I'm coming to the conclusion that players simply want to play at the highest level internationally that they can. Sometimes that is for the US (Chandler a good example, somewhat overlooked by Germany). Sometimes that is for someone else (Rossi). It goes both ways. Not thrilled when it goes against us, but OK. I get it. And as long as they feel some sort of connection to the US and want to represent this country, I say great! Steve, good luck with the rehab. Looking forward to seeing you back on the field soon.
Zakuani before he got injured was on a tear I believe. He was probably on his way out of the MLS. I hope he can return from this horrific injury.
Got to get BShredder on here for this one, but I think this is a legit question. I'm with you guys, under the rules as I'm remembering them (11 pm Friday), he's ineligible. Does he have some kind of special status relative to the USA because of his moving them out because of the political situation in Zaire? Asylum status or some such? Though that would seem to apply more to England, since he moved there first.
Zakuani only received his green card last December. So doesn't that mean he's at least 4 years away from even applying for U.S. citizenship?
I'll try to be less glib this time. Article 15.2 of the FIFA statutes: The "exception of the conditions specified in article 18" is what you're referring to -- the one-time switch to a country for which you had nationality at the time of your initial appearance for another country. In Zakuani's case, I don't believe we need to contemplate the Article 18 exception, because the rule set forth in Article 15 does not apply to him. He did not participate in "an official competition of any category or any type of football." An "official competition" is defined by the statutes as " a competition for representative teams organised by FIFA or any Confederation." So, presumably, that would not include a friendly. Accordingly, he would simply be eligible under Articles 15.1 and 16: I'm sure someone will correct me if I have this wrong.
Having Zakuani in the player pool certainly couldn't hurt. Very few if any in MLS can beat defenders off the dribble better then Zak which is not the only reason I hope he fully recovers from his injury. I don't think I want to see him rap again. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgfRTzpp6I&feature=player_detailpage"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgfRTzpp6I&feature=player_detailpage[/ame]
Regarding Zakuani's waiting time for U.S. citizenship, consider this nugget that the MLS website just published on Rodney Wallace (yes, the guy who hit the winner against us for Costa Rica yesterday): A green card holder, Wallace still needs to wait for several years to get his American citizenship despite coming to the United States at the age of nine. The long wait ultimately led the talented 23-year-old left-sided midfielder/defender to choose to represent Costa Rica rather than wait to join the US. Now keep in mind that Wallace received his green card over two years ago, while Zakuani just got his last December. It's going to be a long wait, folks.
i thought the funniest part was that he said Zakuani was average then asked if anyone knew if he was good enough to play for us...basically saying he has no clue who he his so assuming that means he suxors
Zak has a great skill set that we can certainly use...IF he can return to the level of play he was at before that horrific break. I'm going to hold out hope that he can, but with serious injuries like that you just never know.
Not true at all. I asked what his ceiling is, I've seen a few of his games...Did he dominate like Brek Shea or LD in the MLS? No. Does he have a good skill set? Yes for sure Are there better options right now? Yes
I'm sick of our team turning into a squad with a bunch of mercenaries that couldnt care less about our national team. Get this guy, and those two subpar Germans off my team!
Who, one of the best RB's in the Bundesliga? Who, an EPL player who adds that "destroyer role" to the NT? But yeah, it's nice seeing an American born guy
Yeah, doesn't the USSF/Klinsmann know this is "Albee"'s team!! I can't believe the hubris in not checking with you first. But at least it's good to know you've perfected the elusive care-o-meter.
Once again, I feel obligated to point out that no players who came to the US to play college soccer have gone on to get naturalized and play for the US since the early 80s. The last two to do it were Roy Wegerle (South Florida 82 and 83) and Jean Harbor (Alabama A&M 83-86). And Wegerle needed an American wife to speed up his process. And that was almost 20 years ago! Both Wegerle and Harbor debuted for the US in 1992. They have to wait 9 and 6 years, respectively, to get naturalized after leaving college and it's a longer wait to get naturalized now than it was then. It just takes a long time. If Zakuani gets naturalized 6 years after leaving college, he's looking at some time in 2015 and that's likely a best-case scenario. Is he willing to wait that long? He'd be 27 at the time so he'd still have plenty of time to play for the US and would have a good shot at the 2018 World Cup team. But that's a long time to wait, especially when there are other options to play internationally. The reality is our naturlaization process isn't very encouraging for players with other options. It's a big reason why players like Bakary Soumare, Yura Movsissyan, Vedad Ibisevic, Ramon Nunez, Andy Najar, Rodney Wallace and Roger Espinoza opt not to wait ands play for a country for which they're already eligible, even if they've spent most of their life in the US. It's weird - guys like Tim Chander, Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones who have spent very little time in the US can play for the our national team but guys like Wallace and Nunez who grew up here and speak unaccented American English can't play for the US. I suppose it's a zero-sum game. We lose players we raise who aren't eligible and gain players we don't raise who are eligible.
ESPN stated during halftime of the Costa Rica match, marrying a US citizen takes the wait time after the Green Card from 5 to 3 years.
Are your opinions based on an almost total absence of facts? Yes. 29 G, 27 S, 10 G, 6 A 26 G, 26 S, 10 G, 3 A Which one is Shea (2011) and which one is Zakuani (2010)? BTW, Zakuani had 2G and 2A in 5 games this year, the sixth one being the leg-breaker. Based upon this evidence, your conclusion (Zakuani wasn't tearing up MLS like Shea is!) is totally baseless.
You are right, well sorta. FIFA Rules are kind of ambiguous. Article 18 states that a player can only switch to a country he was eligible for when he first played for another in an official competition at an "A" international level. Some interpret this as Continental tourney, CC, WCQ, or WC. A few years back the US appealed to FIFA to count a camp cupcake match, against Denmark, as an official "A" match, in order to count Landon Donovan's record breaking goal as official. They US won the appeal. Article 18 1. If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another country of which he holds nationality, subject to the following conditions: (a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition at “A” international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play. (b) He is not permitted to play for his new Association in any competition in which he has already played for his previous Association. 2. If a Player who has been fielded by his Association in an international match in accordance with art.15 par. 2 permanently loses the nationality of that country without his consent or against his will due to a decision by a government authority, he may request permission to play for another Association whose nationality he already has or has acquired. 3. Any Player who has the right to change Associations in accordance with par. 1 and 2 above shall submit a written, substantiated request to the FIFA general secretariat. The Players’ Status Committee shall decide on the request. The procedure will be in accordance with the Rules Governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber. Once the Player has filed his request, he is not eligible to play for any representative
You do realize Seattle has a better team, especially at home, and Shea has played a few games at LB and CB this year correct? Shea is much more physically dominating and should have a lot more assists if his team finished some of his perfect passes. I just don't this Zak is NT quality yet, thats all.
Seattle only had 48 points last year scored 39 goals, In 3 less games this year Dallas has 46 points and 36 goals. It is very hard to say that the Seattle team was better.
Dallas finished with a better record than Seattle last year, and went to the MLS Cup final. And as Irish 56 pointed out, the pace for Dallas this year is ahead of Seattle last year. Yes, Shea has played some LB, but he's also played some forward. That is a salient point. But the stuff about Seattle being superior is just not fact supported.
So even if he manages to get hitched in the next couple years he still wouldn't be able to apply for citizenship until December 2013. And then good luck seeing the process completed in time for the World Cup in Brazil six months later. This whole thing is a nonstarter, unless he feels like holding out for WC 2018.