USMNT’s Antonee Robinson: “I’d like to send a message. We are a team that must be respected’

Antonee Robinson has come a long way in the four and a half years since his failed move to AC Milan.

For a while, that was the only topic of discussion about him. It was a phrase regularly repeated in broadcast commentary, lamenting how he nearly joined the Italian giants, seven times European champions, from “lowly” Wigan Athletic, who were then in England’s second tier and are now in its third.

The transfer failed after an irregular heartbeat was detected during his medical examination and he was only spared an inquest procedure due to the impact of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown . As Robinson explained to The Athletic in 2021, while football was postponed for those three months, he stopped the caffeine shots he was drinking before games. The problem has disappeared.

“I don’t pay too much attention to it now that the problem has been identified,” Robinson told The Athletic. “I know that, in the future, if I ever had to move to another club, I could at least say: ‘Look, this is the problem I had, this is the truth from the doctors and the specialists , everything is fine.’ ‘

“It’s not really a fear anymore. I still don’t drink coffee or caffeine shots or anything like that. I don’t drink caffeinated drinks. But other than that, I eat pretty much the same things. I eat a pretty healthy diet, but I still snack a lot. Naturally, I have a very high metabolism – and I chase around a 2 year old all day, so I burn off everything I eat pretty well.

He talks about his daughter, Atlas. Robinson’s second child, Ocean, was born this month. On the field, he also grew.

The whole Milan affair might have left a feeling of regret, but at Fulham the opposite happened. Last season for the USMNT international was described by his Fulham head coach Marco Silva as his “best” yet.

The Athletic picked him as Fulham’s player of the season and in the first part of this interview with him, Robinson discussed his development on the pitch in detail, highlighting the strengths he has honed and the weaknesses he has he corrected it, with the help of coach Silva. His determination to continue progressing was evident.

Besides the support of his manager, he ultimately attributed much of his improvements to maturity. “A lot of things have improved, but mostly it’s a bit more experience, maturity and feeling comfortable in the league,” he says.

Regarding international duty with the United States, this feeling is probably more pronounced. He now has 41 caps and occupies a more senior position in the group. “It’s quite strange because at Fulham we don’t have the youngest team,” he said. “So I’m one of the youngest players on the team. Then I go to the United States and I’m one of the oldest players. I discover both sides of the coin.

“I really enjoy playing for my country – and I’ve been in this group for six years now – especially as I’ve seen a lot of guys who started with me develop and do amazing things, like Weston (McKennie ) and Tim Weah, winner of the Coppa Italia (with Juventus). They were with me in my very first camp.

“Watching us all develop and become established players in the top leagues and with the national team has been an incredible journey. I enjoy every minute I play for them. I know it will end eventually, but I hope it’s a long, long time away.

Robinson’s journey with the USMNT covers a complete reset after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, then rebuilding with an eye toward the future. That future is taking shape now, as the United States enters what could be an important moment in the country’s soccer history.

If successful, gaming in the United States could be taken to the next level. This goes beyond just the fact that Lionel Messi joined MLS last season. It is at the international level that football will occupy a central place. There will be the men’s World Cup in the United States in 2026, co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, and first there will be this summer’s Copa America, also on American soil.

Robinson was part of the development cycle that aimed to reach his peak during these two tournaments. Does it put pressure? “There’s a little bit, yes,” he said. “For a lot of guys who came into the team at the same time as me, it was a real rebuilding period. They were appealing to a lot of young people who they thought would have a chance in the future. So there was a lot of pressure on us, especially before the World Cup.

“Almost everyone on the team now plays in a European league, rather than MLS. And it’s a very, very talented team. Look at Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna, who are incredible talents. Then Weston, who is an incredible player. There is a lot of hype about this on the American side. It adds extra pressure: we want to compete with the best teams in the world and people see that there is no reason why we can’t do that.

Robinson believes in the potential of this group of players. “What better opportunity than the World Cup in the United States, at home? He asked. “And this Copa America will be a preparation for the World Cup. It’s the biggest competition we can participate in, after the World Cup. It’s like the euro for European countries, it’s just as big. It’s a very important competition.

(The Copa America is the South American equivalent of the Euro, but with the 10 countries of that federation often joined by several invited teams to expand the tournament – ​​in this case, six teams from North America, America Central and Caribbean).

“So I wish we could leave our mark on that and really send a message to the world that we are a team that should be respected and that we can go on and do even more incredible things.”

It won’t be easy. The USMNT faces Panama, Uruguay and Bolivia in the group stage; then if he manages to overcome this obstacle, the knockouts pose more intimidating opponents. Brazil and Argentina are of course the heavyweights. Even if there is enthusiasm for quality within the group, expectations can stray beyond what is realistic. Robinson is keenly aware of this, but also sees a path forward for the USMNT.

“You definitely have to manage expectations,” he says. “If you look at us, it would be crazy to say we are the best team in the world, because we know we don’t have it, we’re not there yet. You look at the performances of some teams and you’re able to find the ability to beat a team better than you.

“A good example would be Morocco in the World Cup, and how incredible they were in beating some of the best teams. No one would say, on paper, that they were one of the best teams in the World Cup, but they found a way to win all those games. This is something we must be able to do.

“When we go to the Copa America, we can only win it if we can overtake Uruguay, if we can overtake Colombia, if we can overtake Brazil, if we can overtake Argentina. So we don’t think we can – not that the team is better than them, but we must find a way collectively to be able to win. Even if we are not the best in this match, we must still find a way to win.

“I will face Argentina in the final, with 90% possession and 30 shots on goal, if it means we win 1-0. I do not care. We want to win the trophy.

It is this motivation that has allowed Robinson to progress so far with Fulham.

It could also help his country.