It's Friday and it is time to start a new series, which is more like the old series.
Every Friday, I will touch on some of the week's popular subjects being discussed by readers, as well astouch on news stories SBI may have missed. We've called these types of posts Musings and TGIF before, but now we'll be going with Friday Free Kicks and plan to make it a weekly series.
The first subject today is Jermaine Jones. the Schalke 04 midfielder is sidelined by pain in his surgically-repaired shin, and still hasn't been approved by FIFA to make the switch from Germany to the United States, but there's still plenty of discussion going on about his impending move to the U.S. national team.
One of the more disturbing arguments being made about Jones is that he shouldn't even be coming to the U.S. national team. That as a player who was raised in Germany and who played for Germany, he isn't "American enough" to play for the United States. This may just be the misguided rantings of a vocal minority of U.S. fans, but it's talk that needs to stop.
Jermaine Jones is the son of an American serviceman, which affords him rights as an American citizen. To suggest that he shouldn't play for the United States because he didn't grow up here doesn't make much sense and doesn't exactly go along with the history of the national team. Should Thomas Dooley, Roy Wegerle and Earnie Stewart not have played for the United States? Perhaps Tab Ramos should have waited for the call-up from Uruguay rather than being a key figure in the evolution of American soccer?
It doesn't really make much sense. Yes, Jones played for Germany in friendlies, and only spent brief parts of his childhood here, but that doesn't make him any less worthy of wearing the U.S. uniform. This isn't the case of a Frenchman being rushed onto the U.S. national team by marriage. Jones is American by birthright and his qualities as a player and the potential improvement he could bring the U.S. team should be applauded and not criticized.
Jones may have been raised in Germany, and may be learning English and speaking it with a German accent, but he has always seemed far more American by nature than German. From his swagger, to his tattoos (including the one, in English, that say "Whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger", to his willingness to speak his mind, Jones may just flourish in the U.S. national team environment, with fellow free spirits like Charlie Davies, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, and away from the rigid structure of German soccer.
So yes, Jones should be embraced as an American from the moment he joins the U.S. national team. Not just because he's a standout player, but because he has every right to be a part of the team.
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Now, onto some free kicks:
Remember that Tim Howard diving save vs. Trinidad & Tobago? It wasn't actually a save. Why not? Thanks to the sharp eye of an SBI reader, we were tipped off to the fact that the kick was supposed to be an indirect free kick by Trinidad & Tobago. Referee Joel Aguilar clearly signals for the indirect free kick, but it appears that neither T&T players or U.S. players realize this and treat the play as a standard direct kick. What does this mean? In theory, if Howard hadn't made the save the play wouldn't have counted. That's the theory, but leaving that kind of a decision up to a CONCACAF referee would be crazy, so Howard deserves credit for still taking care of the would-be shot.
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Eddie Johnson scored in a Fulham reserve team match earlier in the week. His exclusion from Fulham's Europa League roster is disappointing, but he is continuing to plug along and shouldn't be completely written off just yet.
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As if DirecTV subscribers didn't already have all the luck with their FOX UEFA Champions League bonanza, they're also being treated to a free preview of Setanta Sports this weekend. Perfect timing, what with the Manchester Derby on Sunday. I'll confess to having halted my Setanta subscription during the summer. With the French League being even more appealing, it may be time to renew it.
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Remember wondering what it would mean to American soccer to have ESPN launching a channel in the UK? It means more exposure for MLS, which is having its matches shown across the pond more frequently now. Football fans in England will be able to watch Colorado-San Jose as well as Toronto FC-Los Angeles this weekend.
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You will soon be adding the San Jose Earthquakes to the list of MLS teams with detailed plans for a new stadium. The club is expected to reveal designs for a new stadium this weekend. It's good news for MLS and for Earthquakes fans, who with the recent retirement talk from Darren Huckerby and overall awful 2009 season, were desperate for something to cheer about.
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To go along with our Jermaine Jones lead item, I found some interesting thoughts from readers on Bryan Leyva's signing with FC Dallas. Apparently some people weren't happy with an MLS team developing a Mexican youth national team player. The fact is MLS teams should focus on developing the best talents possible, regardless of nationality. Pro teams are in the talent business, not in the business of just developing American talent. Having a highly-regarded prospect like Leyva sign in MLS is only a good thing, and bringing in more quality talent to MLS, whether foreign or American, can only help the American league and the countless American players who can benefit from a stronger pro league.
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After Emmanuel Adebayor's tasteless celebration in front of Arsenal fans, I can't help but wonder what Carlos Tevez might do if he scores on Sunday vs. Manchester United (He has resumed training and will need to pass a fitness test to play). He said this summer that if he scored he would do something in the direction of Alex Ferguson. Not sure that would be advisable in Old Trafford, and not in the wake of Adebayor's suspension. That's just another in a bunch of great subplots in the weekend's top match.
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Real Madrid will be on ESPN2 this weekend and it may be the one time some American fans who don't like Real Madrid will root for the big-spending club. Why? They face Xerez, the club that wasted a half season of Jozy Altidore's career by not playing him. If you're a U.S. fan and/or an Altidore fan, it's okay to be hoping for a Real Madrid blowout victory. Really.
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Bryan Arguez and Brek Shea scored goals in a 2-0 friendly victory against Trinidad & Tobago in the U.S. Under-20 team's final tune-up before the Under-20 World Cup.
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Lastly, in case you haven't noticed, I'm spending more time in the comments sections on SBI so be sure to keep an eye out to be responses to reader comments. It won't be every day, but I'm looking to inte
ract more with readers and so far it's been fun.
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What do you think of these Free Kicks? Agree or disagree about Jones? Surprised about the Tim Howard save vs. T&T? Curious to see what San Jose's stadium is supposed to look like? Will you be enjoying the free Setanta preview, or are you cursing the heavens because you don't have DirecTV?
Share your thoughts below.
Many of us are aginst the Jones faux selection. I want real Americans developed in America in American high schools, select clubs, colleges, USL, MLS, ODP. Dont want no carpet-bagger long legged MacDaddy for our American USA red, white, blue team.
I am german, and I agree that it should be no problem for Jones to play for America. Since his chances for the german team are low and since his father is an American there shouldnt be a problem in my opinion. But I totally disagree with one point in your argument. What makes you think that germans dont swagger, have tatoos or speak their own mind. Ive lived a year in the South of America and I guarantee you that people in Germany speak a lot more their mind than people in the South of America. Bluntness is one of the reasons why germans are often considerd unfriendly. Of course I cant compare with other american regions. Its a stereotype that germans are uniform and proper. This country is also called “land of thinkers and poets”.
To get back to football I think that Jones deserves to play for a national team and he will be a great improvement for the american team. Theres no big team in the world that doesnt have migrants in their team or just people who arent “real” natives.
(SBI-Thanks Stefan, appreciate the German perspective.)
How is Jones American? Simply because an american soldier pro-created a few times with a german? Heck, american soldiers tried to incinerate the entire german civilian population a few years ago. We dont know his parents were married; apparently the father left unmarried similarly to our president obama. In fact we dont actually know who jones father actually is as it is in dispute. I would be sickened to see Jones were the US uniform. At this point we need an honest assessment of US training and development. Hiring Jones is a pure fraud. I wont cheer for this team if they do so.
I’m going to echo the thoughts of some of the posters above me and add a few thoughts of my own.
While I respect Mr. Jones’ american citizenship and his right to choose the country that he plays for, I still feel that the USMNT stands for more than just citizenship. We cheer for the national team for the same reasons that we cheer for our local high school football team, because they represent us and our community. We had a hand in the formation of each of the players (even if it was indirectly, the culture which we participate in shaped them as players and people) and we see ourselves on the field playing. Because of this, players like Adu, Feilhaber, and Boca are undeniably american even though they wern’t born here. They watched the same tv shows as children that I did, they went to the same schools, listened to the same music, and ate the same food as me. JJ has none of these shared experiences with the whole of US culture.
To put it into an inflammatory nutshell, “Jermain Jones is as american as Rossi is italian.”
“I haven’t heard the “American enough” argument either. If your father served in the armed forces for a country, then you should be able to play for that country without questions asked.”
Arsena Wenger -> Germany
its my understanding that jones spent part of his childhood in greenville, mississippi. that being the case, i’ll not only accept him as american, but as southern. and we don’t have nearly enough southerners in the national team rotation… so i’ll take him gladly. send him down my way, and we’ll feed him some barbeque to make his transformation complete.
Bring in Jones as soon as he’s healthy i say
This whole Jones topic is only the tip of the iceberg and in this era of globalization such occurrences will only become more common if not the norm. Given people’s mobility in this world without borders, nationality is becoming harder and harder to define and identify. It is so common to find people who can legally claim citizenship to at least two countries without having spent a single minute in one or the other.
We should just keep in mind that national pride is not an American-only possession, but other countries feel equally strong about it, and we should respect that.
Cheers
As long as he shows an original birth certificate and not a doctored photocopy, it shouldn’t be a problem…;)
Call me crazy, but I want people on our National Team who have some strong identity and pride about their heritage. In fact, I want people who have enough pride that they would never consider playing for another National Team.
The past of the US Team isn’t a valid argument in my opinion because that was a very different time – and a time when the US Team didn’t even really have much hope but was trying to find players of a sport that was largely shun by the public. That group of players were the ones who battled through, admirable.
But, I’d like to know their histories more readily. Did they never live here in the US? Really? Hmm. As I said, though, different times.
But, those were different times.
Part of me says, well, yeah give us Jones because we lost Rossi. That traitor. Dispicable.
It seems to me that Jones is merely interested in playing for SOME National Team. And, that he just is using the US Team to try and get that chance, as well as maybe touch with his father’s roots. All speculation, but it seems fishy. I full appreciate wanting to learn more about your heritage, but it seems to me that representing a National Team is an honor that goes beyond simply, ‘Hey, my Dad was American… suhweeet… sign me up!’
But, rules are rules. I don’t have to like it. He has dual citizenship and if FIFA allows him, I will wish for the best.
I just feel the US National Team is a different thing than a club team. I disagree with fan allegiences to country with regard to the club team. That’s what is supposed to make the National Teams so great… it’s purely your countrymen.
Is Jones one of our countrymen?
Before you think this is bias, I want it known I have two very dear friends from Germany, one of whom I’m in love with. I loved Germany when I went there and even consider moving there should the opportunity present itself. I appreciate the direct, honest approach of the German culture as well as a unique blend of humility and pride in who they are. They have a strong work ethic and are dear to friends. So, this has nothing to do with an anti-German sentiment.
I simply believe the National Team should be a source of pride. If you start taking away what makes the special things actually special, you’re just left with things. And, who really just wants to watch ‘things’?
jermaine jones is gully. Rarely do i hear any gripe about the fact that Brazil has spread its soccer playing seed to other national teams. There are brazilian’s playing for so many different countries. If he wants to feel the energy and passion of plaing national team soccer, then bring him on board, I’ll welcome him with open arms.
Besides that, the section is great.