Kids who aren't citizens, aren't close, and #!*%! immigration...

Situations like Zakuani's are common, but situations unlike Zakuani's are also common.

What makes Zakuani different? He was in a terrific work situation, and he didn't run into any of the backlogs or waiting lists or other bureaucratic obstacles that exist. It'd be interesting if you could find a Mexican national who'd been able to get a green card in anything like that amount of time and wasn't in some special category.

 

He's not Mexican, but Freddy Montero got his green card in less than TWO years.

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110...33/seattles-fredy-montero-receives-green-card

Again, the common denominator here is Seattle. I don't know if it's the Sounders organization - though I wouldn't be surprised - being proactive about it or if the immigration offices up there are more efficient or less back-logged.

But somehow, they're managing to get it done quickly up there.

 

Obviously, big dose of sarcasm, meant to highlight the absurdity of certain posters' blame-the-parents stance (not Sandon or you).

 

There ought to be examples that take less than one year, but Mexico has quota issues in a way that Colombia does not. Also, someone like Montero ought to be able to qualify for a special category of green card.

http://www.messersmithlaw.com/green-card/eb1-extraordinary-ability.html

For an example of someone who hasn't been as fortunate, try Mehdi Ballouchy ("my green card has been pending for a long time because of a lot of things").

http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/teams/redbulls2.php?article_id=26625
http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/teams/redbulls2.php?article_id=28614

We don't know the details of his situation, but there's no reason to think he's done anything wrong.

 

Seriously guys?! Can we stop with the success stories and get back to finding the next kid who has a choice between waiting 7 years to represent The U.S. or starting for Argentina in the Olympics? I've got a good feeling about the next one.........whoever it is.

Rongen's bound to screw it up though, right?

 

We all know he is out there...

...just a matter of time.

 

Andy Najar has really started to look good the last couple of games, by the way. He has stepped up his dribbling to a different level. He is starting the transition from being a good player to being a difference maker in MLS. I think that playing with DeRosario is having a great effect on him. He is seeing how DeRosario takes on responsibility for making a difference and he is imitating it. Man, I wish we could have gotten Andy for the US National team.

He may end up being an MVP candidate before he leaves MLS. I wouldn't shortchange this kid's potential. Some players are just laser-like in their focus and Andy is one of those players. No Adu disease here. I don't know if Honduras know just how good he may end up becoming.

It will be interesting to see how good his little brother, a DC United academy player, becomes.

 

I loved it when that Honduran fan came on these boards to tell us they weren't too worried about Najar...............because they had many better prospects than Andy down in Honduras. Seeing as our only hope with Andy was that Honduras was asleep at the wheel, it provided me with some sense of false hope for a while.

Najar is really, really good already...................and he's 3 years younger than Brek Shea.

 

The idea that Honduras has better players down there so they don't need the players who grew up here is laughable. Ramon Nunez and Roger Espinoza made their frikkin' World Cup teams. Both grew up in the US, have American accents, played college soccer here and started their careers in MLS.

And now we have Najar we're developing for them. Hell, they could very easily begin WC qualifying with three American-developed players in their starting lineup.

 

Just makes it all that more special when I think about all the kids I have encountered like him around this area (granted maybe NOT as special.... but from similar backgrounds and still talented nonetheless)

 

Not to be a "hater", but I was very disappointed with Najar at the beginning of the year. He has really come on the last month or so, but that also coincides with Pontius going down. Wonder what effect that had.

 

Article by Brent Latham on the Diego Fagundez citizenship situation:

http://usa10kit.com/2011/10/26/beyond-ridiculous-fagundez-taking-hints-from-najar/

 

Are Brent and Zoidberg the same person?

 

i chalk the fagundez situation up to the continued and bottomless incompetence of the NE Revolution organization.

every MLS team should have the best immirgration lawyer in their city on retainer. if SSFC can get every one of their Colombians a green card in short order than so can every other MLS team.

and every MLS team should make getting a green card mandatory for participation in their academies, obviously with the help of their retainered immigration lawyer and at their expense.

it is just stupid to not do everything you can to get your foreign players green cards as soon as humanly possible given the rules and roster restrictions in MLS and it is beyond stupid not to do so with any youth academy products in your system, especially those with promising talent.

so you can thank the Krafts that they didn't have the foresight to get this kid started on his green card the first day he entered their youth academy .... if he had gotten that right away he'd be a lot closer to being a citizen than he is now, might still not prevent him going to play for Uruguay but at least it might be more of an actual choice.

 

Nope.

I can get info (as some here have figured out), but I dabble now. If you want to talk about US Soccer in the 70's, 80's and early 90's I'm your guy. Part time experience, but like most folks in the US game back then it was about love of the game, and at some point it's about career (a real life).

This is stress relief from work and a way to stay in the game.

I stopped asking about Bton also...to frustrating.

I will be in Frankfurt come early November...maybe I can get lucky and get over for the match. I doubt I have to worry about it being a sell out.

 

That's journalism? He lambasts those who don't do proper reporting but then he interviews noone and gets no information about if and when he has a green card or his feelings toward the situation. He visits a few websites offers those as 'sources', and makes no calls. Gets no quotes. Silly.

 

That article could have been written by any misinformed Big Soccer poster. Mindless............

 

Really? Only blame the Revs. Move your head and use your peripheral vision there's others in the room for blame. Revs can't file or force him and his family file for anything. They have to do it. When did NE know he may not be obtaining citizenship to offer assistance?
Way after USSF did. Your tunnel vison is limiting. At the end of the day he knows he's not a citizen and some simple phone calls to set up interviews can find out why.

 

And? A blog is just the mental regurgitation of one's opinions and has no informational standard to meet? Blogger can't make phone calls? Blogger has no journalistic foundation of common sense to positively add to the public discourse on a topic?

 

uh, yes they can. they can say "hey, young soccer player who would like to take advantage of our top notch training for free in our academy, one requirement is that you, with our assitance and on our dime, begin the process of getting a green card immediately because of the way MLS rules are structured we would rather any products that come out of our academy not cost us an international spot ... here is the number of our on retainer immigration lawyer, s/he will guide you thru everything and we will pay for any fees."

oh, wow. that was hard. next.

 

And if the person isn't eligible for a Green Card?

 

and how often does that happen? that children aren't eligible for a green card? and what does that have to do with this situation with fagundez .... there is nothing baring him from getting a green card other than the fact that the NER didn't make it a priority and get the ball moving ... agian ... if Seattle can basically get every single one of their foreign players a green card within two years it wouldn't have been hard for NER to do the same with 14 year old kid who'd been in the US for years. it is incompetence plain and simple.