Ryan the Rock Star

San Antonio Football Club had a makeup game this evening. This was the game that Hurricane Harvey "rained out" (but then didn't show up.) So it was a light turnout of fans. But I didn't want to miss it because they played Portland Timbers 2 and that's always a good game. We're at the end of a very good season and have made the playoffs. There is one more home game Saturday, when there will be a massive rowdy crowd. Me and my mates think that is why the starting lineup was different; they're "saving" the usual starters for Saturday.

So there is one sub who is one of the tallest players on the squad. He is a big blonde man who wears a scruffy beard. He has a great smile. He is total cool bro and has quite a following because his other job is coaching a youth soccer club. The boys love Ryan.

Our season tickets are just a bit shy of behind the home team bench, behind AR1. At halftime, the team leaves the field to their locker room by filing past our section. The subs warm up in front of our section. And Every. Single. Time. Ryan walks by our section, all the boys around us yell, "RYAN!" He will rarely look up. We've watched him laugh, blush, and be frustrated with them. Every game. 5 to 10 boys, depending which families came out to the game. Ryan rarely gets minutes, but tonight he started and played the full 90.

And Ryan scored a goal!

It was the goal that put SAFC in the lead in the 2-1 match. It was an exciting slam from 8yards out, screamed just over the heads of the mob of players that had been scrambling for a rebound. It hit the back of the net like it wanted to rip through. The team came from all points of the field to celebrate Ryan, but they had to chase him. Then they just stood and watched. Ryan ran over to the fan side waving to HIS players. There were bunches of them at the game, all wearing red shirts. The red shirts swarmed across the stands and streamed down to the guard rail. Ryan reached his upper body across the barrier and "fell" into the mob of ecstatic screaming little boys. They all wanted to hug and jump on RYAN! There was probably 50 kids in that flash mob. I've only seen a rush to the stage like that at a rock concert. Ryan was their rock star. It was very moving to see their joy at his big soccer moment--Goooooooaaalll!