High Hopes- Chapter 7:The Game

"I'm feeling glorious. The crib looking Victorian. You know that we been going in since we hopped out that Delorean. En garde, things are just things they don't make you who you are. Can't pack up a U-haul and take it with you when you're gone.  We posted on the porch, my family's glasses to the stars. My grandma's smiling down on me like 'Woo! That boy got bars'  Okay, okay Yes I do. I said Amen and hallelujah, let me testify too. Another morning, a morning don't let self get in my way. I got my breath, I got my faith and I remember why I came... We gon' be alright. Put that on my life. When I open my eyes, Hope I see you shine. We're planting a flag they don't understand. The world is up for grabs. I feel glorious, glorious. Got a chance to start again. I was born for this, born for this. Its who I am, how could I forget?" 

Before the song could end I had made it back to my seat.  To be honest, I have no idea if I got there before or after kick off. I think it happened while I was settling in. There was a lot to catch up on with my friends, who had all ate their dinner already and  kicked balls over to the goal coach countless times.  They also had, for the most part, completely abandoned the idea of actually sitting at the table, so I tried to eat my food, and then joined them standing. I didn't do well eating my food I was way too emotional and excited.

The game had started, Lydia Williams was like, not that far away from us, standing in the goal, doing the goalie thing, and I was cheering for the opposite team of not only the majority of the people in the stadium, but the entirety of my table.

I was, quite possibly, in this moment one of the messiest eaters of all time. I had to stand up when the action was at the opposite goal to see it properly, and I would get really excited and drop bits of my chicken pesto sandwich everywhere. 

The excitement just intensified by the fact that Daniella's favorite player is Jodie Taylor, and she really wanted her to score a goal. "I'm sorry Daniella, that's not going to happen tonight. Haley Kopmeyer is going to have a clean sheet. you will just have to come back for another game and see her score a goal then." I said. I believe I may have been called a name or two after this. Not really sure, but she wasn't a fan of me cheering for the other team. 

Brynn stopped by a time or two, as she was running around the field. The first time I was so excited about our seats, I asked her "Brynn, did you make this happen? or was it the soccer gods? how did I get the most perfect seats for the most Mandi day ever?"  she said it was the soccer gods,and I started crying again.

 once in the second half when Kop was in goal on our side she stopped by, shocked we still had not had a corner by us. we chatted for a moment and she gave me a hug and encouragingly told my table, "I'm sure you guys will see a corner here soon, and maybe even a goal." I may have screamed it. I'm not sure "No! that's ok. we don't need to see a corner that bad. I need Haley Kopmeyer to have a clean sheet tonight." she seemed shocked. 

Apparently she had missed out on all my endless rantings about this being Kops night. The good news is, that I didnt lose any friends over this and I think that says a lot about how wonderful my friends are. of course, I was so happy with how the day was going, that I was constantly granting everyone their dreams and wishes like I was a genie. "Don't worry" I assured Barbara, who is a major fan of Utsugi and Kawasumi, "We will go to the fan zone. you will meet your Japanese players. Danielle, you will meet Jodie Taylor. It's gonna happen. everyone gets their dreams tonight, unless they interfere with my dreams. I get all the dreams, and everyone else also gets a dream." I'm pretty sure I sounded crazy, but I meant it.

At halftime I ran up to get my Yanez jersey. I spotted my friend Orion on the sidelines and went to give them a hug. I'm pretty sure I hugged, cried on, and told just about everyone that I loved them at some point that evening. 

Katherine handed me my jersey, and I met up with Daniella to head back down stairs. as soon as I got there I realized I would not have another opportunity to go to the restrooms so I ran right back up. when I finally returned and settled into place Kop was in goal. I was too nervous to eat my cookie, or chips so I gave them away to my friends. 

I felt like if I ate anything there was a good chance I was going to throw up, because we had made it through an entire half without a goal.  There were a couple interesting and close moments for Kop that half. most of them were quickly handled and I returned to standing, in power pose to counter my nerves while I watched. 

"I'm sure it has a name" I told Hillary "but Im calling this one Mormon Power Pose, because it's how the second stood when they passed the sacrament." I had my hands clapped behind my back. "That reminds me of a post on Lisa's power poses in the 100. let me send it to you." Hillary said amused. she also sent me a video of Randy Johnson exploding a pigeon with a pitch. I don't remeber how that came up. 

What I do remeber was at 7:15 PM Haley Kopmeyer made a ridiculous save that we saw from exactly the side of it, until that damn linesman jumped in front and I had to maneuver a bit to see the rest. It would become save of the week. At the time I thought Jess fishlock had taken the shot. she had just assisted though, it was Naho that blasted it. It was a really great moment. some how, I had managed to get a video of it and capture myself making the strangest noise I have ever made in my entire life, followed by praising of the soccer gods. 

this was kind of the moment where my overwhelm became  more than I could handle, and I thought I was actually magical. I had revived my letter to Hogwarts and the world was mine. 

"Haley Kopmeyer is going to have save of the week. and she's going to have it off an insane save of an insane shot from Jess Fishlock."  I had been predicting for nearly a month now. Close. I was very close and mostly right. and that's still completely crazy to me.

"watch out for the 65th min." I kept telling my table team. "Things happen in the 65th. if someone is going to score a goal, it will be then." I informed them. 

The 65th minute had come and gone. It was the 80th Minute and no one had scored. I began to hope in a way I couldnt have before. the 90th minute came. stoppage time ended. the score was 0-0. Today, everything had gone my way. Tomorrow I was going to be exhausted.

"Do you want me to grab any players for you?" Vannya asked as he walked past our table on his way to get post game photos. He was there as media. 

"Jodie Taylor." Daniella said "and Haley Kopmeyer"   I added.