Football Tournament

My office paid for our office to play in a charity five-a-side football competition with the €750 per team going to the Chernobyl fund. Slide tackling, mud and football tournament is a great way to start out a weekend. We got off work a little early and headed to the same field we had our Olympics at. About 30 other firms with a men and women team for each were there. Brenda, Tullia, Michelle, me, Deirbhile, Karen and Denise made up our team.

The women on my team, most had never played soccer before or had only played once or twice before. So it started out rocky, but we were doing well. I was exhausted about halfway through since I was doing every throw in, free kick and playing defense while still trying to score. I went out for the second half, and then the other team scored two points. That sent us to the losing bracket. Our men’s team was doing well and we were little cheerleaders for them. Since I am from the US, that means that I am able to be a cheerleader by default. Of course I do know one cheer and how to make letters with our body so we yelled and cheered and did our OMP letters for our blokes. Tullia is the O, Karen is the M and I am the P.

The second game started out brilliant. Michelle did a wonderful save, kicked it out to me, where it trapped it beautifully, zig zagged up the pitch, pulled all the defenders to me slowed down for the rest of the team to catch up and at the last minute I passed it to Tullia who put it into the goal! YAY we scored. And did I mention all the lads were watching us and witnessed our magic moment. That little trick I learned from my indoor team just before moving and it worked wonders! By then we were pooped and wanting to get everyone a chance to play, so Tullia and I went out. Then the unimaginable happed they scored two points back to back on us. So sad.

That left one last game and our goalie did not want to be goalie anymore so I did it. Our last game both sides were scoreless and we were off to the pub! It was the last day of a few people so there was much to celebrate; us not getting creamed, the lads being undefeated, and remembering the good times with co-workers leaving. By three I had had enough and could have curled up and gone to sleep on the bench with my other deskmate Sean. Good times had by all that night and no hangover the next day. But I was so sore after that much footballing! Next year I need to train atleast a few times before just running out onto the pitch!