This Is American Soccer, US Soccer, MNT, WNT, and MLS - Tackling the subject of Soccer in the US, and worldwide.

There is always someone who needs it more, deserves it more, but everybody has to eat. Whether you are behind the magnifying glass or under it, people do what they got to do to get theirs. The US MNT is no different, whether we’re talking about the team or the individual players. As June 7 approaches, everyone is pushing that much harder to get a seat at the table of soccer stardom.

It’s his field. We’re just playing on it. Eddie looms large in Bunnell, Florida, where the striker’s home town named a soccer field after him.

With exclusive footage from new documentary shorts, Nike Soccer, this site’s sponsor, is offering up a rewind tour covering the paths some of our rising stars took to get where they are today, poised for a shot at greatness. A bunch of photos dropped on me today and i’ve picked my favorites and a few that give you a feel of Brunnell. The photographer, Toby Page, captured some behind the scenes portraiture while a film crew shadowed Eddie Johnson through his hometown of Bunnell, Florida.

Today’s installment - this is part one. Onyewu, Landon, and Beasley will be following in the coming weeks. Check back to fill the anxious void as we wait for the Czechs - is especially nice, because instead of simply Eddie’s highlight reel, we get a quick tour of his home town, his neighborhood haunts, and some chicken that makes this southern ex-pat’s mouth water.

Taking it to the streets. Even a professional, even a national team player, enjoys a little joga now and again. The small town of barely 2,000 leaves plenty of room to make the road your field.

Eddie talks shop with future dreamers (and one day dreamer: check out the kid directly in front of Eddie’s right hand) at his old high school with his old coach Bob Sawyer.

It wasn’t all starting lineups and stardom. Eddie, and it would appear this car, are grounded.

Neighborhood Watch. Everyone knows who Eddie is in Bunnell, not just because he’s a star, but because he still makes time to visit the place where he picked up the game.

-all photos by Toby Page for Nike Soccer-