My son has been recommended by New Zealand soccer great Wynton Rufer to go to Germany to play soccer and go to school. We have this match worn FC Barcelona #17 shirt that we want to auction but are not quite sure where to do that. The shirt has been signed by Rivaldo, Kluivert, Saviola, Enrique,etc. The funds from this shirt will go towards his trip to Germany as we have to pay airfares ($5000) twice per year from here in New Zealand. He is a USA citizen also Please check the newspaper article about him http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,2833222a6414,00.html Thanks
I think what is interesting about this is that Dylan was not selected by Force3 (the Waikato) for representative honours. Dylan has come through independent soccer schools that New Zealand Soccer has gone out of its way to block any funding to. For a talented player like Dylan that means that if he isn't selected for his Federation then he really has no way to progress to national honours. If I was auctioning the ship I would put it up at EBay as you will get international bidders who will pay much more than the average Kiwi or Aussie for the shirt. Crowdie PS Best of luck in Germany Dylan
Oh there a few people here in oz that are not 'EPL clones' who just love the EPL and no other league. Some people i know are keen La Liga fans so i would assume they woul dput in a bid, but Ebay would be the best chance as u will get more than you hoped for!
Well if your son ever gets to the point of playing for a national team, who do you think he would choose (assuming he has lived in the US or is familiar with the culture)---New Zealand or the United States? Just wondering. Good luck with the auction.
I can't believe you would turn your back on New Zealand. I know if i was duel nationality (which i am) i would always play for the green and gold if i ever had the choice. I am Macedonian/Australian and yes Macednia plays regularly in UEFA competitions but i will always love Australia . I can apply for England, Wales & Scotland and they play regularly also but Australia just draws me back Well that is my opinion on the 'drain' kids are doing in Australia & New Zealand is because of their parents. In Australia the Italian, Greek, Macedonian, English and other nationalities that are established their parents who came from there want their kids to go there and play for tha country. Now i am glad that the 3rd and 4th generations are changing their mentality and are not doing this as their first choice or not at all. Look if your kid wants to play international football then fine but just because te USA are ahead in the 'emerging nations' pool should have a close thaught.
He wants to be a professional soccer player. Unfortunately, playing for NZ would not necessarily help him in this goal. Also, he is a highly technical player and they prefer big strong players, do not encourage this style. Staying in NZ, you have only the Kingz, which maybe you make $20,000/yr and they are a poor team. Even the Australian league is not very good, MLS is better. Also, NZ always has to beat Australia and rarely do. To play for Australia - you may get a chance on the world stage. The last time NZ did it was the Confederations Cup and it was not pretty, one of the rare occasions they lost to Australia in the preliminary stages. MLS is a good league and would provide him with opportunities, also playing for the USA on a national level would give him a visibility and opportunities not available here. The lifestyle is good there and he would have relatives.
Kiwi, So why are you staying in NZ if by implication it's better (life-style wise) for your son to be in the USA ??? Another choice is for him to join the countless kiwis over here, in AUS. I'm Australian and I'd prefer my kids to stay in AUS than live in the USA, as I think it's better overall for them (not just for me). Cheers. Andy T.
Cripes, he's 14. Let the kid enjoy life a little and play some soccer before worrying about what national team he's going to play for! It's like talking about what college your 5 year old is going to go to. When the kid is older, he can make his choice. FWIW, there are a few talented Kiwi's in MLS. Ryan Nelson in particular is likely to make a move to Europe in the next year or two. You don't have to play for the US nats to play in MLS. The US, Australia and New Zealand all have good things going for them. The US has a lot of culture, media exposure and interesting things to do and see. Australia has an unbelievably friendly population, and some of the most beautiful scenes of nature on the planet. New Zealand generated the Bushwhackers tag team and whole language education. All three countries have their bad parts as well. The US has Bush, Kiwi's have too many sheep and Aussie's have vegemite (I don't care what you say, anything that smells like that shouldn't be swallowed ). Best case scenerio: Let the kid play in Germany and enjoy life. He'll see the sights of Germany. Let him experience life in different places. That way, when the time comes, he can make an informed decision based on what is right for him. That way, any decision he makes will be the right one. Unless he chooses Quatar. Then he sucks.
yes thinking about leaving at 14 is too young and yes he needs to enjoy these years as a kid before thinking about football! But i would like my son to stay in the country as long as possible.
NZ is a great place to live with and an excellent lifestyle to to bring up kids, but when it comes to secondary schooling unless you are academically inclined or gifted, most kids just "leave school" at 15 or 16. This is great if you want to apprentice as a carpenter, plumber, panelbeater, etc., where the opportunities are fantastic and skills here are excellent. Not so good if you want to play soccer, as you end up getting any old job and playing for a club side. National team members are not usually selected from these clubs, and perhaps you get injured a bit more playing with mostly grown men. We hope our son is learning German, playing football and gaining a healthy respect for education, so that perhaps he can go to university in the US. Somehow he was slipping away academically here (perhaps due to too much soccer and not enough time?). Just talked to him and he is enjoying Rostock thoroughly and loving the soccer and learning German. Thanks for your good wishes.
But playing for NZ would still be an honour if selected. Who knows what will happen in the future but New Zealand is the ultimate as well as the USA.
I think that playing for New Zealand would be an honour as if you make it big in Australia and New Zealand you will be recognised by the nation's media and the people But i wouldn't play for the USA only because of the dollars. If you wanted the best in regards to money you should look to the 'mother country'
I would like to see Dylan come to one of the stronger federations, like United Soccer 1, Soccer2 or Capital Soccer, and see if he can compete with the city boys. If he is not good enough to compete with these boys then I am not sure how he will compete with the Germans. Crowdie
Just like a beer you have to get used to Vegemite and it is damn fine to eat! I hope your son does well!
Kiwi, if I where you I would not lose any sleep if your son does not go to Germany. He can always do what fellow Kiwi Simon Elliot did. He got a scholarship to a US college and he played NCAA soccer. Not only did Simon get an education at one of the finest universities on the planet (Stanford) he also showed off his skills and got drafted into the MLS. Now Simon is a top defensive midfielder in the league and has even trained with Manchester United because of the MLS.
True very true. he could go for that or even a similar scheme elsewhere. but i think it would be best if you tried for europe.