He's having a go at Klinsmann on twitter right now: http://twitter.com/#!/PZimmerman88 I know plenty of guys who are in the MLS and know what it's like to play for their country who deserve a look for the US team 1 minute ago @shinguardian Kilinsmann just wants to let everyone know he's in charge, a US team needs to comprise of real Americans 53 seconds ago People can bash me for whatever reason, but I hate seeing my country's national team being misused and disrespected 2 minutes ago squeaking out 1-0 wins against CONCACAF villages isn't success..... 4 minutes ago If Klinsmann was winning and very successful with his approach then my words would carry no weight, but I don't see any success 4 minutes ago Am I the only one here who thinks this or are there others? People have to speak up when they don't like what's going on 5 minutes ago But the college kids don't speak German and they don't have ties outside the US so they don't qualify for the US under Klinsmann 6 minutes ago The kids in college are just as good, if not better, than some of the kids from the reserve teams getting invited to camp 6 minutes ago But when the olympic team holds mini-camps in Germany with all 'european players' then something is wrong 7 minutes ago I would just like to see true, real Americans who would live and die for this country representing our country 8 minutes ago Don't mistake any of my tweets for jealousy, I never expect to be called in or involved with anything and it doesn't hurt my feelings 9 minutes ago I try my hardest not to tweet US soccer stuff but there are some stuff out there that drive me crazy 9 minutes ago Thats embarrassing when a good friend of mine says he met one of the guys @ the airport & he couldnt reply back in English as US Natl player 10 minutes ago I see the team is calling in guys who are really germans who know they've got no chance of playing for germany so they'll settle with the US 11 minutes ago Requirements to get on US National team under Klinsmann: Be a fake American, be born outside the US, have one US distant relative 12 minutes ago I thought it would be cool getting Klinsmann as US National team coach, but I think it's actually worse than when Bradley was coach....
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] Being retweeted by Grant Wahl and others. Some even wondering who the heck Zimmerman is
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] May I say that i'm starting to like this particular "yank abroad"? These guys aren't "multinational or multilingual. Benny is multi, Corona is multi, John and Omar are multi. These guys are Germans.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] It's a good thing you don't get to legislate the ways in which someone is "really" American or not.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I guess the bigger question is how long will it be until an MLS player or 1st division player in any league makes this sort of complaint to the media about "Real Amuricans" when he doesn't get national team callups?
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] No chance for me, my English isn't that great. I'm "multi" and "multi". So I know "not multi" when i see one. Explanations that "I love my American family that I've never spoken to, especially after realization that German team doesn't want me" aren't flying with me.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I also think those German players are settling when they play for the US over Germany, but I'm okay with it. However, I respect Preston's opinion because I can empathize with his feelings.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I do have an issue with folks who live in the US and can't speak English but these guys grew up in another country so it doesn't bother me. Plus I bet they are trying to improve their English as much as they can now that they are a part of the NT. Like others on twitter and here said, who is Preston to determine what a "real" American is.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] This is one point that makes him look really foolish. Nearly all these German-American players are sons of American men who decided to defend and fight for this country.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] A real American eligible for the US National Team can only be US born former U17 National Team players playing in D3 European Teams. I would have respected him alot more if he said I don't expect to be called in because I'm not good enough.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] So Rossi in reverse is OK so long as it benefits the US team (which has yet to be seen)? Got it.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] He did say he doesnt expect to be called in. The way it is written I took it as him being humble and saying "im not good enough" not him saying "im not getting called in because in too american.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] After all those rants you thought he had a moment of being humble? I took it the other way. To each his own. 'Don't mistake any of my tweets for jealousy, I never expect to be called in or involved with anything and it doesn't hurt my feelings' It doesn't hurt my feelings does not sound like a humble I'm not good enough. It sounds like a veiled FU.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I think you misunderstood his point. He later said that he thinks there are MLS and college players who are better than lower division German league players. I didn't think it was a rant motivated by him feeling snubbed pesonally.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I dont think at any point he is arguing he should be involved in the national set-up. I would prefer it that the USMNT was made up of guys like Steve Cherundolo, Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley......... guys who were born and raised in the United States and developed in the United States until they were at least 18 and are international level talents but im ok with the dual nationals.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I probably did. I agree his main motivation was other players in the US were better, but I also think there was some unarticulated jealously or his thoughts wouldn't be so severe. I understand his basic point I just think he puts it in overdrive and it sounds like sour grapes on some minimal level.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] It's so funny reading the support for these German-American B-Listers who want to play soccer for us after reading all the comments about Mexican-American soldiers who supported El-Tri football and got seen on a primarily Latino TV network cheering El Tri from their duty stations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with comments ranging from wanting to deport them to hopes they would be killed by either IED's or "disciplined" by fellow "real American" soldiers.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] Preston is certainly entitled to his opinion and has every right to say whatever he likes. I actually give him props for having the balls to speak out. However, I would have preferred it to be in an interview instead of social media. That being said a 3rd division player probably doesn't lend itself to many interviews I don't share the same feelings as Preston but I get where he's coming from. Dual American nationals are spread from coast to coast, sea to sea around the world and I'm quite okay with them repping the US provided there's a love and admiration for the US. He argues the do not the love and aren't "American". That's cool. That's one dude's opinion. No skin off my back.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] I think you're trying to insert square peg into round hole. Is that really the same thing, no matter how wrong wishing anyone to be IED'd. I don't remember the El-Tri issue on the Yanks Abroad board. I could have missed it.
Re: Preston Zimmerman at SV Darmstadt 98 [R] Actually yes. It sucked when it happens to us. When a player who would be a huge star for his other country drops a "lesser" country to go on to star for the US. These are all a little different in that they aren't stone cold locks for their other country whether its Germany or Mexico. Rossi would have been the #1 forward with tons of room to spare for the US and is one of many for Italy. When we are that good that this happens for us, I'll be excited. I was disappointed when Rossi chose Italy because of how he could have helped the US, especially recently with Altidore as a lock starter, but didn't feel like he was abandoning us or some kind of Benedict Arnold.
