Men’s Jr. Team USA Test Series Blog: 6
November 15, 2010
After a heaven-like sleep-in, of an extra thirty minutes (waking at 8:15), the team took off for their routine pre-game run and stretches; lead by the illustrious captain, Taylor Curran. He took the team down a familiar route, passed the Mexican restaurant and Carl’s Jr. joint, to a parking lot next to a run-down Catholic church. There they ran a few laps of, what seemed like, the five-mile track that early in the morning. However, regardless of the early morning (or seemed to be an early morning), the team was not gun-shy of playful banter back and forth. Concluding the teams stretching, they ran… or rather jogged back to the hotel and did not hold back their excitement for their breakfast to come.
Breakfast seemed to be getting better and better as the days have worn on or it seemed that way anyway. It may have just been the team’s expectations drop so low that they could have been eating compost and would have tasted like a five star meal from Joe Fortes. Yet the teams’ friend “the breakfast lady” was still there in smiling spirits to put food on their plates as long as jimmy was packing it away as per usual and thus no complaints arose.
Following the deliciousness of breakfast the team had a quick hour break to tend to their food babies (food baby: when one eats so much they feel bloated resulting in an expanded stomach causing one to feel pregnant) before meeting with their omnipotent coach Aaron Guest. Their meeting involved video reel from their previous game however classified and may not be discussed with the general public at this time.
The team had a light lunch provided by the illusory manger Alvin Bissett, better known as “Big Alv”. However the title “light lunch” is not in Big Alv’s vocabulary, specifically for the reason that he only provides food from Costco; which many know, can only buy ‘one hundred and fifty packs’ of anything and everything. Once bringing lunch to a close the team retreated to their respectful rooms for the three P’s: get psyched mentally, prepared emotionally and primped accordingly.
The team met in the lobby, hopped into their luxurious Chevy Suburbans and tore off to the pitch. From the commencing of the tour, the team quickly discovered Big Alv’s “need for speed” whilst driving to and from the field. If one has been in his car they would truly believe he was trying to break the land speed record, even though he is driving a gas-guzzling, four-ton monster truck.
Following the team’s warm-up, the game was well under way. The game seemed undecided from the very beginning, tossing the control of play back and forth like a professional ping-pong game between the two teams. Nevertheless, the Canadian team had many breaks in US possession leading to counter attack after counter attack, unfortunately unfinished with no results. In spite of this, they managed to force a corner towards the end of the first half, with roughly two and a half minutes remaining. Jeremiah (often referred to as Mia or ‘Jeremiah the Bullfrog’) managed to bat a bouncing ball out of the air resulting in a goal off of Sam Jones’ flick to the low left.
The start of the second half seemed a bit slower for the Canadian side and the umpiring was not necessarily on their side. However this did not stop the team from scoring another goal. They forced another corner early in the second half resulting in a goal from one: Tyler Klenk, who, while diving, muttered four simple words under his breath: “who is this man!” Unfortunately, this was the end of the Canadian’s scoring during game 2 of the series. The US fought back hard and managed to pop in a penalty corner goal and field goal within the last ten minutes of the game. Resulting in a two-two-tie game between the rivals.
After the game, the two teams put aside their differences and teamed together to help with a clinic for the younger athletes of the area. They ran drills with the older kids and taught the younger ankle-biters how to hold a stick.
The team rushed back to the hotel and they ran their routine contrast baths by the hot tub, using the scrounged garbage containers from around the vicinity. They quickly got changed and returned to the same Italian place for dinner.
They then got back to the hotel where they rested their little heads to the thoughts of a victory for the following day.
By: Sam Jones – # 13
Men’s Junior National Touring Athlete
