New-Jersey-born and dual-citizenship-holding striker Giuseppe Rossi was cut by Marcello Lippi for Italy’s final 23-man World Cup squad.
Also cut was Marco Borriello. But we really don’t care about his fate. Had the young Rossi not decided he’s Italian despite being born in the U.S.A., he might possibly be starting at the World Cup. Instead, he’ll be watching from home, which, if it’s in the U.S. (as opposed to say Spain where he plays his club ball for Villarreal) makes this even more delicious.
Clearly, Lippi still values experience as most of the intractable manager’s squad was born in the pleistocene. The good news for Rossi? We can scrounge up an extra ticket to our watching party on June 12 if he wants to stop by. It’s not like he’s doing anything.
England Germany and now Italy have all of their players playing domestically.
Who would have the audacity to cut the US’s best player? Oh I get it he plays for Italy… oh wait he is a traitor… ummmmm I liked the Azzuri when I was a kid. Deamed of making soccer bigger here…….Good riddance.
Rossi is really good I am surprised he didn’t get in. I’m not sure if he’s a traitor I thought he played nearly all his life in Italy?
Almost feel bad for Rossi. However, I’m totally ready to hop on the roflcopter to have a hearty laugh at ESPN for that stupid magazine cover they did last month.
Think ‘traitor’ is a bit strong. But he made his bed. Had he decided to play for the US, he could be the type of player that helps the program make its next leap forward. Instead he wanted to play for Italy, which has an overabundance of talent. This was the risk he ran.
Still, it makes for some good funny.
Read the ESPN Article… Like Many of us Italian Americans…especially around the Tri-State area, the Azzuri were almost magical to us as kids… I understand he had played in Italian camps but many of us played oversees.. me in The Netherlands for example… but if there was a chance to play for Country, it would be the one that we were born in. Rossi says he is American in all ways but on the Soccer feild. Thats a traitor to me.
This is the best example of schadenfreude I could think of in a long time.
I truly feel bad for the guy on a personal level, but as a USMNT supporter…this is sweet.
I think I would be more bitter if he was a defender.
I think Subotic is more traitor-y than Rossi to be quite honest. As I understand it, Rossi made it pretty clear that he wanted to play for Italy from the start. Subotic played with the U-17s and U-20s for the US, before bolting. Maybe it’s cause he plays a less “sexy” position for a relatively lesser known team, but still.
Subotic left because Gulati and Rongen snubbed him at one point.
Hes worse for sure. My point is that you are either an American or you are not. In reverse Thomas Dooley comes to mind… how American was he as Captain in 1990. It worked in our favor… but he was a real star in the Bundesliga…
Giuseppe, Ask not for whom the horn tolls; it tolls for thee
Rossi is a douche… Glad he’ll be sitting at home crying. Although, Lippi didn’t take a single player from outside of Serie A. What’s up with that?
Rossi never led the US on to think he would play for them. He and his dad were always honest that he wanted to play for Italy. It sucks for us that he didn’t want to play for the US, but he never said he did.
I’m sorry, but Rossi’s not a douche or a traitor for doing that.
So three of the four best leagues have national teams comprised of all domestics (England, Germany, Italy). Not sure it says anything, but interesting that Spain is the only one with players abroad.
@corky: You’re right, but can’t we be jingoistic in an ironic sort of way?
berg: It’s not many, it’s like Cesc, Nando and Pepe Reina (going off the top of my head).
Honestly I wouldn’t want to play for the US Team anyways. I hear Landon makes everyone massage Rogaine into his scalp.
I’ve adopted the “TTR” we had during the Confed Cup, but at least he was honest. But I’m still gonna make fun of him as a “traitor.”
I really do hope he’ll be watching from home in Jersey.
@Ryan: I love when the clueless talk.
Everyone knows the story. He wasnt good enough for
Thomas Wrongen’s U20 squad so he didnt play in that big event.
No matter, 2 years after not being able to hold the jockstrapsof any of the other players prefered by Wrongen (please look up the names and tell me about it), Subotic is good enough to get his first break in the Bundesliga where he has starred since, scored quite a bit of goals, has played intelligent and aggressive football on top of an imposing physique.
If I was Subotic and Im told that Im not good enough (then get blasted by Wrongen for perceived deficiencies that german clubs cant seem to find yet) for the U-20, it has to weigh in
He plays in that U-20 event and you can be almost guaranteed that he plays for the senior squad.
The big error was the analysis of an 19 old player by the american coaches that somehow didnt seem to bother others.
Rossi is a different story but it was one that many other americans of italian, greek, serbian, german, portuguese descent would dream of having to make. Yeah, it didnt work out this time but there is still 2014. It was a gamble but its one many would dream of having to make. I dont pity him or make fun.
He is still getting paid serious money to play a game in a
city on the gorgeous eastern coast of Spain.
Yes, I feel sooooooo bad for him.
If I remember correctly, Rossi went to Parma around age 12 to play in their youth system.
But, still, I’m enjoying the schadenfreude.
@spectator. Absolutely. But, I’m honestly surprised at the outpouring of gloating over him not making the Italian team. It pissed me off when he celebrated at the Confederations Cup, but, good grief, we’ve never had a chance at him.
Subotic, on the other hand — Rongen has that blood on his hands.
At least we grabbed Torres — Harkes already compared him to Xavi and Iniesta!
@NYK: Who doesn’t enjoy schadenfreude? But the fact he could’ve been a star by playing for us makes it all that much sweeter.
“But the fact he could’ve been a star by playing for us makes it all that much sweeter.”
Possibly, possibly not because of our system of scouting players and training them. He could’ve been lost in the mix easily, and then fallen out of interest.
@Dustin: we’re not saying he shouldn’t have gone to italy to learn and play at a club, just that he should have come back his birth country to help out.
@TFA I see I guess I’m just frustrated with how poorly America has been with identifying and building good players.
Ha-ha!
/Nelson Muntz’d
Was Rossi born in the U.S.? Yes. Did he grow up in the U.S.? Yes. Is he playing for the USMNT? No. Ergo, he’s a traitorous douche rocket.
His parents were both Italian immigrants and he moved to Italy when he was like 12 so I’d argue that he’s just as Italian as he is American. But I don’t really care if people think he’s a traitor or not. As an Azzurri supporter I’m more pissed that he got cut. The squad really could have used some youth (understatement). It’s a 7 game tournament (hopefully) so I think our old legs can carry us, but I would have liked to see someone who clearly had some youthful passion for the team get a shot.
@spectator – Everyone on the 2006 squad was based in Serie A, and that worked out pretty well. Time will tell if sticking with his strategies from 4 years ago is Lippi’s strength or his weakness.
Dammit, this means I have to retire “YEAGAH BAWMBS!!!!” Okay, just one mroe time, since we know it’s Giuseppe is goign to spend the WC doing:
YEAGAH BAWMBS!!!!!
Well, had he decided to play of USMNT, he would’ve never had the chance to actually win the cup. Now he does, and as he’s still young, there’s plenty of chances coming up.
Who in their right mind would skip out on that, just to play 3 games in the cup this year?