For those who did not travel to nationals, here is a summary of what might encourage you to travel next year. We played excellent football, but more importantly, had a fantastic time. We’ve come a long long way in 18 months, thanks to everyone involved. We had men’s football, hurling with the Southeast team, and Ann and Sarah playing with Detroit.
The setup at the fields themselves was far better this year in Cleveland, the surface was much better, and mid 80s was a lot better than mid 90s.
In the first game on Friday, we matched a very strong DC team from general play and only let them slip by us with a few easy goals. This DC team and San Diego had to then pull out of the junior B division because they had senior sanctioned players (senior club players over for the summer) which they decided to play against each other since they travelled (who did not play against us it has to be said). They just played each other twice in a “premiere B division”. After much arguing in the main tent, Charlotte elected not to play their only senior sanction (Eddie), and went on to win the junior B division very easily.
Steve, Tim, myself and John McNeilly all acquitted ourselves very well with the Southeast hurling team against San Diego a while after the first football game.
We had a great club night out on Friday, and then people either went to the fields and/or to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and downtown on Saturday.
Sarah and Ann played full games with Detroit on Saturday and Sunday, and played very well in both games. Charlotte ladies B team pulled out of the competition late on Thursday night, so it all worked out well that Sarah and Ann were allowed to play with the Detroit ladies team.
On Sunday morning, a postponement of our shield semi final (without telling us!) meant we could watch possibly the best Gaelic football game of all time in Kerry vs Dublin. Hard luck to the Kingdom!
We returned to the fields at 1pm to beat a Pittsburgh team (with illegal intermediate players) by a point or two in a game in which we played some very smart football.
We then squared up against San Diego in the shield final, in a repeat of the shield semi final from last year which we won by a point with a last gasp goal. They were not allowed to play their senior sanctions on Sunday and it made for a much better game. The game ebbed and flowed with both teams taking the lead several times. no team was head more than two points then entire game. Unfortunately San Diego got their revenge on us for last year, as the whistle blew at a time when they had temporarily taken the lead by a single point. It was one hell of a game of football, and we were very disappointed to lose it of course, but proud of how well we played in all three games.
If we were disappointed, we didn’t show it much on Sunday night! We had some craic in the Brew Garden – confidence boosting odes from Eddie, suicide shots (which have now gone viral in Philly I can see from Mark’s facebook post), double suicide shots, singing, shouting in imitation of singing, new nicknames, lots of banter.
I’m just about recovered by now from the celebrating and the games, and I’m sure other people struggled the last few days too. It was all very worth it though.
I did note that Charlotte travelled to nationals with a full panel yet again, unlike us. Only one of their players did not travel (their goalie with the huge kick), and that is because his college soccer team would not allow him to play. I know people are busy and have legitimate reasons, but you heard it here first – we have a tournament next Labor Day in Boston! If you can only give up one weekend next year to GAA – try make it that one. And if you can’t make it next year to Nationals, please try come out to training and the other tournaments. Having fun is the main thing of course, but I can’t imagine the craic if we travelled up to Nationals next year and actually won it too!
