PROF. INKSWORTH:
A first World Cup that turned on a single, painful goal: he scored it, then watched the next match through the haze of an injured body. The finals have shown his usefulness more than his ceiling — a man asked to be his country's whole attack, and very nearly succeeding. History notes the goal against Iran; it also notes the collision that followed.
- His goal against Iran in 2022 sent the United States past the group stage for the first time since 2014 — and he scored it at the cost of a pelvic injury.
- He missed the entire 2018 World Cup not through injury but absence: the United States failed to qualify, losing to Trinidad and Tobago.
- At 20 he became the youngest captain of the modern era in the history of the United States national team, the No. 10 settling on his back long before the goals did.