I don't think there is a clear black and white ever when it comes to declaring for a national side, but there are clearly two camps of people, one group who see the national team as a means to furthering your personal interests and another who feel like you play in service of and for the honor of your country.
You could definitely accuse the latter of being somewhat naive, but I still proudly belong to that group and have a healthy dislike for the Owen Hargreaves of the world and celebrate guys like Ryan Giggs. Respect their right to make their own call, and also recognize that most guys make it when they are still in their teens and early twenties, when I personally was not making the most informed decisions in my life.
Logistically you can refuse any call up you want - so if you are concerned about travel, cherry pick your spots, or don't even play at all rather than just picking a convenient team. But yeah lots of things working against us right now, travel and results wise.
Having even two or three of Begovic, Hoilett, De Guzman, Bunbury, Lensky or Hargreaves on the qualifying roster sure would be nice.
|