The memories flow easily for Jozy Altidore. He recalls the broad strokes of his first visit to Haiti as a child and the small details he took away from the visit to his parents’ homeland. He remembers the enduring influence of those experiences in his formative years.

Altidore is a star now for Toronto FC and for the U.S. national team, but the 25-year-old forward’s roots are undeniably Haitian. His parents, Giselle and Joseph, grew up there and transported those principles into his home in Boca Raton, Fla. They shaped his existence, his love of the game and his upbringing as he started along the path toward professional soccer.

“I think the fact that they were out of Haiti didn’t take the Haiti out of them, if that makes sense,” Altidore said during a conference call yesterday ahead of TFC’s match against the Revolution tonight. “We were brought up in a Haitian household in terms of the food we ate, the way we were disciplined. Just everything about us was still Haitian, even though we lived in the U.S.”

Those bonds strengthened when Altidore visited Port-au-Prince during his formative years. He marveled at what his parents went through in their native land, saw the abject poverty and stayed out late playing pickup soccer. He watched as his father built a house in the mountains and wondered what he might do to help someday.

Altidore’s rise to prominence allowed him to start the Jozy Altidore Foundation four years ago in a bid to assist underprivileged children around the world. One of his most prominent projects raised $6,000 to build a well for a Haitian village in desperate need of clean water after the 2010 earthquake.

Those connections prompted Altidore to wonder for a few moments about his next trip to Foxboro. He is expected to feature prominently in the U.S. squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer. If everything proceeds according to plan, Altidore will likely play in the second Group A game against Haiti at Gillette Stadium on July 10.

It would mark the first time Altidore would take the field against Haiti. As one might expect, it is the sort of occasion designed to provoke a range of emotions in a player known to wear the Haitian flag on his cleats.

“It’s going to be a bit surreal to play in that game, definitely,” he said. “It’ll be a big day for me and my family. I’m sure my parents will be at the game. It will be strange in a lot of ways, but I’m also excited. I’m excited that they got to this stage and they continue to improve. I’m hoping for a good game.”

There are other responsibilities to sort out before that emotional moment, though. TFC is in the middle of the MLS season with the focus fixed firmly on a first playoff berth, while the U.S. national team plays three friendlies before starting the Gold Cup.

It might feel like a distant landmark now, but that match will arrive soon, and new memories will join those old ones as the special occasion strengthens those bonds once more.