The Giuseppe Rossi American Hate-A-Thon Commences

You guys really need to get over this! The fucker is Italian, his parents are Italian, and his heritage is Italian! He ain’t ever gonna play for Uncle Sam, so get over it! And how do you think Ghana would feel about it if Freddy Adu scored on them!

Plus, it’s only fair: Italy stole Rossi, but US stole Adu, even after Ghana offered Adu a place in their 2006 World Cup squad!

All of this is true…but he is American as well. I’m not saying that means he’s a traitor by any means, just that he had a choice and either way I think is perfectly legitimate. I don’t envy making that choice.

He may not have had the kind of choice people are simplifying it to. In America, if you’re born here, you’re automatically a citizen. It’s not so simple in other nations. Just b/c someone was born here, doesn’t mean this is their entire identity. My mother is from Rome, but I was born here. I’m not anti-American at all, but I cannot explain the passion I feel for Italy and how much I miss being there. Presented w/ the opportunity, I’d move in a heartbeat.

I wouldn’t want someone playing for the USMNT that wasn’t wholly into it. And bless his passion, he’s always wanted to play for the Azzurri. That’s a special thing.

US fans should take what they have and worry about how to make that a winning team, instead of moping and whining about what they cannot have. Otherwise, they’ll never win anything. And that’s a shame, b/c it’d be wonderful for the sport in this country if they did.

I and many others can relate to this. I am born in london, of irish parents and i hate england.

So i can understand how people do not care for there country of birth, but where there heart is.

1) Manuelito – it is completely untrue to say that USA “stole” Freddy Adu. He made his choice and has never expressed a desire to play for any other national team besides the USA.

2) As more and more people cross borders for employment, fans of international football need to get used to this. FIFA sets rules, Rossi had his choice of Italy or the USA, Bruce Arena promised him a roster spot for Germany 2006 and he said no thanks, I’m holding out for a call from the azzurri.

3) As a fan of the USA, it is hard not to see the kid play and think about how much the team could use him, but grow the hell up and wish him well.

I’m just tired of effing losing.

The best part of all this is that he’s been on various incarnations of the Italian National team for 6 years or so.

So, today he’s a Judas, okay, I get that as much as I get anything else that happens with football fanatics.

But where was all the melodrama 6 years ago?

Whether he’sitalian or American, I think all the hate is an over reaction. Why?

One word: Torres.

Case closed :-)

I also think this is a non-issue. He clearly “Chose” this path when he was 13 – moving to Italy and living there most/all of his teen/adult life. It was never really an “option” until the 2006 WC camp invite came along – but he stuck to his guns and his country. No biggie, really. If he hadn’t scored, we wouldn’t be mentioning his name at all this week, perhaps ever…

When I was a kid and teenager I often used to debate this same issue many times – whether I would choose Israel or the US if I was a professional footballer – but my lack of skills and lack of training got in the way and made the decision for me.

UGH.

I cant BELIEVE American fans are still trying to be wishy washy and above it all when this guy CLEARLY came out on the field DYING to destroy the US and send a message. I watch alot of Villa, and though he is a tremendous player, I have never seen him THAT motivated to perform.

F him. Jersey-eppe Rossi is up there in Benedict Arnold territory.

I could care less that the US has been taking over sea talent for years. Any American fan knows that the base has been waiting for a dynamic #10, 11 or 9 to lead this team to the back of the net. Rossi, raised and trained here till he was 13, could have been that man. He was the cure. He turned his back. America first. F him.

he wouldnt be as good if he trained in america all his life and played in mls and the US youth system.

Dave, I can’t tell if you’re kidding.

Why are people comparing him to Adu? Adu is never going to score in an international competition…

I wouldn’t play for the USMNT either.

See above.

It would be nice to see the US actually beat Italy one of these days…..

I don’t blame him, he grew up in New Jersey. If I grew up there I would think America is a terrible place and rather play anywhere else.

He would have been ruined if he came to the USA. Adu made that mistake. Shoulda went to Europe as a 13 year old, developed thr right way, then been a amazing player by now… Instead they ruined him in MLS with dumb coaches like Bruce Arena and others. Rossi made the right choice. Get over it. PS- Theres gotta be some foreigners that represent America in others sports (maybe even soccer???). I wanna say Tim Duncan but I could be wrong

“It would be nice to see the US actually beat Italy one of these days…”

Not to me.

I like it when a country the size of Flordia beats a team like the U.S. in any tournement.

It makes up for the Olympics.

I’m with Dave Martinez here…and honestly, I can’t believe what some of you guys are saying. The World Cup isn’t about picking and choosing which of your heritages has the best chance of winning the Cup. It’s about going out there and REPRESENTING your country. Kid was born in Jersey. Played soccer in Jersey until an advanced age.

And what’s all this garbage about his parents moving to the US “solely for employment purposes”? Oh wait…you mean to have a better job to provide a FUTURE FOR THEIR SON? You mean THOSE employment purposes?

I’m totally dismayed by what some of you have posted. If people lack respect for the country that provides for their livelihood and allows them the PRIVILEGE to say “I hate living here”…then something is wrong.

I’ve grown up in the same area of Giuseppe Rossi (Bergen County NJ), and I am half Italian, half Chinese. Even though I’m only half Italian, I identify with that side of my family much more just because of the culture. I’ve been saying it all along, if I were in his shoes, it is a NO BRAINER that he plays for the Azzurri. The Azzurri is just as legendary and important to an Italian American family as it is to an Italian family, believe that. There is a pride about being Italian that goes right to the roots back in Italy.

@ Dave M.

He has always wanted to play for the Azzurri. It’s not a conscious decision that he made. It was an incredible goal to pull his team level against a team that was doing very well against the Azzurri. De Rossi celebrated passionately too. It’s a special moment when you score a team for your nation. And as I said above – the pride of being Italian, wherever you are born, goes right back to the country.

If he had stayed in the U.S. he could have potentially bottled his career and we would never have been able to see the potential he has shown/will show in the

& Lastly, I find it incredibly amusing that us American’s bemoan somebody else for making a decision they were absolutely freely entitled to do. Being as he is American, and many of the people that are so “aggrieved” by his choosing of Italy, we should be the first to know that we all have the right to choice. How is it that we are so unable to accept him as an American, and steal the limelight from Italy’s newest gem? He’s still a Jersey kid, and I’ll never go against him for that.

Also* anybody that took a drive out the night Italy won the World Cup in 2006 throughout Northern NJ saw a lot of green white and red flags all over the place. There’s just lots of Italian’s around here man. Look @ Soprano’s ?

Yeah I’ll bet that day they were Blowin’ Kisses to all the Haters. I hate New Jersey.

“The World Cup isn’t about picking and choosing which of your heritages has the best chance of winning the Cup.”

No, but it is about picking and choosing what nation you most identify with. He grew up in the United States to an Italian family. Sure in the day he went to school in Jersey but at night he went home to Italy. Most Americans that aren’t the sons of immigrants, in my experience, don’t understand that.

Also this isn’t an indictment of the US, it’s an indictment of US Soccer. Not exactly misplaced criticism.

Jose: Excellent words!

I like Rossi because he’s not out there to be a tool for all the people trying to force patriotism down other’s throats. He knows where he belongs, he knows his heritage and he doesn’t need these greedy people to tell him what to do or who he should affiliate himself with.

He was born in the U.S. but he is not an “American” and he never was. His dream was to play for Italy and he’s going through with it.

—-Political mess follows this line—-

I find it highly humorous how–when it benefits America*–people are more than willing to kiss foreigner ass but feelings change when things go sour. These days it is so easy for a good portion of Americans* to say “Deport them!!” There’s just no more faith these days.

What was America* saying to Rossi when he was still here? “Ohh play here we love you you’re gonna do great!!” And now that he is doing great, and better than he ever could do at the USNT, everyone’s hating on the guy.

*I’ll clarify that not all American’s are greedy, xenophobic, etc. There are many great people here. But there is a loud minority and those are the people I’m talking about.

Rossi made a decision to play for Italy. Some pricks over here cant get over that fact.

It boils down to this, most of us aren’t good enough to play soccer for any country. Those of us that accept it root for our teams. Those who can’t get upset over the fact that a talented player got to pick the team he played for while others would have no choice but to play for one country. He’s not out there protesting against America. He’s playing soccer for a team that he worked his ass off to get on. How many USMNT members would make the Italian team? And how come in club sports its fine for a player to pick the club that will offer him more money and a better shot at fame? Is Rossi getting a big European contract if he stays American? Probably not. Look how things turn out for our best player, Donovan, when he goes over seas. The guy wanted to play for the country of his heritage, and he was probably thinking of his future in terms of money as well. And isn’t that the American way?

There is a similar dilemma for Turkish players who were born in European countries. For example, Mesut Ozil and Serdar Tasci are very talented young players who were born in Germany to Turkish parents, but have chosen to play for the German national team instead of Turkey. Another example is Gokhan Inler who has chosen to play for Switzerland.

On the other hand we have many foreign born Turks who have chosen to play for the Turkish national team such as the Altintop twins (born in Germany), Nuri Sahin (born in Germany, Mevlut Erdinc (born in France), and Collin Kazim Richards (born in England).

All these players who have chosen to play for whatever national team all state the same thing, they have chosen the team that they feel they belong to, whether it be for their birthlands or the land of their fathers.

I for one feel that we must respect the decision that these players make. Rossi is no exception. I would love to see Rossi in an American jersey. I would love to see him become one of the top forwards in the world and to hear the announcers heap praise on “the American Rossi”. However Rossi has chosen to play for the land of his fathers, where he feels more comfortable, and we must respect his decision and wish him all the best.

Again, I hate losing and I would like to think that we can still go on and win against the big teams.

However, this quote reminds me why I originally played. “It’s a great feeling, playing against the country I came from,” Rossi said. “I’ll be playing against friends. It’ll be a great game, I’m sure.”

Alex, what does Torres have to do with this discussion?

Born and Raised in Canada, Italian Decent.

Soccer – Italy
Hockey- Canada

done.

I’m happy US soccer fans feel so patriotic about where players were born. I hope they’ll henceforth stop talking about the 1950 WC USA vs England 1-0 win. Not only was the only goalscorer born in Haiti, but the US captain was born in Scotland, and one of the US defenders was born in Belgium.

Perhaps US soccer fans will now reconsider the US caps earned by Adu (born in Ghana), Feilhaber (born in Brazil), Ihemelu (born in Nigeria), Mastroeni (born in Argentina), Thorrington (born in South Africa), Agoos (born in Switzerland), Stewart (born in the Netherlands), Dooley (born in Germany), Ramos (born in Uruguay), Windischmann (born in Germany) or Perez (born in El Salvador), and perhaps their concern will be heard high enough in the FIFA hierarchy to set more restrictive player eligibility measures.

Johnny : ” Again, I hate losing and I would like to think that we can still go on and win against the big teams. ”

Not gonna happen sir. USA football ( soccer ) fans should get used to the idea of losing to the ” Big ” teams, as they are head and shoulders above yours…….this coming form someone who lives in the states.

I think you are all missing the point. The US allowed Rossi’s parents to move to the US. They didn’t come here b/c of a job. He didn’t come over here to go to school. The Rossi family moved to the US in search of a better life. They moved here b/c in Italy they would have never had the opportunities that they had in the US. So yes, I believe Rossi should at least respect what the US has provided him.

Now, as far as him training outside of the US. This isn’t uncommon. Spector, Onyewu, and others have trained and played their entire career outside of the US. Spector trained with Rossi in Manchester United’s youth program. And no Rossi hasn’t done most of his training in Italy. He did most of it in England, and Western Asia (on loan from ManU). He has only been in Italy for the last couple of years. So, don’t give me this “He has trained his whole life in Italy”.

All in all, Rossi has turned his back on the country that gave his family the opportunity to allow him to play soccer at the level he is at. Do you think the outcome would have been the same if the Rossi family was still living in poverty in Italy? Would he have been noticed by the scouts if he was only playing in pick-up games in the streets of Italy?

morpheus: Where do you think Brazilian kids play soccer? It’s not as if they play at super-expensive training facilities or play in their backyards right behind their mansions. They start out on the streets. You can still make it big after living in poverty.

And as long as his parents paid taxes he’s done enough. Does every citizen really need to go into the military or play a sport at the national level to pay his country back?

What have YOU given back? How many caps do you have?

Rece Davis said it best… and he’s not soccer pundit.

“The Great American Player plays for Italy!”

God bless him for playing in Italy… as a matter of fact they made him the soccer player he is. He developed at Parma’s youth side (not NYRB, thank God!).

Never played a pro minute in the US (Thank God!)

Again, I understand the history of American football and their reputation (well deserved) for pouching smaller countries of their players. I understand that Rossi is the same situation in reverse.

I get it.

But, I am always America First. Not to make excuses, but the US is a worldwide melting pot to begin with anyway, so when foreigners come in, it seems run of the mill. But if people in Haiti want to be mad about Player X leaving their country, I understand that because they love their country. I LOVE mine. So it is incomprehensible to me for someone who has been given everything by this wonderful country, including a stage to market himself from, turn his back. I am VERY culturally Argentine, but my loyalty is with the US for the opportunities it afforded my family.

Someone earlier stated that this is a condemnation not of the USA but of US Soccer. I find both entities mutually intertwined. It is like the Olympics – you are representing your people. Your country. And I repeat, I could care less about US soccers pilfering history. I am American. He is American. This is incomprehensible.

morpheus, Rossi played for Parma’s youth team from the age of 13 until Fergie poached him five years later. For all intents and purposes then, the majority of his developmental training was done in Italy.

MoMONEY

brett hull – born in canada
tim duncan – virgin islands (don’t know if that counts)

i was always under the impression that landon donavan was half canadian so he could play for canada… but u can keep him

At MoMoney..Benny Feilhaber was born in Brazil and plays for the U.S.

I respect him a lot, today you see a lot of players seemingly take the easier route and play with another country whose team theyd make without a problem. Rossi could easily being playing on the US team but took the challenge to play with Italy and I commend him for that.

It’s always been understood that he would represent Italy and I can live with that. I took issue with they way he celebrated his goal (amazing strike as it was). Ironically, his celebration seemed stereotypically “American” – running halfway down the pitch as if sinking a three pointer at the buzzer. He could have taken a page out of Podolski’s book to say the least. The lack of class and respect is what I have a problem with.

New Jersey sucks soo bad when this pilot found out he was headed there his heart just stopped beating Mid-Flight. NOBODY wants to go to New Jersey!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/18/continental-airlines-pilot-dies

Morpheus : Rossi’s parents moved to the US to work, in search of a better life, or simply to escape the various social problems in post-WW2 Italy. But the US was more than happy to turn a blind eye on Stewart’s parents having decided to live in the Netherlands or Dooley’s parents having chosen to live in the US. Stewart and Dooley were called up to the US national team despite having never been to the US before for any sizeable amount of time, having lived their entire life in the Netherlands or Germany. Both were eligible to play for another country (Netherlands or Germany) and although they were probably not good enough to hold down regular places in the Dutch or German national team, they chose to represent the USA well before the prime of their career. Do Dutch and/or German fans turn around and claim that either of them were lacking respect because they chose to play for the US? Rossi’s parents received opportunities in the US that they might not have received elsewhere. But before US fans go on about “respecting the country that brought you up” perhaps they should look at Stewart’s 101 caps and Dooley’s 81 caps and captaincy of the US national team.

Rossi went to Parma to play junior football when he was 13, and at age 17 joined Man U. He never trained in “West Asia” but was loaned to Newcastle when he was 18 and to Parma when he was 19 before joining Villareal when he turned 20. Rossi was capped for the Italian U-16s, U-17s, U-18s and U-21s before earning his first cap for the full national side, so it can hardly be called a “surprise” that he chose to play for Italy and not the US. It’s not like he had played at any meaningful level in the US or any junior national side of the USMT and then at the last minute chose to play for Italy. Rossi lived for 13 years in the US, 5 years in Italy, 3 years in the UK and almost 2 years in Spain. Stewart lived for 39 years in the Netherlands and 1 year in the USA. Dooley lived for 42 years in Germany and for 6 years in the USA. Rossi represents Italy, Stewart and Dooley represented the USA. Double standards much?

Dave Martinez: “So it is incomprehensible to me for someone who has been given everything by this wonderful country, including a stage to market himself from, turn his back”

“Given everything” is a pretty vague statement. Rossi’s parents weren’t high-income officials or successful entrepreneurs, but teachers. Similarly, what “stage to market himself from” was he given? U-12 matches? Without wanting to sound negative, I think the place he got at Parma was probably more to do with his father “pimping” him to Parma than any active scouting on Parma’s behalf amongst New Jersey U-12 or U-14 teams. After that, he never had any relationship with the US again in soccer terms. Parma, Man U, Newcastle, Parma (again), Villareal… He is where he is because of how hard he has worked outside of the US, not because of how well he did in the US.

Stewart and Dooley didn’t get anything but praise from the US fans for choosing to represent the US, even though they had much less link to the US than Rossi had to Italy. Stewart and Dooley felt “American” enough to want to represent the US even if it meant playing against the country where they were born, where at least one of their parents was born and had lived their whole life, and where they had lived -all- their life at that point. Rossi felt “Italian” enough to make the choice to play for the country where both his parents were born, where he emigrated to live when he was 13 and where he started playing football at a high competitive level. If you find Rossi’s conduct disgusting, then how is Stewart or Dooley any better? If anything, it should be worse, since they never lived in the country they chose to represent, nor did they ever play football there prior to receiving their first cap…

SHAZBACK! NEW JERSEY SUCKS!

“People make fun of France for poaching Africa, but it’s often shrugged off because these players have the chance to play for a superior team”

FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL, CHRIS GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT: France does NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT POACH AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neither did Italy “poach” Rossi from the US, as you rightly argue.

NONE, absolutely NONE of the so-called “African” players in the French national team played in Africa, or were trained in Africa. Almost all of them were BORN in France. Those few who were not born in France emigrated to France as toddlers.

ALL OF THEM WERE RAISED, EDUCATED, TRAINED IN FRANCE!

In fact, Rossi’s case is actually less “defensible” than the French players with African/Caribbean backgrounds because Rossi went to a US soccer youth academy and left the US at the age of 13.

That is NOT the case with any of the French players. They received NO football schooling in Africa at all.

“blood is Italian” — there’s no such thing as “Italian blood” or “American blood.” That’s a racist eugenics concept, anyone who talks that way is showing their incredibly racist ignorance.

I think that a lot of this anger comes from a different place than many of you think. Past Tim Howard, the US has absolutely no world class players. Some very good, competent players, but no one who is world class. Rossi is.

Yeah, Stewart and Dooley may have been kinda sketchy, but does anyone believe that they would have started for Germany or the Netherlands? Rossi could step in and start for the US, and the fact that he was born and lived the first 13 years of his life in the US makes this all the tougher for US soccer fans to take. He could have been ours, and he’s so good it drives us crazy that he’s playing for Italy. Same with Subotic, although he could have been ours if our youth coaches weren’t idiots.

So in conclusion…..new jersey sucks.

I don’t mind. I mean if his parents came here right before he was born, he was born, stayed here for his childhood and then they moved back, thats fine, his parents want him to be Italian, not American.

I’m from NJ which made it even worse watching him single handedly destroy us. *sigh*

i hte that fucking traitor america should deport his whole fucking family born in the us he is a fucking traitor killhim if i ever see him

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and another thing look at kobe lived in italy ….never forgot what saved his familys ass……usa

Rob, New Jersey sucks, but not as much as you.

Giuseppe “TRADITORE” Rossi will be sitting at home on the couch with the rest of team Italia eating pizza pies watching his real glorious homeland (USA) battle in the Confederations finals for the cup…

CLASSIC!!!

Rob please go seek therapy. You need help.
and What is up with Worldcupblog, it’s full of racist and nuts.