Alex Paramo

As the U.S. born son of two Colombian immigrants I have certain benefits come World Cup time, I get to root for two teams: “The Yanks” and “Los Cafeteros.” The issue of immigration is crucial to any sports conversation because, as in Major League Baseball and especially in the National Basketball Association we have seen the influx of many players from other countries. In these sports a player can play for any team regardless of where he was born or even where he resides. In the Olympics, all notions of amateur have been thrown out the window. The Olympics are now accepted as a show-case for pro athletes while filling the coffers of the International Olympic Committee and serving as publicity for pro leagues.

U.S. Men’s Soccer

The U.S. displayed remarkable resiliency at the World Cup. They were immediately cast as underdogs when placed in the group of death and given a daunting traveling schedule. I rooted for them loud and proud! Despite their success and my affinity for the team, I am a bit troubled by Landon Donovan‘s exclusion from the team and the bigger question it brings up: should players with little if any connections to the U.S. be permitted to play on the National team? Should a player like John Brooks, who has never even lived in the U.S. be chosen over say a Landon Donovan, still one of the best U.S. players, who has committed his life to the U.S. program?

Flag Waving

As a kid I would would follow the NY Mets, NY Jets and NY Knicks not only because I am a born and raised NYer but because for the most part the ‘core’ of the team would stay in-tact from season to season. That consistency on the roster(s) allowed me to identify them and with them in the context of wins and losses. I felt like I could feel their suffering doing a bad season and partake in the celebration(s) with them during team triumphs. Heck, in my mind, I was part of the team! Of course these days yesterdays villain (Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens) becomes today’s hero (New York Yankees Roger Clemens). Which leads us back to Landon Donovan and the German Invasion.

Xenophobia

Now of course my sentiments are not born out of Xenophobia because, as I stated above, my parents are immigrants to this great country. The idea of the U.S. as a country that welcomes people from all corners of the world is paramount to my identity as an American. Many Native North Americans welcomed the first European settlers and helped them get, well, settled and I still believe in that welcoming spirit. My sentiments regarding the U.S. Soccer program coach Jürgen Klinsmann‘s decision of taking 5 German nationals over Landon Donovan and other home-grown players stem from my desire to identify with my national team. I respect Klinsman as a coach but disagree with his decision.

The Final Frontier

The World Cup represents the final frontier, the last bastion of true ‘fandom’ where we root for our team based upon a shared national experience. Of course there is a commercial aspect to it but unlike pro sports or the Olympics, it does not dominate the essence of the tournament. This current World Cup tourney united Americans from Queens, NY, Kearny NJ, Chicago, Il, Seattle, Topeka, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Anchorage. Should we include Berlin and Munich? Where do we draw the line? It is a complicated issue that deserves examination and solutions. Does being German born and raised make those players any less American and/or disqualify them from the U.S. national team? Perhaps a 5 to 10 year residency requirement should be enacted by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Isn’t the whole point of the program to create a strong program in the states?

Beating Belgium

Would Donovan have helped the U.S. squad defeat the Belgium team yesterday? Of course we will never know but one thing I do know is that I would have preferred to watch Landon Donovan yesterday because I would’ve recognized him, been familiar with his style of play and felt like I had been in the trenches with him over the past 12 years. In the video Andres Cantor, Mr. ‘Goooool’, calls the play and describes Donovan as the greatest U.S. Soccer player of all-time.

What do you think? I would really like to know.

Alex Paramo is an Author and Co-Founder of Community Publishing. Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.

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