Giuseppe Rossi: A US Soccer Player? What Gave You That Idea?

Written by: tyler ransburgh

This picture does not help my case

“Off the field, I have always felt American. On the field I’ve always felt Italian.” This quote from ESPN magazine has not treated Rossi well. While the quote was ignorant as he is trying to get the best of both worlds, he is in a position to make the statement.

What I believe is the largest misunderstanding in the typical US soccer fan version of the Giuseppe Rossi story is where his football loyalty lies. Rossi started going to a football camp near Parma in Italy at age 9. By 12, Giuseppe moved to Italy to join the youth academy of Parma FC.

Giuseppe moved up through the Italian youth ranks from U-16 to the senior national team. While it seems apparent that Rossi had focused his efforts on playing for Italy from the beginning, US Soccer let 4 years slip by without pursuing Giuseppe while he was becoming more comfortable in Italy. It was always Giuseppe Rossi’s dream to play for Italy and he has always told US Soccer that it was his intention.

Rossi only attended one US Soccer camp when he was in the States for the summer in 2001, it was the U-14 youth squad. He was later asked in 2005 to join the US team for a friendly in Scotland, which he turned down even though it would not have tied him to the US team. Former US coach Bruce Arena was brutally honest about it, “We tried to make it as easy as possible for him, and in no way jeopardize his eligibility. But it was pretty clear his dream was to play for Italy. He didn’t mislead us for a second.”

Why do the US fans feel that Giuseppe Rossi wronged US Soccer?

Rossi never lied, mislead or played for the United States. It just sounds like a bunch of bitter fans that don’t fully understand the story. His whole life has always revolved around Italian soccer. He was raised in a traditional Italian family, watched Serie A every week on television growing up and  idolized the Italian players. He was conditioned and flourished in the Italian system. They groomed and invested in Rossi and are getting the rewards of that work. What justification does US Soccer have on Rossi?

Now the hypothetical: If you were born in Panama but raised in a traditional US family, watching US Soccer and aspiring to be like Brian McBride and Tab Ramos, would you move? US Soccer offered you to join the youth academy and brought you up through their system. You are given the opportunity to play for the USMNT.  Now everyone in Panama is calling you a traitor because you don’t play for Panama…Are You?

I would have to say “no”. I don’t believe the hypothetical person above is a traitor and I don’t believe Giuseppe Rossi is either.

Rossi was cut from the final 23-man Italian World Cup roster and will focus on finding a club team after his contract with Villarreal runs out this summer.