I WAS 16 YEARS OLD WHEN I WATCHED my first World Cup, in 2010. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. When Landon Donovan scored the goal against Algeria that sent us through to the knock-out rounds, I jumped and screamed at the TV. No other sport had ever made me feel like that. It made me fall in love with the game.
After that, I enjoyed playing football. The fact that I started playing at 16 and have made it as far as I have as the goalkeeper for Arsenal [currently the top team in the English Premier League], and for the U.S. team in the upcoming World Cup-is pretty rare. It shows that anything is possible if you're willing to learn.
When the U.S. team failed to qualify in 2017, I felt so far away from the national team picture that I was more of a fan than a player. Obviously I was sad and couldn't believe that it had happened, but it ended up being the biggest opportunity for me. I didn't have experience playing at the international level, but when the new coaches came in, they were willing to give anybody a chance-and I ended.
up being one of those "anybodies." But I found it hard to feel like I belonged at camp in the qualifying window. I was talking to guys at some of the biggest clubs in the world, while I was playing for the New England Revolution. I didn't feel like I had the right to share the field with some of these guys. That was really challenging to overcome.
I started earning the respect of my teammates after spending more time together, training and from the way I played in games. After my transfer to Arsenal earlier this year, I felt like I came into my own. I showed more of my personality on and off the field in the last two qualifying windo in June and September. I don't think the transfer was necessary for me to feel more secure in who I was on the pitch, but it definitely helped. It made me feel like I had more credibility with those guys.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"
