For the U.S. men’s national team, the past World Cup cycle in 2018 was disastrous and disappointing. After failing to qualify (their first absence in more than three decades), they finally return to the big stage in 2022. The excitement across the fan base is evident, and with all this optimism brewing, supporters feel that Gregg Berhalter’s squad can do more than just show up.
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It’s been a difficult journey for the Americans, one that included reflection and change, not just as a team but as a federation. Little by little, step by step, the fruits of their labor have paid off. From a more aggressive approach to recruitment to the continuous growth of Major League Soccer, the USMNT are reaping the rewards.
For 22-year-old winger Tim Weah, the team’s journey and his own call-up to Qatar are a testament to all those factors. No matter how much he thinks about it, however, the fact that he’s playing at the World Cup feels too surreal to put into words. “It’s something that I never thought would happen,” he says. “When I was younger, I always believed I would reach the professional stage, but to represent your country at a World Cup is crazy. I mean, it’s a dream come true. It’s something that a lot of good players haven’t been able to do, and to have the opportunity to represent my country and my name is amazing. I feel blessed, I can’t wait.”
Berhalter’s group has the undoubted capability to disrupt some conventional predictions and cause some noise in Qatar, and Weah — one of the most gifted members of the team — should play a major role. Patience has been a necessary virtue, however, as a foot injury forced him to miss out on September’s international window and necessitated absences for his club Lille, in the French top flight, until last month.
In his second appearance after returning from injury, he made two assists in only 25 minutes against Strasbourg, while in the club’s game against Rennes, he was man of the match playing as an auxiliary right-back, showing how much he can adapt on the right wing. This past Sunday, against Angers, he demonstrated it once again in a 1-0 victory.
Things are finally clicking for Weah, but as far he’s concerned, he has never been someone who gets too carried away. Step by step is his philosophy. “I’m just taking it day by day right now. I feel completely blessed. This is what I’ve been working for, for a long time, so it’s great to see a lot of great things coming together so I’m happy,” he says.
“Blessed” is a word you will hear a lot when you speak to Weah, who doesn’t have the typical background of a professional footballer. Born in New York City to a Jamaican mother and Liberian father (George Weah, the only African recipient of the Ballon d’Or, as well as the current president of Liberia) and having lived in many countries, including France since he was 14 years old, Weah’s outlook on life is far more cultivated than that of most 22-year-olds.
I had this sentiment back in 2018, when I met him for the first time, and he was only 18. Four years later, his values are the same. Perhaps, there was an eagerness to his energy then, but now, he seems extremely grounded, sure of himself and his mission.
