The Green Card Queue: Who Could Be Next?

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by BostonRed, Jun 4, 2014.

  1. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    England's U-21s. Because he doesn't yet have US citizenship, he is officially cap-tied to England, now.
     
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  2. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hard to interpret your question. That "just" can make it go several ways.

    He played for the English U21s in Euro U21 qualifying. That's an official competition. Any player who plays in an official competitive youth match is immediately limited from filing a one-time switch to any country that he did not hold citizenship in at the time of that competitive youth cap. Jack's not a US citizen, so he can never switch to the US under current rules.

    This is exactly the same situation as Diego Fagundez finds himself in.
     
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  3. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    edcrocker and Winoman repped this.
  4. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #904 BostonRed, Oct 24, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2017
    Seems the Harrison report started with Kristian Dyer:

    https://www.msgnetworks.com/videos/felipe-wants-to-play-for-the-usmnt/

    A couple of sources were repeating this and then deleted when they figured out it was incorrect. Ives even thinks Harrison wasn't aware of the implication of the matches, but he's likely to move to England before becoming a US citizen anyway.
     
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  5. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OMG I'm a moron. I totally read past your sentence about "mistakenly believes"
     
  6. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    They should make the rules more difficult for someone to change. It kind of devalues the sport at a National level when you have "x" person play for a NT only because he would have never had a chance to play for his home country.
     
  7. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hockey has a rule that says you have to play two years in the country you play for. I think FIFA should have something similar. Although I wouldn't be surprised if they loosened the rules since a large number of FIFA members benefit for France and German leftovers.
     
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  8. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, if nothing else, they are having to issue way too many waivers to players who came to a country as kids. That's a sign you need to fix your rules.

    But if you want to see abuse, take a look at the men's handball team for Qatar...

    http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-oly-qatar-handball-20160816-snap-story.html
     
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  9. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    2 years is nothing. It will soon become a World Cup of the best players, just representing another country they were never born in. Sort of like the world cup of clubs. Can't really take pride in something like that. And a lot of nations have used Naturalized players and more are joining.
     
  10. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't see it
     
  11. eliwood

    eliwood Member+

    Jul 25, 2016
    Latif Blessing received green card status

    Only 20 too
     
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  12. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He must have applied via the exceptional talent route cause that is pretty fast (less than 2 years).
     
  13. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A year isn't that unusual for a Green Card process to run. I don't think there was anything in his background that would qualify him for the EB-1 Green Card (the "exceptional ability" category-- call this the "David Beckham" exception).
     
  14. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My point was that he satisfied the residency requirements pretty quickly. I would say anyone who can play professional soccer has exceptional ability but I could be biased :D
     
  15. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There are no residency requirements to get a Green Card (not in the same way there is for citizenship). You have to maintain residency to keep the Green Card.
     
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  16. eliwood

    eliwood Member+

    Jul 25, 2016
    I think Blessing will be called into Ghana before the citizen residency requirement is met anyways
     
  17. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Unless he gets married soon.... :p
     
  18. dwsmith1972

    dwsmith1972 BigSoccer Supporter

    May 11, 2007
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  19. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #919 BostonRed, Jan 9, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2018
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  20. VBCity72

    VBCity72 Member+

    Aug 17, 2014
    Sunny San Diego
    Club:
    Plymouth Argyle FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Blessing received his green card on 28 Nov 17. So if he got married the earliest is Nov 20 if not Nov 22 too late for the WC.
     
  21. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    #921 Clint Eastwood, Jan 9, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2018
    What I've found is that the players themselves often don't have a clear knowledge of the timelines involved in the citizenship process. There was very little reason for Latif to say "I am ready to switch nationality and play for USA." His eligibility is so far in the future that you never know what'll happen.

    I remember these cases like Andy Najar and Diego Fagundez. We spent an enormous time on these threads talking about Najar's timelines in particular as we wanted him to be eligible for an Olympic cycle. Not only did he not make those timelines prior to Honduras being interested, he NEVER became a US citizen as far as we know.

    DIego Fagundez is as American as apple pie. He has all of these pictures on his twitter feed of a recent bear hunting trip he went on. But the timelines didn't work for him to get citizenship. Uruguay called him up for one cap-tying tournament, got some token appearances, and that was that.

    Same thing just happened with Jack Harrison of course.

    So its a weird thing. If people want Latif in the US program, they have to hope he's good..................but not good enough to get called up by Ghana or get signed away from MLS. It does happen on occasion: See Kekuta Manneh.
     
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  22. Sebsasour

    Sebsasour Member+

    New Mexico United
    May 26, 2012
    Albuquerque NM
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Do we know for sure if he's eligible? Wasn't there some confusion about FIFA's live here 5 years after you turn 18 rule
     
  23. BostonRed

    BostonRed Member+

    Oct 9, 2011
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, they applied for a waiver back of the 5/18 rule in early 2017. No one ever reported back on the result, but he's 23 now and has lived the 5 years after turning 18 all in the US. He should be eligible to play for the US without restriction now.
     
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  24. OWN(yewu)ED

    OWN(yewu)ED Member+

    Club: Venezia F.C.
    May 26, 2006
    chico, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    any words on our current Gen Ad crop with Mo Adams, Francis Atuahene, Jaoa, Moutinho, Ema Twumasi, or Gordon Wild?

    Anyone else doing the leg work on that would appreciate it that might know a thing or two about any of those cases that we might not.
     
  25. Heist

    Heist Member+

    Jun 15, 2001
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gordon wild grew up in a traveling circus in Germany
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...e-circus-and-joined-the-maryland-soccer-team/
     
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