Jordan Allen had known plenty of joy in his first 20 years. Never had that joy moved him to tears though. Last week, he understood for the first time how happiness can move someone so much emotionally when he learned he would go to New Zealand with the U.S. for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup later this month.
“I can’t even explain it. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever been to tears of joy,” Allen said. “I didn’t even understand what that meant before. It was such a relief. It was justification for a lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work.”
Allen has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season, coming back from a season-ending injury suffered just two matches into the 2014 season to be a key contributor with Real Salt Lake. He scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Toronto FC on March 29, then had two assists on Saturday in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire. Already he has started in four of his nine appearances, logging 418 minutes for an RSL side that has needed the spark that he has provided.
“For me, with (Javier Morales) going out especially, I just put it on myself that I need to step up and I need to be more of an impact player that the team can rely on going forward. That’s been on the front of my mind and let’s hope I can keep doing that,” he said. “I think each game, I get more comfortable with the team and with myself.”
His play with RSL showed U.S. U-20 Head Coach Tab Ramos that he was fully recovered from a knee injury that had him undergo microfracture surgery last season, earning an invitation to training camp. After proving himself again with players with the U-20s, he got called in to the World Cup squad, but not without a bit of nervousness first.
Allen knew that players were going to be contacted about the roster last Tuesday, so he stood by his phone and waited. He checked his e-mail … and re-checked his e-mail … and waited some more.
Eventually, RSL Technical Director Craig Waibel called him and let him know that he would be going.
“My phone actually died three times throughout the day just because I was sitting around refreshing my inbox waiting for the email,” Allen said. “When I eventually got the call from Craig Waibel telling me, it was just an awesome moment. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
It’s been a long road to recovery for Allen and while he knows that this is just another step along the path of his soccer career, he can take some relief in checking this box off on his long list of personal goals.
“I put a lot of extra hours in last year and in preseason I worked probably harder than I’ve ever worked,” Allen said. “The U-20 World Cup has always been my dream. It’s one of the reasons I left college early. So to make it after I had the setback I did means the world to me.”
The U.S. opens the tournament on May 30 against Mayanmar, followed by Group Stage matches against New Zealand and Ukraine.
