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Report: Subotic chooses Serbia

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According to a report out of Serbia picked up by Fox Sports, the Borussia Dortmund defender and former U.S. Under-17 national team player has decided to play for the Serbian national team. (U.S. soccer president Sunil Gulati has called the report untrue)

Subotic has yet to speak publicly about a decision, but if he has chosen Serbia then it would end a lengthy saga that saw Subotic flirt with the possibility of playing for Germany before FIFA stepped in and ruled he would be unable to because he wasn’t a German citizen before playing for the United States on the youth level.

This news comes less than a month after Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare made the decision to play for Mali rather than wait for citizenship and a chance to play for the United States.

Unlike Soumare, Giuseppe Rossi and Edgar Castillo, Subotic actually played for the United States on the youth level, making his decision an unfortunate one for the U.S. national team pool.

What do you think of this news? Surprised? Relieved that the saga is over? Upset that he didn’t pick the United States?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. im glad that subotic went to serbia. he has a better chance there even though i bet he wont get much playing due to serbias strong defenders ie ivanovic, vidic. serbias an over all better team then the US, they are at the top of their group for fifa beating austria, lithuana,faro islands and now demolishing bulgaria 6-1. he will be more recongized there.

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  2. It’s true!Radomir Antic (national coach) said that Subotic will play for Serbia starting with next spring in WC qualifications.

    btw Serbia have very very young and talented team with best youn player in Holland -Sulejmani,great Man Utd defender -Vidic,Chelsea young defenders- Ivanovic and Rajkovic,CSKA Moscow best player Krasic and best goalscorer in Belgium Jovanovic,Alex Ferguson’s target Ljajic… and many other… Very talented generation up to come.

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  3. Subotnic a 2014 guy? Yes, and a 2010 World Cup guy.

    Someone on this thread mentioned Soumare’s decision. I thought he was pursuing U.S. citizenship and wanted to be capped by the USMNT? Has he accepted a call-up from Mali?

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  4. Guys,

    Forget about the politics of Utah and Florida. Rongen left him off the team for a big tournement and that left him with a bad taste in his mouth, period.

    As for those telling him to move to Serbia if he loves it so much…GET REAL.

    Is that why Solomon Kalu was tryng to get his Duth citizenship just before the 2008 WC? No.

    In the 1990’s the US had a bunch of guys who’s Grandmother’s 4th cousin were from the US, and they played for us. Some didn’t even speak English.

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  5. two goals today for our boy. also van der vaart came out this week and said he was player of the year in the bundesliga. he is better than both goooch and bocanegra and would be the most talented player on teh team. he shoots better from distance than any other player the u.s has to offer and hes a centerback. that being said im pissed about this but expected it in teh end after rongen pissed him off. would exactly did rongen say about him?

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  6. I’m with Tim – still in denial until I hear something official.

    But it’s easier if he goes vs losing other players because CB is our best position, and Subotic has totally legit reasons to play for Serbia, so I would be fine wishing him well.

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  7. Charles makes some good points.

    In case you guys don’t know, exYugos are very proud of their respective (now) many countries and cultures. That spills over to their football team.

    In Serbia and Germany he IS the jock, the man, etc. While in the US, some section of population will automatically label him as effeminate, a lesser athlete, and of dubious hetero status. At best he will be just like an Olympian, praised and discussed when it’s that time of year (or cylces).

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  8. Hey Eric,

    Nice sweeping stereotype and overgeneralization… He could always go to Tucson to hang out with a bigot like you! Then he’d really appreciate the U.S. – we just need more people like you.

    Love,

    Adam in Utah

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  9. Disappointed, yes but not upset or angry. Subotic is Yugoslav/Serbian by birth and lived in both Germany and the United States. This isn’t even in the same ballpark as Rossi.

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