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Smallwood: U.S. soccer can't afford to be xenophobic

Related Topics: United States, Tim Howard, Xenophobia

GROWING UP, I was always told that the United States was a nation of immigrants, and that we are strongest when we embrace our diversity and use it to achieve a common goal.

Longtime U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard was out of line and a bit xenophobic last week when he implied that the recent poor performance by the men's national soccer team was due to dual-citizenship players who might not have been fully invested in the red, white and blue.

"(Recently fired U.S. coach) Jurgen Klinsmann had a project to unearth talent around the world that had American roots," Howard said in a recent interview with USA Today.