Hollywood Script

     June 10th 2008, a night that will live in infamy in my lifetime and a group of my boys, Hollywood United.  It was easily one of the best matches I have ever been apart of in my life, top 3...minimum.  Heres the play by play:

Hollywood United vs. Portland Timbers at PGE Park in Portland, First Round of the US Open Cup...

6:15am:  The troops fly out of lax on tuesday morning, the day of the match.  Everybody is in good spirits, we got new track suits (Puma), starbucks is being passed around, others are drooling on the seats at gate 31A and we are off to Portland.

7:00:  oh wait, there is a delay on the plane.  One of the engines isn't working correctly and the boys have to wait for our hotel beds another hour.   

9:20:  We land in Portland and can't wait for our beds, breakfast can wait.  

10:00-2:00:  Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

2:00:  The boys gather downstairs for a quality team lunch and pre-game meal at the hotel restraunt.  I had a pesto vegetable pasta dish and a few cups of joe and copious amounts of water.  

5:00:  Met downstairs in the hotel lobby and headed off to PGE Park

5:30-6:15pm: Boys get taped, pre game line up and speech and off to our warm up.

7:00: kickoff

     It was a match for the ages.  The boys fought like warrior poets (Braveheart).  After going down 1 nil midway through the first half Matty Taylor equalized just before half time from the pk spot.  The half time talk was classic United.  The boys believed we could go on and win the match without a doubt.  Anthony LaPaglia, our owner and famous actor (Without a Trace) came into the locker room with his actor buddies.  They just flew up on Pags private jet for the match and took off right after back to LA.  Once they entered the locker room it was hugs all around, laughs here and there, stories and a quality speech from Pags to get the boys up for the second half.  Then the final two minutes the gaffer gave us some tidbits here and there that we needed to work on and it was off to the races again.  

     The second half we didn't start how we wanted.  We quickly went down 2-1 on a soft header that we should have dealt with better.  Then what was clearly a make up call from the first half, the ref gave a soft soft pk to Portland and the chance to go up 3-1.  My boy Javier Barragan was in the nets and the fate of the team was on his shoulders.  Me and Javi played on Chivas USA together in 2005 and I can't tell you how stoked I am to be reunited with the man.  He is my cafecito brother as we always get a good cup of joe and conversation in on our travels.   Not to mention a quick congratulations on getting engaged and will be married in two months time.  Go on son.   

    Anyways Javi made a massive save to keep the boys alive and let the dream continue. Minutes later we were awarded another pk and like a true forward Matty Taylor stepped forward and bagged his second goal of the match, but most importantly leveled the score and gave a much need boost to the squads morale.  

     I entered the match shortly thereafter around the 65th minuted and came in on the right mid position.  Our stellar and rock in the back Nasser came out on the wrong end of an awkward challenge and did his ACL and MCL right as I was prepared to come in.  My thoughts are with Nas (Get Well Buddy).  We did some shuffling in the back and midfield and game on.

      After a back and forth last 25 minutes of the game we were put into dreamland.  In the 92nd minute, Earl the Pearl on maybe his 5th touch of the game got the ball on the top of the box,  put it on his patented left and buried it over the goalie and sent the squad into ecstasy.   We had just beaten the Portland Timbers, a professional team in the USL-1.  Not bad for an amateur squad, who are manager describes us as "a little better than a pub team."  

      When the whistle blew it just felt right.  The boys never had one doubt that we were going to lose this game, even when we first heard the draw.  And to top it off, lets just say the boys went big in downtown Portland afterwards.  You gotta love these pub teams right?

      So its on to Seattle for the 2nd round against the Seattle Sounders, also of the USL-1.  A far more proven and seasoned team, but I tell you what with these group of guys, anything is possible in Hollywood.