Well, it took lots of paperwork, phone calls, emails, faxes and pleading with various people. But we got Andoni into the USA Cup. There was a trick to it: we missed the deadline for having him play as a "Guest Player", so, instead, we registered him for the Edina Soccer Club. He was not allowed to play in league games, since the rosters were "locked", but he could play for the Club in tournaments. But, I am getting ahead of myself.
Friday night, Andoni got to meet a professional football player. I am referring to American Football, not Futbol, or Soccer. We went down to the park to kick the soccer ball around on Friday night. Andoni and I played against 3-5 girls. It was fun. I got to sweat a lot and pretend like I was 12 years old again. Oddly enough, my body did not pretend it was 12. It reminded me the next day that I was, indeed, 38 years old.
I saw Ben Leber across the park and brought the kids over to where he was. My wife has seen him down by the park and told me that he had a Great Dane dog. And, since dogs are such an easy way to open a conversation, I asked Ben if my dog could say hi to his dogs. Ben agreed and we struck up a conversation. I introduced him to Andoni and we discovered that Ben Leber has a wheat allergy, so he deals with much of the same issues that Andoni does with his diet. The big difference, of course, being that Ben Leber actually eats vegetables. Andoni eats chocolate (I like giving Andoni a hard time about his lack of vegetables, since I was much the same when I was his age). We talked for about 15 minutes with Ben. I think Andoni could appreciate how special it was to meet an NFL star.
Saturday was an early day. We left at 7:00 am and watched Quinn's team get destroyed by a team from Iowa (which is the state south of Minnesota). The USA Cup (www.usacup.com) is a fantastic tournament. I played in the first USA Cup in 1985 when I was 13 years old. The USA Cup draws teams from all over the world. This year teams have come from Japan, Costa Rica, Brazil, Denmark, Sweden, Moracco, Puerto Rico, etc. And, teams from all over the United States and Canada come too.
Anyway, after Quinn's first match, we hustled over to Andoni's match. Andoni was playing with a lower-tier U13 team from the Edina Soccer Club (ESC). He was wearing shin pads that I got him, Quinn's cleats (boots), Gillian's socks and shorts, and a uniform (#3) that his team got for him. Andoni did not start the game, but came in after about 15 minutes (there are unlimited subs in US Soccer at this age).
Andoni came in and immediately wowed the entire crowd. It was breathtaking. I don't know if Andoni is good in the Basque Country, but he is really good here in America. Let me give you an example: I played soccer my whole life growing up and played in hundreds of games. I think I have seen a "nutmeg" in a game situation 5 or 6 times. A nutmeg is where the player who is dribbling the ball plays it between the defenders legs and then continues his dribbling. Well, Andoni had TWO nutmegs against his opponents in his first game. Here is a video of the first nutmeg (a bit shakey, but at least it is on film):
Andoni's team lost a heartbreaker. 1-0.
After a quick lunch and lots of water (it was hot), we went to the "village" and traded pins with soccer players from all over the map and had some fun playing games.
We then watched Quinn's team win their next match. Quinn played great.
Then Janna took Quinn and her sisters home for dinner while Andoni and I hung around until his next game. It was a later start (5:45pm). Andoni started this game and played even better than the game before. He had two goals and an assist. His first goal tied the game. His second was the game winner. The parents on the sidelines were amazed. By this time, all of the ESC parents are cheering "Go Andoni GO!" "Great pass, Andoni!" And they are all coming up to me and commenting about how elegant and smooth he plays. It was fun to watch.
We went home for some pizza afterwards. And then went to bed. Long day.
The next morning, Andoni's team played again. This time, a team from Manitoba, Canada. The game started off even, but ended poorly. ESC lost 8-0. Andoni didn't play as much after the game was out of reach, since the coach wanted his players to get as much playing time as possible. It was their last game of the year.
The players gave Andoni the uniform he wore for the tournament. I am glad he gets to bring a piece of ESC home with him. And, while I wish he could have played on a team with more talent, at least he was able to participate in ESC and USACup.
After Quinn's late game, we drove home in the rain. We all sat on the couch and watched the World Cup Final. Unfortunately, Spain won. But it was a good game.
After dinner, Andoni and Janna and Quinn sat on the floor of the den and talked for about an hour. Then Andoni and I got on Youtube and shared stories about our favorite football teams. Athletic Bilbao for him, the Minnesota Viking for me.
Now for some much needed rest...
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