George Weah's son progresses in U.S. national team program

By Mike Woitalla

Timothy Weah, the son of former Liberian great George Weah, the 1995 World Player of the Year, continues climbing the ranks ofthe U.S. youth national team program.

The 15-year-old Timothy is part of Coach John Hackworth’s 20-player squad heading to the 12th Tournament Delle Nazioni, hosted byItaly, Slovenia and Austria April 21-May 2.

George Weah’s 14-year pro career included title wins with Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea. In addition to winning the’95 Ballon d’Or, he was African Player of the Year in 1989, 1994 and 1995. He kept a home in New York during his playing career and met Timothy’s mother, Clar, whenhe was opening an account at a New York Chase bank where she worked.

BigAppleSoccer.com’sMichael Lewis reported that Clar was Timothy’s first coach. “She knows the game a lot because she watched my dad,” Timothy said.

In 2012, Timothy wasselected to U.S. Club Soccer’s id2 program. Later that year, while playing for BW Gottschee, the Rosedale, N.Y., resident made then coach Hugo Perez’s U-14 U.S. boysnational and returned to the U-14 squad under coach Tony Lepore in 2013 and under current U.S. U-14 coach Brian Johnson in 2014, by which time Weah had moved to theNew York Red Bulls.

Timothy joined Paris Saint-Germain’s youth program last summer.

“Wherever we went,” Timothy told Lewis in a 2013 interview. “We went to malls and stuff and everyone would be like, ‘Oh, that’s George Weah.’ I wouldjust laugh and say, ‘My dad was one of the greatest players and I want to follow in his footsteps.’ But I also want to make a name for myself. I want to be Timothy Weah, be myself, play my game andstill follow in his footsteps while I’m doing that.”

The U.S. U-15s will first train in Italy before playing Group C games in Slovenia against Costa Rica, Slovenia, Costa Rica and Croatia.

Hackworth’s roster is comprised of 17 players that were born in the year 2000 and three born in 1999.

U.S. U-15 Boys Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Alexander Budnik (Sockers FC; Arlington Heights, Ill.), Eric Lopez (LA Galaxy II; Westminster, Calif.).
DEFENDERS (6): Jake Arteaga (LA Galaxy,Glendora, Calif.), Kelee Cornfield-Saunders (Chivas USA; San Marcos, Calif.), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City; Olathe, Kan.), Rayshaun McGann (Philadelphia Union; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), BryanPerez (Sherman Oaks Extreme SC; Los Angeles, Calif.), Chandler Vaughn (D.C. United; Woodbridge, Va.).
MIDFIELDERS (7): George Acosta (Estudiantes de La Plata; Miami, Fla.),Carlos Anguiano Diaz (Chivas USA; Los Angeles, Calif.), Christopher Durkin (Richmond United; Glen Allen, Va.), Blaine Ferri (Solar Chelsea SC; Southlake, Texas), Christopher Goslin (Georgia United;Locust Grove, Ga.), Nicholas Taitague (Richmond United; Midlothian, Va.), Adrian Villegas (Portland Timbers; Hood River, Ore.).
FORWARDS (5): Ayomide Akinola (Toronto FC;Brampton, Ont.), Zico Bailey (LA Galaxy; Las Vegas), Andrew Carleton (Georgia United; Powder Springs, Ga.), Lucas Del Rosario (Capital Area RailHawks; Durham, N.C.), Timothy Weah (ParisSaint-Germain/FRA; Rosedale, N.Y.)

In the News

* American Soccer Now’s Brian Sciaretta spoke to U.S. U-20star Emerson Hyndman, the 19-year-old who has recovered from a broken collarbone suffered in January during the USA’s successful qualification for the 2015 U-20 World Cup and istrying to work his way into the Fulham lineup as it fights against relegation from England’s second tier.

“Obviously I would like to be in with the team but it is a difficultperiod for the club,” Hyndman said. “In this league, a lot ofexperience is needed — especially [considering] where we are in the table. But I think everyone is optimistic that we’ll stay up. But it is definitely different than what we wanted to do at thebeginning of the season.”

* Top DrawerSoccer’s Will Parchman spoke to U.S. U-17 striker Haji Wright, who had been part of the L.A. Galaxy’s academy program and trainedwith Germany’s Schalke 04, about why he opted to join the NASL’s New York Cosmos. …

“I heard about Raul and Marcos[Senna] signing here, and all the legendary history that surrounds this club,” Wright said. “It was a great opportunity for me to come here and learn and develop asa player. … It feels great to play with pros every day and wake up and do the thing I love to do,” Wright said. “I’m going to work hard and try and earn a startingspot.”

* World Cup-bound U.S. midfielder Carli Loyd, who scored both U.S. goals in its 2-1 win over Japan in the 2012 Olympic gold medal game, has joined the coachingstaff of New Jersey’s Medford Strikers SC. “I look forward to giving back to the club where I played my youth soccer,”said Lloyd. “I have always wanted to work with young players and havingthe chance to help out at the club that gave me so much as a youngster is going to be rewarding for me.”