The Champions League of my own
Saturday June 9, 2012 Fortuna Hjorring defeats Brondby IF 3-0 to qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League - "sick, sick, sick"
Thursday August 23, 2012
Fortuna draws Glasgow City FC for the Round of 32 - "awesome, let's find out everything we can about them -youtube!"
Wednesday September 26, 2012
GAME DAY - "it's time"
We stayed over night in Scotland, just outside of Glasgow. Nothing to write home about. In fact, I had never been more excited to get back to Denmark.
I had joked all week about the UEFA Champions League theme song being played wherever we went. Like you would imagine for the men's teams and in some crazy fantasy world that doesn't really exist. But someone told me the song wasn't played, or it wasn't allowed to be played. So I quickly forgot a cool moment that wouldn't be.
I was walking out onto the pitch with the rest of the team. We all had little kids next to us with Champions League shirts on. My kid couldn't stand still for two seconds. That's all I was thinking about. Why won't this kid just stand still? And why do I always get the tallest kids in front of me? I'm 5'3!
Anyway, I was standing there. And all of a sudden I got chills. I actually got chills before I realized what was giving me chills. And then there it was. The Champions League theme song. The song I have listened to for so many years watching the men's competition on TV, DREAMING of an opportunity like that. Like when you're young, you don't realize that you dream about things that are mostly for men. You just think by that time it will be waiting for you. Â (I totally thought I'd wear a SF Giants jersey one day).
And then it hit me. I was playing in one of the biggest tournaments in the world. For a team I love. For coaches I'm proud to play for, and more importantly, with players and friends that I admire and respect so much.
We played two matches against Glasgow City. The first game we won 2-1 and the second we tied 0-0, sending us to the Round of 16. Yes, the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. We are one of the top 16 teams in Europe.
Okay. So, like McKayla, I'm not impressed with too many big things. I'm more impressed with my socks having the perfect fold for a game. Or if an announcer pronounces my name correctly (WYMER).
But I will never forget the feeling of standing in front of the crowd while that song was playing... a moment that, if only for a few seconds, will always remind me that if we didn't bust our ass prior (June 9), would never have happened.
I don't really believe in fate and all that junk. (sorry to all the believers) but it's just hard to think that I was supposed to be in that lineup on that day in Scotland. That I'm even supposed to be in Denmark right now. Still playing soccer at 28 years old.
If fate had its way, I'm pretty sure I would have been done playing by the time I was 24.
Why? Because fate is all the things that tries to stop you from doing what you want to do. If I gave in to every obstacle, everything that tried to get me to do what I didn't want to do, that would have been my fate. I would have taken the road that was paved for me.
But I didn't. And I never will. Because anything that gives you chills in this life, is worth jumping through rings of fire for. Rings of freakin fire. And I mean Johnny Cash emo country song fire. Not circus fire.
Because even if I get burned on my jump, I'll still always get through the ring. I'll get to the place that I'm not supposed to see. Living the life I'm not supposed to live. And be that person that I was never supposed to be. Every. Single. Time.