Timothy Weah gave the U.S. its first World Cup goal since 2014 with a first-half score against Wales on Monday.
THE @USMNT TAKES THE LEAD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 21, 2022
TIM WEAH PUTS USA ON TOP pic.twitter.com/vinlFUxWGZ
The goal came 36 minutes into the match on an assist from Christian Pulisic and gave the USA a 1-0 lead in its opening match of the 2022 World Cup.
Per U.S. Soccer, Weah, 22, entered the World Cup with three goals in 25 appearances with the U.S. Men's National Team. The goal was the first scored against Wales in a World Cup since Pele in 1958, the last time Wales qualified for the World Cup.
The last two players to score a goal vs. Wales in the #WorldCup
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) November 21, 2022
Pele
Tim Weah pic.twitter.com/BAth6xGRkD
Weah's goal makes him the 23rd U.S. male soccer player to score in the World Cup, per the Fox broadcast.
The goal drew praise from Twitter and also was a reminder of Weah doing something his father — soccer great George Weah — was never able to do.
TIM WEAH IS A GREAT AMERICAN
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) November 21, 2022
TIM WEAH IS A GREAT AMERICAN
TIM WEAH IS A GREAT AMERICAN
TIM WEAH IS A GREAT AMERICAN
TIM WEAH IS A GREAT AMERICAN
TIM WEAH IS A GREAT AMERICAN
George Weah is the first and only African footballer to win the Ballon d'Or, yet he never went to a World Cup.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 21, 2022
Today, his son Tim Weah plays in the World Cup with the USMNT. pic.twitter.com/ieEwBrUmV2
Tim Weah with a George Weah finish, scoring at a tournament his dad never got to play in.
— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) November 21, 2022
The USMNT is back on soccer's biggest stage after failing to qualify for the 2018 tournament. In the U.S.'s last World Cup in 2014, the team reached the round of 16 before losing to Belgium 2-1.
Before the World Cup kicked off, the creators of the Apple TV+ show "Ted Lasso" placed billboards in the hometowns of each of the players on the national team, including Weah. The comedy tells the story of an American college football coach hired to lead a struggling English soccer team.
Tim Weah Queens, NY pic.twitter.com/vmS5LuYeU3
— Coach Beard (@TheCoachBeard) November 19, 2022
After mentioning Weah's lineage — his father is also the president of Liberia — the message reads, "Those are pretty big pants to fill, but you're definitely on your way."
His goal in the U.S.'s return to the World Cup gets him one step closer.
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