Jozy Altidore scored in his first English Premiership game. But, aside from the impeccably timed run, lovely first touch, and precision shot, what does this goal mean in the postcolonial struggle against/for oppression? Let’s speculate/elucidate/complicate.
For the US national team, Jozy is the classic Lacanian “Big Other,” often playing target forward, or “A”, alongside speedy and mobile “Little Others” such as Charlie Davies, rather “a”. While the little “a” shares a perceptual likeness, this little other merely reflects the “A” as if a mirror and a body. All of which depends on the imaginary order.
For HullCity , the relationship is inverted. I would boldly posit that Jen Vennegoor is the Big A, a hulking Dutchmen of a striker with superb hold-up play and a large frame to throw around. Thus, this puts Jozy in a precarious yet also powerful position of submission/domination. One the one hand, he can take advantage of the radical alterity of Vennegoor to run onto glancing headers and deft first touches. On the other hand, Jozy is not blessed with a super quick first step.
At least not by Lacanian or Premiership standards.