On the Pitch
The Pennsylvania native reflects on becoming a dad and growing up as the youngest of six siblings
What’s keeping you busy these days?
A lot of things. Football, life, having a baby, my wife, being a dad. That keeps me very, very busy.
What’s your go-to activity on a day off with your family?
Honestly, chilling at home, playing. Swing sets, my daughter loves playgrounds and some swing sets.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from being a dad?
Countless lessons. You don’t know until you know. When you become a father, everyone can tell you anything in the entire world about being a dad. Until you actually become a dad, it doesn't hit you the same.
Your mornings look a bit different now that you have a daughter, but what does your perfect morning look like now?
My perfect morning would be wake up for training, then my wife and daughter come into the bed. One of the best things in the entire world is when my daughter comes in and gives me cuddles and kisses in the morning. It is the best thing ever to set my day. Then, kiss them goodbye and go off to train.
What’s one word to describe your dad life?
Learning, I guess. You’re always learning. I’m enjoying every little bit of it, every moment I get with my daughter, get with my wife, seeing her become a mom. It’s just all learning and taking in every moment.
If a song played every time you walked into a room, what song would you choose?
That’s an interesting question. My favorite song is Stand By Me, Ben E. King. My favorite artist is Michael Jackson. I don’t know. A little Marvin Gaye. Why not? Yeah, one of Marvin Gaye’s songs.
What made you fall in love with the game when you were younger?
You don’t hear this too often about male players, but my sister. I’m the youngest of six kids. All of us played sports our entire lives. I had five really good mentors in sports. They played basketball, track and field, soccer, lacrosse. I played basketball and baseball as well. But my sister, watching her play, watching her get all the opportunities and cool experiences, I just fell in love watching her play being the ball boy on the side.
What was it like growing up with all those siblings and having them influence your life?
Amazing. Being the youngest child of six, I had no choice. I’m dragged everywhere. So, I ended up being the ball boy, being there to absorb what they were doing, because they were really, really involved and took their sports very, very seriously and had great opportunities. They all went to college for sports, as well. I had really great mentors to learn from.
Who would you say is the most competitive out of all of you guys?
The first two sets of siblings were already out of the house when I was growing up, so my experiences with them are way different. Between me and my brother who was in the house when I grew up, definitely me. My whole life is basically a competition. My wife, I try to play games with her, and she doesn’t want to play any more games with me because I’m way too competitive.
What’s a hobby people would be surprised to know you enjoy?
I love woodworking. I used to be a Boy Scout back in the day. I loved being a Boy Scout. I love tying knots, the outdoors and finding cool things to do. Woodworking, I do that a lot when I can.
What’s your go-to car karaoke song?
Stand By Me, Ben E. King. Easy.
Who is someone you would swap lives with for a day?
I think being the president would be sick.
What would be the first thing you would do in office?
Find out all the secrets, why not? Tell me everything.
What does a perfect rest day look like for you?
Solid breakfast, going out to lunch, cooking at home and spending time with family.
What’s one thing you’re really competitive about off the field?
Everything, really. Anything I can make into a game. That could be a detriment but also could be a good thing.
What’s your favorite thing about growing up around Philly?
It was the best. I grew up in a such a good neighborhood where there was kids who wanted to play sports every single day. We played backyard games every day. Wiffle ball, mini sticks lacrosse, outdoor hockey. Any game we made up, you name it.
What’s your favorite city you’ve ever visited?
Probably Lisbon. Lisbon is such a vibe. Walking, the food, everything about it.
What are three words your USMNT teammates would use to describe you?
Hopefully hardworking, fun. ‘Good teammate’ is two words, so I won’t say that. Athletic, why not?
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
To control the controllables. A lot of times, especially myself growing up and being a young pro, you try to control every little thing about everything going on in your life, but there’s a lot you can’t control, and there’sa lot you can control. So, I control what’s available to me and what I can affect, but everything else is out of my hands. Just let it be.
What does it mean to you to be able to wear the crest?
It means absolutely everything. I’ve dedicated my entire life, every ounce of my being to wear this crest, to represent this crest and represent this country in the World Cup. To be on home soil, it means absolutely everything. Every decision I’ve ever made in my entire career, every team I’ve gone to has been very calculated to put me in the position to wear this crest and represent this country at this stage. It’s a cultivation of everything, really.
Who’s one person who really assisted you in your journey to becoming a pro soccer player?
There’s not just one person. So many people have affected me in such positive ways, and negative that I’ve turned into a positive, from young coaches to my family to my parents to my wife to my daughter now. The impact she’s had on me, just the whole perception of things has changed significantly, so I couldn’t just say one person.
When this tournament is over and you look back, what do you hope people say about the way you played and carried yourself?
I hope they’re inspired. This is a real opportunity for young kids to be inspired to play the game of soccer. We have a real opportunity and space to be the kind of person, player, team for these young kids. At the end of the day, yes, you want this for yourself, and you want to achieve these things for your own personal gain and as a team, but realistically, the bigger picture is to inspire the next generation because this country deserves to have soccer as one of the main sports and have that culture in America. That’s what really motivates me and motivates my teammates as well. That’s what it’s all about.
