The soccer addiction was huge and I needed a real soccer game away from the hacks at the Y. Gary a guy on my sons soccer team told me I should go to Wall 2 Wall and play a game or two on his team. My first game with them I scored an own goal (a goal against your own team), and had a guy nutmeg me (passed the ball between my legs). Horrible luck, and when I showed up the next week to play I had been cut off the team by a typical phrase "Oh uh,...I think we've got enough subs from now on, see ya."  Staring at the team with a whole bunch of angst as they played and trying to nurse my psychological wounds I happened to see a customer of mine suiting up for a game. His name was Patrick, and when he saw me, after exchanging pleasantries, asked me if I played soccer.  I told him not really but I like when I do. He said they were looking for players and I should show up next week.

The next week I showed and they let me play a few minutes, mostly I subbed out because this team, was a team. They had they're own chemistry, they joked about each other, and they played with an eloquence and simplicity that if translated into a song  would make that kind of tune that inspires you to smile, and hum it through the day.

I wasn't worthy of being on their team, but I think they were desperate for players and asked me back. It's been a year and half  that I've played with them, and most of the faces are still the same. Karl, Paul, Patrick, Hans, Ron, Dave, JR, Nate, and Steve (who came after me) are the core. There are some who get injured and some who just leave but these guys haven't. We play on Monday nights, and we've had bad luck and good luck. This last session we had good luck, and part of that has been that I haven't sucked so badly. On Tuesdays I check my email to read about everyone's thoughts on the game we played the night before. The comments are usually really funny, intelligent and I've found they carry me through the week. 

Last night was our last game of the session, we were playing the team we were tied for the lead and the winner got the trophy tee shirt. Patrick being a good customer of Soulmates spends most of his money on his wife buying her nice things so consequentially Patrick doesn't  get too many clothes, and he really wanted that shirt. All session we've gotten the low down on the point race and how badly he wanted that shirt. I told him half way through the session that he should just give up and deal with the fact that we probably would be put in our places by the universe and not get the shirt, but he wouldn't have it. Emails and little comments about the shirt, that never stopped. When we started our championship game, we had few subs and most of us were feeling really sore and beat from the Sunday outdoor game. The other team scored early, and the first person I saw after they scored was Patrick. He looked like he finally given up on the shirt. Earlier I had said that I wasn't going to shoot on goal that game, but the first point that put us back into the game was off of my foot. We were tied up for about thirty seconds when they ran the ball down and scored against us. Hans, who really doesn't like to lose, started getting really bitchy about where I was running, how I looked when I was running and got really hacked when I couldn't win the ball. When Hans gets bitchy usually I just ignore it because I know it's just how he plays and he really just is trying to give us a cheer without looking, well,...gay. But after he yelled at something I did for the gazillionth time, and I'm not really sure what it was I told him to "Fu..ing Shut UP!!" The half time buzzer came shortly after that and Hans looked like he was going to, well,...cry. Not because, he was losing, but I think it was because we're all his friends, and he just really wanted Patrick to have that shirt and keep his friends. We all did. He gave us all some kind of hand shake or high five and then game was different the second half. We stopped yelling for one, and for second Hans scored two goals that put us in the lead. The last few minutes of indoors is usually the most intense if the game is close and with one and a half minutes to go I scored a two pointer that destroyed the will of the other team. No chance for them we had become the Champions. I was a part of it and according to the emails this afternoon they were giving me the game ball. I'll take it, but I intend to share it equally with everyone on that team. Not one of them broke in the battle,  and not one of them failed at the great talents they all have, and they brought me with them teaching me a beautiful game in the process. I'm proud to be in a group of people as fine as these men. Plus I can't wait to see Patrick's new threads. 

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