USA vs. Brazil-And events leading up to Friday-May 21, 1999 I have been talking with Amanda Cromwell (former USWNT member) about her coming and telling her story to my FCA group at school. Well, she didn't come because I told her not to drive an hour for 6 of us. So she told me to come early to Michelle and her's clinic on Friday . She said she'd talk to my friends and I if we got there early enough. So we got there early, but didn't see her. (I found out later that she was looking for me, but I'll get to that when I come to it.)
The clinic itself was ok, I guess. They showed us some strengthening drills and the infamous "ladder" which I hate by the way. Amanda, Michelle, and Lori Spitler and a few other guys demonstrated the things. Lori is an intern for the USWNT. She's the one I used to bug on the phone at the training center. She's their girl who does everything for them. (I've already claimed her job when she retires.) After Michelle and Amanda did some shooting (I can't describe the power of Mich's shot) they had kids lining up for autographs . Before she was even done talking there was a line 200 people long.
We didn't know if we wanted to stay for that long of a wait. So, I caught up with Amanda on her way over to the table. I told her who I was and she said she had looked for me before, but had no idea who I was and said I should've asked. I was too shy (for once in my life). =) She said she could talk to us now (well then). She's like, "Let's just walk past all of these people and up to the front." It was great. My friends and I were like, "HELL YEAH BABY!", under our breaths of course.
Michelle and Amanda were set up at a table. She invited us to sit down behind it with them and we could talk. What was I gonna say, "No?" Yeah right. So she autographed some stuff for us, and had Michelle do the same. For about a half hour we just chatted about whatever. NIKE vs. Adidas, she really didn't have an opinion although she was wearing NIKE. While she continued to sign stuff, I went and looked for Lori. I had seen her at games and the training camp, and I knew the name because I'd leave messages on the answering machine in Sanford, but I never put the two together. I found her and talked for a bit. I asked her if she'd be in our picture with Akers and Amanda. She said you don't want me in a picture, I just hang out with the team. I told her that was good enough for me. Hehe…so we took pictures with them (I'll have those scanned soon!). I noticed, something going on behind me (I was between Amanda and Michelle). I jumped away and asked what the heck was going on back there. It turns out that Michelle was giving her a wedgie! It was so funny. So we finished taking pictures, and we stayed and talked for a bit and I told them about my sign and that they would have to wave at me or something at the game tomorrow. They said they would. I got them all even Lori to sign my WWC shirt. Michelle was beat, you could tell. I asked them jokingly what they were doing for dinner. They said that would be fun, but they thought it best to go back to Lake Mary with Michelle since they were all riding together. That was a good enough reason for me. So I waved to them after we got out of the stadium as they got in their car. And we drove home about to pee our pants with excitement.
Saturday- May 22, 1999
Well it was the big day. I was so darn excited! I won't tell you about that afternoon when my little U8 and U10 teams gave me presents for the end of the season, including "Kicks" the beanie baby bear that had a soccer ball on it. I missed my last soccer game of the season to go to the game early. (They lost it turned out.)
We got to the game an hour and fifteen minutes early. We went into the stadium. There was a game between 2 youth teams (USA v. Brazil) going on. We got in the stands behind one of the goals to walk to our seats across the field, but so we could see who was where. I looked down to see most of the team leaning on a fence watching. I just sat and listened to them talk. They all started to head in the tunnel. Oh by the way Tiff wasn't with them or Mia or a few others. Lori picked up a bag and was walking in. I yelled to her even though she was only 5 feet down. She said hey, and I told her that I added her name and Cromwell's number to the sign. She just laughed and said she'd look for it.
So, I went over to my seat, which was great by the way. I hung my sign and sat and waited. It turns out a bunch of my friends and even my trainer and his girlfriend had seats near me so that was cool. Finally, the team came out to warm up. I yelled to Millie and she looked over and read the sign. She smiled and waved for a while. I thought she knew it was me.
The game was so great! They attacked my end of the field first half so I was happy. We got some ok pictures, not half as good as last time. Anyway, the game was physical from the start. Quite a bit of bickering between the two sides and the ref. (Poor ref.) I totally disagree with what JPD (I don't want to spell it out) and Wendy G. had to say. I don't think the ref had the game under control. I agree with Tony that the reffing sucked (needed some improvement). He let tensions get toooooo damn hot. Oh well…
Mia's goal was awesome! I stood up and said, this is it. I could see it in how she was moving. I knew she was gonna score. I held up my 108 sign. And she did it. She megged the poor Didi! FRICKIN AWESOME!!! I saw what she did, the running, the trade mark tongue out, that smile, how her eyes light up. She sprints away from half her team that's what's funny. The field players are running after her, and she's running away. The bench was empty before the goal, they could tell too. I was surprised they didn't stop the game for longer. I mean they made a whole presentation thing with the 100th goal for a good minute or two. Carla gave her the ball, and Mia waved and held it up but then the game went on. My friend Katie and I went hoarse we screamed so much!
The rest of the game was cool too. I almost had a heart attack with those 2 saves that Scurry had to make. The last goal was hard to see from where I was sitting. All I saw was Millie scoring and the ref sprinting over to us. I was like, where does he think he's going. Then I saw what he was running from...a VERY angry group of Brazilians. If I was him, I would've peed my pants! Anyway, he handed out some cards, when Carla and Mia ran over. You can't see Mia on the TV. She dragged a couple of the players away from the ref and talked to them. Words were exchanged although we were screaming too loud to hear them. Everyone was going nuts. (I just imagined what Mia was saying...) As the final whistle sounded all we could see was people jumping in front of the ref, and we saw one shove him. It was #3, the one we'd been yelling at all game. As she plodded out of the stadium close to us, we told her (as all good sports should) that she...sucked. We yelled quite loud too. So in response, she turned around, looking directly at my friend and I, and gave us the bird. Hehe, it was so funny. We couldn't stop laughing. I guess you had to be there...
When the game was over everyone went crazy. It was funny, the bench went nuts like it was a close game won at the last minute. They were jumping off the benches and hugging everyone. It took the players a while to even start doing any autographs. They were watching Mia get presented with something that I couldn't see. Eventually Lorrie Fair, Millie, and Akers came over. You could tell Akers was almost out of gas, so she left pretty quickly (after 5-10 min) Lorrie was down at the other end for quite a while, as well as Tiff. While I was patiently waiting for Tiff, I saw 2 people walking across the field. They both were looking right at me. I realized who it was when I smiled and waved. It was Amanda Cromwell and Lori Spitler. They hopped over the little barrier thing and we talked. They asked how we liked the game, and they said they wanted to take a picture of my sign (Since I added Lori's name and Amanda's # to it). So they stood in front of the sign and took pictures of it. I had already run out of film to get a picture of it. I told them how I brought brownies for the team (that Michelle and Ducar said I should) but that I wasn't allowed to bring them into the stadium. They said they thought that was crap. We talked for a bit about different things, and soon people started asking them to give things to Mia and stuff, so I told them they should probably get goin before they become the mail carriers for the team. On their way back over the fence, they both tripped and it was hilarious.
Lorrie Fair came by and since I already had her autograph, I just talked to her. I asked if she had ever finished the cross word puzzle (that she was doing when I first met her). She looked up and sorta remembered my friend and I. She laughed and said she does one everyday. Pretty soon they dragged her away. Finally, Millie was on her way over. The lady was pulling her away pretty fast. I'm thinkin, "She saw the sign, she just has to come over..." As she walked by you could see it liked clicked in her head. She stopped and said she had to do one more thing. She came over and was like hey, I almost forgot you. She reached up and shook my hand and asked how I liked the game. We talked about this and that and I had her sign my WWC shirt (which is only missing Julie Foudy). She thanked me graciously for the sign and I wished her good luck this summer. We waved as she walked away.
That was the most fun I've had at a USWNT game. The crowd was great (cause I was in it, j/k.) Mia broke the record. Millie had a goal and an assist. I had front row seats. People who I wanted to talk to, came over and talked to me. IT WAS AWESOME!!! Nothing more that I can say!
GOOD LUCK USA! Florida and myself is going to miss you while you're gone!
