O'Brian White

[Razcle]

Since he is in the MLS Draft and has spent some time developing his game here in Toronto (attended highschool in Scarborough), I am wondering what his current national status would be if TFC selected in the superdraft? I have heard comments that he has been capped by Jamaica and have heard other comments that this was in a junior torunament meaning he is not cap-tied to any nation ATM. Can someone please clarify what his status would be in the MLS with TFC and/or his FIFA status with Canada. Also, it would be nice to back up any comments with facts/dates of when he apparently was Cap-tied with Jamaica. I am just lost when it comes to him....

Profile Detail



O'Brian White

Birthdate: 1985-12-15 23 years old.Position: StrikerDraft Class: 2009Height: 6'0Weight: 180College: UConnLast years Hermann Trophy winner is off to another great season and is expected to be the top striker for the 2008 draft. I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever takes him wants him to be a starting striker from the start of the season. His speed and strength is what makes him such an attacking force in the NCAA and all the scouts wonder if he can still have that kind of advantage in the MLS where everyone is stronger and quicker.

Expect him to be a top 5 pick as long as he continues on the same pace as his '07 season (23 Goals, 7 Assists)


2007 Hermann Trophy winner
2007 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
2006 & 2007 First Team All-BIG EAST
2005 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year

http://www.mlsdraft.net/?q=node/9&id=11

[arbogast]

He went to high school in Canada, but I've read that he doesn't have a CDN Passport, and he's a Jamaican Citizen. That would make him an international unless he can get his CDN paperwork in order.

[deltox]

he is eligable to play for Canada and jamaica.

he has yet to make the decision on which country to play for

[arbogast]

he is eligable to play for Canada and jamaica.

he has yet to make the decision on which country to play for

He's 23, and you have to decide before your 21st birthday. So I don' think he can play for Canada.

[Oldtimer]

He has landed immigrant status in Canada, so he counts as domestic for TFC, regardless of his national team status.

[Oblio2]

He's 23, and you have to decide before your 21st birthday. So I don' think he can play for Canada.

I have never heard this before.
You can take as long as you want to decide

[T_Mizz]

I have never heard this before.
You can take as long as you want to decide

Exactly, you may be thinking of JDG2 because he was good enough to get caps from either nation at the age of 21

[arbogast]

I have never heard this before.
You can take as long as you want to decide

He's been capped by Jamaica at the U21 level. Because of that, he would have had to declare his intention or be capped by Canada before his 21st birthday. if he hadn't played for jamaica or canada, he can take as long as he wants.

[arbogast]

Exactly, you may be thinking of JDG2 because he was good enough to get caps from either nation at the age of 21

yeah but he didn't play for any nation until he got his Dutch passport. that's the difference. OW has already been capped.

[Shway]

I have never heard this before.
You can take as long as you want to decide

Neither have i then that would me Juventus Amauri is still debating to play for Italy or Brazil at 20?(hes 28)

Where did you hear this from, maybe its new to me

[TFC07]

I got this quote from BigSoccer:

(9) 2007 Hermann Trophy winner O’Brien White told the Toronto Sun that he would like to start his professional career at Toronto FC, but if that doesn’t come to pass, his agent has already lined up some opportunities in Europe.

[Broadview]

Do NCAA teams red shirt soccer players like they do football and basketball players? Even for seniors a lot of these guys seem kinda old. Not old like I'm old, but you know what I mean...

[Shway]

^^sure he does, lol

[Shway]

Do NCAA teams red shirt soccer players like they do football and basketball players? Even for seniors a lot of these guys seem kinda old. Not old like I'm old, but you know what I mean...

yea they do redshirt guys for soccer, it gets based on your COllege year and your Eligibilty year so a guy can be college year senior but eligible year junior

[VPjr]

Razcle, it appears your question has been answered but I will make it unequivical...

O'Brian White will never be capped by Canada. He is cap tied to Jamaica.

MLS strange residency rules does allow him to be considered a domestic player, which I think is a farce and detrimental to the development of actual Canadian talent.

[I_AM_CANADIAN]

From the article I read in Monday's Toronto Sun, I got the impression he was still available to play for Canada. Owen Hargreaves didn't play for England at the youth level, either.

FIFA documents I could find regarding rules governing eligibility to play for a national association:

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affe..._877_en_89.pdf

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affe...eams_55197.pdf

Quote to highlight from the second document

If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, up to his 21st birthday, and only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another country of which he holds nationality, subject to the following conditions:

(a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition at "A" international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play.

U-21 internationals are not full internationals. Therefore, he's not cap-tied to Jamaica. In the article I read, O'Brian also said he's not sure who he'd like to play for at the full international level.

[TFC07]

Is White even good enough to play for Canada?

[TFC OZZ]

From the article I read in Monday's Toronto Sun, I got the impression he was still available to play for Canada. Owen Hargreaves didn't play for England at the youth level, either.

FIFA documents I could find regarding rules governing eligibility to play for a national association:

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affe..._877_en_89.pdf

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affe...eams_55197.pdf

Quote to highlight from the second document
U-21 internationals are not full internationals. Therefore, he's not cap-tied to Jamaica. In the article I read, O'Brian also said he's not sure who he'd like to play for at the full international level.

SHA-ZAM!

I read the same thing.

[TFC OZZ]

Is White even good enough to play for Canada?

Marco Reda and Adam Braz were...

[jloome]

This conversation seems like it came from a thread a few months ago:

1) he's torn his ACL and likely won't go top 10 as a result.
2) He's already said he'll choose Jamaica even though he could be eligible for Canada, based on residency.
3) He has already said he'll test Europe if he doesn't get an MLS deal he likes.

[Big Bruva]

Does it even matter if Messi could play for Canada if he never wants to?

OB has no intentions of playing for Canada like i have said in the past.

He is Jamaican through and through and only wants to represent them.

[RedsYNWA]

White sucks and will never amount to anything beyond the Norwegian league

[I_AM_CANADIAN]

Does it even matter if Messi could play for Canada if he never wants to?

OB has no intentions of playing for Canada like i have said in the past.

He is Jamaican through and through and only wants to represent them.

Aye, he can play wherever he wants; he's his own person and has legitimate reasons for wanting to play for both countries, unlike a certain Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan De Guzman. Just clarifying the FIFA rules.

[Big Bruva]

Yeah i hear ya.

Let me ask you this, do you think Canada takes the worlds biggest sport as anywhere near as seriously as it should be taken?

In regards to the association doing things that will improve the development of Canadian players and make this sport much bigger than it is etc

Aye, he can play wherever he wants; he's his own person and has legitimate reasons for wanting to play for both countries, unlike a certain Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan De Guzman. Just clarifying the FIFA rules.

[TOBOR !]

and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play.

Did he have landed iimigrant status at the time he played for Jamaica ? Is that the same thing as 'Nationality'? I'm sure that it's not.

[TOBOR !]

... add him as a friend - get inside his head :

http://www.facebook.com/people/OBrian-White/9022772

[Beach_Red]

Yeah i hear ya.

Let me ask you this, do you think Canada takes the worlds biggest sport as anywhere near as seriously as it should be taken?

In regards to the association doing things that will improve the development of Canadian players and make this sport much bigger than it is etc

Not yet, but it will.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Does it even matter if Messi could play for Canada if he never wants to?

OB has no intentions of playing for Canada like i have said in the past.

He is Jamaican through and through and only wants to represent them.

totally agree with this.
the benefits outweight the negatives.
Dude has potential and counts as a canadian.
Who gives a shit whether or not he plays for the national team

[reggie]

i would be pissed if mo does not draft him...

[rocker]

i would be pissed if mo does not draft him...

what if mo drafts White and the guy sucks?