Gravity itself couldn’t stop Jalen Neal from shooting for the stars this season.
Following consecutive sports hernia and adductor injuries over the past year forcing him to miss 321 days of MLS action and undergo multiple surgeries, the 20-year-old LA Galaxy central defender is “feeling 100%” as he aims to make his dreams a reality with selection to the U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team this summer.
“[The Olympics] is one of the biggest stages, probably just under the World Cup in my opinion. So yeah, it would be a dream come true,” Neal shared in an exclusive interview with SBI Soccer. “I definitely have to get the Olympic rings tattooed on me somewhere because it’s that big of a deal. It would be a huge privilege to go to the Olympics.”
The journey back to full fitness has been treacherous but Neal is keen to make up for the lost time by setting lofty yet attainable personal goals this season at the club and international level.
In 2023, Neal secured the 14th spot on Major League Soccer’s official 22 Under-22 list which ranks the twenty-two top talents under 22 years of age in the league each season. Improvement in his placement would be an adequate ambition, especially after recently returning from injury, but the Los Angeles native sets a higher bar for himself and his hometown club.
“Starting off the year missing some games will make it harder but obviously I want to be in the 22 Under-22 list again this year but in a higher spot, like top 10,” Neal began his own list of objectives. “A goal of mine is to get at least candidate for [MLS] Defender of the Year. I’m trying. I’m working towards that. That’s probably my biggest individual club goal.”
Remaining unavailable for the first nine matches of the year (over ¼ of the MLS season) would deter many players from any intentions to be in consideration for the top individual award at his position. For Neal, it’s just one of many logical targets with his…
Source link : https://sbisoccer.com/2024/05/jalen-neal-hopes-to-tattoo-his-olympic-goals-in-ink-after-overcoming-brutal-injuries
Author : Justin Ruderman
Publish date : 2024-05-29 16:00:00
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