The United States is known, for good reason, as a nation of immigrants. That reality is reflected in the makeup of our national team. Plenty of American players could have represented another country, like that despicable Judas traitor Giuseppe Rossi did. And conversely, plenty of players playing for foreign national teams could have suited up for the Yanks, like that despicable Judas traitor Giuseppe Rossi could have. So many players, in fact, you could make up an entire 23-man national team out of dual-citizenship holding Americans.
GK:
Tim Howard – (USA/Hungary) He may be the final line of Yankee defense, but our very own Timmeh could have been a Magyar had he wished. His mother was born in Hungary, meaning Howard was theoretically eligible to play for the team of Puskas and Kubala.
Boaz Myhill – (Wales/USA) The Hull City keeper may play his international football for Wales, but he was born in Modesto, California.
Darren Randolph – (Ireland/USA) Randolph’s father emigrated to Ireland to play in the Irish basketball league. The Bray-born goalkeeper has gone on to represent Ireland at every level below the senior national team.
DF:
Carlos Bocanegra – (USA/Mexico) The American captain has a Mexican father, but we won’t hold that against him.
Neven Subotic – (Serbia/USA) Although he plays for Serbia now, the Borussia Dortmund defender lived in the US for several years, and represented the US as a youth international before switching nationalities.
Oguchi Onyewu – (USA/Nigeria) Onyewu’s parents immigrated to the US so that Onyewu’s father could play soccer at Howard University.
Brede Hangeland – (Norway/USA) Now the Norwegian captain, Hangeland was born in Houston, Texas, but his family moved back to Norway when he was two.
Seb Hines – (England/USA) His father is an American, but Leeds-born Hines has represented England at U19 level.
Edgar Castillo – (USA/Mexico) Born in Los Cruces, New Mexico, Castillo represented El Tri four times before switching to play for the United States.
Jonathan Spector – (USA/Germany) Both of his mother’s parents came to the US from Germany, and Spector holds a German passport.
MF:
Stuart Holden – (USA/Scotland) Originally hailing from Aberdeen, Holden’s family moved to Texas when he was 12, and the midfielder made a name for himself with Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo before become a fixture in the USMNT.
Simon Poulsen – (Denmark/USA) Born and raised in Denmark, the AZ midfielder is the son of an American father.
Ryan Smith – (England/USA) English by birth, KC winger Smith’s father is an American. Despite picking up a youth cap for England, speculation has begun that Smith could play for the USA.
Freddy Adu – (USA/Ghana) Once widely tipped to be the first American megastar, Adu was born in Ghana, and courted by the Ghanaian national team before the 2006 World Cup.
Jermaine Jones – (USA/Germany) The son of an American serviceman stationed in Europe, Jones played 3 times for Germany before opting to change to the US team.
Danny Szetela – (USA/Poland) New Jersey product Szetela played at various youth levels for the US, but briefly considered playing his senior football for Poland
Sacha Kljestan – (USA/Bosnia) The owner of the worst mustache in American soccer, Kljestan’s father played semi-professionally in Serbia.
Benny Feilhaber – (USA/Brazil/Austria) The playmaker was born in Brazil, and his paternal grandfather fled WW2 Austria, making him eligible for three different nations.
Maurice Edu – (USA/Nigeria) The defensive midfielder boasts two parents from Nigeria.
FW:
Landon Donovan – (USA/Canada) Quite possibly the best player the US has ever produced, Donovan’s father is from Canada. I think we can safely say he’s ours, though.
Giuseppe Rossi – (Italy/USA) You know about it, I know about it. Moving on.
Jozy Altidore – (USA/Haiti) The USA’s resident prodigy is quite famously a son of two Haitian parents.
Herculez Gomez – (USA/Mexico) Both of Gomez’s parents were Mexican immigrants to the USA.
Keith Hickey is a contributing writer for The Yanks Are Coming. He can be reached at USArsnl@gmail.com.