A Stunning Debut

I tend to post quite a few soccer clips, which should be no surprise to those who know me.  I’ve been hooked on the game forever - my parents tell me I was dribbling a ball around the house almost as soon as I figure out how to walk.

Sometime around 7th grade, through the power of the relatively new phenomenon known as the Internet, I began following English Premier League soccer quite seriously.  I somewhat randomly began cheering for one of the more established clubs - a club by the name of Manchester United.

Though ManU had its fair share of history, it had not yet experienced the glory years of the late 90’s, when a group of young players by the name of Beckham, Giggs, Scholes & Co. teamed up with the mercurial yet sensational Eric Cantona to provide footballing magic on a scale I had never experienced before.

As the club made its way into the 2000’s, it became the most well known and richets club in the world.  United spent like the Yankees, and won tons of trophies.  And while I still casually follow the team, I find that I no longer have the same passion as I did when I first found them so many years ago.

In my mind, though, there’s no league like England’s first division.  That’s why I was so excited to see American teenager Jozy Altidore make a stunning debut for his new club Hull City.  Jozy is only 19 but is already a fixture for the US Men’s National Team - he’ll no doubt play a big role in the World Cup next summer.  Last weekend he came on as a sub with 30 minutes left to play and made an immediate impact, registering the game winning assist with his 1st touch.

Something tells me I may have found a new team to root for this year.  Hull City probably won’t win any trophies.  But if the highlights above are any indication, there could be some exciting football in store for all of us.