How do you do better than your father when you are a footballer and he has won a Ballon d’Or? American striker Timothy Weah found the solution by scoring a World Cup goal, which his illustrious father George never had the opportunity to score. On Tuesday 29 November, after the match won by the Americans against Iran (1-0), in the corridors of the Al-Thumama stadium we saw the son fall into the arms of his father, the current president of Liberia, who was present in Qatar for the World.
The young US team, which Timothy Weah has been in charge of since the beginning of the tournament, had just qualified for the round of 16 of the tournament, where they will face the Netherlands on Saturday. A great striker, notably at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, George Weah won the Ballon d’Or in 1995 but never managed to qualify Liberia for the World Cup.
Born and trained in New York until his departure for Europe shortly before his 15th birthday, Timothy Weah has always evolved with the United States, ever since the U15 selection. At the age of 22 he started the season successfully with Lille and appears more and more regularly in Ligue 1. This allowed him to start the World Cup in a regular role with the «Team USA» and scoring his team’s first goal in Qatar, in a 1-1 draw with Wales.
Go even higher
“It’s a good feeling. I think my father experiences this moment through me. I am very happy that I scored this goal for my family and that I was able to help the team.”he then said. Twelve years ago, “Tim” Weah was a 10-year-old boy, invited with his father to participate in the 2010 World Cup final and the Spanish coronation of Xavi and Iniesta.
“Just seeing him, watching all my favorite players on the pitch, was a dream come true”he told AFP in Doha, shortly before the start of the tournament. “So to find myself in this position today is crazy, almost unreal. I guess sometimes, in our situation, we don’t realize how lucky we are. Being here is an incredible feeling”He added.
But while, for once, he has already climbed higher than his father, the American striker has the ambition to go even higher alongside the dynamic US selection who, despite his lack of experience, cannot imagine being beaten in advance against the Dutch. “I think that in today’s football, age is just a number. Some of the best players in the world aren’t even 24.”he judged.
“Even though we are young, we are by no means an immature bunch. We are a group of guys who know what they want. Individually, we each have our own experiences and as we come together, we each bring our own level of maturity to the team.He added.
He also showed this maturity after the match against Iran, paying homage on Instagram to “Team Honey”. “For me it has always been more than football and I just wanted to say hello to this wonderful team, who have shown so much pride and love for their country and their people. Great respect”, he wrote. Top scorer and leader, young Weah has something to hold on to.
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