HUMBLE PIE ALL OVER MY MOUSTACHE!

HUMBLE PIE ALL OVER MY MOUSTACHE!

So let’s get the obvious out the way…losing hurts, but losing to Metro after bragging to them for a full year hurts even worse than when you were a kid and you got your twig n’ berries trapped in your zipper.  If Area 51 are the working man’s Hillary Clinton, then the Metrolytes are most certainly the Donald Trump in the relationship…..and boy did they grab us by the pu$$y.

THE MOLESKINE

The weather was perfect (except for the 90mph winds)….  The 3 squads were looking great in their brand new Nike jerseys…. And SoCal was on time, so I knew it was going to be a special event!  After a quick gathering to explain the very basic rules and format, we gave the tournament FNGs of The Fort the opportunity to pick their poison and decide which order of games they wanted to play.  We were off….

First up, The Fort vs Metro.

The tempo from the first minute was set.  Watching from the sidelines, it was very quickly evident that the standard of play was a notch (or three) above last year’s.  Some new faces were on show, and these were game-changers for sure.  After a couple of early goals, the game was tied at 1-1, but as the cream rises to the top, Metro ran away with a solid victory, rounded off with a fine goal from Knack, smashing home after what seemed like a 400m breakaway (not a typo…that field was huge!).

Next up, Metro vs Area 51.

This was, is, and always will be the grudge match.  It was this love-hate relationship that stemmed the original idea of the Soccer-Arms Cup.  Pride was very much at stake here, especially after last year’s trophy was settled only after a penalty shootout.   A solid 22 PAX wandered out to the field, cracked their knuckles and the referee was on high-alert.  Next thing I knew, we were 4-0 down before half-time (not a typo). WTF.  This wasn’t in the script.  A more evenly competitive second half meant the scoreline wasn’t quite as embarrassing, but still it was nice to have this one over and done with…tails between legs is an understatement.

The Consolation game, The Fort vs Area 51.

So, the result of the tournament was settled.  Metro were taking the trophy home, but there was one last game to play.  With the pressure off, this game probably produced some of the best free-flowing soccer of the day from both teams, with plenty of end-to-end attacking.  Area 51, with their much larger squad able to use fresh legs more often, ultimately came out on top, with the scoreline not a true reflection of the close game. SlimFast rolling back the years with a midfield maestro performance.

On a serious note, huge Congrats to TML and his Metro squad.  They came ready to play and made very light work of their opposition in both games with a couple of exceptional performances from the likes of Ringer and Mary Kate in particular.  I guess those bi-weekly training sessions really paid off J  Huge T-claps to FunHouse (and FreeBird on the day) for venturing East with their Fort boys and bringing exactly the right ‘never say die’ attitude.  Goals of the day go to you guys, for Wrecking Ball’s free-kick, bettered only by DryZizou putting the icing on the cake of a brilliant team goal.  Welcome aboard and we look forward to having you back next year.

On a more serious note, the event was not just for fun and giggles.  Dollywood and his Charlotte Eagles staff (including Sweeney Todd who was out there) do an unbelievable job in terms of supporting local soccer at both the highest mens’ and womens’ playing level, as well as with 1000’s of our community’s youngsters, many of whom reside in some of the very poorest Charlotte neighborhoods. They are able to achieve this by bringing in strong role models to act as players and coaches for the late spring/summer months – part of the logistical headache that comes with this is finding host families who are willing to house them for a month or two. That’s where F3 comes in.  If any of you would like to learn more about the idea of hosting next year, or know another family that might, then please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or Dollywood for more info….you’d be doing a wonderful thing for the Eagles, but from the success stories that were shared, it sounds like your own family will become closer also. Win-Win. P.S. Check this out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDLNKmckDCE

So, that’s it. Thank you to everyone who made the effort to take 3hrs out of their Saturday for this.  This is a fantastic organization we are a part of, filled with the highest caliber of men you could ask to be surrounded by…and to see so many of us out there with the shared passion for helping others via the beautiful game is superb, something I’m very proud to be involved with….long may it continue.  Just leave the short fuses at home next time….cheap shots after the play, two-foot tackles, throwing balls at people and red cards, all in a ‘friendly fundraiser’….classic!

I’m counting down the days already for next year’s revenge TML.