Vancouver Whitecaps star Brian White is the first to admit it: there's nothing particularly flashy about his game or, perhaps more importantly, his life.
There aren't any rainbow flicks or bicycle kicks on his highlight reel, even if there are a boatload of goals. His Instagram is private, as is most of his life. He doesn't particularly command attention, nor does he really want it. Soccer, like life, is meant to be simple, in his eyes. No need to complicate it with all of the other stuff.
His story, though? It stands out, largely because it's different. You can call him a late bloomer or, if you want, a diamond in the rough. You can analyze his journey and argue about what it means for American soccer's ability to identify and develop talent. It is easy to wonder how a player who was essentially discarded at age 25 has turned into MLS's top goalscorer at 29 or how a forward playing for the Whitecaps is suddenly fighting for a U.S. men's national team spot. There are so many pathways to the top, but White seemingly avoided all of them on his way to forging his own.
White may not find his own life too interesting, but American soccer fans suddenly do because the 29-year-old's path towards stardom offers something somewhat unique: Hope.
"At 20, I was just a dude playing college soccer," White tells GOAL. "I wasn't the most professionally disciplined player at that time. My personal journey - maybe it took me a little bit longer to round out my game, improve, and find that maturity. Do I think I was ready for the national team at 24 or 25? No, I don't think so. My game needed to continue to grow and develop, and I've tried to improve every season.
"It's all about timing. The timing is what the timing is, so, personally, I can't complain about anything because this is what was meant to happen for my career, my own journey, and I'm just excited to know that I'm in those conversations now."
Those conversations are just beginning. After scoring his first international goal in January camp, White returned to join the full USMNT group for the CONCACAF Nations League. With the USMNT trailing Canada, manager Mauricio Pochettino turned to White off the bench in a substitution that would have been almost unfathomable just a few short months ago. White's rise, in some ways, has been quick but in others, it's been a long time coming, and it's one propped up by a whole lot of goals - 52 league goals and counting since joining Vancouver in 2021.
GOAL spoke to White to figure out how a player who was traded away from the Red Bulls in an unheralded move became MLS's most fearsome striker and what that means for his club and his country going forward.
