Let the Games Begin (& End)

Last time you heard from me, I started my blog with the line, “Life comes at you fast.” And while the creative writer in me is shuddering at my utter lack of originality, the truth is that the past month and a half has reinforced this statement tenfold. So I’m here to tell you, once again– life really does come at you fast. Only this time, life has moved so quickly that the entire purpose of my journey to Vietnam, the AWCL Tournament Group Stage, has already come & gone! 

I was #lockedin during the span of the tournament, so I only documented bits and pieces of the experience in real time (which I’ll share at the end of this post). Sometimes, you get too busy living that you don’t get around to writing about it in a timely fashion. But we’re here now, and BOY, do I have some stories to share! 

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at each game of the tournament from my POV. ⤵️

Game 1: 10/06/2024 vs. Taichung Blue Whale (Taiwan), 3-1 W

The first game of the tournament carried the same kind of energy as the first day of school– a buzz of anticipation and excitement underscored by a sense of familiarity. Returning to the known, but taking in the differences: a new class (team), a new wing of the building (or part of the world), a new air. The beginning of a new story.  

After being sidelined for so long, you can imagine that I was raring to go. It would’ve been easy to get swept up in the emotions of it all. But before the game, I made a singular promise to myself: to stay in my body. To really be there. 

I’ve spent spells of my career trapped in my own head, missing moments. But when you spend an entire year fighting for a chance you aren’t even sure you’ll ever get to play the game you love again–  and then you actually get it— you don’t want to miss a thing. And I didn’t. 

We won 3-1 against Taichung Blue Whale, the team from Taiwan, in a complete team performance. After a back-and-forth first half that ended 0-0, we came out of the gate FIRING in the second half. We scored goals in the 50th, 65th and 67th minute– two of which I assisted.

Throughout that game, I felt the same type of joy that I did while playing as a little kid (see: our goal celebration photo above for evidence). Even a ball to the face, resulting in a black eye that I sported for the remainder of the tournament, couldn’t keep me from smiling so big that my cheeks hurt.

Afterwards, I was bursting with gratitude (yes, I know, again)– for the new perspective I had on the game, the way football continues to be fun after two decades of playing and the journey that brought me all this way. Who would’ve thought?

Game 2: 10/09/2024 vs. Odisha Women (India), 3-1 W

I call this one, “the rain game.” And it was a WILD one. 

One thing you get used to while living in Ho Chi Minh City is the constant threat of a torrential downpour. On any given day, you can expect to spend at least an hour or two inside, dodging the rain. But on this day, the rain just. kept. coming. In the morning, we watched the storm roll in through our hotel-room windows and waited for it to pass. It never did. By the time our 7pm kickoff rolled around, the field was completely flooded.

The downside to playing in Vietnam is that the country hasn’t invested *that much* in women’s football. So when the field teetered on the brink of being deemed unplayable, we had no other choice but to play on it anyway. There wasn’t an alternative venue. But as they always seem to do, my team took everything in stride.

We had to warm up on the track surrounding the pitch wearing sneakers in an attempt to preserve the field. I didn’t properly strike a ball until the game actually began. And when I did, my first driven pass– which was intended to travel twenty yards to my teammate– stopped dead in its tracks when it hit one of many giant puddles that turned the pitch into a minefield of sorts. With each step, my cleats sunk several inches into the “grass” that could be more accurately referred to as mud. It was borderline comical.

In those types of situations, you just have to laugh and remind yourself that every person on the field is in the same position, dealing with the same conditions. And at the end of the day, it’s your job to find a way to win. 

We scored a goal off of a corner kick in the first minute, which helped alleviate the stress that accompanied the field conditions. After 95 minutes of ugly, choppy soccer (and several shameless mud slides), we came away with another 3-1 win and a guaranteed path out of our group.

My post-game experience was a mix of exhaustion and pride. Covered in mud and soaked to the bone, I collapsed into the outstretched arms of my teammates. We did it!

Game 3: 10/12/2024 vs. Urawa Reds (Japan), 2-0 L

Our final game of the tournament posed an exciting challenge: Urawa Reds are the champions of Japan, which historically boasts the most successful women’s football teams in Asia. Japan is currently ranked 7th in the world, but throughout the past two decades, they’ve been amongst the best in the world.

Going into this game, we had nothing to lose. We were underdogs, and thanks to our two previous wins, we were already guaranteed an appearance in the knockout rounds. For any footballer, that’s a dream scenario. You can play freely. Plus, it’s always fun to play against a really high-level opponent and see how you stack up against them.

Our opponent certainly lived up to my expectations of Japanese football. They moved the ball quickly from one side of the pitch to another, combining in one or two touches and interchanging between lines. In an attempt to fend off their attacking prowess (they had a +19 goal differential at this point in the tournament), we sat in defensively and tried to take advantage of transition opportunities. 

We created a few scoring chances this way, but our opposition dominated possession and finished two of their opportunities in the 25th and 50th minutes– resulting in a 2-0 loss for us. We were obviously disappointed to drop the result in our final game of the group stage, but that disappointment soon wore off as we shifted our focus to the future: we made it to the next round! 

Despite the loss, we spent the night celebrating: we achieved what we’d set out to do. We’d have the chance to continue our AWCL journey next March in the knockout rounds. And, perhaps most meaningful of all, we’d made Vietnam proud on an international stage.

Một, hai, ba, YO! (This is how you “cheers” in Vietnam.)

From the Archives: Pre-Tournament Thoughts & What It Means

In my journal, I wrote the following just before the opening game of the tournament…

I cannot wait to get out on the field and compete. 

It’s hard to describe what it means to me on a personal level, especially after everything I’ve gone through to get back in this position. I think back to my 6am swim workouts every Monday/Wednesday/Friday of this past winter– getting lapped by the 70-year-old swimmers at my local YMCA. I’d come up gasping for air after 50 yards, wondering how the hell I’d ever get back to competing on the soccer field when I couldn’t even compete with Sharon, the ex-high school swimmer and proud grandmother of seven who absolutely dominated lane two.

I didn’t know if I’d make it to this point, but for whatever reason, I kept showing up. I thought I was insane at the time– with my nose plug and doggy paddling (have I mentioned I’m a terrible swimmer?) and bright red eczema breakout on my eyelid from the pool’s chlorine. I hated every second of it. 

But being here in this moment: I am grateful for my insanity, and for whatever made me keep showing up.

May I carry at least a little bit of this reckless, courageous, undeniable faith with me forever.