2012 International Friendlies

Americans and their wierd sense of nationality. It matters not only where you are born, but where you are brought up, the blood that goes through your veins, who your ancestors are. Nationality isnt what it says on your passport, its what you FEEL and what you feel part of.

McLewis wrote:

rsinatra wrote:

sportsczy wrote:You guys would never make it in the US with these nationality discussions lol. In the US, they welcome you as long as you're a productive person and haven't broken the law. It's all about open opportunities to everyone at the core... of course, reality is not as smooth as i make it sound lol.

But you can become a US citizen at age 20, 25, 30, etc and play for the US Basketball team in the olympics and nobody would think much about it. Just the way people think. Being American is embracing a set of values, nothing to do with where you're born or brought up.

Let's ask the Mexicans what they think of your country's openness. Hell, let's ask all Latin Americans. I remember that, right before I (legally) lived in the US nearly a decade ago, I met a girl at the American consulate in Brazil, who couldn't get a visa to visit Disney, because she was Brazilian and couldn't prove that she wasn't going to turn into an illegal immigrant. So dont' come bragging about how open the US welcoming all as long as they're hardworkers.

Well it does stand to reason that if you wish to enter the US, you need to demonstrate that you intend to come here legally. Most Mexicans, Central Americans, and South Americans have a tough time with this because they are crossing our borders illegally and more often than not, do not show any intention of becoming legal citizens or at least following the process for staying here temporarily. That is not at all fair to the immigrants that actually do go through the legal immigration process to become lawful US citizens. It's those people that I think Sport was referring to.

Exactly McLewis.

Btw, France play Estonia tonight. Checked them out. They actually did surprisingly OK in Euro qualifying lol. They ended up second to Italy in the group with 16 pts and lost it Ireland in the playoff. We're up 1-0 in talin before losing to Italy 2-1.

More interesting match than i thought lol.

McLewis wrote:

rsinatra wrote:

sportsczy wrote:You guys would never make it in the US with these nationality discussions lol. In the US, they welcome you as long as you're a productive person and haven't broken the law. It's all about open opportunities to everyone at the core... of course, reality is not as smooth as i make it sound lol.

But you can become a US citizen at age 20, 25, 30, etc and play for the US Basketball team in the olympics and nobody would think much about it. Just the way people think. Being American is embracing a set of values, nothing to do with where you're born or brought up.

Let's ask the Mexicans what they think of your country's openness. Hell, let's ask all Latin Americans. I remember that, right before I (legally) lived in the US nearly a decade ago, I met a girl at the American consulate in Brazil, who couldn't get a visa to visit Disney, because she was Brazilian and couldn't prove that she wasn't going to turn into an illegal immigrant. So dont' come bragging about how open the US welcoming all as long as they're hardworkers.

Well it does stand to reason that if you wish to enter the US, you need to demonstrate that you intend to come here legally. Most Mexicans, Central Americans, and South Americans have a tough time with this because they are crossing our borders illegally and more often than not, do not show any intention of becoming legal citizens or at least following the process for staying here temporarily. That is not at all fair to the immigrants that actually do go through the legal immigration process to become lawful US citizens. It's those people that I think Sport was referring to.

Many of these illegal immigrants, if not most of them, did try to go there through the legal immigration process, but were rejected because of where they were from. The US is very open to other so-called "First World" countries, of course, but when it comes to Latin Americans, they make it nearly impossible. Not that it is any easier to get a permanent visa in Europe, for instance. Rich countries just don't want open their arms for poor immigrants, that's all.

My father had a job offer from the US, a place to stay, I don't know how many letters proving that he was going to work there, and yet we were treated like criminals desperately trying to prove we were innocents at the American consulate. I will not forget my his frustration after his first interview there. At the end we got our permits, thanks to one of his friends who worked there and put in a good word for us.

And what about the girl I've mentioned? She was crying like a baby because she just wanted to visit Disney, and just needed a tourist visa, but at the American consulates (in Brazil) this is the rule: you are guilty, until you can prove the opposite. I wouldn't call that openness. Obviously there has to be a control on immigration, but not prejudice. I won't forget the way I saw people being treated on the days I went there.

I did go on to live 2 very good years in the US and I liked it very much, was very grateful, and in fact I would've stayed longer if it had been up to me (at the time I was still underage), but my parents got a better offer in Brazil.

It's possible that the common US citizen is not aware of these difficulties. They think we just decide to go through the desert because we like it. I don't even have to mention that the state in which many Latin American countries find themselves in today is also largely due to former dictatorships, which the US shamelessly (and sometimes violently) helped installing, that slowed down our progress and so on. So, talk about fair.



SO ANYWAY, I think that proportionally there as many American people who would think these things about athletes not born in US as there as there Europeans.

rsinatra... Residency is a lot like applying to University. It's a competitive process. Visas are just a matter of risk management.

The US cannot and should just accept everybody. I was an immigrant and i accepted that.

I went thru the process and this was back when there was a Iranian hostage crisis in the 80s. I had a french passport but i was still half Iranian. There were no warm feelings between the Iranians and Americans despite my circumstances. And the world was much less racially tolerant back then. It took me 6 years to establish residency and then get citizenship. Granted, I wasn't in a rush. But the process was very intense and some if it very uncomfortable. At the beginning, they made me work like crazy. I actually had to go back to France for 3 months. But i got it... they wanted to see if i was willing to fight for the privilege.

Bottom line is that it's very hard. It's meant to be very hard. The US wants to know that you're really interested in becoming American in your heart. That's really the point of the whole thing.

Getting a visa, residency and citizenship is a privilege, not a right. That's the thing to remember. It's by no means guaranteed.

Don't wanna derail this thread guys. Let's make a thread in the Politics section.

sportsczy wrote:rsinatra... Residency is a lot like applying to University. It's a competitive process. Visas are just a matter of risk management.

The US cannot and should just accept everybody. I was an immigrant and i accepted that.

I went thru the process and this was back when there was a Iranian hostage crisis in the 80s. I had a french passport but i was still half Iranian. There were no warm feelings between the Iranians and Americans despite my circumstances. And the world was much less racially tolerant back then. It took me 6 years to establish residency and then get citizenship. Granted, I wasn't in a rush. But the process was very intense and some if it very uncomfortable. At the beginning, they made me work like crazy. I actually had to go back to France for 3 months. But i got it... they wanted to see if i was willing to fight for the privilege.

Bottom line is that it's very hard. It's meant to be very hard. The US wants to know that you're really interested in becoming American in your heart. That's really the point of the whole thing.

Getting a visa, residency and citizenship is a privilege, not a right. That's the thing to remember. It's by no means guaranteed.

fair enough. my point is that it's not always a fair competition, because the fact is that depending where you come from, it might be easier or harder for you to get in. and that there's two sides to every coin. but mclewis is right, sorry about going off topic.

Time to move this thread to the international section I assume

1-1

Both goals from corners

halamadrid2 wrote:da fuq our second goalie is being subbed on, hope he isnt injured

You're from Sweden?

havent followed sweden, i only know ibra plays there which is a big gun!

nonetheless i placed a bet for sweden to win the tournament
its worth it considering the money i will make if they actually win it ^^

go sweden ! lol ;d

halamadrid2 wrote:wait the keeper picked the ball up after a back pass, why no direct freekick????

idk what exactly happened im not watching any game but when ever the keeper is penalized for a hand ball its an indirect fk, not a direct freekick or penalty

Diarra kicks the ground

Looks ok

Lloris captain?