When Mateo enters the Callahan estate with his mother Elena, he is nothing more than "the Mexican-American tag-along of a physical therapist," while Nate is the dynasty heir the entire American soccer world adores. The two initially clash: Nate finds Mateo timid and low-key, an outsider in the elite sports world; Mateo, however, demonstrates stunning midfield talent with pinpoint passes that break through Nate's defense, and uses the rehabilitation techniques his mother taught him to ease Nate's old injuries. Nate never admits his attraction, channeling his emotions into fiercer tackles and sharper barbs. The class divide between the white upper-class sporting family and the Latino immigrant mother-and-son duo grows ever more glaring. In their teenage years, Nate and Mateo steal kisses in the equipment room of the old training building, making a pact that when Nate leads the US team to win the World Cup on home soil, they will confess their love to the world.
