Defender's Splendid Goal a Sign of Things to Come
If Antonee Robinson scores a goal like that when the World Cup begins, it'll be one of the moments of the tournament.
Robinson's 37th-minute equalizer against Germany on Saturday—a first-time volley he collected outside the box after a German clearance off a Christian Pulisic corner, then absolutely launched past Oliver Baumann—was the kind of individual moment that stops you cold. His former Fulham teammate Tim Ream admitted he was watching in disbelief from close range. "I had whiplash watching it go past everybody," Ream said.
For Robinson personally, it carried extra weight. He battled through a difficult knee injury this season, one whose recovery "didn't go as smoothly as I hoped," he said back in March upon returning to the national team fold after 16 months away. There were dark stretches. "Earlier in the season, I felt like I couldn't really see the light at the end of the tunnel," he admitted Saturday.
He sees it now. Robinson is one of the most important pieces of Pochettino's system — an unquestioned starter whose attacking runs and ball progression are central to how the U.S. functions going forward.
"Going into a World Cup, it means a lot," Robinson said of the goal. "A bit of freedom to shoot again if I'm in that position."
Friday can't come soon enough.
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