2023-12-01, 04:26 PM - Word count:
CAIRO, Egypt -- The inaugural Simulation Soccer League Minor League season came to an end for Cairo City on Friday, in the form of a 4-2 home loss against Seoul Mythic.
With what can only be described as a middling season officially in the past, the Pyramids can turn their attention to diagnosing the good and bad from their campaign in an effort to build for next run.
It’s also a chance for the players to reflect on their performance over the term. And in that regard, rookie left back Jude Greer says he has a lot to think about.
“Man, that was a great run,” Greer said, grinning. “I mean, yeah, I could’ve played better, and we didn’t really do all that well, but just being able to play soccer for a living is incredible. I never would’ve thought I’d get this far. Got a lot of stuff to think about, too, so hopefully I just keep getting better.”
It was a season of growing pains for the young fullback from Sewanee, who only registered one goal contribution all season in the form of an assist on opening day. Outside of that strong debut, Greer, much like the rest of the team, struggled to find consistency throughout a very up-and-down campaign. Though he’s recorded as not making any mistakes directly leading to goals and has only received one booking in fourteen matches, less charitable pundits have seized on Greer’s intermittent positioning and movement errors as evidence of the fourth overall draft selection being a “bust”.
“Rome wa’n’t built in a day, y’all,” Greer says, his trademark smile briefly giving way to mild frustration. “I knew it was gonna take a little while to get up to speed, so I ain’t too concerned with not putting a lot of numbers on the board. Just wish Paul ‘n the others would get that.”
The diminutive left winger here refers to part-time pundit and full-time glue inhaler Paul Merson, who for reasons unknown to even this writer seems to have made it his life’s mission to antagonize Greer at every turn. The latest salvo came not long after the final whistle blew in Cairo on Friday, when Merson posted a video on Twitter* consisting solely of all of what the former Arsenal player apparently perceived as Greer’s most glaring defensive mistakes over the course of the year. The video was accompanied by a caption reading: “So ends the most laughable first season for a professional defender I’ve ever seen. My advice, @Jude_Greer3? Take up ice hockey. You’re skating all over the place anyhow.”
Dime-store analysis notwithstanding, the end of Season 12 brings with it another first: the debut of the World Simulation Football Classic, or WSFC. The new competition will see SSL players take the pitch to represent their national or international federations. In an unexpected turn of events, US Soccer, citing the wide disparity between the number of available roster spots and the amount of eligible players, released a statement earlier this week granting special dispensation on a first-come, first-served basis for any American SSL players wishing to temporarily transfer their eligibility to represent one of the other participating federations.
While many have expressed astonishment at the move, which would see talented American players instead turning out for the federation’s direct competition without voiding their future eligibility to play for the US, speculation has already begun as to which Yankees, if any, might make the temporary switch. This includes Greer, who kept mum on the subject Friday, despite being heavily linked to Cymru a Lloegr, the federation representing Wales and England. Greer would presumably play a more attacking role further forward were he to make the switch, as the Three Dragons already boast the likes of Buenos Aires’ Ask Jeeves in defense.
“My mom’s from England, and her dad—my Grampa Lloyd—was actually Welsh, so it’d make sense,” Greer conceded. “But I’m not saying one way or another yet. I’m still thinking about it.”
(661 words)
*I refuse to call it X even in fiction. Sorry not sorry. -Meta
With what can only be described as a middling season officially in the past, the Pyramids can turn their attention to diagnosing the good and bad from their campaign in an effort to build for next run.
It’s also a chance for the players to reflect on their performance over the term. And in that regard, rookie left back Jude Greer says he has a lot to think about.
“Man, that was a great run,” Greer said, grinning. “I mean, yeah, I could’ve played better, and we didn’t really do all that well, but just being able to play soccer for a living is incredible. I never would’ve thought I’d get this far. Got a lot of stuff to think about, too, so hopefully I just keep getting better.”
It was a season of growing pains for the young fullback from Sewanee, who only registered one goal contribution all season in the form of an assist on opening day. Outside of that strong debut, Greer, much like the rest of the team, struggled to find consistency throughout a very up-and-down campaign. Though he’s recorded as not making any mistakes directly leading to goals and has only received one booking in fourteen matches, less charitable pundits have seized on Greer’s intermittent positioning and movement errors as evidence of the fourth overall draft selection being a “bust”.
“Rome wa’n’t built in a day, y’all,” Greer says, his trademark smile briefly giving way to mild frustration. “I knew it was gonna take a little while to get up to speed, so I ain’t too concerned with not putting a lot of numbers on the board. Just wish Paul ‘n the others would get that.”
The diminutive left winger here refers to part-time pundit and full-time glue inhaler Paul Merson, who for reasons unknown to even this writer seems to have made it his life’s mission to antagonize Greer at every turn. The latest salvo came not long after the final whistle blew in Cairo on Friday, when Merson posted a video on Twitter* consisting solely of all of what the former Arsenal player apparently perceived as Greer’s most glaring defensive mistakes over the course of the year. The video was accompanied by a caption reading: “So ends the most laughable first season for a professional defender I’ve ever seen. My advice, @Jude_Greer3? Take up ice hockey. You’re skating all over the place anyhow.”
Dime-store analysis notwithstanding, the end of Season 12 brings with it another first: the debut of the World Simulation Football Classic, or WSFC. The new competition will see SSL players take the pitch to represent their national or international federations. In an unexpected turn of events, US Soccer, citing the wide disparity between the number of available roster spots and the amount of eligible players, released a statement earlier this week granting special dispensation on a first-come, first-served basis for any American SSL players wishing to temporarily transfer their eligibility to represent one of the other participating federations.
While many have expressed astonishment at the move, which would see talented American players instead turning out for the federation’s direct competition without voiding their future eligibility to play for the US, speculation has already begun as to which Yankees, if any, might make the temporary switch. This includes Greer, who kept mum on the subject Friday, despite being heavily linked to Cymru a Lloegr, the federation representing Wales and England. Greer would presumably play a more attacking role further forward were he to make the switch, as the Three Dragons already boast the likes of Buenos Aires’ Ask Jeeves in defense.
“My mom’s from England, and her dad—my Grampa Lloyd—was actually Welsh, so it’d make sense,” Greer conceded. “But I’m not saying one way or another yet. I’m still thinking about it.”
(661 words)
*I refuse to call it X even in fiction. Sorry not sorry. -Meta
![[Image: f3PLeZn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/f3PLeZn.png)
