Scoring your first senior goal is a deeply personal moment for any player. Femi Awodesu is no different. His goal for the Houston Dynamo was a landmark, a highlight of an individual journey that has required years of sacrifice and hard work on and off the field.
What makes Awodesu's goal so unique is that, like his journey as a whole, it wasn't just personal. Awodesu doesn't keep moments like those for himself; he shares them with the hundreds of thousands of people who have followed him every step of the way.
Over the last few years, he's amassed more than 400,000 followers and 14.7 million likes on TikTok, inviting anyone willing to follow to join him every step of the way, from the moment he thought he didn't make it right up until the moment he did.
Awodesu isn't a typical first-year MLS player. He arrived in Houston with a built-in following, one that he cultivated throughout the last several years. It didn't come from a famous last name, scandal or even a particular moment. No, it began in a Penn State dorm room with a single iPhone and one simple goal: build a community and bring them along for the ride, wherever it may take him.
Followers have seen him collect college awards, go undrafted and build his professional career from nothing. They've seen boot reviews, training sessions and locker room moments. They've watched him build a business and go from college star to afterthought to MLS starter. That's not really the reason they're watching, though. They're watching to see if the man behind that iPhone can actually become the player he always dreamed of being.
"The moment you want it to get easy is the moment you need to stop playing," Awodesu tells GOAL. "I've realized that it never gets easier. It gets better and maybe you get more successful, but it never gets easier. On my journey, I thought like 'Oh, once I make it to this level, it will get easier'. It gets much better, but it also brings more work. What I'm doing now, it's hard work, so I've quit looking for it to get easier. Now, I'm just looking to get better."
When that goal hit the back of the net, the lanky centerback celebrated instantly, as if he always knew what he'd be doing when it did happen. The celebration was Dynamo-inspired as he mimicked throwing a stick of dynamite into the crowd. A big boom for a big goal, a viral moment for a player who surely knows what it means to go viral.
Moments later, Awodesu was brought back down to earth, as he was harshly sent off and Dynamo ended up falling to the Seattle Sounders. Even a dream day didn't come easily.
But that was just one moment and, throughout his journey, Awodesu has learned that moments are fleeting. He captures as many as he can and, if all goes to plan, he'll document plenty more.
Awodesu discussed his career, his passions and life in MLS in the latest GOAL Convo, a Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
