View Full Version : Adu's Road to Citizenship
peledre
20 Sep 2002, 06:20 PM
Anyone have news on his progress?
As far as I understand, because he's a minor, his citizenship status will hinge upon that of his mother's. They've been in-country since '97(?) so they should be getting fairly close. I believe the goal was to have him ready for the upcoming U-17 WC (if they qualify). That still the goal?
Sandon Mibut
20 Sep 2002, 08:06 PM
I imagine the goal is to have Mrs. Adu raise her right hand before the 17s have CONCACAF qualifying, which is slated for April of next year.
The clock is moving, tick-tock, tick-tock.
peledre
20 Sep 2002, 10:11 PM
Originally posted by Sandon Mibut
The clock is moving, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Is it just me or does the clock seem to be moving faster and faster?? I'm getting antsy, we need to cap-tie this kid already :).
GersMan
03 Oct 2002, 10:42 AM
it'll be taken care of
Stogey23
03 Oct 2002, 01:08 PM
Originally posted by GersMan
it'll be taken care of
Well thank you.
peledre
04 Oct 2002, 02:57 PM
Originally posted by GersMan
it'll be taken care of
You have some connections at the INS?
chayes
07 Oct 2002, 12:28 PM
If it was that much in doubt, Arena and the USSF would get in touch with the Congressman that represents him and have a personal bill introduced to grant him citizenship.
It was done for Martina Navratalova so she could play Davis Cup sooner.
beineke
07 Oct 2002, 12:50 PM
Originally posted by chayes
If it was that much in doubt, Arena and the USSF would get in touch with the Congressman that represents him and have a personal bill introduced to grant him citizenship.
It was done for Martina Navratalova so she could play Davis Cup sooner.
Yes, a bill was introduced for Navratilova. That was during the peak of the Cold War, and there were only 77,000 people awaiting US citizenship at the time. Even so, the bill was rejected. She had to wait, just like everybody else.
If they didn't pass a bill for her, do you really think they would make an exception for a nobody like Freddy Adu? We have no animosity towards Ghana, and there are over 2,000,000 permanent US residents waiting in line.
chayes
07 Oct 2002, 02:26 PM
Originally posted by beineke
Yes, a bill was introduced for Navratilova. That was during the peak of the Cold War, and there were only 77,000 people awaiting US citizenship at the time. Even so, the bill was rejected. She had to wait, just like everybody else.
If they didn't pass a bill for her, do you really think they would make an exception for a nobody like Freddy Adu? We have no animosity towards Ghana, and there are over 2,000,000 permanent US residents waiting in line.
It happens all the time. Personal bills go through moving people to the front of the line every week.
And it would HELP get Adu through since he is a nobody... It wouldn't raise any red flags.
I'm just saying the resources are there to do something like that if the USSF needed to rush it through.
I know it wasn't a personal bill for Regis that got his papers through, but you don't think the USSF was pulling some strings on his case?
profiled
07 Oct 2002, 04:59 PM
If Ghana calls him up, and wants to cap tie him, do you really think he'll accept? I mean honestly, he's done all this work with US Soccer, lives in America, and has been working towards citizenship, and he's going to drop all of that when Ghana throws a cap his way?
He is free to turn down a cap from any country that could offer him one.
DigitalTron
07 Oct 2002, 08:13 PM
As for the citizenship, times have changed. There used to be a major problem of political favors being cashed in to get certain people green cards and citizenship processed faster than the normal wait, but it became the norm to have strings pulled so they overhauled the system. Now, it totally doesn't matter. If someone tells you they have any influence at all, they're lying. EVERYONE must wait their turn.
As for the capping, I don't think that the major fear is from him choosing Ghana over the US. There has been speculation that he could move to Europe somewhere (i.e. Italy) and play club ball there, and by the time he's well established in that system he may not accept an US cap, preferring to wait for a potential Italian cap. The citizenship rules in other countries are often much less stringent than here. If he finds a bride elsewhere, it wouldn't take him long to qualify. Whether he turns out to be as great a player as he is a prospect, who knows, but the chance of another country capping him might make him hesitant to get cap-tied.
-Tron
TheSlipperyOne
07 Oct 2002, 10:02 PM
He's stated in various interviews that it's his dream to play for the US in the World Cup.
His younger brother on the other hand has talked about his desire to play for Ghana.
AndyMead
07 Oct 2002, 10:10 PM
Originally posted by TheSlipperyOne
He's stated in various interviews that it's his dream to play for the US in the World Cup.
His younger brother on the other hand has talked about his desire to play for Ghana.
That's just the way that younger brothers are. I should know - I am one!
ursula
08 Oct 2002, 12:52 AM
Originally posted by AndyMead
That's just the way that younger brothers are. I should know - I am one!
Andy! You want to play for Ghana too?????? Say it ain't so!!!!!
GersMan
08 Oct 2002, 09:25 AM
Overhaul or no, I worked on the Hill long enough to see a number of cases where Congressmen weighed in on such matters and people most definitely moved to the front of the line. I was involved in two such cases myself.
Not saying it's right, common or likely, but it does happen.
Freddy will be wearing red, white and blue in Finland next year. Trust me.
AndyMead
08 Oct 2002, 09:52 AM
Originally posted by ursula
Andy! You want to play for Ghana too?????? Say it ain't so!!!!!
I was thinking more along the lines of American Samoa!
stopper4
08 Oct 2002, 01:00 PM
Originally posted by TheSlipperyOne
He's stated in various interviews that it's his dream to play for the US in the World Cup.
His younger brother on the other hand has talked about his desire to play for Ghana.
Thought the OLDER brother wanted to play for Ghana.
superdave
08 Oct 2002, 01:24 PM
no, stopper, it's the younger brother
dheck
08 Oct 2002, 01:50 PM
Originally posted by stopper4
Thought the OLDER brother wanted to play for Ghana.
Whoa! For a minute there I thought Jordan Older was thinking about playing for Ghana.
Excape Goat
13 Oct 2002, 10:40 AM
Originally posted by beineke
If they didn't pass a bill for her, do you really think they would make an exception for a nobody like Freddy Adu? We have no animosity towards Ghana, and there are over 2,000,000 permanent US residents waiting in line.
His situation was very similiar with Tab Ramos about 20 years ago. They blended the rules so that tab Ramos could receive his citizenship in time for the U-20 World Cup.