Federico Higuain wants to play for USA.... is it possible or worth it?

Is he really that good though? I would think a player would have to be Messi status to probably get Congress to act, but I don't know. They did it for some Olympian.

 

In theory, Congress could get him citizenship but it is very rare and in his case would be highly, highly unlikely. I mean, not impossible but damn close to it. (Cue up "so you're sayin' there's a chance.")

Unfortunately, Father Time and the US bureaucracy are working against Higuain here. Higuain is 28, and turns 29 in October.

To first be eligible for US citizenship, Higuain needs to get a Green Card, ie become what the government calls a "permanent resident." MLS teams have gotten much more proactive in getting Green Cards for their foreign players and it's been done in as little as a year and but often is taking about 2 years.

Best case scenario for Higuan would be getting a Green Card this fall, close to his 29th birthday. Then he has to wait about 5 years to become a citizen.

So, again, best case scenario is it would be late 2018, when he's 34. On top of making him old to begin an international career, late 2018 is also the beginning of a new WC cycle, when Coach Kreis will likely be introducing newer and younger players and not ones who will be pushing 40 in 2022.

There's a reason no foreign player who has come to the US to play in MLS has ever gone on to get citizenship and represent the US - it just takes too long and they are past their prime by the time the process plays out.

So, long story short: very, very unlikely Federico Higuain plays for the US.

 

I think he's good enough that he'd warrant a camp call-up if this were to somehow be possible, though I very much doubt it is.

Don't think he's good enough to unseat Jozy or Dempsey though.

Probably a moot point to even argue.

 

In rare cases Congress has made exceptions, not sure if ever for sports figures. I believe they have sped up cases where by marriage and stuff like that. Is Federico anywhere close to his brother's ability? unfortunately no.

 

So here's something to consider.

Since MLS started, 69 players who were eligible to play for the United States have been named to the season-ending Best XI at least once. Of those 69, all but 2 have been capped at least once by the US senior national team.

So, it's fair to suggest that if you're good enough to be named Best XI, odds are you're good enough to warrant at the very least a look-see cap from the US.

Since MLS started, these uncap-tied international players have come to the US and gone on to be MLS Best XI at least once.

Diego Serna was 24 when he came to the US to play for the Fusion in 1998.
Christian Gomez was 29 when he came to the US to play for DCU in 2004.
Luciano Emilio was 26 when came to the US to play for DCU in 2007.
Wilman Conde was 25 when he came to the US to play for the Fire in 2007.
Sebastien LeToux was 23 when he came to the US to play for the A-League Sounders in 2007.
Javier Morales was 27 when he came to the US to play for RSL in 2007.
Jamison Olave was almost 27 when he came to the US to play for RSL in 2008.
Aurelien Colin was 25 when he came to the US to play for Kansas City in 2011.

Gomez was an MLS MVP and three-time Best XI. Emilio was a Golden Boot winner. Olave has been a Defender of the Year and multiple Best XI.

And none of them got any help from the US government or Congress to help expedite their US citizenship process. Thinking Congress will help is a fool's errand. It ain't gonna happen. It happened for an ice dancer about 12 years ago and there was a big out-cry over it. And that was in a Congress that got along a lot better than today's does.

Higuain will have to wait just like everyone else. And just like the players listed above, the wait will be so long and slow that by the time they're naturalized - if they go through with the process - their national team window has closed because they are too old.

(BTW, I think if any foreign player who came to MLS un-capped were to go on to play for the US, it would be LA's Juninho, who came to the US at a young age and still would be in his prime if he gets naturalized in the next 5 years or so.)

 

Juninho is still young? the dude looks old already.

 

I guess is depends on how you define young. He just turned 24 and is heading into his 4th season with LA.

 

MLS is full of Juninhos.

 

Yeah cap Le Toux now! Wait a second...



Anyways, in a fantasy world, if he'd been eligible now... I think he'd make the 23 pretty easily.

 

Not gonna happen

 

The US midfield is also full of Juninhos.

 

I am pretty sure they did it for Jean Willrich in the mid-80's.

Tanith Belbin got her papers three years after receiving the green card, with Carl Levin pulling some weight in the Senate in 2005.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanith_Belbin

PS. Freddy H. must not think highly of the US scoring options.

 

So wait, someone is advocating Congress (who can't do anything fast) expedite citizenship for Federico Higuain? With immigration reform currently being an issue in DC?

This will not happen unless he saves a busload of middle class auto working undecided voters living outside Akron from falling off a cliff.

 

Those stories where pre-911. Before things got serious.

 

Well dayum, if he likes living in Columbus, imagine how he'd like living in a fun place.

 

Unless Higuan goes abroad, defeats Al-Qaeda by himself while single handily carrying thousands of US soldiers to safety under enemy fire and solving the North Korean nuclear conflict thereby forcing Congress to do something it rarely does; something. Ie granting him citizenship.

But yes I think he would start for the team.

 

imagine if him and Dennis Rodman tag team and do just that.

 

Which is how it should be.

 

if only Nicolino was born in the USA. He could've had an

 

I know it's old hat by now, but if you read the article, you see the niche for the smaller clubs in MLS. The lifestyle is great for family men. It just gives me a bit of a warm feeling to see how MLS has made someone genuinely HAPPY.

 

And in MLS you're guaranteed of getting your paycheck on time.

Which sounds funny to say, but in fact that isn't a sure thing in some countries (like Argentina)

Basically, there's no chance of him playing for the US. By the time he becomes eligible, it'll be too late.

But hey, its nice to hear.......................