One year after being relegated to the 2.Bundesliga, Hertha Berlin isset to make a push for a quick return to Germany’s top flight and the American central defender John Anthony Brooks is emerging as an integral part of the team.  Brooks, 19, was born in Berlin and has spent most of his youth career in Hertha’s system. Over the years he has emerged as one of the team’s most promising young players.  He is a physically imposing at 6 feet 7, he is almost always the tallest player on the field in any game. But despite his size, the left-footed Brooks is smooth on the ball and is a solid passer out of the back line.  This is the first year that Brooks will play for Hertha’s first team. Last season during the club’s ill-fated Bundesliga campaign, he primarily played for its under-23 team but this season injuries and suspensions allowed him to play important minutes; and he has been impressive.  After a string of solid performances including a recent 1-1 draw with first place Eintracht Braunchweig on the road, Brooks has cemented a place in the starting lineup and the club currently is in second place in the league with 22 points in 11 games. To date, Brooks has played in eight games with five starts.  “The season is going very well,” Brooks said. “We’ve been winning and I feel very confident. It’s been great. Last season I didn’t have as many preseason games but I had the whole preseason training camp this year. It’s made a difference and I think I’m better now.”  While Brooks is happy so far with how his season has gone, it was only last year that his future with Hertha was in question. At the conclusion of the 2010-11 season, Brooks was seeking a first-team professional contract and while he was happy with Hertha, other clubs were also expressing interest.  One team that did seek to sign Brooks was Bayern Munich, which offered him a contract. In the end, Hertha and Brooks agreed to a four-year deal and despite Munich’s status as one of the most powerful clubs in the world, Brooks insisted it was actually not a difficult choice.  “No it was not a tough decision,” Brooks said. “I chose Hertha because I wanted to play. I think will have more chance to play with Hertha than with Bayern Munich.”  Now excelling for Hertha Berlin, Brooks has attracted the interest from the youth national teams for both the United States and Germany. While he was born in Berlin, he also holds United States citizenship through his father who was stationed in Germany while he served in the U.S military. Brooks has never lived in the United States but he has visited his family in Chicago where his father is from.  Brooks has played for the United States under-20 national team sporadically since he earned his first callup in 2010 for a tournament in Peru. At the time, the U.S. team was coached by Thomas Rongen who rated Brooks highly but was unable to secure his release from Hertha for training camps leading up to 2011 World Cup qualifying in that age group.  After the U.S. U-20 team failed to qualify, Rongen was replaced as coach by the former U.S. national team captain Tab Ramos who also viewed Brooks as a key part of the team.  “Brooks is a big part of the picture,” Ramos said in April. “He wants to be part of the picture and I know he’s committed. He will come in whenever the club will allow. I think he can be important for us.”  Brooks played for Ramos in a U-20 tournament in May 2011 and again in a combined U-20/U-23 tournament in Germany last November. Since then, however, Brooks has not played for the U.S because U-20 events are often not scheduled around the FIFA international calendar and clubs are not required to release players.  In October, Brooks was on the initial roster for the U.S. team at the Marbella Cup, but was forced to withdraw and stay with Hertha as he adjusted to his role as a starter.  In August, Brooks was called up to training camp for Germany’s U-20 team it was his first time suiting up for his native country. While attending that camp allowed him to explore his options, he still is partial to playing internationally for the United States.  “The United States is still my first choice,” Brooks said. “Playing for the German team was O.K. but America was a lot better. My father would like me to play for the United States but he said it was my decision. I like Tab Ramos, I think he’s a good coach and will bring us to the World Cup next year. The U-20 World Cup next year is a top goal for me.”  Should the U.S team qualify for next summer’s U-20 World Cup in Turkey, Brooks will likely be part of a team with a growing number of professionals who are already earning first-team minutes.  The American teenagers Benji Joya at Santos Laguna and Will Packwood at Birmingham City have both become important players on their clubs. In Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake’s Luis Gil and the Galaxy’s Jose Villareal have both impressed this season. Other players like Stuttgart’s Jermone Kiesewetter, Liverpool’s Marc Pelosi, and Southampton’s Cody Cropper have all signed professional contracts over the past year.  Brooks is impressed with the talent on the U.S U-20 team and believes the team could be competitive at next year’s World Cup.  “I think we can go to the U-20 World Cup with confidence,” Brooks said. “I don’t think we should be scared of anybody there. I think we’re good enough and have a good team.”  Follow Brian Sciaretta on Twitter.
The imposing John Anthony Brooks has found a regular place in the defense of Hertha Berlin in Germany's 2.Bundesliga.