Forty-Three Year-Old Phenom Finds Ponytailed Recruit, Launches Lonegoal Lob Perfectly Past Pinkshirt

We walked past the smiling doorman and out onto the hustle and bustle of a rainy, dreary 32nd Street (between Broadway and 5th), and jumped into our hazard-lights-on car.  It was about 1030 AM. Cinco de Mayo.  A 1 or 2 block section of Manhattan vertically lined with over 100 Korean karaoke bars, clubs, spas, restaurants, shoppes, etc - Koreatown...I tipped the dude 2 bucks as he held the door - the same dude who just one day prior talked smack about Buffalo's weather when I told him where I was from - whatever...I gave the smack-talkin' Argentinian the tip anyway - oxymoronic (regarding the weather), in that we were nearly on our way to an absolutely beautiful Spring afternoon for some footy in Buffalo!

I took a rainy pic as we crossed the George Washington Bridge and shot a text to some Coyote-Mates that we were on our way to Sparky Adams Field - ETA 530 pm.  We pulled up at 528 and cut through the grass to get to the field.  Our shoes got muddy.

The thing is, I don't mind a little mud on my shoes, nor on my hands...In fact - to digress just a tad, I wish the folks who, once in a while or maybe quite often, beat the dead horse about our hallowed home field (an actual grass FIELD) - the Clarence Town Hall Park - being less than playable, would sack up, shut the kcuf up, and just play wherever the schedule dictates. [Futbol is played all over the world - with and without shoes, with flipflops - with all types of 'balls' - and on all types of surfaces]. so just play.  please. appreciate the game. please. and shut up.

We Coyotes arrived with numbers. Maybe 17.  With fresh new kits. Maybe 2. And with some new recruits. Maybe 5. And we came to play.  

The weather was beautiful.  The turf field was nice too.

We warmed up with confidence and with some pep in our collective step.  I suggested starting as we arrived (I was the 7th), but that didn't fly.  I found my familiar place on the bench...  

Our new black and grey kits are pretty nice.  I opted for XXL as last year's XL bordered on nut-huggers.  The XXL was very big - even for me - but I like the space, in fact, it brought me back to the nineties...

Needless to say, we came out pretty well.  I thought the first 10 minutes or so produced little for either team (Coyotes vs. Wolves), other than feeling eachother out.  We were missing a few starters (one showed up at halftime), but we are deeper this year than in the past few years, and we filled in nicely.

Once settled, we controlled most of the flow. 60-40 possession, I'd say.  I think we had a one or two opportunities, but only one strong shot to start (goalie for Wolves made the saves).  They had a couple but shot them wide and Lenny made the saves when necessary...Then, Kowi marveled a managerial masterpiece.  A move that will resonate in opening day Coyote-lore for seasons to come: 'Dave, go in for Brody in 2' -- I eagerly jumped up, 'Brody dig in, I'm comin in for u in 2 - give it 130%, bud, 10% more than your usual 120...' I went in.  3 minutes later, Clint, who played strong (physically and figuratively) all game - received the ball with strength on a space creating, shielding turn, near the top of the final third.  He darted a perfect pass to me - I attacked the ball from my perch near the left sideline, curved a one timer, through ball (about 5 feet off the ground) to newcomer Greg (who has a ponytail). The pass was flawless.  Greg outshouldered the defender (they were side be side the whole time), and just after the initial bounce, outraced the oncoming, pink-clad keeper, and neatly lobbed it up, over and in.  They smashed into eachother.  I think they both went down. I'm not sure, because I turned around and did the assist sign whilst sprinting towards our sideline.  Our 3 raucus fans went crazy.  I was winded after the sprint.  The goal was awesome.  Greg's cherry is popped.  That's all we needed.  The rest of the game is a blur.

1-0 final.

LP1 stopped everything.

david martinez wrote:

The thing is, I don't mind a little mud on my shoes, nor on my hands...In fact - to digress just a tad, I wish the folks who, once in a while or maybe quite often, beat the dead horse about our hallowed home field (an actual grass FIELD) - the Clarence Town Hall Park - being less than playable, would sack up, shut the kcuf up, and just play wherever the schedule dictates. [Futbol is played all over the world - with and without shoes, with flipflops - with all types of 'balls' - and on all types of surfaces]. so just play.  please. appreciate the game. please. and shut up.

I agree with the general sentiment here, but given that your home field is a stone's throw from many a million dollar house on a street that puts the 'rich' in 'Goodrich', I had to almost spit out my beer as I read this appeal to the humbleness of your home [non-]turf

Anyway, entertaining as always, Mr. Martinez. If you and Fritz and no one else post a recap for every regular season game, my O/U will prove sportsbook-quality

Thanks for the reply, Matt Marcin...z.

I appreciate the thing about the neighborhood - but fields are what they are... Rumsey, for example, was tough for years (up until a makeover 2 years ago), and it's in the neighborhood around some seven figure spots.  I just think we should all respect and appreciate and show love for the game, and play.  Play to win, but play, nonetheless.  a lot of folks around the world would, literally, cry to have the opportunity to play on any of our league's fields.  [from a personal perspective, I've played (pick up games) with some people (kids and adults), on small, concrete spots - most of them played without shoes, and a few with flip flops, and all they did (on multiple occasions) was laugh and appreciate the moment and the experience - this is/was mostly in South America -- Secondly, I've played in the Cosmo league in NYC for a couple years, and some of the fields were pretty bad - no one ever complained - and have played in different places with glass on the field (JH Williams during DSC days as well as with City Honors in the 90s, for example) and bumps etc, never complained]   granted, there are pro worthy pitches out there as well (where I/we have played) - here in buffalo, in nyc, and in south America, and all around - but let's just enjoy the good and the bad, and just play...

Hear, hear.

Having attended Buffalo's other CHS (Canisius), we used Rumsey for games/practice my freshman year ('99), also played at JH Williams a few times during JV. Combine those with LaSalle, used for varsity practice, and yeah none of our fields were in the greatest condition. These days I walk a lot near Rumsey/Hoyt Lake and it looked like they tore up the sod at Rumsey once again this offseason; not sure if this is a LaSalle situation where multiple efforts at 'improving' the pitch will be made to no effect (not that I expect that to happen at LaSalle this time around, once Ralph Wilson's 50 million dollar gift gets put to use)