As I quickly approach the ripe old age of 30 and I reminisce on my competitive soccer playing past, I notice a fairly alarming trend. I was a lot better in my memory than in real life. Let me explain. In 1994 my high school team won the State Championship 3-1. Back then video camera’s were sparse, cell phones non-existent, and the internet was in its fledgling stages at best. Today if your son/daughter plays high school soccer there is a good chance a great goal will be on youtube within 2 hours of the final whistle. Fortunately for me…this was not the case as there would be way too much evidence to contradict my “I scored a goal on a full bicycle kick with 6 seconds left to go from 27 yards out”.
The reason I bring this all up is because I recently found a copy of this state championship, which was only 14 years ago, and upon viewing I was met with some startling evidence. Yes, we did win 3-1, yes I did score twice, and yes it was an incredible victory against a higher seed..BUT…my performance was sub-par at best. My first goal from what I can recall was a full-volley from at least 16 yards out that I buried at about 100mph in the lower corner. That is at least how I recall–but–according to the video tape…it was a half-volley, from 10 yards out, and “buried at about 100mph in the lower corner” would be a gross exaggeration. My second goal a penalty kick–that I earned—was put in the lower corner but certainly save-able had the keeper guessed the right way. Sadly, other than those two glorious moments, I was pretty much non-existent for the remainder of the game. Luckily, as a goal-scorer you have the good-fortune of being invisible for 89 minutes and scoring in the 90th which makes you the hero!! As the sportscasters say “lets go to the videotape” yet I say….umm…lets just try to remember how it happened!!
Basically what I am trying to say to all of those people in my age bracket who wish they had more tangible evidence of their side bike goal from 35 yards out against your rival team…….be thankful it probably doesn’t exist, and continue to “remember” the game, because I can tell you first hand unless you are currently wearing the jersey of a professional soccer team, you probably were a lot better in your mind than you were on the pitch, but luckily for you there is no proof!!
I love soccer!!
Joe
