Former U.S. soccer star steps in to train 3-year-old Nevada Pierre after youth league controversy

Eddie Johnson offered the young soccer standout a spot at his Orlando academy after the Florida incident drew national attention.

Former U.S. men’s national team player Eddie Johnson is stepping in to help a young soccer standout after a dispute at a Florida youth soccer game sparked widespread backlash online.

Nevada Pierre, 3, is set to train with Johnson’s EJE7 Soccer Academy in Orlando in January after his removal from an i9 Sports youth soccer program in Winter Park, Florida, drew national attention. ESPN reported that Johnson offered the young player an opportunity to develop his skills following the controversy.

Johnson, a former Major League Soccer and Premier League striker, addressed the incident on Instagram, arguing that it exposed deeper problems within youth soccer.

“His situation has brought light to a lot of the things that still exist in youth soccer in this country,” Johnson wrote, pointing to “Entitlement, Jealousy, Envy, Nepotism, Gatekeeping and profiling especially against people of color.”

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The controversy began Oct. 24, when police were called to a youth soccer game involving Nevada and older children. Videos shared by his parents show the toddler dribbling past opponents and scoring goals, prompting widespread discussion about how the league handled the young player’s participation.

Nevada’s parents, Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, said their son was being penalized for his talent. In police body camera footage released after the incident, Griffin tells officers, “They’re mad at my son because he actually plays soccer.”

A league official offered a different account, telling police that Nevada was advanced for his age but had allegedly pushed other players. The official also accused the child’s parents of creating a disturbance after disagreements over playing time.

The Winter Park Police Department said the matter was civil, not criminal, and confirmed that no one was arrested, trespassed or forced to leave the park. The family cooperated with officers, according to police.

i9 Sports said it had contacted the family and begun reviewing the incident, emphasizing that the “respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us.”

Johnson’s offer gives Nevada an opportunity to continue developing his soccer skills outside the program at the center of the controversy. The former professional player previously said the family had approached his academy when Nevada was 2, but he believed the child was too young to participate at that time.

Now, with the incident drawing attention well beyond Florida, the young player has another opportunity to pursue his passion for the game.