Editor's Note: With the US national team back in the spotlight during the latest international break, the following story shows just how inspiring the national team can be, win or lose.
I hope Jozy Altidore doesn’t hate me for this. But I can't be the only person who has this story to tell.
Altidore was already a 20-year-old World Cup veteran back in August 2010 when he and the US national team were set to play Brazil in a high-profile, post-World Cup friendly in my home state of New Jersey. The US team may have been coming off a heartbreaking World Cup ouster at the hands of Ghana (for the second World Cup in a row), but my excitement wasn't in the least diminished.
That August match was not just an opportunity to see the US players I idolized in action, but it was also a chance to witness history. Teenage sensation, Neymar, had been called into Brazil’s national team for the first time and he was also set to receive his first cap. Was he going to live up to the hype? Were the US capable of going toe-to-toe with one of the world’s best?
Americans who considered themselves soccer fans wanted to be at this match. It was a hot ticket.
Too hot, in fact.
As a sophomore at The College of New Jersey, I was cash-strapped and the markup on the USA-Brazil tickets was high enough to price me out.
Although it wasn't what I had envisioned, I was resigned to watching on TV. To put it bluntly, I was devastated.
But when August 10 finally rolled around, I threw on my usual US national team gear and counted down to kickoff by catching up on the latest news via Twitter. While I was at it, I decided to tweet at one of my favorite players, Jozy Altidore, wishing him good luck just two hours left until the game.
What happened next is something I never saw coming. Here's the exchange that ensued:
KEVIN: @JozyAltidore17 good luck tonight man. Wish I could be there but the tickets are too damn expensive.
JOZY: @KevinChristman ill leave one in your name. Enjoy.
Yep. Jozy Altidore sent me a DM:
Needless to say I was pretty shocked and my first thought was: “Is this legit? Do I just go to Will Call?”
There was no time for second-guessing. I jumped into the car, made the one-hour drive to East Rutherford, sprinted to Will Call and sure enough, there was a lower bowl ticket to see USA vs Brazil. It was all real, and I walked into the stadium of 75,000+ fans just minutes before kickoff.
The US ended up losing the match 2-0, but it was an incredible experience. Both teams played their top players – the likes of Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Robinho, Dani Alves, and Neymar – and thanks to Jozy, I witnessed Neymar’s first international goal for Brazil.
But that gesture from Jozy had an impact on me that went beyond the game and it really instilled a desire in me to make a career in soccer. I may not have become the player I dreamed of as a child, but helping clubs get the most out of their digital channels and encouraging this kind of fan interaction is one small way I can help grow our game.
Today I work at MLS Digital, as part of the Digital Club Services team. Our job is to work with each of the clubs on maximizing their digital channels and sharing best practices, including among others, fostering fan interaction – similar to the one that set me on this path.
Thank you, Jozy.
Have your own memorable story of an encounter with an MLS player? Does it even top this Jozy Altidore story? Please share it with us in the comments below.
