place half a world away, in New Zealand, at the Under-20 World Cup. He will be on a team of players his age, rather than being one of the few young bucks on a veteran squad. He will be part of a talented team faced with a rather cushy path through the group stage. That should afford Zelalem the best possible path to a smooth transition into a team he has never played with, and will give him a few games to get his feet wet.

The Under-20 World Cup will be played when much of America is sleeping, with the half-day time difference making for even less of a glaring spotlight burning bright above Zelalem. There will still be plenty of eyes on him, to be sure, but it won't be the kind of media circus it could have been if he were thrown onto the Gold Cup team in his first U.S. assignment, or even in Olympic qualifying in the fall.

The die-hard American fans will be watching. They will stay up late to see every touch and every move Zelalem makes, to see if the hype was justified, and see if the promise is really as great as even Klinsmann himself seemed to suggest just a month ago.

Zelalem won't be alone, though. He is joining a U.S. Under-20 team that boasts more established pros on it than any previous U.S. U-20 World Cup team. That's including the 2007 team that featured Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu. Zelalem won't be asked to run the midfield alone. He will have help from Fulham midfielder Emerson Hyndman, arguably the most skilled player on the roster. Zelalem also will have help from Rubio Rubin, who has already experienced starting for the U.S. senior team, not to mention a full season playing in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Tab Ramos has already made it clear that he won't overdo it on the coaching front, and will give Zelalem the freedom to show off his creativity and skill

"I know he's a creative player and those are players that I like because you can't really coach those, you have to just generally put them in position and hopefully put them into a position to succeed," Ramos said of Zelalem. "He's one of those players, so I think we can fit him into a position in our system where he can be creative and do good things for us."

The Under-20 World Cup is the ideal first platform for Zelalem to work his way into the U.S. setup, and whether he shines or struggles, it can't be forgotten that this is only the beginning. He is only 18, and to put his age in perspective, Zelalem will be eligible for the 2017 Under-20 World Cup too, as well as the next two Olympic tournaments. He has plenty of room for growth, and there is really no way to know how the next four to five years will be in his development.

The good news for American fans is that there are no more doubts about whether he will ever play for the U.S. Now it's time to see if he can live up to the hype. We aren't going to truly find out for years, but just as exciting as it was to finally get the news that he will be a U.S. player, it should be equally exciting to see just what sort of player he develops into.

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