Strip Rossi's U.S. Citizenship!

I'm being over-dramatic. To be honest I'm just bitter Giuseppe Rossi doesn't play for the U.S. national team. Born and raised in Clifton, NJ, his father (who's Italian) decided to ship him over to the Old World to realize his soccer dreams. Today he's a star with Spanish club Villarreal, and his light continues to shine brighter with the Azzurri. Coach Marcello Lippi described Rossi as "a little champion" and added that "much of our future is focused on him."

But did he have to bury two goals against his home country? His parents still live in New Jersey. He considers himself Italian-American. He says he roots for the U.S. all the time (not sure what that means). And he refuses to play for the U.S. team, citing "dream" to play for Italy.

Who can blame him? I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to be on the same field with soccer geniuses like Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Gianluigi Buffon and learn to operate in Italy's system. I just wish the U.S. national team could add a few studs to the roster who can keep up with the rest of the world superpowers. I'm sick of watching us get out-muscled and outplayed. And since most of our athletes are playing football, baseball, basketball and hockey, we're going to watch our nation toil in the second tier with a steady diet of Caribbean banana republics.

Giuseppe, I'm heartbroken.