Abby Wambach has earned the right to speak her mind on the issues surrounding American soccer, as she is one of the most successful and famous players to ever represent the US on the pitch, female or male. However, some of her opinions are quite controversial, most notably on Jurgen Klinsmann’s use of dual nationals.
Today, in an interview with the New York Times, she doubled down.
In December of last year, she told Bill Simmons that she wasn’t much a fan of Klinsmann’s use of “foreign guys”, though very few others seemed to have a problem with it. She said, “The way that he has changed and brought in these foreign guys, it’s just not something that I believe in.” She has questioned their passion for representing the US, implying that they may be playing for the US since they couldn’t cut it for their “first” country, whatever that means.
“Do I agree with everything Jurgen has done? No, I do not. It’s just my opinion, and I’m entitled to that,” she said, echoing the sentiments of many US fans who have bones to pick with Klinsmann, though dual-nationals are probably not of their greatest concern. “It feels a little bit odd to me that you have some guys that have never lived in the United States that play for the United States because they were able to secure a passport. To me, that just feels like they weren’t able to make it for their country and earn a living, so they’re coming here. But do they have that killer instinct? I don’t know.”
“I’d love to sit down with Mix Diskerud and some of these other guys and talk to them about it. I’d love to understand how much they love their country. I believe they can have love for both countries, but I’d love to hear it, and I think so many other people would, too. If this is an ignorant opinion, I’ll raise my hand in the end and say, ‘My bad.’ But I’d want to have that conversation.”
Yes Abby, this is quite the ignorant opinion. Just ask Terrence Boyd, who was recently called up for the USMNT’s match against New Zealand on Tuesday, and is a dual citizen of both Germany and the US, but might be one of the most patriotic people on the planet.
After more than two years away, @TBoyd91 talks returning to the #USMNT for Tuesday's friendly vs. New Zealand. #USAvNZL pic.twitter.com/OFHwptGx4v
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 9, 2016
Abby Wambach has been at the forefront of some great moments for US Soccer, and advancing talk on the issues of LGBT rights, addiction and other topics. But she’s still incredibly tone deaf on this issue, and with time it looks like very little has changed. What a shame.
