Re: Info on playing for US... Jamil, Your dad was awesome as 'Amerikaner 3' in "Charlie Butterfly". He put Amerikaner 1 and Amerikaner 2 to shame.
Re: Info on playing for US... Not to the Danes he doesn't. I bet Big Danish Soccer is blowing up right now.
Re: Info on playing for US... Not a bad choice. At least you didn't say Pat's. I'm a Geno's and Steve's fan!
Re: Info on playing for US... You are dead to me, Danish! Edit: You too Cypha... puts Jamil's and CyphaPSU's name on the enemies list Sachin
Re: Info on playing for US... I am aware of the warning in this forum regarding the definition of a Yank abroad (i.e., that citizenship is the only criteria), so I won't question whether Jamil qualifies. But I would like a little more information about Jamil in forming my own opinion of whether he's worthy of donning the RW&B, so here goes. Jamil, if you don't mind, can you answer the following questions for me? 1. Have you ever lived in the US, and roughly how much time have you spent here? 2. Do you have relatives in the US? 3. Do you follow US soccer at all? I'm assuming at the very least that you watched all of the US world cup games in real time. Please tell me this is so. 4. Are you willing to formally tie yourself to the US without knowing whether you stand a chance of getting capped? Thanks. (P.S. I'm a Shank & Evelyn's guy myself.)
Re: Info on playing for US... I honestly never expected "Cheesesteak Smack" on here..... Besides, everyone knows the best ones come from.... Just kidding
Re: Info on playing for US... 1. I have never lived in the US, if you mean over a long period of time. And time spent in the US is roughly a month per year untill i reached 14-15 and since then 2 weeks or so per year. Maybe a bit more. 2. Yeah of course. I've got a sister an two brothers, grandma, cousins etc, etc... 3. I only follow the US nats. I've never seen an MLS game. And yeah I saw all of the US' World Cup games in real time and also in '02 and '98. And I have two Nat Jerseys. One from '98 and one I just bought during this last World Cup. 4. YES
Re: Info on playing for US... Those all earn passing grades in my book-- enough quizzing the kid. Jamil: I think the best thing you could do is contact the US Olympic team head coach and ask about playing . . . wait a second . . . WE DON'T HAVE AN OLYMPIC COACH. Sometimes I really wonder if the US Soccer Federation really wants to succeed. Good luck Jamil, we all are looking forward to watching you play for the US.
Re: Info on playing for US... All right, who's going to be the first to get a Farrington USMNT jersey. I can't, coz he's dead to me. So do we nickname Jamil Danish or give him another nick?
Re: Info on playing for US... Late in arriving to this thread but I would also like to wish Jamil the best of luck. I hope he can keep us updated on his story.
Re: Info on playing for US... I would love to hear from all the Rossi bashers... If you don't mind me asking Jamil, how come you feel closer to your dad's country than where you grew up and live in? Or do you see a better chance of making the team with the US?
Re: Info on playing for US... If you had read everything in here and the article on yanks-abroad.com you would know that I've never said that I am closer to the US than Denmark. I feel just as American as I do Danish, though Denmark is my home and will always be. It has something to do with the way I was brought up I guess.
Re: Info on playing for US... Jamil, I'm one of Chris Albright's top boosters on bigsoccer. And even I think it's a sad necessity that he was on our 23. I back Albright not because I'm excited about his play, but because I don't see anyone else as a better backup to Cherundolo (at least after Spector was injured.) If you're a right fullback, you have a chance with the US.
Re: Info on playing for US... Two questions: Is Jamil looking for an agent? What is Earnie Stewart up to these days, and has he ever thought of becoming an agent for kids in UEFA youth systems with one American parent and one European parent?
Re: Info on playing for US... Earnie is general manager at NAC Breda so there would be a huge conflict of interest. However, it would be bad if Earnie could give him a look in the winter
Re: Info on playing for US... Ah, just read the article and now understand your reasons better (somehow I missed it before.) In my opinion population shouldn't be a factor though, there is equal honor in representing any country - large or small. Just to be clear, I can very well relate to your background. I have a Colombian mother and have visited Colombia several times. Can't say I would make the same decision in your place though, Switzerland will always be number one for me. I will say this however, I never knew exactly how Swiss I felt until I moved abroad (Texas and now Dubai.) You never know what you have until you leave it all behind. Anyway, good luck and all the best with your career.
Re: Info on playing for US... Jamil - First of all, thanks for posting, and good luck! One thing I would add to what others have posted is that if you really want to attract interest from the United States, it never hurts to play in a country that is heavily followed by Americans. Remember, our coaches are fans of the game too, and American soccer fans pay a lot more attention to the leagues in England than they do anywhere else. That means our coaches likely spend more time following English leagues than they do any others. What I would specifically suggest is that if you ever find yourself in a position to play in one of the top two leagues in England (EPL & Championship), and you wouldn't mind leaving Denmark, strongly consider the move. If you find yourself earning playing time in the Danish 1st division, it may be that you are good enough for the Championship in England. If you are good enough for the English Championship, there is a good chance that you will ultimately be good enough for the USA senior team (iirc, three out of six Americans starting in the Championship last season made the USA's WC roster). A look at the USA '06 roster will show you that only one player played outside of the USA, England, Holland or Germany. That one player was Onyewu, and he was widely considered to be one of the two best defenders in the Belgian league. In other words, it's not impossible to make Team USA while playing in Denmark, but you will likely have to be one of the best players in that league, in order to overcome the relative anonymity that you will face back here in the States. Again, good luck!
Re: Info on playing for US... Ignore this advice. Heath Pierce was looked at very carefully for the US World cup team. Just focus on building your club experience and getting playing time. The US team will look at any player getting top flight club experience for a good European club regardless of league.