Native-born Mexican Soccer Players Need to Compete With, Not Restrict, Naturalized Ones

Some native-born Mexican soccer players, including Gerardo Torrado and Joaquin Del Olmo, have criticized the embattled national team coach, Ricardo Lavolpe's, decision to include six more naturalized players on the national team. (Lavolpe is Argentine-born, by the way.)  Torrado laments, "Identity is lost, the [native-born] Mexicans give everything they got to give Mexico a face, [and] we all fought and suffered to serve our country."  Another player took a similar position, "We're not going to have an identity and the team [of naturalized players] will not feel like our own."  Damn, I guess just being born outside of the country alone does not make you feel a real Mexican, right?  Citizenship test and love of country apparently don't count. 

 

Actually, some players have taken pro-naturalized positions as well as the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) itself.  The Secretary General of the FMF, Decio de Maria, says that having naturalized players, given that they're talented, would benefit the national team.  Argentine-born, naturalized Mexican player Hernan Cristante fires back, "Some Mexican players have a very complacent attitude, so they should give themselves more than what they've got, such that in soccer than in their personal lives.  But I don't know why they want to deny the naturalized players the right to be selected if the same Constitution of Mexico gives everyone the right to be treated equally."  So, in other words: put up or shut up!

 

Look, we all have to compete for positions one way or the other so I don't know why in the inclusion of foreign-born naturalized players have to be different.  If David Beckham, Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos have decided to become U.S. citizens, the U.S. would be mighty stupid if they're not put on the U.S. National Team.  It would also tell us that many if not most of the native-born players are just not as good as the naturalized ones.  The decision of Ricardo Lavolpe to include 6 naturalized players is his alone and the future result of that will be a reflection on his ability to coach.  However, to deny the talent of naturalized players is to deny the country itself.  Such technicalities such as where you are born or what color is your skin should be put aside to more pressing issues such as talent, physical ability, and if playing for the national team, citizenship and love of country.  If Arnold Schwarzenegger has the right to pursue his dream of being the governor of his adopted state, than Hernan Cristante should also have the right to pursue his dream of representing his adopted country.  The love of country from immigrants is a lot stronger than the complacency of native-born citizens because the former will make the country prouder and stronger.

 

Any thoughts and questions?  E-mail me at theclaw@noriega.biz.