Saturday, November 13, 2010

95 Fullback Minutes - 2003

95 Fullback Minutes 

0 minutes - Whistle Blows, Coach shouts "Bruce, that's your man".

5 minutes - I catch up with a forward that I thought was faster than me, I begin to relax.

7 minutes - Coach shouts "Bruce, that's your man".

10 minutes - Intercept pass, send ball up to Duncan, coach shouts " don't stop and admire your pass"

15 minutes - Get called off, replaced by Niall who tells me to "enjoy my rest because it looks like I need it".

30 minutes - Subbed back in, I tell Niall it's too bad he has already lost a step at his age.

31 minutes - Coach shouts "Bruce, that's your man".

35 minutes - Receive ball from keeper, relay it to midfield who send Kirk off to score on a breakaway, I quietly compliment myself for starting that play.

37 minutes - Gerry shouts "Bruce, that's your man".  Where the hell did he come from, I thought he was hurt?

40 minutes - John scores - I start to actually enjoy the game.

42 minutes - I "give" a ball to Duncan then remember to do something, oh yeah "go".  I get the pass and lead the ball back to Duncan at midfield.  Now I stop to admire the pass, screw the coach.

45 minutes - Halftime - great speech from the coach.

60 minutes - I am finally subbed back in.  Niall doesn't say anything this time.  I think to myself it must be time to lock down this game.

65 minutes - See a big hole at midfield and shout to Anderson "Bruce, that's your man".  Oh crap, now I am doing it.  He gets as mad as I usually do.

70 minutes - I jump up for a header on a corner kick and my man drops to his knees when he realizes he can't get the ball.  The referee points to the spot.  I am crushed, I let the team down.

71 minutes - Sterling takes a yellow complaining and Darryl helps me up off the pitch, that makes me feel a little better.

75 minutes - I am subbed off, I sit by myself.  Coach comes to ask me what happened, I am glad to see he isn't pissed at me.

92 minutes - Whistle blows, we win the Shield.  I run to congratulate the keeper.  On the way I think about the pain, the obstacles overcome, the commitment, the losses to United, the unmet expectations of the past, and the completely met expectations of today.

93 minutes - Dick raises the trophy

95 minutes - My five year old son asks the simple question "did you win the trophy".  With tears in my eyes I say "yes we did" and I hand it to him.

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