Jalen Neal hopes to tattoo his Olympic goals in ink after overcoming brutal injuries

05/29/2024 11:00 AM

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 insuppressible talent alongside the encyclopedia of soccer knowledge that is 35-year-old Japanese international Maya Yoshida as his center-back partner.

"He helps me out an insane amount every single day. If I have any questions he’s like an open book," Neal praised Yoshida's mentoring skills. "Even if I’m not asking anything he'll come up to me and recall a certain play during a game that we could have dealt with better. He's a super selfless guy. He likes to be a leader. He likes to give out advice and help people, especially the younger guys."

It's teammates like that that will help propel a player like Neal – who has already started games in a major tournament for his senior national team despite not being old enough to legally drink a beer – to reach his career goals with memorable golden nuggets of advice. Together they hope to accomplish great things this season with the Galaxy where Neal's team-oriented goals unsurprisingly mimic the grand ambition of his individual targets.

"I haven’t experienced playoffs at an MLS level myself yet so obviously trying to get into playoffs first," he planned his next mission. "Then obviously with the team we have this year I think we can make a well enough run to try for that sixth [MLS Cup] ring."

The Galaxy homegrown's natural eagerness to add to his club's record trophy cabinet is noticeably reflected in the perception that Neal's injuries have only hardened his drive through the mental (rather than physical) challenge of being an idle athlete. The frustrating inability to aid your teammate’s hard work on the pitch can leave its indelible mark as a recurring motivator long after the physical injury has healed. Besides, athletes just want to compete.

"It was definitely the mental part because playing sports you’re going to feel physical pain. You’re kind of prepared for that and always bracing for that. I guess you expect to feel pain after a game, after training, or something like that but it was definitely the mental part," Neal recalled as the most onerous aspect of his recovery process. "Just not knowing what’s wrong with me. Like if I wanted to go home and do some treatment on myself; what could I do? I didn’t know if icing my groin was going to be the right thing, or my adductor, or my pubic bone, or what.

“Then going into the stadium, you’re just kind of going in there hopeless just thinking, 'Okay, I’m just going to do another workout in the gym and some fitness on the bike with no answers again.' So it’s just like living on autopilot or something, just going day by day, patiently waiting for an answer when it doesn’t really seem like there is one,” he added.

The injuries began with pain around Neal's pubic bone and pelvis in April of 2023 which escalated quickly while on international duty with the senior USMNT squad at the Gold Cup until it reached a painful breaking point. To reduce the pain, Neal received both a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and cortisone injection which resolved the issue for about two weeks. After a second round of injections was ineffective, doctors finally determined Neal required his first surgery to repair the sports hernia.

Not to worry, he was expected to fully recover in time for the 2024 preseason.

Unfortunately, just as Neal passed the physical benchmarks required to return to action, his pelvic pain flared up again in a Thanksgiving pick-up game, stemming from the sports hernia injury and spreading into his adductors. With the pain getting worse day by day as Neal consulted doctor after doctor, his team finally opted for a bilateral adductor surgery.

Surely that was the problem solved…or so they thought. 

Still, the pain continued without a full understanding of why until a second adductor surgery was scheduled in which Dr. Smith conclusively found his solution to end the saga. After months of pain and uncertainty, Neal could set his sights on a return to the pitch, rightly setting ambitious goals for which the ability to pursue would not be taken for granted.

The gratitude for opportunities that pulsated through Neal before his injuries only grew during his time on the sidelines as he was forced to miss the first three pre-Olympic preparation camps in October, November, and March. Ultimately, that would only manufacture any possible extra motivation for Neal to earn a spot on the Olympic roster.

"It would be a huge privilege," Neal said of potentially being on the flight to Paris. "Just representing my country in general was already a huge privilege in itself. I don’t take the opportunities for granted even when it’s just the camp for some friendlies, maybe against a club team in the area we’re going, or if it’s Olympics."

Neal understands there are no assurances with regards to his return, especially on a limited 18-man Olympic roster, but appreciates the reassurance from Olympic head coach Marko Mitrović during his recovery and likewise the upcoming opportunity to prove his worth after being called up this morning to the final pre-Olympic preparation camp for.a match on June 11th in Kansas City against a fellow Olympic participant in Japan. Having only worked with Mitrović as a senior team assistant coach due to his long-term absence, Neal is excited for his first opportunity to put his talent on display for a new potential head coach.

"He was just offering me a lot of reassurance," Neal reflected on his conversations with Mitrović during recovery. "He was telling me, 'Once you get back healthy and strong I know you’re going to be the player that you were before and once that comes we’ll bring you back into a camp and then see what goes on there.' Obviously, there can’t be any promises made so he’s not promising me a spot into the Olympic squad but to at least give me – I think we have one more camp and it is this one coming up, like the actual pre-Olympic camp – so at least he’s giving me a chance to showcase my skills in this one. I’m super thankful for that."

Additionally, Neal knows as well as anybody that there are no assurances from his club when it comes to release. Last season, the Galaxy refused to release Neal for the 2023 U-20 World Cup and the club hasn't given him any assurances that won't happen again.

In that youth tournament, the USMNT U-20 squad – which previously won the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championships with Neal at center-back to qualify for this upcoming Olympics – fell to eventual champions Uruguay in the quarterfinals without the LA native in the squad. This time around in Paris, Neal is confident the USMNT U-23 team can go "further than the quarterfinals for sure" in their first Olympic appearance since 2008.

"We have a lot of talent in this team," Neal described his outlook on the Olympic pool. "I think we have a lot of young leaders in this group, especially people who are taking bigger roles in their clubs that can bring that leadership into our national team. Then once you get all those leaders together it just creates a strong bond and a strong team overall. I think there is a lot of depth too in a lot of positions. We’re energetic and I think one thing with this team – I mean, I haven’t been in a camp in person but I know a lot of the guys – a lot of them are mutuals as well so I’m sure the chemistry is buzzing."

In all likelihood, the Galaxy homegrown will be one of the keys to fulfilling his prophecy of a top-four finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer. In fact, with all confidence and fitness restored, I'd be surprised if Neal ever puts a finite limit on his team's potential – or that of himself.