CARSON, Calif. -- Iceland co-manager Lars Lagerback has no hard feelings towards Aron Johannsson for the Icelandic-American striker's 2013 decision to represent the United States over the country he was raised in.
Lagerback coaches Iceland -- which meets a Johannsson-less U.S. team in a friendly on Sunday (3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN) -- along with Heimir Hallgrimsson. He was alone at the helm of the tiny (population: 325,000) nation's squad three years ago, when he unsuccessfully tried to recruit the Alabama-born Johannsson, who played for Iceland at youth level, to its senior side.
"You have to respect a player's decision when they have two passports," Lagerback said on Saturday in an interview with ESPN FC. "I talked to him several times when he was choosing. He was very clear with me that he wanted to do it so I just wished him the best."
At the time, Johannsson's decision drew the ire of many in his parents' homeland. The list included Football Association of Iceland president Geir Thorsteinsson, who issued a terse statement denouncing his choice.
Other compatriots supported him, however. On Saturday, striker Eidur Gudjohnsen -- Iceland's all-time leading goal-scorer -- told ESPN FC that he's pleased for Johannsson, with whom he shares an agent.
"He's a great kid," Gudjohnsen said. "He seems happy and proud to play for the U.S., which is the most important thing, and he played in the World Cup. I'm sure he really enjoyed the experience and hopefully he's got a long career ahead of him."
The 25-year-old Johannsson has four goals in 19 appearances with the U.S. team. He's in his first season with German club Werder Bremen, for which he scored twice in six Bundesliga games before suffering a hip injury in October that required surgery. He remains sidelined.
Johannsson was born in the U.S. while his parents were studying at the University of South Alabama. The family went back to Iceland when he was three but he returned to spend a year of high school stateside.
Last fall, Iceland qualified for the 2016 European Championship, marking the first time it had reached a major international competition.
Gudjohnsen acknowledged that Johansson might have helped this summer in France. But Lagerback couldn't help poking a little fun at Johannsson.
"When we had these talks, he believed that was his biggest chance to get to a big tournament," said the Swede. "He was a little bit wrong about that."