Canadian born TFC Academy player wants to play for Uruguay

[jpg75]

This is just ****in' retarded. From:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2010/07/06/johnston_blog_tfc/

Finally, did anyone see the local Toronto FC Academy kid interviewed by CBC in the Tuesday post-game commit to playing for Uruguay over Canada at any future World Cups?

Twitter didn’t miss it....from http://twitter.com/CDNStretty

"just saw a player in the TFC academy, Canadian born of Uruguayan decent saying he wants to play in the World Cup for his country..Uruguay "

"He said "I want to play in a World Cup for my home country, Uruguay, some day" and the reporter said "But you were born ...in Canada right?" He says something like "Yes but Uruguay is my country"

Anyone have any idea who this tool is?

[SilverSamurai]

TFC should drop him from the academy. Won't happen but would be nice if they told him to f*** off to his "country" then.

[jpg75]

I guess i should narrow it down...

It is not Sergio Camargo since he was born in Colombia.

It is not Oscar Cordon since he was born in Guatemala.

It could be either; Justin Silveira the backup keeper, Cristian Rodrigues, Jon-Michael Vieira, Jonathan Almeida (these last two names might be Portuguese or Italian, sorry!) or Zak Pera.

[Keegan]

I believe TFC academy has a policy where you must represent Canada now no?

[redhat]

I saw that brief interview and I was livid. Uruguay? Yet he has a Canadian passport and has Canadian citizenship. And cheers for Canada in hockey.

To be fair, he probably said that in the "heat of the moment", right after the loss to the Netherlands and amongst his ex-pat Uruguayan-Canadians.

He'll probably regret those comments with more maturity, but let's see if he can crack the Canadian or TFC line-up first. Ah, youth and humility.

Or lack thereof.

[Free kick]

I believe TFC academy has a policy where you must represent Canada now no?

Thats what I thought.... But I dont think that its anything that can be enforced.

[jpg75]

I believe TFC academy has a policy where you must represent Canada now no?

Really? If true, that's fantastic...

[Free kick]

Really? If true, that's fantastic...

There was something to that effect can out about a year ago, at the time of the begovic defection, indicating that TFC was working towards that goal. if you search the old discussion on thsi forum you might find it.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

I believe TFC academy has a policy where you must represent Canada now no?

I've read the same thing, though I can't find the link right now. At any rate, if an academy player is considering violating this policy, management needs to approach him.

[Keegan]

I've read the same thing, though I can't find the link right now. At any rate, if an academy player is considering violating this policy, management needs to approach him.

Just drop him after that obviously he lied they need to set an example

[canucklefan]

There was something to that effect can out about a year ago, at the time of the begovic defection, indicating that TFC was working towards that goal. if you search the old discussion on thsi forum you might find it.

It was after the the Lensky defection, there was a thread on the subject here, it's time to apply this TFC Academy policy on him.

[Seb of Mtl]

please get rid of this douche! damn i hate those type of immigrants! for christ sakes, return to uruguay and live in a hut and please refund us for our healthcare and education sustem that u used.

[Sam]

Okay I posted this on twitter, but to rip him apart like this is over the top. This kid is probably about my age and I feel for him having the Canadian soccer community swarm on him. He said something he shouldn't, it bugs me but it's not like he's done anything completely out of line. The attitude of a Canadian born calling Uruguay "my country" bugs me and if the TFC academy sits him for a game or two I would not object but I really think he's probably get some unfair criticism, for example telling him to return to Uruguay and live in a hut (he also never lived in Uruguay).

[VPjr]

Firstly, I somehow doubt this kid will ever have the opportunity to rep Uruguay.

Second, those kinds of feelings are FAR more widespread than you can even remotely imagine among youth players, especially in the GTA. For every kid I've spoken to who wants to rep Canada, there are almost as many who would rather represent a country other than Canada. Obviously it is disconcerting for me when I hear these words. When pressed, these kids try to rationalize it ("the CSA sucks", "no one in Canada cares about soccer", "Canadian soccer hasn't done anything for me", "everyone bails out on Canada if they get a better option", etc....) and you realize how poisoned some people are and why the problems in Canadian soccer run so deep. This boy's words are just dumb but they do reflect a major problem in Canadian soccer.

[RJB]

If this World Cup has done anything, it has reinforced that something needs to give. I live near Commercial Drive, and to see Canadians cheering for other countries is very frustrating, but at the same time, we haven't given people any reason to cheer for Canada. Same as this kid, who has no reason to want to represent Canada, since it has been engrained that we have no chance. Of his quote, what we should be looking at is not the part where he says he wants to play for Uruguay, but the part where he says he wants to play in a World Cup.

I think that it's time that as Voyageurs, we start to practice what we preach. Even on this board, I've read members referencing "us" and "we" when talking about other countries. I've been guilty of that when watching games with my Dad.

[RJB]

Furthermore, I don't think Canadian hockey fans would care too much if a player born in the USA chose to represent Canada. Tyler Myers comes to mind.

[Juby]

please get rid of this douche! damn i hate those type of immigrants! for christ sakes, return to uruguay and live in a hut and please refund us for our healthcare and education sustem that u used.

your hate should be directed at the kid (never thought I'd say that), insulting uruguay just pisses off a whole nationality, and it's just wrong to hold things like health care and education above someone's head because we provide that because it's right, not to win loyalty. (even if your feeling defensive as a canadian, were not special or better then anyone else, saying so makes us look as insensitively douche baggy as that kid)

This leads to my next point, the kids clearly a loser, I mean he's sitting around at the local academy, pretending something he had no control over (his ethnicity) makes him special, talking about how special his parent country and therefore he is (I'm pretty much picturing the whole russell peters bit, he's gonna keep talking like a shallow airhead till he leaves canada and realized, 'hey, I'm a loser from canada? why did I spend my who life bragging about my ethnicity making myself look mildly racist?' he's probably also a huge fan of cliche's since he clearly loves pretetending to be reverant.

edit:anyone who pretends their not really represented by a country like canada that they've lived in 95% of their lives is playing a little girl fantasy game and thinks their a princess (waiting for their foriegn prince charming to come and marry their prissy ass) (with a few exception, like if I was born in UAE and wasn't given citizenship, I'd make fun of those racist ****-for-brains every chance I got)

[CanadianSoccerFan]

As much as I love the world cup, I find it's taking the de-nationalization of Toronto to a new extreme. Any hint of being Canadian gets completely chucked out the window. I can't tell you how many times in Toronto I've heard the "nobody's really canadian" speech.

[Juby]

I've never really heard that speech? it may be mean but I'd tease them for saying that, there are just so many holes (ummm, so your saying I'm not really a member of the only nationality I know? you want me to go post up in countries I've never been? I speak french better then I speak any language I'm related too and your gonna tell me I'm not a canadian based on race, what are you racist? and then finish it off with a 'maybe you just need to deal with why your so ashamed to be canadian instead of ****ting on us'

[Seb of Mtl]

your hate should be directed at the kid (never thought I'd say that), insulting uruguay just pisses off a whole nationality, and it's just wrong to hold things like health care and education above someone's head because we provide that because it's right, not to win loyalty. (even if your feeling defensive as a canadian, were not special or better then anyone else, saying so makes us look as insensitively douche baggy as that kid)

This leads to my next point, the kids clearly a loser, I mean he's sitting around at the local academy, pretending something he had no control over (his ethnicity) makes him special, talking about how special his parent country and therefore he is (I'm pretty much picturing the whole russell peters bit, he's gonna keep talking like a shallow airhead till he leaves canada and realized, 'hey, I'm a loser from canada? why did I spend my who life bragging about my ethnicity making myself look mildly racist?' he's probably also a huge fan of cliche's since he clearly loves pretetending to be reverant.

edit:anyone who pretends their not really represented by a country like canada that they've lived in 95% of their lives is playing a little girl fantasy game and thinks their a princess (waiting for their foriegn prince charming to come and marry their prissy ass) (with a few exception, like if I was born in UAE and wasn't given citizenship, I'd make fun of those racist ****-for-brains every chance I got)

i think im entitled to be upset. ?Our ancestors worked hard and fought for this country so that we can all enjoy freedom and the perks that come with it. We have the goodness to share our advantages with people who dont have the same opportunities as us so to this end, i think its little to ask from them to represent this beautiful country instead.

[canucklefan]

I think that it's time that as Voyageurs, we start to practice what we preach. Even on this board, I've read members referencing "us" and "we" when talking about other countries. I've been guilty of that when watching games with my Dad.

Now you mention, that **** of usernmame 'Portuguese_sensation' comes to mind...

[Unnamed Trialist]

Come on, not to get so dogmatic about things. When I talk about Whitecaps I say "we". When Canada, also "we". "We" for Barça when they come up. And these days "we" for Spain.

Wake up guys, it is like living in Cornerbrook and saying you would never want to live in Cornerbrook when you are older. It is an insult to your home town, but it is realistic too: what does Cornerbrook have to offer, does it offer a future. When Cornerbrook begins to look like the kind of place you could live in when older, when it has those little things that make it a worthwhile place to stay in (like quality work at a high level, which is what a footballer wants, like the possibility for recognition), then you happily commit to Cornerbrook.

Canadian soccer has to give a bit more back to Canadian fans, that way the kids will start dreaming about representing their country. Same with all sports. I know kids on track to represent Canada in rowing, kids of friends. Because our rowing is elite, even in high school, it is a reasonable dream and they envision it as something to strive for. That is what we are missing with our soccer. But we are getting there, don't worry, we are close to having Canadian heros at the highest level in MLS, in more than just one city. And we need to get some national team results, the last decade has been terrible.

[Juby]

i think im entitled to be upset. ?Our ancestors worked hard and fought for this country so that we can all enjoy freedom and the perks that come with it. We have the goodness to share our advantages with people who dont have the same opportunities as us so to this end, i think its little to ask from them to represent this beautiful country instead.

I think your missing my point a bit, when he says, I love my country I've never been to (cause were so special just for being us), and you say, screw you, were more special then you, well your no better, I think the only real response is 'hey kid, your a loser', even if canada's better then so and so country, people from so and so don't want to hear (nor should they) some guy from canada take a **** on their country, I'm just saying you don't (and probably shouldn't) have to **** on anyones nationality to say what your saying.

[JoeSoccerFan]

Firstly, I somehow doubt this kid will ever have the opportunity to rep Uruguay.

Second, those kinds of feelings are FAR more widespread than you can even remotely imagine among youth players, especially in the GTA. For every kid I've spoken to who wants to rep Canada, there are almost as many who would rather represent a country other than Canada. Obviously it is disconcerting for me when I hear these words. When pressed, these kids try to rationalize it ("the CSA sucks", "no one in Canada cares about soccer", "Canadian soccer hasn't done anything for me", "everyone bails out on Canada if they get a better option", etc....) and you realize how poisoned some people are and why the problems in Canadian soccer run so deep. This boy's words are just dumb but they do reflect a major problem in Canadian soccer.

VPjr, I think this problem is deeper than just a soccer problem. Clearly anybody who is born, raised and lives in Canada should consider Canada "their country". However, this is very often not the case. So it is no surprise that someone would want to represent "their country" on the field, given the opportunity. This is one of the unique drawbacks of living in a country such as Canada.

Having said that, this will not be as much as a problem if Canada's MNT is much stronger than it is today. While we will always have a difficult time attracting players who are eligible to play for the major soccer powers, it should help with lesser nations like Uruguay.

The solution is a strong Canadian team! We will not be able to change young player's minds otherwise!

[SthMelbRed]

I think Canadians from certain parts of the world are more prone to this kind of behaviour and it goes much deeper than just football. Growing up in Vancouver, I can't recall my friends of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, English, German, Ukrainian, or Russian descent ever suggesting that the country of their parents/grandparents was better than Canada. On the other hand, there was no shortage of Italian-, Croatian-, or Central American-Canadians willing to **** on the country where they born, raised, and educated in order to 'big up' their 'home country'. These types can't be reasoned with and do not see any irony in the fact that they sit in all the comforts that Canada offers them while at the same time denigrating our home out of some false sense of duty to a homeland that for one reason or another pushed their families out. I have no problem with this punk catching a lot of **** for being stupid.