Boaz Myhill is a starting goalkeeper for Coca Cola Championship club Hull, and if you have never heard of him don’t fret. You may never hear of him again.
Myhill was born in the United States, California to be exact, and spent just one year in the states before moving to England. After bouncing around English leagues, he has settled at Hull and has developed into a pretty solid prospect at 25 years of age. With eligibility to play for the USA, England and Wales, Myhill had yet to choose a national team set-up.
At least until now.
Myhill will suit up for Wales in its upcoming friendly against Luxemborg on March 26.
Okay, so maybe he was never really in the U.S. national team pool, but it is interesting to see another player born in the USA move on to do some good things abroad. Is he an American Abroad? One year doesn’t really get you the distinction. The same goes for Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland, who was born to a Norwegian oil company employee in Texas before heading back to Norway at a young age. Now Hangeland is with Fulham, which just happen to have 500 five Americans on the team.
The funny thing is I think Myhill’s decision to finally play for Wales had more to do with the goalkeeper situation in England (what with David James showing no signs of slowing down and the likes of Ben Foster and Scott Carson coming up) than it did with the US team, which I doubt Myhill was spending much time thinking about at this point.
So, what you are saying, Ives, is that instead of this guy the US is going to have to rely on the umpteen other top goalkeeping prospects we have? How terrifying. 😉 I hope he enjoys playing a few friendlies once in a while for Wales and then watching the World Cup on the telly after Wales crashes out in the first round of WC qualifying like they always do.
Man cannot have two masters. The Cuban exile situation is unique, but I think it is at the least tacky to openly root against the nation you have immigrated to.
For instance, I am a South Carolinian employed by a university athletic department in a neighboring state. I consider it disrespectful to the athletes I work with to openly celebrate their losses to my home state. Like many immigrants, I moved for money, but still keep my allegiances. I just don’t root openly against my host.
If you think this is not a valid analogy, you probably haven’t known many South Carolinians, or you’d be familiar with the undercurrent of semi-nationalism that still simmers below the surface of many Sandlappers.
Good decision, he would never play for the U.S. or England. Guzan is our future and he is 24.
Howard, Hahnemann, Seitz, Guzan… yawn…
So, if “*-Americans” don’t think like you do, Michael, they should leave? It’s incredible that people who’ve never had the experience of having 2 homelands tell people who have what they should do or think. When did this become a country where you have to think a certain way to belong?
to everyone – thanks for the love. NY humor with a bite.
and to CD . . . .
“The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers”
Dude – hysterical. So obvious, yet SO funny!
I agree that this is an interesting story, but this guy would have never played for the U.S. anyway.
Random side note:
Tommy Smyth is the grand marshall for the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Good luck to him and it is terrific that he can paly for a National Team. Wales is going to need to replace some older players and with Euro and WC tournaments to contend for he will have to opportunity to play a lot 0f games.
Well considering how deep we are at goalkeeper, this one doesn’t really bother me.
Another American/Englishman that is eligible to play for the US though is Seb Hines, #38 for Middlesbrough FC. He was born in England, but his father is an American citizen. If he never really catches on with England, and the US continues to improve, he might fancy getting into the national set-up with us instead of the Three Lions. Just throwing it out there.
However, the only “undecided” player who I have my sights on for the USMNT is Neven Subotic. I’ll be disappointed if we lose out on him.
Smart move by this guy- the US is STACKED at the goalkeeper position, and England won’t give anyone a chance unless they play for Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea, or Liverpool (with the exception of Michael Owen from Newcastle).
So Wales isn’t exactly the most glamorous team, and will certainly never make the World Cup or Euro, but at least he’s starting. Heck, Brad Guzan can’t even say that!
Ives seriously, neat article. Keep up the good work. I like these little bit different tales from the soccer world.
Go get yourself a Luxembourger for lunch, you earned it. You redeemed yourself from last nights half committed running commentary.
Awesome!!! I was already really fired up about the Luxembourg vs Wales friendly now I am super pumped. Is this game on FSC or what?
This is one reason I love soccer. What other sport has the ability to bring the international obscure together like this.
Fun fact of the day:
“The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers”
It’s one of the few professions where you have to choose a country! I mean, we weren’t complaining when Thomas Dooley and Earnie Stewart joined our forces even though they didn’t have much contact with the US. Had Stewart and Dooley been good enough to play for Holland and Germany respectively, do you think they would have crossed the Atlantic? What’s the difference with this kid choosing Wales?
Surprised he never got a call up with that shaved head. 😉
Are both his parents American or just the father?
Simon Davies, great post!!
i have no problem with him playing for Wales. He wouldn’t have much of a chance playing for us and I would rather see Chris Seitz or other goal keepers who are younger in his place. Freddy Adu wasn’t born in the U.S. and he is playing for our team and rejected a chance from Ghana to play for them, so we’ve benefited from it too.
this may be a dumb questions, but who is brede hangeland?
Good luck kid. Glad to see you’ll be playing for a national team.
As for him being an American… whatever. He can be aligned with whatever country he wants. Of course, he would never even sniff a chance with the USMNT. We’ve got too much. Howard, Guzan, and Seitz will be our choices over the next dozen years.
Good luck with Wales kid.
I know, I know…I just wanted to stir the pot a bit. In any case I should have disclosed that I am just as miffed about a certain forward who’s name we do not speak.
It should be noted that Myhill’s father is American so add that to him being born here and he’s more American than Brede Hangeland can be considered since Hangeland’s family is Norwegian.
That certain forward was born and raised here, as opposed to this kid who spent a drop of his life here. That certain forward also has a great American accent for being Italian.
I think people just hate the blatant disregard and lack of patriotism that some of these players have for a country that welcomed them in with open arms only to be walked away from when something like this happens. I feel the same way when I watch a USA match and have Cubans cheering for the same country they were so eager to run from. Seriously, go back to Cuba if you love it so much. If that isn’t the case, welcome to the USA.
Good on him, but he isn’t that much of an American, and we probably have 10 keepers better than he is anyways.
@Dave Martinez: If that wasn’t a passive aggressive dig at Mr. Rossi, I don’t know what is. Very funny, btw.
Kosh71 the difference is that Boaz didn’t grow up in the US and doesn’t and probably never has considered himself an American. If he wanted to play for us instead I’d welcome him aboard(although I doubt ever seriously contend for the #1 GK role). But there are no hard feelings for not choosing a country you are only tangentially associated with.
Kosh,
I think Dave Martinez above made a good case for why the difference between this kid and “the other guy.”
Funny thing what NEED does to an equation. We aren’t hurting at Keepr so it’s “eh, good luck to the kid, he’s done well for himeself, etc.” But when a certain forward makes the same call, well then…
(ducks for cover)
Good luck to the kid– thankfully, this is the one area on the entire pitch where I think you could get near-unanimous consensus that the US has plenty of options to go around. I have no idea why that is– why goalkeeping? Why not, say, striker? What is it, the water?– but we’ll be fine.
Would I ever play on a team without an American on it? I thought I was safe on the Wales NT, but guess not.
Along with James, Carson, and Foster, England also has Robert Green, Joe Hart, and Chris Kirkland, and you can’t rule out Paul Robinson making some ridiculous comeback (not something I would advise, but if James can do it…), unless this kid made it to the Prem, he had little or no chance of getting past these guys, he definently made the right choice.
Its a good move for the kid – he got all his training and education abroad. He has no allegiance to this country. Neither did Brede. So good for them. I wish em all the best.
Not like they came here, used the countries sparse soccer resources, coupled with what their parents surely taught them, and decided, after tearing through the competition here,that they were through with the country and would rather be a face in the crowd of some powerhouse national team where such talent is a dime a dozen instead of helping the program that got him to where he is and being a soccer star for the country that supported them.
Cuz that would be bad.
Love ya Ives. Great read.
First, the US isn’t lacking in goalkeeper talent so it isn’t a huge loss for us. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t chosen England. Even though James and Carson are good he could still break through. Wales is the choice though, best of luck to him.