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Gulati: Subotic to Serbia report “untrue”

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In the wake of a report out of Serbia claiming that Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic has chosen to play for the Serbian national team, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has stepped forward to shoot down the report.

We have spoken to Neven’s representative and can confirm the story is untrue," Gulati said on Saturday.

Subotic has yet to choose a national team to play for and can play for either the United States or Serbia. The 19-year-old defender scored two goals in Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Sources with knowledge of Subotic’s process have stated for a long time that he would not make a decision until after the current club season was over, which appears to still be the case.

What do you think of this news? Breathing a little easier? Do you see a tug-of-war between Serbia and the USA?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The kid is 19 and yet we’re talking about the 2010 WC? You guys talking about Gooch and Boca sound like bozos. This is about 2014, 2018 and 2022, not 2010 you clowns.

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  2. He will probably end up playing for Serbia. Even though he lived in Germany and the US most of his life he was brought up in a Serbian household. I spent my my whole childhood (5-18) living in Argentina and Uruguay and I will always consider myself American because my parents are American and raised me that way.

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  3. Well Boca has been playing on the outside for Rennes, so I don’t think it would be a problem to move him to the outside and have Subotic and Onyewu in the middle. I would love to have Subotic, Boca, and Onyewu all available for free kicks and corners. Can you imagine?!?! I bet they score as many goals as the strikers (unless Alitdore and Davies are playing)!!! I like Marshall, but lets not kid ourselves that he should get the start over Subotic. I can’t wait for Spector to start playing again because he is so promising. The question is who is the 4th guy? Orozco, Califf, DeMerit, Pearce, Spector, Lichaj? We actually have a lot of options.

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  4. If he decides to play for the USA he has a greater chance on being on a team that makes it to a World Cup. I would be shocked if the USA failed to qualify for a WC again. Serbia has to qualify in Europe-No easy task.

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  5. Last weekend, he hit the crossbar from about 30 yards out, and then yesterday he nets a brace to become his team’s LEADING SCORER with 7 goals this season. They’re in 5th place in the Bundesliga. Let that sink in for a minute.

    Posted by: Ernie | November 16, 2008 at 12:59 PM

    What should sink in a minute is that you’re wrong about the goals he’s scored so far — it’s five. Quit doing your scouting on GolTV. He has a chance to be real good, but he’s only 19. Some players are great with their clubs and can’t play a lick on their national teams. This is not an exact science by any means, and I’m not really sure if he’d get the right coaching on the USMNT. I would be more excited about Bradley finally getting on track against Bayern Munich.

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  6. Anyway, Subotic is just a defender. If he was a player of Rossi’s offensive caliber I would be mad if he chose someone else.

    Posted by: Sam | November 15, 2008 at 08:19 PM

    Not to pick on somebody in particular, but if you ask any number of national team coaches these days they are all wondering where the top notch defensive talent has gone. Subotic is a tremendous prospect and reminds me of a young Alessandro Nesta with his quickness and ability to read the attack very quickly. He can also score and leads the big European league defenders with five goals. If he decides to go with Serbia, more power to him – the US stopped indentured service in the 1800’s; and the fact that his family made it out of that genocidal hellhole to see this day is a wonderful thing. Good for him and good for the US for giving his family a way out. There’ll be other talents who come our way over their own countries once MLS gets its act together and our national team finds success on the world stage.

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  7. His parents’ ethnicity? It is HIS ethnicity, just as Serbia is HIS country. Since everybody is so big about birth place around here due to the Rossi issue, Subotic was born in Serbia. And Subotic himself has stated that the stay in the US was only ever temporary because he had wanted to return to Germany all along (that’s actually the reason why he played with the US U-17, to get some exposure so that he could transfer to a German club). The US was practically a hotel to him.

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  8. People, at least those of you with GolTV, do yourselves a favor and tune in the next time Borussia Dortmund is on the tube.

    This kid is a complete defender — fantastic marking and tackling ability, quick feet for someone of his size, and phenomenal in the air.

    Last weekend, he hit the crossbar from about 30 yards out, and then yesterday he nets a brace to become his team’s LEADING SCORER with 7 goals this season. They’re in 5th place in the Bundesliga. Let that sink in for a minute.

    If we’re lucky enough that he picks us, plug him in next to Gooch, slide Boca over to the left, and then sit back and enjoy.

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  9. Talking about sources Tim, the source is from the most reliable and most respected Serbian newspaper ” Vecernje novosti” and also from Antics mouth. He said(at a press conference): I have talked to Subotic a couple of times and he is close to play for Serbia. Antic is not someone who would lie.

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  10. Subotic would not be a bench warmer in Serbian NT. He would be a starter alongside Vidic:

    Ivanovic-Vidic-Subotic- Obradovic/Lukovic

    Also i think your handicap is that Radomir Antic is our coach. Had it been someone else i do not think that Subotic would have considered playing for Serbia.

    Antic has said that Subotic is close to play for Serbia, but he has asked to be left out of the team for the friendly against Bulgaria ( to work on his fitness).

    But i can not understand, if he has chosen us, why is he acting like a superstar wanting to skip a friendly match?Maybe he is waiting until they find a loophole which will allow him to play for Germany(if such a loophole exists).Without any doubt Neven is an excellent player, top talent, and comparing him with Boca, Oneyuwe(whatever) is a complete nonsense.Also i know that his idol is Nemanja Vidic so maybe that can prevail on our side. Only 4 months ago i did not think we needed him, but now things have changed, and maybe he is better than Slobodan Rajkovic, Chelsea player, who is one of the most talented defenders in the world.

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  11. lol at you deluded turds acting like subotic isnt going to be miles better than gooch or boca…or like hes not close to be being better than both already. the little frat boy back biting retardation that most of you show when crap like this comes up is why people and why players fail to choose or believe in us soccer…cause of petty crap like this. face it us soccer is a failure because of petty mentalities like this.

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  12. It’s hard to imagine why he would pick Serbia over the U.S. I think the U.S. program offers much more opportunity for him to advance his game. While I don’t see the U.S. winning a WC anytime soon, I do think we have a much better chance at someday winning one than does Serbia.

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