I don't really want to discuss this issue anymore. The point of this thread is: when someone ruins a perfectly decent Spector/Howard/Rossi/Cooper Manchester United thread with a rant about Rossi, put in a link to this thread so that they won't ruin that one further. I should be able to read about how Spector played in a reserve match without reading meanspirited stuff about Rossi, who's just trying to build himself a career in peace and never hurt anyone.
I think the problem US posters have with Rossi is that he was born in the States and spent a good part of his life in the States an dhas made the choice to play for Italy. Personally, I think it is amistake as he may have anuch better chance of playing for the USA than Italy, but who knows for sure. I would be somewhat upset but not terribly so if my boys decided to play for Wales or England over the US if they were good enough, but I really do not see that happening as they are diehard US supporters at the ages of 7 and 5 respectively. But then again, things change, attitudes change.
Give Rossi time, give him time. And we will have our Owen Hargreaves. Please let Rossi make the 2010 Azzuri Squad as a starter. I hope the US won't be drawn in Italy's group but I won't put it pass FIFA for the US to be in the Group of Death in 2010.
I'd like a thread for this type of whining... hopefully the mods will let it stand. I'd also like a thread like this for Convey... so that any match Match thread could actually be about the match. Who's Martini? Was this guy born American and also wants to play for Italy? Or is it an Italian born player that wants to play for the USA because he has no chance with the Azurri... and which is more American?
Rossi - kid with an opportunity to play for Italy or the US, chooses Italy, is shat upon by US fans. Regis, guy with an opportunity to play for France or the US, chooses the US, is shat upon by US fans. Hardly seems fair to either, no?
At least we're equal opportunity. Black, white, American, French, Italian, Mexican, Swiss, Dutch, German (except Dooley), guy with a wierd Amero-Anglo hybrid accent married to a Jamaican ... we've shat on 'em all.
Now come on, you know the answer to this one. Adu - I want to play for America Rossi - I want to play for Italy That would be a critical difference.
So i was talking to a friend of mine (who is Ghanian)... When i told him about Adu, he siad said: "Adu sucks, he is garbage" (the way he said it, he might have as well said "F-him") What does the typical BS poster feel about my friend's comments? 1.That comment was uncalled for.. 2. Well, he is being "patriotic".. He's got every right to insult the kid, if he wants to.... 3. Any suggestions? I think Rossi is a Yank and that's that... I'm totally in agreement with CAsper... The kid is playing football (soccer) and he's not trying to start any trouble with anyone... Yet, he is treated as if he gave away state secrets....
It's not so much that there's a problem with him playing for Italy... it's more of a problem of people following him as an American aborad when he, clearly, considers himself an Italian abroad. Good luck to him, but I can't consider him a YA.
It will be interesting to see if Rossi ends up doing well enough to even get invited to play for Italy. I understand that he has played for their youth national team, but he has a long way to go before he ever gets a callup for their senior side. I would guess that if you looked at the rosters of Italian youth national teams, only a few players on each team ever get a cap with the senior team. And as of now, Rossi is just playing for the reserves at ManU, and not exactly tearing it up. Rossi doesn't seem likely to break into ManU's first team any time soon, given ManU's depth and the amount of money they have to spend on known commodities. Even if Rossi were lucky enough to crack the first team, to get a call-up for Italy, he would have to play really well or score a respectable number of goals, which is itself no small feat in the premiership. Although I've never seen the kid play, in light of his current position, I think the odds aren't in his favor when it comes to him ever getting capped by the Italians. When he's 25 and has never gotten a sniff from the Italian national team and is playing for a bottom dweller in the permiership or a team in the Coca Cola Championship and playing respectably but not setting the world on fire, and the U.S. invites him into camp, he may ultimately decide to accept the invitation. In any case, it will be interesting to follow his progress...
US fans welcome Adu with open arms for the same reason some English fans welcome Harvgreaves with open arms...
Here's a funny, nutty, obscene, silly, offensive debate about Freddy on a Ghananian message board. Illustrates the mixed emotions that he inspires among his ex-countrymen - http://www.clubgh.com/MEGABBS/thread-view.asp?threadid=58&posts=46 As for your question ... patriotism has nothing to do with equality, rationality, or other such noble principles. It's a gut thing, you know.
Not possible. If he has played for Italy's youth sides in competitive games he won't be able to switch associations once he turns 21. If the U.S. doesn't call him up before that age, it's over. Anyway, some people need to get over this - it happens to other countries as well. Italy is about to lure away a very talented player called Davide Chiumiento from us.
Adu chose to be identified as an American. Rossi chose to be identified as an Italian. There is nothing wrong with either choice, but I will look at Adu as an American and Rossi as an Italian. It's really that simple. If one wants to be an Italian, let him.
Isn't it about time these lesser countries stop poaching talented foriegners for their national team? Italy's not such a bad place. You'd think they could develop a professional league where they could develop their own talent. But there's always hope, the USA used to do the same thing ... maybe once Seria A is as good as MLS they won't have to search abroad for any players that might have Italian heritage.
It happens to the best of us http://soccernet.espn.go.com/euro2004/headlinenews?id=302734&cc=5739 Fvcking Italians not good enough anyway. But youv'e done the same with Adu and we've done the the same with with Barnes.
Zac Whitbread of Liverpool moved from Houston to the UK when he was 2 years old or so - but the guy wants to play for the US and has done so at youth level. There is not a jot of Yankee accent there!