Jude Greer Player Page
Career Task 1: Biography
Career Task 2: Rookie Season
Career Task 3: Media Day
Career Task 4: Versatility
[The following is a transcript from the post-match press conference following a recent United States Men’s National Team friendly. Jude Greer, a young left fullback, has just made his first appearance as a member of the national setup, and has been asked to address the media.]
GREER: Okay, let’s go. Hey, y’all, good to be here. Uh…fire away, I guess.
[general murmuring] Uh…how ‘bout you first?
REPORTER: Thank you. Lacey Burke, USA Today. First of all, congratulations on your first international appearance, Jude.
GREER: Thanks. It feels amazing. Y’know, in some places, they call ‘em “caps.” Never understood that. What, do they give ya a baseball cap every time?
[laughter] I bet Messi and Ronaldo must have a whole room full of nothin’ but ballcaps at this point.
[more laughter] Maybe they put ‘em in with their trophies or somethin’, I dunno.
BURKE: Well, in any case, it was a strong performance on your part, but ultimately a losing effort in what many predicted would be an easy victory. How does that result affect the occasion for you?
GREER: Well, I’ll be honest, it ain’t a great feeling to lose under any circumstances. But credit to the other guys for fighting back, they beat us fair. No excuses. But overall, though, I’m just glad to be here. I’ve been dreaming of playing for the USMNT for…well, shoot, my whole life, I guess.
[murmuring] Let’s see…how ‘bout you?
REPORTER: Skye Douglas, the Athletic. An assist on your international debut, not a bad way to announce yourself. Can you talk us through that play?
GREER: Sure. Love the accent, by the way. That Scottish?
[inaudible response] Yeah, figured. Well, back at Tokyo, I’m cutting out passes on the flank all the time. So when I saw their winger trying to make a run, I knew the ball was coming. So I just jumped in front, took the ball away and started running, and when I looked in the middle, I saw Weston [McKennie] breaking for the box. Wes’s a bit shorter’n Sky Ryze, but I figured that didn’t matter much, so I just hit it the same as I would for Sky. The finish was all Wes, though. Guy’s got a great header. We’ve been working on that in training for the last couple days.
[murmuring] Back in the back there.
REPORTER: Cameron Wallace, ESPN. That Weston McKennie goal came right before halftime, and it was the only shot on target for the USMNT in the first half. You and McKennie both were among the players brought off at halftime, and the US went on to lose 3-1. Do you think the manager got it wrong?
GREER: Look, I ain’t no tactician. My job is to go out there and put in the work while I’m on the field. I can’t do any more than that.
WALLACE: But 3-1? Against the Bahamas? Surely a more competent manager would have been able to win handily with this squad.
GREER: Hey, those Bahama guys are pretty good. Just because we’re the favorites don’t mean we automatically win. Soccer wouldn’t be fun if the favorites won all the time. Shoot, it’d be like if Manchester City won the Premier League every season.
[brief silence as Greer casts a knowing stare of disappointment through the fourth wall]
WALLACE: But if [USMNT manager Gregg] Berhalter and Gio Reyna
hadn’t gotten into that fight in the 56th minute--
GREER: Hey now, that’s three questions! Quit hoggin’ the spotlight and let someone else talk.
[murmuring] Uh…up near the front here.
REPORTER: Thank you. Trent Crimm, the Independent.
GREER: Hang on, ain’t you that guy from
Ted Lasso? I thought you weren’t real.
CRIMM: Neither is anyone else in this room.
GREER: Fair enough. Whatcha got for me, Trent?
CRIMM: You don’t seem especially bothered by the defeat today. Most players would be a bit more introspective after being defeated by an opponent so far below them in the FIFA World Rankings, and yet here you are, as sanguine as ever. Are you merely trying to put on a brave face, or does a loss like this truly not affect you?
GREER: Well, it’s a friendly, ain’t it? Sure, I’d have preferred to win, but it ain’t like they knocked us out of the World Cup. And sure, Gio and Coach both getting red carded sucks, ain’t no getting around that. And then there was the thing with Serge’s [Sergiño Dest] knee, and the own goal from Walker [Zimmerman], and it all just kinda went wrong.
[pause] But that just happens sometimes, y’know? My granny always told me, “when things go wrong, keep going right.” I never knew what exactly she meant by that, but to me it meant to keep doing your best even when things ain’t at their best. And that’s what we gotta do here. Tonight was bad, but there’s still good in it. I got to live my dream, I went out there and worked my ass off, and I got an assist for my country. Ain’t a lot of people that can say that.
[pause]
CRIMM: I see. Thank you.
GREER: Anytime. Think we got time for one more.
[murmuring] Uh…there.
REPORTER: Hello, Jude. Logan Osborne, from the Washington Post. On a recent episode of his podcast, pundit Paul Merson has alleged that—
GREER:
[interrupting] Nope, sorry, I was wrong, we’re out of time. Thanks, everyone.
[more murmuring, developing into widespread shouting]
[END OF TRANSCRIPT]
(910 words)
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Metafiction - I tip my hat to the delightful fourth wall breaks here.