The United States national team will open the final round of World Cup qualifying on Wednesday in Honduras, and Timothy Chandler will be a significant addition to the team’s backline. Once he enters the game, he will finally be an official American player.

Chandler’s history with the national team has been rocky since he made his international debut in 2011. He was born in Frankfurt to a German mother and an American father who was stationed in Europe while serving in the United States military.

Growing up, Chandler lived briefly in the United States before returning to Germany. At a young age he showed significant potential as a soccer player and joined the youth teams of Eintracht Frankfurt. In 2010, he moved to F.C. Nuremberg, and his career quickly took off.

Almost immediately after the Bundesliga winter break in January 2011, Chandler became Nuremberg’s starting right back and earned rave reviews. The United States coach at the time, Bob Bradley, quickly called up Chandler for exhibitions against Argentina and Paraguay that March. In his international debut against Argentina at the Meadowlands, Chandler entered as a substitute and helped spark a comeback in a 1-1 tie.