"Dreams come true,'' Jozy Altidore observed before he left for South Africa and the incomparable experience of playing in a World Cup. "Look at me right now."
There's no doubt the 20-year-old Boca Raton product recognizes his blessings, but that doesn't mean they've come easy. His parents met after each fled Haiti in search of a better life; his father, a farmer's son, had nothing more to his name than $200 and a burgeoning crush on the countrywoman he found sitting next to him on a New Jersey bus.
And they certainly won't come easy when the U.S. faces powerhouse England this afternoon in a rematch 60 years in the making -- especially since the burden of carrying the offense rests on Altidore's young shoulders, and it's only been a week since he sprained an ankle in training.
Altidore has come a long way since being hand-picked out of a pick-up game at Boca's South County Regional Park when he was 8. What followed wasn't exactly a normal childhood experience, unless you, too, had to ask your Major League Soccer coach if you could have time off to attend your high school prom at Boca Prep International School.
And, on the other hand, he hasn't come as far as perhaps he should, making this World Cup a fishbowl testing ground for a Florida boy with all the talent anyone could hope for and all the usual signs of being 20: his rights were purchased from MLS for a record $10 million by Spanish club Villareal two years ago, and what followed has been a mix of too-occassional brilliance combined with tough lessons in how to live, perform, and practice like a professional after he was sent down to second-tier English outfit Hull.
(Lesson: no more clubbing.)
"I kind of disappointed myself," he says of his time so far in Europe, where he'll return when the Cup is over. "I want to do something that leaves a mark on this game. People say, 'You have time, you have time.' But time flies. I was just 16 the last World Cup, watching it on TV. Before you blink I'll be 28."
But Altidore always has done well with the U.S. Men's National Team, and they're hoping that doesn't change under pressure.
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"The one thing I would always say about Jozy, from our experiences with him, when he's come into camps he's shown that when things don't come easily, it's helped him," said USMNT coach Bob Bradley. "He comes in with a level of determination and ready to prove himself. He knows we believe in him. That's why he continues to be important for us."
Still, Altidore's usual mate in the attack, Charlie Davis, is out recoverring from a car accident, meaning it's time for Altidore to step up big and lead an offense that faces its biggest test first: England.
The Americans open play today at 2:30 in a long-anticipated, highly-hyped rematch of their stunning 1950 World Cup upset over the long-time world powerhouse. And while the U.S. has come far, the discrepancy still exists: for Altidore's one goal in the English league, his British counterpart Wayne Rooney notched 26.
And then there's this little trivia nugget: the goal of 60 years ago that gave the U.S. a 1-0 win that shocked the soccer world was scored by a Haitian, Joe Gaetjens. It's either a charming bit of chance, or crippling pressure to honor his dual heritage.
"It's always going to be remembered as one of the greatest upsets ever for a national team," he said of the win earned by Gaetjens' header. "Now I'm hoping to catch England on a bad day."
Now that we have a South Florida boy in the mix, aren't we all.
