Soccer Legend David Villa Might (Finally) Make the Sport Popular in the U.S.
I'm sitting at the Heineken offices in midtown Manhattan when he sidles up, clad in a red plaid shirt and some Euro-style distressed jeans. He's a bit shorter than I expected, but it's certainly him: David Villa, Champions League winner with FC Barcelona, World Cup winner, all-time top scorer for the Spanish national team, and one of the world's deadliest strikers over the last decade.
Unsurprisingly, the office is centered around a green-and-white bar, so we grab some high stools and talk-in English, even though he's been in the States for barely a year. He looks to his part-time translator (and full-time manager) for occasional clarification, but his command of the language in his new home country is impressive. He seems to be adjusting to life in New York.
He's in this office for a couple of reasons. He has partnered with Heineken-joining U.S. soccer stars Landon Donovan and Carly Lloyd-for an initiative called "Soccer Is Here." Like the Dutch brew decades before it, soccer is a foreign import looking to make its mark in America, and international players of Villa's calibre can help make that happen. He's also here in his role as fledgling MLS club New York City FC's first-ever captain. He joined the club, a joint venture between the New York Yankees and England's Manchester City, along with a couple other European stars-Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo-last summer. Between the three of them, they have two World Cup and four Champions League winners' medals.
But mostly, he's here as something approaching a legend of the game. Many gifted players have represented Spain, but he's scored more goals for his country than any of them. He has played with some of the true greats, on some of history's truly great teams. I wanted to know about scoring goals and winning championships, moving to New York and bringing soccer to America.
When you started playing for Barcelona in 2010, you joined one of the great teams of all time. Did those players challenge you to be better?
It was a great time in my career, playing for Barcelona with the best players in the world, in the best team in the world at that moment. It was amazing for me. I can always say to anyone that I played at Barcelona with Messi, with Xavi, with Iniesta, with Pedro, with Piqué. And we won a lot of trophies.
Speaking of trophies, you scored a beautiful goal in the Champions League Final in 2011 against Manchester United. Was that one of your favorite moments on the field?
It was the best goal of my career. The most important, because it was in the final, but it was beautiful, too. But also the consequences of the goal. [Barcelona took a commanding 3-1 lead.] But yes, of course. It is the biggest goal of my career.
You dedicated that win to your daughters, but also to [Spanish national teammate] Pepe Reina's daughters. You named one of your daughters after Fernando Torres's wife. Have you always been close to your national teammates?
Always. I made good friends at all the teams I played for, but with the national team we created a family. It was during years when we won many trophies, and we have a special relationship because of that. Together-Pepe, Torres, me, and others-we have something.
And obviously part of that was winning together at the 2010 World Cup. Was that a childhood dream for you?
Yeah, I was honored to win that title for my country. For Spain, it was the first World Cup in our nation's history, so we were very proud of our team.
At that World Cup, you scored five of Spain's eight goals. You had an amazing tournament. How did you pull that off?
We arrived in South Africa with a good trajectory for the team. We had won the European Championships two years before, and won a lot of games since. We were ready in that moment. But soccer is always difficult. All the top teams were ready, but we had the best team at that World Cup. And we did it.
Which defender do you you think is the toughest you've ever faced?
For me, the best defender I played against was Carles Puyol. He was my teammate, too, but my rival many times. Also, Roberto Ayala, the Argentinian centerback. He was also my teammate, at Valencia, but I played against him many times and he was tough.
In New York you're playing with a couple of truly great players, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard. How is it to play with them at this stage in your career?
It's great to have them here. Obviously, to stay together with two of the best players in Europe for this experience is so nice. Even day-to-day, just at practice, it's a great thing.
Do you and Pirlo ever have to fight over who takes the free kick?
No, never. He is much better than me at free kicks, no question. He takes them, but when he's not comfortable or doesn't want to for any reason, I can step up and do it.
I want to talk about "Soccer Is Here" a little bit, the program with Heineken. What does the program mean to you, as someone coming from playing in the world's best leagues to the MLS?
For me, it's so important. Heineken is obviously a brand that's recognized all over the world, and it wants to work with me and others on this campaign to create a model of growing soccer in America. "Soccer Is Here" to me means helping bring it here. But the other part is about American soccer players, two of the best in the world: Landon Donovan, who to me is the best in the history of the U.S., and Carly Lloyd, who won the Women's World Player of the Year this year. It's important for all of us to work on this.
So for soccer's development in America, obviously it's important for players of your stature-and your ability-to come over and play. But do you think Landon Donovan represents what American players can be?
Yes, of course. I spoke with Landon a year ago, and I said, "Don't retire. You've got a couple more years, and I'd like to play against you again here in the MLS." But he had decided. But yes, the most important thing for growing soccer in America is growing American players. Right now, the U.S. team is a very good one. It will get even better, and so will the MLS.
What do you think the league needs to do to get to the next level?
Time. We must keep working like we are right now, but mostly time. It's a young league, only 20 years old. In Europe, the leagues have been around 100 years. We are on a good path right now, and we just have to keep working to make it stronger, day by day and year by year.
OK. And what are you hoping for from this season, for yourself and for NYCFC?
We want to be more competitive. We want to play better soccer, and obviously we want to be in the playoffs. That must be the objective of the club.
And one more: Do you think that Messi is the greatest of all time?
Yeah, of course. He's the best player right now, obviously. But in history? For me, in my opinion? He's that, too.
