They're American too. The world increasingly operates on a global scale where many are living or raised abroad. Doesn't make one a non -American or less of a citizen to the country they hail from. When I have children, they are going to be dual citizens but likely will be raised in large part halfway around the world from the country of their second citizenship. I don't see how down the road that makes them any less American or less European. It's also a situation which is more and more common. If you have dual citizenship, is there some unwritten rule that you must split your life 50/50 between countries to be as close as possible to a true citizen of those countries in your eyes? Or in your eyes will you always be considered less of a citizen to the country you spend less time in? How about the children of foreign diplomats and ambassadors who are raised overseas? Not American? Tim Howard's children who have British accents and have been raised in England? Less American in your eyes?
The general public can name only Donovan and maybe Dempsey. They will go back to watching EPL or if they don't watch soccer, their other American sports. Many people who like the national team don't even follow the players progress at their clubs. I doubt they care if they were born on a military base.
I'm a day late to this party, but I don't like this kind of talk from JK one bit. Before WC 2006, I remember DMB did an interview on Sportscenter. Some jourmo hack asked him about the USA's chances of winning it all, and the response was along the lines of "Well, sure we want to win...but at the same time we have to be realistic with our expectations of winning it all, because there are some very tough teams out there." I was livid. If that's your attitude as a player, then why the F even bother making the trip? Get the hell out of the way and let someone who believes take your place. And now our coach is almost conceding defeat before we even touch down on Brazilian soil? It's one thing to respect your opponents...but if you plan on beating them, the respect has to stop once you take the field. When the US got knocked out by Ghana in 2010, I was physically ill after the final whistle. It took a lot of my strength to pick myself up and drive home, and I'm not exaggerating. Did I know deep down we wouldn't win the whole thing? Of course, but that wasn't the point. And the farthest thing from my mind was "Boy, I guess I hope team X wins it all now...that would sure make me feel better!" I watched the rest of the WC with a passive interest because I couldn't have given a crap who won...the only thing that really mattered to me was seeing Ghana lose in excruciating fashion. But I was mostly livid that we blew a golden opportunity to make it all the way to the semis at least. Bad, bad quote from JK. There is no way to spin this as playing mind games. I don't give a crap if your own mother is coaching the team across from you. Until you're eliminated from a WC tourney, you just can't have some rooting interest in another team...you've got to be 110% committed to yours. You play them and then forget about them. Otherwise, I'd love to see someone post quotes from Herb Brooks about how he really liked the Russians and hoped they would go on to win the silver medal after he beat them...
You know, when you read that, I read it in H. John Benjamin's voice playing John McGuirk, slowly explaining this to a distraught Brendan, Jason and Melissa. Why can't THIS be animated, Cartoon Network? I don't want to delve into this, since it is off topic, but geez, that's just bad posting. You DO realize that the head of the Iceland FA had a very complete and very public meltdown about AJ leaving Iceland? AJ was completely in Iceland's plans, but he chose us over them. Simple as that. As for my opinion on all this, I don't like what Klinsi said, even if it is a mind game. For one, Americans are not pragmatic, we are there to win and win it all. Realistically, we know we aren't ready to win a world cup (Yet), but dammit, we certainly are going to try. A blurb like that looks good in the German papers, but as we see here, it isn't playing well to us US fans. With that in mind, I genuinely feel this is a JK mind-game. Knowing JK's character, he is a fierce competitor, so much so that he used to break the rules to score goals and win (He was a notorious diver who sold his injuries). He's passionate on the sidelines when the US scores, and during the Hex and Gold Cup (aka Games that matter), he was the most fierce and imposing coach in CONCACAF, and certainly the most successful. The US never gave up, even after awful first half play. So no, I don't think JK is a surrender monkey as that's simply not in his character. But being a trickster who plays to win all the time, even underhandedly, is his shtick. What I hear is a message crafted to play for the German papers, after all, JK still loves his home nation very much, and has obviously huge ties to Germany. But make no mistake, I believe this is a mind game as it cements the US in it's proper role as hapless underdog, which the US loves to play and play well. After all, we beat Portugal in 2002 drew Italy and England in the next two World Cups precisely because the big Euro team that was supposed to trounce us decided to look past us. After all, if Klinsi went in that interview banging his shoe on the table and saying "THE USA WILL F*** YOU GUYS UP", I think that gives a lot of locker room fodder to the German national team (Among others). And history hasn't been so kind to up and coming teams that talked a lot of trash before the World Cup (Portugal and Poland 2002, anybody?). The reason why I don't like this, even if I genuinely believe this is a mind game, is that I feel that the USA looks just as confident as a destroyer of dreams. During the Gold Cup, our team played with a different swagger knowing that we were not just expected to win, but victory was going to be a certainty. It was neat to watch, seeing the US not only as the clear tournament favorite, but acting the role as well. I know that the US likes the underdog role, but I prefer to see my nation's team not as a collection of Bad News Bears but as a team that can cut the throat of anybody they face. I'd like for us to start playing THAT role more often. Perhaps, when we advance out of the group at this World Cup, we can. And if JK wasn't playing a mind game (something that is possible, considering how pragmatic Germans can be), then see JDeuce's post (because I feel the same way). Coaches shouldn't be so aloof about their team like that, and dammit all to hell JK should have known better..But I insist that JK does know better and is being a daft diver selling another injury. But one day, our time will come, and I know a lot of us on here have had it up to here with the US National Team being the plucky wallflower that takes off her mousy Arale glasses during the big dance and ends up winning respect despite not ending up with the cute boy at the end of the movie. The US is not an afterschool special, okay? We're a damn slasher movie, we're going to try to brutally kill anybody who comes to Crystal Lake for the sake of our adoring fans. We are laughed at initially by the hapless victims because apparently we're a joke, but we're lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on the mistakes of other teams and cut out their guts for the television audience. I like that role better. We are not in a group of death with Germany, Ghana and Portugal. Germany, Ghana and Portugal are in a group of death with US. Now I defer to John McGuirk's post. Let's just WIN THIS WHOLE F***ING THING OK?
Johannsson would at the very least be part of Iceland's best 23, and I think there is a good chance he would be a regular starter for them.
You mean like Pepe playing for you instead of Brazil? I hope Ronaldo's kid ends up playing for us in 18 years.
all I am saying is the USA need Altidore and Dempsey to get better ASAP because if Aron is leading the Line, then the USA are gonna have an even bigger task and may aswell stay home....either way Germany has that group all won anyway with players like Schurlle on the bench that just showes you the depth they have
Pepe got his footballing education in Portugal when he was part of CS Maritimo's youth setup and he lived in Portugal for over 7 years when he got citzenship if it were not for Portugal players like Deco and Pepe would have never existed
I have my opinons and I still think Altidore is an average striker but from what I have seen from Aron he looks like god when you compare both
But he's Brazilian. Pray tell, what's the minimum standard of "years lived/footballing educating learned-in" that a dual-national is required to go through prior to playing for one country over another? Asking for my friend Mr. Italug (yes...that will do)
no immigration happens all the time everywhere not just the USA but my point is that half the players on the USA are playing for the USA because they have no chance of playing for Germany not being an ass about it. Players like Mastroeni are from Argentina but he played for the USbecause he was American and bleed for the jersey same with alot of other guys but Jermaine Jones or Aron could give a rat behind after they retire you never hear from them again
You...haven't spent much time watching our team play, huh? And don't get me wrong. I'm very much looking forward to Pepe doing something stupid and getting sent off against us. But that Nani...he sure bleeds for the Portugal shirt, huh? No Cape Verde in him anymore.
Pepe and Deco played for Portugal as they stated in several interviews because and I quote they owe the country their services for the opportunities that the Football Federation of Portugal gave them not to mention but had Portugese Citzenship anyway through nationality laws in that said country
So...mercenaries. Who consider their NT play "services rendered". Gotcha. So the Brazilian and the Venezuelan and the guy from Cape Verde=totally ok and totally 100% legitimately Portuguese. Guys like Jermaine Jones (American father), Fabian Johnson (American father), Julian Green (fricking lived here for 40% of his life, American father), and Aron Johannsson (at least he was born here)=totally mercenaries and totally only choosing the US for transparent, footballing reasons and not for love of country. Gotcha.
where the f*** was Jones when he was a young stud in the Bundesliga playing for the German national team he obv is American in blood but in heart he clearly isnt esp considering he didnt debut for the USMNT when he was already 30!! and players like Pepe and Deco were being courted by Brazil before they even deciced to play for us and as for the Cape Verde comment, Cape Verde was part of Portugal until 1975 and many Cape Verdeans associate themselves as being Portuguese anyway and are considered Portuguese by Portugal considering the anyone born before 1975 has a Portuguese Passport and voted in Portuguese Elections your argument is like comparing an apple and an orange
Have to agree with this. From an outsider perspective they make think this logic or thinking is crazy but it's very American.
My point is that you can't speak out of both sides of your mouth on this. Both our countries have benefited from our respective citizenship laws. Pepe, Nani and Danny are no more or less mercenary than Jones, Johnson, Williams, Green, or Johannsson. While I have my own feelings about guys like Johannsson that don't have a huge cultural connection to the US, he's a US citizen by birth, and that's really that. I guess you'll have you chance in a couple months to see how indifferent Jones is to representing the US. Spoiler alert: He's not indifferent at all.
i agree with what you are saying sir but let me pick out what you said Danny a 30M Euro footballer the best player in the RPL born in Venezuela to Portuguese parents from Madeira. Played for Portugal as it is more prestigous then Venezuela with all due respect to venezuela doesnt speak a lick of Portuguese he speaks Spanish and believe it or not both languages are related but very different and Paulo Bento refuses to call him up for that very reason and Danny no matter how good he may be will never see the national team againthe two other guys you mentioned Nani was born in Cape Verde and lived his whole live in Portugal and his father and Mother have Portuguese Passports since both where born pre 1975, Pepe I just explained in a previous post but I agree about what you said and that comment on Aron I am just saying my opinon who knows maybe Jones feels more American then German I dont know only he does but I feel like he used the USA to get to play in WC evey Footballers dream anyway sir good converation with you and not having to resort to name calling is also a plus
Jermaine has said he wanted to play for the USA in 2002 but the rules at the time didn't allow him to since he'd played for Germany at the u20 level. Also, didn't Portugal want to call up Fernando Reges recently, when just a year ago he said his dream was only to play for Brazil?
How do you know that? I think he might. The three of them play in the same league, and Johannsson is 2nd of the three in goals.
I don't think it's meaningless, I just think the causation arrow runs the other way. Nations with good enough players to win a World Cup also have a solid enough soccer infrastructure that they have great coaches, and the fanbase wouldn't tolerate a foreign coach.