Blah Really wish he was close to citizenship. Somebody get this kid a hooker he can fall in love with and play captain save-a-ho.
If he got his green card in the next 12 months and got married, roughly 4 years. That's absolute best case scenario. So people probably need to accept that barring a major career downturn he will never play for the US.
I wish Robbie Rogers and Diego Fagundez exchanged jersey's instead of Landon and Diego. Could have helped us in the long run.
I wouldn't compare him to Rossi. Rossi stiffed us. Fagundez is just a victim of poor immigration policy.
Somebody needs to sign him up for the Green Card Lottery. Uruguay gets slots... Of course, the reality is, even if he wins that lottery today, he's still 5 years away from citizenship minimum. Just have to hope Uruguay has no need for him at the U2os or other youth competition.
For me losing guys like Fagundez and Najar is almost worse than Rossi. Unlike Rossi they come up through the US/MLS system exactly the way we dream a US player will, then they go play for another NT. I know neither were born here, but they were mainly raised here. Rossi left at 13/14, right when US system (traditionally) starts to fail. And Rossi was pretty honest from Day One that it was Italia or Nada.
Nah. Fagundez, Najar, etc. are completely out of our control. The second the MLS clubs/USSF knew that these were talented players, they started working on citizenship. They're basically doing all they can. FCD was doing the same with Ruben Luna. We need to help these players get citizenship of course. More importantly than Fagundez/Najar................we need to do our best to retain players that ARE actually eligible to play for us (say Richard Sanchez, John Anthony Brooks, etc.). Mexico's provisional Gold Cup roster includes two US-eligible players, and their Toulon roster features three. These are players we're actually losing. We're not losing Fagundez if Uruguay calls him up. He was never ours in the first place.
Yeah but dident Rossi finally move at 15 and still always came back to see family while all American stuff were his favorite things? except soccer?
Here is not the right place to have the Rossi debate for the millionth time but I will just state my opinion. Subotic worse than Rossi because he flip flopped. Rossi to his credit always stated the same thing. Rossi's celebration after scoring against U.S.? Disgustingly classless.
Anyway I think this thread should be closed until its clear Diego wants to play for US or he gets citizenship. It's looking pretty clear that he's going to be another Najar at this point.
The Good News: The current senate immigration bill contains many of the DREAM acts provisions containing an expedited path to citizenship. Those provisions might apply to Fagundez (under 16 when he came, 5 consecutive years here, good kid? GED/diploma?). This bill has bipartisan support and is expected to pass the Senate within the next month. It is not clear to me how Fagundez's citizenship time period would be tolled (there is a 6 year period referenced and its not immediately clear to me when that period would have started per the Act...) The Bad News: However, things are not looking good as certain House members have intimated that it doesn't have enough support. If there is a venn diagram somewhere showing "huge USMNT fans" and "congressional reps not otherwise inclined to support immigration reform" perhaps a Bigsoccer YNT forum drafted letter urging passage might be the tipping point?
Very good interview with Diego and he talks about his international future around the 8:50 mark. Key word is "I would love to play for the US. If they could do anything to help me I would be (grateful)." But it doesn't sound like it'll happen anytime soon.