LAFC.COM: Tell us something about your hometown, Chula Vista [south of San Diego], that people who have never been there might find interesting.
JUDE TERRY: Chula Vista is a small town. If you live there, you run into people you know a lot. Whenever I go to the mall I always run into someone. And we’re about a five-minute drive from the [Mexico-U.S.] border.
LAFC.COM: Being five minutes from another country, another culture, how has that impacted you?
JUDE TERRY: It's impacted me a lot as far as the Mexican and Argentine side of my family. Being that close lets me visit family, or they can visit us. That's how I learned Spanish. And then with soccer, I grew up playing tournaments over there. Playing in 11-v-11 or 5-v-5 tournaments [in Mexico], it's impacted the way I play because over there it's more free flowing. There's not a lot of rules, the refs don't really care. So it builds character and builds you as a person because if you get hit over there, they just laugh at you lying on the ground. (laughs)
LAFC.COM: You have worn a path between San Diego County and LA for the past couple of years, training with the LAFC Academy. What's your go-to stopping point between San Diego and LA when you're commuting?
JUDE TERRY: There's an Acai Republic in San Clemente. My mom and I love that place. We always go. I’ll get an acai bowl with some empanadas. That's our favorite go-to spot.
LAFC.COM: Who are your favorite footballers? And which players would you compare yourself to in terms of style?
JUDE TERRY: I've always looked up to Messi. My dad being Argentine, we always watched Argentina in World Cups, in Copa America. Messi being the main figure of that national team, he's probably my idol I’d say. My dad also showed me old videos of Maradona. I really like how he plays, the connection he had with the ball. I try to learn from what he did and try to fit that into my game as a midfielder. As far as my comps, I don't really know. I don't really look at other players, to be honest. In England, I watch Enzo Fernandez [of Chelsea] who’s on the [Argentine] national team. I really only look at people from the Argentine national team. (laughs) I also watch Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, people like that. I'm obviously trying to make it to the 2026 World Cup, so looking at players like McKennie and Gio Reyna, players in my position, Yunus Musa, I've always looked at them to see what they do and see if I can do better, even though I'm 16 years old.
LAFC.COM: Speaking of 16 years old, do you have a driver's license?
JUDE TERRY: No, I do not. I have not done any of that. (laughs) I have to. I'll probably do it in the next month or two because if I'm going to BMO for a game, I wanna be driving myself for the arrival pictures and stuff. (laughs) But it's not really a priority. Even when I'm at home I tend to just stay home, just relax.
LAFC.COM: You’ve trained and competed with the U.S. National Team at the youth level. What has been your favorite experience so far with USYNTs?
JUDE TERRY: Probably the U-15 Concacaf Championship [in 2023], when we won it. It was what me and that team had been working for that whole cycle, that whole year. Winning that tournament and being the captain of that team in the final, it was just a really exciting thing for the players and the staff and something that will stick with us. We were the first U-15 USA team to ever win that tournament. Making history with that team is something I'll always remember.
LAFC.COM: You've been to a few games at BMO Stadium. Is there a moment that stood out, just being there amongst the spectators?
JUDE TERRY: I remember we got tickets as an academy to an El Trafico. It was the [2022 Western Conference] Semifinal. LAFC won 3-2. Being there with my teammates in that atmosphere, with us coming back in the last minute to win. We were all going crazy. We were yelling, throwing our water. It was crazy.
LAFC.COM: How do you feel about playing at BMO Stadium one day in front of LAFC’S fans. Can you envision that?
JUDE TERRY: I've always imagined playing for them, especially when I go to games myself, seeing how passionate they are. I just imagine scoring a goal in front of them and celebrating with the 3252. The passion they have is unmatched throughout MLS. Playing there, scoring a winning goal or something like that, getting the crowd really excited, really hype, is something that me and probably every player in this club dreams of.
