He may be overshadowed by the bigger stars in Spain, as well as being ignored (and in some cases loathed) by his countrymen in his native United States, but Giuseppe Rossi is still enjoying one of the best seasons of his career.
Rossi will lead Villarreal against Sevilla today in a match the 'Yellow Submarine' needs to maintain its hold on third place in La Liga. The match will also be Jozy Altidore's latest chance to try and earn some minutes in Spanish League play, with most of his minutes for Villarreal this season coming in cup competitions.
If you want to see some even younger American standouts today you can see the U.S. Under-17 national team take on Turkey in the final of its three matches at the Nike Friendlies. The Americans are coming off a scoreless tie against Brazil on Friday.
If you will be watching today's action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Today's TV Schedule is after the jump):
TODAY'S SOCCER ON TV
10:30am- Fox Soccer Plus- Wigan Athletic vs. Stoke City (Delayed)
11am- Fox Soccer Channel- Sunderland vs. West Ham United
11am- DirecTV- Getafe vs. Mallorca
11am- ESPN3.com- Almeria vs. Real Zaragoza
11am- GolTV- Espanyol vs. Sporting Gijon
11:30am- ESPN3.com- Nuremburg vs. Borussia Dortmund
12:30pm- Fox Soccer Plus- Doncaster Rovers vs. Barnsley (Delayed)
1pm- ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com- Villarreal vs. Sevilla
2pm- GolTV- Fluminense vs. Guarani de Campinas
2:45pm- Fox Soccer Channel- Catania vs. Juventus
3pm- DirecTV- Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao
3pm- Fox Soccer Plus- Saint Etienne vs. Bordeaux
4pm- GolTV- Bayer Leverkusen vs. FC Cologne
7pm- Fox Soccer Channel- USA Under-17 national team vs. Turkey
7pm- Telemundo- Monterrey vs. Santos Laguna
———-
WOW! Humberto Chupete Suazo GOLAZO! Monterrey wins.
Watching Monterrey vs Santos Laguna from an undisclosed location on the American side of the border. HD signal from Televisa (Telemundo is SD and Andres Cantor is horrible). Who thinks playoffs aren’t fun to watch?
whos the last good player theyve developed?
And one last thing, I like Spector and I hope he can regain his form from the Confeds cup. I think that Grant made a very good move to build his confidence by having Spector change position. Hopefully the confidence boost translates when he plays on the outside of the back line for the Nats.
Comments on today’s comments:
1) Good for Spector.
2) No need in crying over spilt milk re: Rossi. Let him play for the Azzurri and all that goes with it. His loss.
3) That Jozy even makes the bench at Villareal speaks volumes about his skills. He’s fine where he is.
Playing horribly for half a game, usually (notice I said usually, because there is a slight chance) doesn’t help the player, or the players club grow more confident in said player
He played horribly at defense, during that game…. Lol I stated he was a former striker in my post…. Your point is a weak argument trying to boost BB. I pointed out that the logic makes no sense. You BB appeasers are way too funny and get way to worked up over nothing, as I pointed out I was not trying to attack BB (as I know we have 20 million midfielders). Good times.
And GW please read what I posted after, as I don’t care to write both of these posts over again. Thanks and have a great night both of you.
“bob should have seen Spector struggle on the back line and realize that the former striker my be out of position”
How do you know BB didn’t see what Grant saw? Has it occurred to you that BB already has a logjam competing for MF positions.
Rossi was never going to play for the USMNT unless Italy were never going to play him.
Supply and demand
Rossi is a proven goal scorer, the kind the USMNT right now sorely lacks.
Subotic is a central defender; the US could certainly use him but with so many good prospects in the pipeline, his absence is not a keenly felt.
If Jozy, Agudelo, Bunbury, Wondo or whoever should blossom into a consistent scorer for the US, Rossi’s loss will start to fade.
More quality stuff from WestHamtillIdie.com
http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2010/12/01/jonathan-spector-an-apology/
Rossi scores goals and we needs goals. That’s probably why. However, Rossi never played in our youth system and Subotic did. However, it’s all a moot point. We don’t have those guys in our player pool so we should get over it.
Rossi is an American, that is the issue.
Bocanegra got his first goal for ASSE
Never said there was Ives. In fact I stated the exact opposite of that. I merely have an issue with the statement “as well as being ignored (and in some cases loathed) by his countrymen in his native United States”. There are many who feel he is un-American, and many that will feel he is American, but that is a direct shot at any reader of this site who feels he let America down. I personally don’t care about Rossi I’m much more interested in the young guys out there representing the USA at various levels, but I do take issue with cheap shots taken at people who would kill for the chance to represent the USA if they had Rossi’s abilities and feel that he is un-American for not doing so himself when he had the chance.
(SBI-My comment, the one you take issue with, is fact. There are readers who ignore what he does and who hate him. How is that a “slap” against anybody? It’s fact, as proven by some of the comments on here. Did I write “who is treated badly by dumb Americans who hate him for no reason”? No, nothing close. I didn’t say people are wrong for disliking him or hating him, everyone is entitled to their own feelings about the guy.
So maybe you should read more carefully, or consider why you took that line to mean something it didn’t.)
This is a soccer site where we discuss soccer. Rossi not only chose to play for Italy’s national team, but scored against the US in international competition and CELEBRATED IT! Good for the italians, good for Rossi. When talking soccer (you seem to want to make this a political or social issue, SBI, which makes no sense) Rossi is italian. Also, i dont hate Rossi, and I’m not disputing any ones right to refer to Rossi as an American when talking soccer… just because your nice, though, doesn’t make you right.
Way to miss my point entirely, Rob. My point about BB bringing in Spector had absolutely nothing to do with the USMNT or whether he was a defender or a midfielder that day. The opportunity to play allowed him to shake off the shadow of his poor form and allow a lot of people, namely Avram Grant and WHUFC staff, prospective teams in Europe looking at him, and BB himself, to take another objective look at him so that he could reevaluate his professional career.
What you probably don’t know is that Spector originally played as a striker/midfield. The only reason he started playing defence is because that was the position Man U saw him playing at once and that was the position *they* brought him in at.
In other words, Spector has been playing his entire EPL career “out of position”.
Next time you want to call someone’s comment “useless” and/or flawed, perhaps you should remember that you don’t know everything and that you might look like a fool when you open your mouth.
This isn’t an issue of legality and anyone attempting to make it so is very far off base.
Actually it would die out if people quit posting articles about the guy being American on every American site that American fans read to find news about Americans. You don’t see Subotic articles all the time hence the lack of people making statements about the guy. Journalist love to get the comments and hits though so there will always be articles posted simply to get a rise out of people. This one was not posted simply to do that but is accomplished it anyway.
(SBI-Do you get that Subotic isn’t American and Rossi is? That Rossi was born and raised and spent half his life here while Subotic did not? Rossi is a top player in Europe who happens to also be American, though not a national team player.)
Also I stated that I find no issue with you posting about Rossi, I just find it laughable that you would bash the views of Americans who would kill to have the ability to represent the USA by posting a comment about Rossi, who has such ability but chooses not to represent “his country” being maligned by “his countrymen”.
Getting angry Ives? No need for that, you put him up there as part of your own personal opinion and mine differs from you, nothing I have said is in anger or spite. Calm yourself, I am an amateur posting on a blog article, you are a professional sports writer. In MY eyes when it comes to international sports you compete for your country, therefore Rossi who represents Italy is an Italian, not an American. I know what Rossi has stated and I can only say that if he found that he felt American then he betrayed himself by representing a national team other than the US. People are trying to bring political aspects into this about citizenship and such, but do you truly believe citizenship is what makes a person an American, or Italian or Mexican? No it is not and it is ludicrous to think that way. How many Mexican-Americans are there in the US that support the Mexican national team and would say they are Mexican and not American? They have citizenship here too but aren’t American by choice, Rossi made his choice let him live it rather than glorifying the exploits of someone who spat in the face of each and every American by turning his back on “his countrymen”. I’m not the only person who feels this way either I simply have stated my own views on the matter…Seriously.
+1, though after my initial anger I do get over it. Just takes a while.
So to sum it up.
Spector played well in mid-field. Jury is still out on whether he jumps ship in January or sticks with WH to fight off relegation.
Dempsey had a decent game. Killer assist. Could have scored. It’s obvious he’s Fulham’s best player. Maybe he leaves come the summer cause Fulham are definitely in a relegation fight, even though they play good football.
Howard as usual doing the best he can for Everton. They need strikers asap and a good backline.
Ricardo Clark is as usual on the bench but will start getting more chances as his team fights to remain top of the Bundesliga.
Charlie Davies is nursing himself back to good health. He may go on loan to get PT. Hopefully he’s back to goal-scoring form come next August.
Ooops!
“He can mention anyone who is playing in that day’s games. I don’t really like it or….”
I care…I hope Gremio hangs on to 4th.
This whole Rossi thing is hilarious. He is an American. Born here and raised here. He even has an American accent and uses Twitter like a typical American 😛
now that being said. I know many are pissed but if I remember correctly he was training in Italy when he was 12 or so. His father pushed him for it. So him playing for Italy was what his dad wanted and he achieved it. I’d have loved for him to play for us, but he did it for his heart. He has Italian roots but is an American. He may not play for us but I wish him the best.
It’d be different if some guy like Wondolowski decides to play for Poland because he won’t get chances for the USA and happens to have a Polish grandparent or 1 of the hundreds of Brazlians who play for Germany or Japan or so and so because they can never play for Brazil. Rossi at least did it for his father.
I’d take a California-born team or maybe even a Texas-born team over a Jersey-born team anyday
Is there anything wrong with Ives mentioning Rossi in a Running Commentary? No, Ives can mention whoever the heck he wants. He can mention I don’t really like it or care for it all (and I’m sure most of you guys don’t either) because I’ve always hated the guy and I usually try to ignore him, but hey it’s not my website. It does seem like Ives tries to frequently rile us up about it all the time though.
But anyone who is saying that Rossi isn’t American is completely off base and wrong. He’s a US Citizen just like you and me. Playing for Italy doesn’t somehow change that. Ever think that Rossi probably considers himself Italian and American? Just like Stuart Holden probably considers himself Scottish and American, or Benny considers himself American, Brazilian, Austrian and Jewish? You can’t tell someone how to think of or view themselves. As a USMNT fan though, that doesn’t mean I have to like him or like his decision. It’s sports, baby. I hate all kinds of players. Conor Casey and Ricardo Clark are just a couple examples, lol.
Props to Rossi. He’s stuck with it and has become quite the player. Is it just me or have an inordinate number of technically good players from the US developed in Northern NJ?
Yeah the kid should just retire, who cares if he is playing for a team that develops players with the best of them. Playing time is all that matters.
Sigh…
Another day of no minutes for Big Jozy.
And I am not trying to attack BB, just pointing out the sever flaw in your argument Leo
I aint’ going to vote for him
Damn apple….. Fours = for us. And ‘my be’= maybe
Really useless comment as Spector was brought to play defense, not midfield. You can thank Grant for finding Spector a position in which he is playing well ATM. It would be easier fours to say that since Bob has seen Spector play more often (be it on film) then Grant, bob should have seen Spector struggle on the back line and realize that the former striker my be out of position.
people on here act like they were the nerdy dude in high school who misinterpreted his relationship with the hot chick and were furious when she went off with the quarterback. get the hell over it. root against him when he plays the US but the personal vendetta is ridiculous. if he played midfield or GK we would’ve moved on already but just because altidore puts in less goals than FDR would have we can’t drop it
As far as I know, Rossi is still an American citizen, which means, he is for all practical purposes, an American.
At a time when this country is at war, Rossi’s detractors throw around serious words like traitor way too easily.
Playing for another national soccer team is not the same as joining their army and fighting against the US. National teams are basically extensions of the governing soccer bodies of a given country. Playing for Italy means, tecnically, that you are representing the Italian FA or whoever it is that runs the national team, not the country.
The USSF is an private NGO so, at least in the US, there is no official US government connection.
Were Rossi to commit actual treason,
“Oran’s Dictionary of the Law (1983) defines treason as “…[a]…citizen’s actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation].” In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aided or involved by such an endeavour.” then you’d have a case.
That Stanford keeper has national team call-ups in her futre.
Judas?
Get a girlfriend. Life is too short to go around full of anger over who a man plays football for.
He could run for President because he is an American.
You’re wrong, in any other aspect of life G. Rossi might be American but in anything related to soccer he is Italian. Soccer is full of dual nationals and the custom is and has always been to refer to their nationality by where they have chosen to play. Eduardo is Croatian, not Brazilian, Benny Feilhaber is American, not Brazilian, and Judas Rossi is Italian, not American. I indifferent to the guy but he is not, for purpose of soccer, American and US fans have a right to complain.
i find it hard to criticize the guy when you yourself pointed out we have many players with dual citizenship. i certainly don’t root for the guy when italy plays the u.s. but he had a choice to make and he made it. i have not followed your personal rooting habits, but i find it hypocritical for anyone, many of whom habit this site, to get angry with rossi while at the same time gleefully celebrating jermaine jones in a US uniform. rossi has 3x as many ties to italy as jones does to the US but you rarely see anyone here complaining about jones. yes, it sucks rossi chose to struggle to see time for italy when he could have been leading the line for his NATIVE America but such is life and we move on.
America:
Where you can be a citizen but not really an American
Where you can live in Virginia and not be a REAL Virginian.
Hopefully, this attitude goes quicker than England’s chances of hosting the World Cup. Identity politics is really, really old.
Exciting finish to the women’s college championship game between Notre Dame and Stanford. Stanford’s keeper has been incredible here in the second half.
Finally Ives does right on Rossi topic !
Good move Senor Ives.
and too basdsome here are stuck in the 19th century/ and full of hate
Rossi was wanted here, if you don’t think he knew that then you’re ignoring the details. He felt slighted to be more precise.
Sorry, I clearly forgot that England is a country in America.
Benedict Arnold is a traitor.
Rossi just went where he was wanted.
Nothing wrong with mentioning Rossi. The nut jobs who think that being an American should be subject kind of American-ness purification test based on their own hate-filled beliefs need to give it a rest.