For the first time in what felt like forever, Antonee Robinson was caught off guard. Robinson has spent the past several seasons developing a reputation for always knowing what was coming. It's why he's become the pillar of consistency for both the U.S. men's national team and Fulham. Time and time again, Robinson has shown an ability to react to things before they happen. It's a unique gift that's made him one of the world's best.
Not this time, though. For once, he was the only one that didn't know what was coming and, once he realized it, all he could do was laugh.
It wasn't one of the Premier League's elite wingers that had gotten the best of Robinson; it was Tim Howard and U.S. Soccer. Working with Fulham, the federation put a plan in place. Robinson would sit down for what he thought was just another routine pre-game interview. Instead, Howard, his former Everton teammate, would let him in on a little secret: he had won U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year.
"That's mental," Robinson said after a stunned laugh Sunday morning. "That's unreal. I don't really even know what to say, to be honest. That wasn't the call I was expecting!"
In some ways, Robinson's award win is something of an surprise. Those on the outside would likely have pointed to Christian Pulisic as the favorite. Robinson himself has largely been hesitant to accept his place as a star, famously tweeting a clown meme last year when placed alongside Virgil van Dijk and Erling Haaland in a Premier League Team of the Year. Over the last few years, as recognition has poured in, it seemed as if Robinson was the only person unable to accept how good he's become.
The rest of the world continues to recognize Robinson's status now, though, and the more recent award only solidifies it. Robinson was the best the USMNT had in 2024, and that shouldn't surprise anyone anymore, not even the man himself.