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The SBI View: The passing of a special coach

Fernando Rossi loved the game of soccer.

From his playing days to his decades of service as a high school soccer coach, to his years as the father who molded his son into an international caliber talent, Rossi embraced the beautiful game throughout his life and countless people are better off because of it.

Rossi passed away on Tuesday and he should be remembered for the life he led and the legacy he leaves behind. He was more than just the father of Italian national team star Giuseppe Rossi. He was a man who truly made a difference for soccer in this country, a difference that is too easily ignored. A difference that should not be overlooked.

For more than two decades he ran the Clifton High School boy's soccer program in a way American fans could only dream that all high school programs could be run in this country. His teams played beautiful attacking soccer, showed incredible discipline and blended the styles of Americans and immigrants alike. While many other high school teams stuck with simple Route 1 soccer, Clifton always tried to play the type of creative attacking soccer we all love watching.

Over two decades, hundreds of players passed through that system. Hundreds of players who learned what the game should really be about, several of whom took that knowledge into their own coaching careers. When you consider that, it isn't a stretch to say that Rossi's influence has touched thousands of American soccer players (not to mention the students he taught in his two decades as a high school teacher).

I got to know Fernando over the course of three years as a high school soccer reporter in New Jersey, my first years as a soccer writer. He was the first coach I really grew to know, the first coach who gave me a front row seat to some consistent quality soccer. Watching high school soccer games could be painfully boring at times, particularly after covering professional and international matches, but that wasn't the case with Clifton games.

Considering the awful 1999 MetroStars were the first team I covered as a pro soccer beat writer perhaps I should thank Fernando for helping keep me from changing professions. Maybe that's why I felt compelled to write about his passing. 

Actually, a reason I felt compelled to write about his passing today was because I think it was unfair for some American fans to hate him or criticize him because his son chose not to play for the United States, as if the decades of service he gave to soccer in this country suddenly meant nothing. Coaches like Fernando Rossi don't often get the credit and recognition they deserve, but without coaches like him, the sport in this country would not be where it is today.

Fernando Rossi loved soccer and soccer in this country is better for it.

Comments

  1. 2 g.rossi & family. my sincere condolences on loss & my prayers.

    2 ives. u & nj.com did a very good tribute 2 the legnadery clifton hs coach,so much thanks

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  2. answer to r question:

    alecko11

    My deepest condolences to Giuseppe Rossi and his famly. His father was a great man and legendary coach in NJ soccer who helped kids like me.

    r.i.p. f.rossi

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  3. Seriously? This is a soccer web blog where soccer fans talk about soccer and not any medium that their family i pouring over looking for emotional support…and you think someone mentioning the most documented soccer thing in the man’s life is not relevant?

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  4. Why? I never knew him, all i know is he was instrumental in pushing his son to reject the ovetures of the USSF to play for the country of his birth and instead pushed him to play for Italy.

    He died, that sucks…for his family and people that cared about him. I’m not a part of that subset.

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  5. A man who spends 20 years of his life Teaching young people both Academics and Sport, a sport we posters on SBI Love, should be receive a tribute upon their passing. Thank you Ives for sharing.

    To the Rossi family and their friends, my condolances on the loss and apologies for those who have shown disrespect at your loss.

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  6. I was referring to sackosaurus, not Rossi…sorry I wasn’t more clear. I would never bash anyone for a choice like the one Rossi made….I’m sure the situation is/was far more complicated than we will ever know, and the family, at this time, deserves nothing but the deepest condolences, regardless of how one feels about the choices made.

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  7. I think I have to admit that if I got a great job offer in England or Canada or whatever and I took it, I’d probably nudge my son to play for the USA instead of those places. I guess I’m as bad as Rossi.

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  8. I’m not one to pretend someone was a saint just because they died. However, it sounds like Mr. Rossi was in fact a dedicated teacher and coach and for that he deserves respect. Lord knows teachers don’t get enough respect in America nowadays.

    Any other problems we might have with his son’s choices should be saved for another time.

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  9. too bad he didn’t put much effort into trying to influence his son concerning which national team to play for. Guess he never really put into perspective what government paid for the toilet paper with which Giuseppe whiped his ass with.

    LOL, no i dont care!

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  10. I was wondering if anyone would go there when I saw this news. While I am not happy his son chose to play for Italy, does that really need to be brought up here? I know you said you sympathize and all, but starting off saying saying you’re conflicted seems to say that you’re not sure if this is a bad thing or not. Let’s just leave that talk for other threads.

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  11. sounds like he did a lot for the game, mad respect to the good he did for the game in the states.

    although we might never know just how far his influence over his son held our potential back. Our weakest position on the field, and a gem was almost ours.

    when Rossi didnt celebrate those goals he scored against his nation of birth, I was like, “wow, they raised that kid right”

    OH WAIT

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  12. He had a positive effect on Clifton NJ community soccer and thus soccer in America. He had a negative effect on American soccer in the context of world soccer at least in the short term.
    His choice and the positive shouldn’t be forgotten, but I don’t have any problem seeing why the later would cause people to lose sight of the former.

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  13. as someone who played youth soccer in Northern New Jersey, Rossi was a name I heard a lot and it was always said with respect and in some cases, reverence.

    Rossi, you will be missed thank you

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  14. I was waiting for the first bonehead to post something like this. Nice job. You win.

    When someone passes, it should be a time to put petty grievances aside and show some respect.

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  15. The saddest part of this is that he was so close to fulfilling what must have been his dream – seeing his son wear the shirt of Italy in a World Cup. If there’s a God he’ll be watching from above. Sort of pulling for Rossi now.

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  16. I got to admit I’m a little conflicted on this. Though I don’t view his death as an ultimate comeupance for the decesions his son made, I have to wonder why it was that America was good enough for him to find a job as a teacher and coach, raise his family, and establish roots, but when it came to choosing a national team his son turns his back on the country that helped make his family’s dreams come true. Again, I sympathize with the family, a patriarch’s death is never easy to deal with. He obviously had a profound effect on Ives and I respect that.

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  17. That was the most passionate thing I’ve ever read on this blog. Cheers to you for taking a stand…and my condolences to the Rossi family.

    I don’t have to like Giuseppe, but I do respect him.

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  18. Well said Ives. Hope there will be many more like him.

    …that said I’m still a little mad at Giuseppe but hey, can’t blame the kid for following his dream.

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  19. Excellent post Ives. You are correct in that some American fans would possibly be upset at Fernando Rossi for “steering” his son away to play for Italy – but his service to soccer in this country goes beyond his son Guiseppe.

    Good post.

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  20. As a former player that had the oppotunity to play his teams and attend his camps – he was truly a legend in the North Jersey area.

    He will be truly missed.

    Bravo Ives for covering this…we need more of these types of people involved in Development.

    RIP

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  21. Beautiful obituary, Ives. Now can we reconsider the decision to bar the younger Rossi from “Americans Abroad” updates?

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  22. This will easily be the best obit for Fernando, hands down. Well said Ives.

    And a nice steamy hot middle finger to anyone who gave him grief for Giuseppe following his own dream. You are all morons.

    Fernando will be missed here in north Jersey.

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