Quite a few people suffer from the "son of" syndrome in their lives.
Children of successful fathers who have done a thing or two during their lives have to deal with a high bar of expectations, a glass ceiling that crosses borders and many times fall under the mental, emotional and professional burden placed on their shoulders, especially if they chose to follow the same path their father followed.
Timothy Wah, the player of the USA national team, is not just "the son of". He grew up in the house under one of the greatest African players of all time - George Wah, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1995 and became the only one from the black continent to win the most prestigious individual title of all. and today serves as the president of Liberia.
Timothy, who grew up in New York from a young age, moved to play in France at the age of 14 in PSG's academy but did not really get the opportunity in the city of lights.
Although he also holds a Liberian and French passport, he chose to play in the USA and tonight (9pm, here 11) he is expected to make his World Cup debut against Wales. Greg Berhalter's side have the ability to steal the show in Qatar and Wah C Vanier is without a doubt one of the most talented players they have. The 22-year-old who plays as a striker and winger went through a nerve-wracking few months to be included in the squad after being injured but came back just in time.
Wah the father with the golden ball in 1995, photo: AP
A leg injury forced him to miss the international window last September and also caused him to be absent from several games at night in the French league.
Happily, in his second appearance after returning from injury, he provided two assists in just 25 minutes against Strasbourg, while in the match against Rann, he was named man of the match when he played as a right back, showing that in the end, in any position he is given to play, he can deliver the goods.
Last Sunday, against Anja, he showed good ability again in his team's 0:1 victory and arrives in Qatar warm.
The fact that he is playing in the World Cup makes him very excited.
"It's something I never thought would happen," he said, "When I was younger, I always believed I would get to play at high levels, but to represent your country in the World Cup is crazy. It's a dream come true. It's something that a lot of good players haven't been able to do, and to have the opportunity to represent the My country and my name are amazing. I feel blessed, I can't wait."
Wow in a night uniform.
Got back in shape just in time, photo: AFP
Although he hasn't really burst into consciousness on his own so far, Wah Jr. is considered a very special type.
He is socially active, travels to Liberia at every opportunity and volunteers to help children, he donates money and at the same time promotes a sales line of sustainable lifestyle clothing together with New Balance alongside Bocasio Saka, an Arsenal player and the England national team as they are part of the face of the current generation that is more aware of the environment and keeping a ball Country.
"I'm happy that they gave me a chance to be a part of it and to be a part of history because this is a new era of New Balance athletes - young, vibrant and those who are not afraid to do what they want and say what they think," he said in an interview.
If you were wondering how Wah deals with the pressure placed on his shoulders because of his family lineage and the desire to prove that he is good enough on his own, then the solution is meditation almost every day.
He isolates himself after training, meditates for about half an hour each time and relaxes.
He also performs floor exercises, a therapeutic technique that he says helps connect with himself and the world.
According to him, during meditation is a 'grounding' process - exercises rely on the electrical charges of the earth, which also have a good effect on the human body.
Fortunately for him, as he has stated in the past, his father George tries not to interfere in his professional life and only occasionally provides him with advice.
Having fun with the friends in the USA training, photo: Reuters
And with all the desire to stay focused, the World Cup is probably the most stressful situation a soccer player encounters.
The Americans fell in a particularly challenging home game that will start as mentioned today with a game against Wales, and will continue with games against England and Iran.
Despite the young squad, which includes only three players over the age of 30, and despite the talk that the World Cup in Qatar is just a preparation for the next World Cup, which they will also host, Wah believes that he and his friends can already achieve results.
"I think that even though we are young, many of us play in big clubs and get a lot of experience. Age does not play a role at all. The team has a lot of energy, a lot of desire and we need to show it."
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