A Wednesday Evening Soccer Celebration!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

By: David Burgin

Every game of soccer, or football, is a celebration. Whether taking place in the grandest of stadium, on a school field, or in the park with trashcans for goals, when the booted, sneakered and barefooted amongst us meet with like minded celebrants, life sighs happily. Tonight’s match between The Black and Gold and LA should find the players on the field, and all in attendance, intimately united with the long sigh which begins when the whistle sounds and the ball rolls.

Tonight there will be thousands in the stands, and they will be watching twelve starters, boots laced up, wearing The Columbus Crew colors. The twelfth man will sprint from end line to end line. He will cover the ground between the west stands and the east stands as if breathing from the energy created by every person in attendance.

When that twelfth man first kicked a ball he unwittingly became part of the infinite sigh. He became part of a group without a leader. He became part of a group which meets millions of times a day all over the world. He became part of a group with only one goal; grab hold of the intimate, uniting sigh and pour every drop of creativity, energy and love swirling within us into the sigh.

When that twelfth man first kicked a ball he forever found a place in the hearts of those who played before him, those who played with him and those, not yet born, who will play long into the infinite sigh. For within the sigh reside all who have willingly immersed their soul in soccer’s whisper.

The Columbus Crew host the Los Angeles Galaxy tonight. Kick-off is scheduled for 7pm. The game will be broadcast on Major League Soccer’s newest affiliate, NBC Sports Network.

The Crew still have it all to do…

Cheers!