CHAPTER 19
by Dave Hannigan
Dave Hannigan is a columnist with the Irish Echo (New York), The Evening Echo (Cork, Ireland) and the Mail on Sunday (Dublin). An award-winning journalist and author, he has written five non-fiction books and one children's novel. A father of three boys and an adjunct-professor of history at Suffolk County Community College in Selden, he has lived in Rocky Point for the past ten years and has coached Rocky Point United U-11 boys in the LIJSL since last September. Before moving to Long Island in 2000, he spent eight years as a soccer correspondent for the Sunday Times of London, covering the Irish national team and the Premier League in England.
When Sam looked up, he saw Peter Bryson, the Rocky Road goalie, with his hands in the air. Triumphant. He had saved the
penalty. Rocky Road had won the game.
The whole team swarmed around Peter, slapping his head the way baseball players do after walk-off home runs. Sam just stood on the edge of the box, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling.
‘You got out of jail there kid,’ said Mr. Healy as Sam climbed into the car for the ride home.
‘I know,’ he said, still grinning, still thankful his penalty hadn’t cost his team victory.
‘Did the coach say anything to you?’ asked his dad.
‘No, he didn’t. Why? Should he have?’
‘No. Just wondering. He’ll probably say something at practice on Tuesday.’
But the coach said nothing about the penalty incident at practice on Tuesday. In fact, he said nothing at all to Sam that night. Which was strange.
‘I think it’s weird he hasn’t spoke to me about the penalty,’ said Sam as he and Danny walked off the field afterwards.
‘He probably just wants you to forget about it,’ said Danny, always seeing the bright side.
‘Why?’
‘It’s the power of positive thinking.’
‘The power of….’
‘It’s a book my dad always has in his car. Supposed to help you in life.’
‘Eh, okay.’
Despite his brothers ribbing him about it constantly (nicknaming him the world’s smallest dirty player), Sam managed to stay positive for the rest of the week. By Saturday, however, he was back to his old worried self.
‘So who you playing today,’ asked his father as they got in the car to go to the game.
‘Are you serious?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We are playing the South Bay Stormbreakers!’
‘And?’
‘It’s between us and them to win the division, Dad, surely you know that?’
‘Oh, it’s a title showdown. Winner takes all. Loser goes home. I think I saw something about it on SportsCenter this morning.’
Sam smiled. Probably the first time he’d smiled since he woke up. That’s how nervous he was. Not just about the importance of the game but about whether he’d even get to play his part in it.
‘Just remember, it’s only a game,’ said Mr. Healy as he pulled the car up at the gate of the field. ‘This is meant to be fun.’
‘It will be fun if we win,’ said Sam, before muttering under his breath, ‘And if I get to play.’
The omens weren’t good. Coach Silverman acted like Sam wasn’t there during the warm-ups.
‘Is it just me or has he said something positive to everyone except me?’ whispered Sam to Danny as they lined up to do a shooting drill.
‘It’s all in your head,’ said Danny. ‘Coach doesn’t know what he’s saying this morning. Look at him. He’s more hyped than us.
Danny was speaking the truth. Coach Silverman was sweating so much his hair was damp. He had this wide-eyed look on his face and his voice was a lot louder than usual too. Especially when he gave the pre-game talk.
‘This is it men, this is it. The clash of the titans. The winner takes all. This is for all the marbles.’
Danny nudged Sam, as if to say, ‘See what I mean.’
‘We must leave nothing out on that field. Give it everything. Remember the stuff we worked on at practice. Pass and move. Pass and move. And, oh yeah, same team as started last week.’
‘Same team as starts every week,’ said Sam to Mario Bellone as they walked toward the bench.
‘You upset about not starting?’ asked Mario
‘Not really, I knew I wouldn’t start. I just hope I get a chance to play. I think he’s still mad at me over the penalty last week.’
‘He’s mad at something today,’ said Johnny Trippi, pushing in beside them. ‘I think he must have had too much 5-Hour Energy or something.’
As they spoke, the coach was already stalking the sidelines.
‘Can you imagine how crazy he’s going to be when we move up to U-11s?’ asked Johnny.
They all laughed at that. Well, laughed as quietly as they could for fear of the coach spotting them.
For the whole first half Sam, Mario and Johnny sat on the bench in near silence, watching a close, close game. South Bay hit the Rocky Road crossbar twice in the opening five minutes. Then Rocky Road seemed to camp in the Bay half for ages. But nobody scored. And Coach Silverman didn’t look to his bench once in the course of the whole 30 minutes.
‘We are never getting on today,’ said Mario.
‘We have to get on,’ said Sam.
‘It is the last game,’ said Johnny.
‘Yeah but you heard him,’ said Mario. ‘He thinks it’s the Super Bowl and the World Series all wrapped up in one.’
The subs kicked a ball around on the field at half-time. Without much enthusiasm. They were too worried they might not get on during the actual game to enjoy taking shots on goal.
It was more than midway through the second half when Coach Silverman finally turned to them.
‘Okay, warm up.’
The three of them bounced up off the bench and started short sprints and stretching. The game was still scoreless. And now they were getting their chance. Well, some of them were.
‘Okay, Mario and Johnny, here’s where I want you to go.’
Sam stood back a step, listened to his teammates get their instructions, and then watched them enter the game. Only after high-fiving the players coming out did the coach even notice he was there.
‘Oh, eh, you stay warmed up there Sam, I’ll get you in too.’
Sam didn’t believe him. He sat on the bench, the far end of the bench. He began to wonder how many minutes were left. There couldn’t be more than five. And still no sign of him going in.
Phreep! Phreep!
The ref blew hard. For a second, Sam thought the game was over. Then he looked up and saw Danny had been injured and was being helped off.
‘Okay Sam, get in there,’ said Coach Silverman. ‘Go up on offense and don’t come back near our box.’
Sam was too excited to even hear a word the coach said. His heart was pounding out of his chest and his legs felt so light he nearly glided on to the field.
‘Five minutes to go,’ said the ref when he blew to restart the game. ‘Five minutes.’