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USMNT Fans Should Hop Aboard the Gedion Zelalem Hype Train

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By @DFresh39

Gedion Zelalem USMNT

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This week Steven Goff of The Washington Post reported that Arsenal youth player Gedion Zelalem underwent the citizenship process and could play for the USMNT. Reaction to the news has been rampant, and there are plenty who are giddy with excitement that the central midfielder could be in the mix for many years to come. Fans and journalists have run the gauntlet of reactions to the point where the predictability of those reactions was called out. Social media has been interesting to watch and more are welcome on the hype train. Just realize that wading through the different cars on the train may get taxing.

There are some very distinct ideas one would find searching social media. The first is excitement that the U.S. got him from Germany and Ethiopia. Zelalem is attached to a large club and identifies as American. For some that is all it takes to be pumped up about the prospect. It has not gone as far as calling him the savior of the USMNT. People are just happy that someone in a great learning environment who has already shown good skill has committed to their country.

Of course there is the opposite reaction, as many are telling others to slow down or looking at greater social issues. These people say he has not played for the senior team and most of those in the U.S. have never seen him play. This is correct and they don’t want to hear about watching videos on YouTube or Vine. This group may even tell you that Zelalem beat the deadline for the Child Citizenship Act, the mechanism that allowed him to become a citizen, by a month. They will cite the names of other failed U.S. prospects, such as Freddy Adu. It is hard to argue with this tactic.

The next group doesn’t want to talk much about Zelalem. They would rather tell you that getting international talent in this manner is not good for the game. They are right that developing talent internally on American soil is better for the longevity and consistency of the program. This group can be very adamant about the need for development, but they ignore that it is okay to develop internally while picking from the dual-citizenship basket.

The easy way to understand this is to accept that all of these reactions have a place in the current landscape of U.S. Soccer. People are at different levels of fandom and understanding of the game. Dual citizenship is just a part of the fabric with the current USMNT regime under Jurgen Klinsmann. There is no need to take offense to anyone’s reaction. After all, the hype train is heading in the same direction for everyone and that is to see new levels of success for the USMNT.

Douglas Smith is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DFresh39, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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