#8 Nearing the Summit

[norththegreatestshowman]

CT7

Music to listen while reading this

The final whistle blew three times at Nelson Mandela Stadium.

A section of the stadium, decked out in red and white, roared with joy. A commentator shouted, his voice trembling with excitement:

"And Pyrénées Union have reached the summit of the WSFC! They are victorious in the Final here. 5-4 is the final score. They have defeated Central Europe!"

Hohenhahn collapsed onto his back painfully, breathless. He fell short, again. He buried his first tears in his hands. He had come so close to victory. The pain burned within him. Everything had slipped again through his fingers in the final minutes: the World Cup title, which would have been the first team title of his career, his first time winning the Golden Boot, and his pride. Fate had been all the more cruel to Thomas because all of this had been taken from him by his greatest rival.

Central Europe had managed to overcome Shaheen's solo runs for Eurasia, Eastern Europe's cunning, Norden's collective strength, and Beneccio Aguilera's defensive solidity for Central America. Hohenhahn had helped build a young and cohesive team, even going so far as to act as an ambassador to encourage dual-nationality players to join his squad. Many had rejected him, arguing that he wouldn't betray their nation for what was, at best, a dark horse. They resented them, and perhaps it was this rage that had driven him to perform so well as an individual.

His legs ached, and he felt dizzy. In the distance, he saw the Pyrenees players celebrating with their coaching staff in front of their home crowd, Julian Rubio's smile sparkling in the flashes of the hundreds of cameras capturing the moment. He hated that smile. He reached out toward this happiness that seemed unattainable, before letting it fall back onto the stadium's turf. The tears began to flow again.

A pair of legs and an outstretched hand appeared. It was Gerd Klose, the eldest of the team, one of the stars of his childhood, and one of those for whom this was most certainly his last World Cup. His face was tired and covered in bits of grass stuck to his skin by the dampness. He was smiling.
"Get up, captain. The team needs you."

Thomas was groggy like a boxer on the verge of being knocked out and he struggled to grasp his attacking partner's hand. Breathing felt difficult, almost painful. Once on his feet, he followed the gaze of his elder and idol.He looked at the other players on the team, devastated by the defeat. Florian Gaisberg, Zoe Clarke, Day Walker, Samson Okoro...

Most of them seemed exhausted, lost, or crushed by grief. The one who seemed to be struggling the most was the goalkeeper, Askito Satoshi. It had been a good five minutes, but he was still on his knees, face down, his face in his hands. As he approached, he could hear him speaking Japanese through his gloves. Thomas didn't know the language, but it didn't matter. The poor fellow was inconsolable and cursed himself for not having been strong enough.

Hohenhahn placed his hand on the goalkeeper's shoulder. The latter looked up from the ground for the first time since the final whistle. His eyes, like his voice, betrayed immense distress. In sobbing English, he cried out:

"I'm sorry, boss, I'm sorry..."

He took a deep breath, which seemed to require a tremendous effort.

"It always ends with the goalie missing the ball, I'm the one blame..."

Thomas helped him to his feet with difficulty. Leading him along, he gestured frantically to the rest of the team, urging them to stand. Gradually, everyone joined them, and together they walked towards the supporters' section. They, too, were devastated. Almost everyone there was crying or had cried. Together, the players raised their hands and eyes to the stands to applaud everyone who had supported them on this incredible journey.

Thomas was nearing the peak of his career, but he had only managed to pick up two minor individual awards, and nothing for the team. Now, he was racing against time to make history for his team and himself, and enormous obstacles still lay ahead.

Approved - Abba really makes me feel your pain here. 

[Jiggy]

CPT #7

Reaching the pinnacle of one’s career is bittersweet.

On the one hand, you are at the peak of your game. You are still benefiting from all the time that you have invested into training. The running. The weights. Plyometrics. Skills training. Video sessions. The gamut. Everything you have done has made you a better player. Bigger, stronger, faster, more fluid, more reactive, more natural.

On the other hand, when you have reached the summit of a mountain, the path before you only goes one direction – downward. Father time is undefeated, and eventually he comes for all players.

George Shaheen knows that his time at the peak of his game is now limited. Soon, his skills will begin to diminish, no matter how much work he seeks to put in to improving. It’s just the nature of aging and of life.

But that does not mean Shaheen cannot still enjoy the view from where he is.

Shaheen has been blessed to spend his entire career as a proud member of the Reykjavik United Organization, cutting his teeth with the North Shore United minors club before making the ascension in his third professional season to the major leagues.

He has enjoyed thrilling successes in that time. A league championship. A cup championship. The opportunity to represent Eurasia on the world stage. And a handful of individual recognitions and honors along the way. It’s truly been an amazing career – far better than he could have imagined when he was just a boy with a ball and a dream in the small village of Hamat, Lebanon.

Shaheen has also tasted the bitter pill of defeat. Of entering seasons with high expectations and failing to live up to them, both individually and as a team.

No season may have been more disappointing than the last, which despite being one of Shaheen’s best statistically was absolutely the worst team finish he had been a part of since his majors career began.

Time is fleeting, but Shaheen really wishes to help propel Reykjavik back to the top of the majors table one last time before he ultimately must hang his cleats up for good.

At this point in one’s career, records and solo accomplishments mean little. Above all else is the glory of a championship. There is nothing like that feeling when the final whistle blows on the pitch and you look your teammates in the eye, acknowledging together that you have accomplished that very thing that you have spent uncountable hours working toward together. Of filing into the locker room and popping that first in an endless series of bottles of champagne to celebrate. Of calling home to family to share in the fact that “we did it!”

That, alone, is what Shaheen would like to accomplish one more time before he decides to call it an SSL career.

Approved - Shaheen has a been blessed with lot of accolades. Best of luck for the remainder of your career!

[donut]

CPT #7

When União São Paulo called Julian Rubio's name as the first overall pick in the S18 SSL Draft, the weight of that moment was impossible to ignore. An Andorran striker walking into a club that had managed just one win across three seasons. It was the rebuilding challenge of a lifetime, but that's what made it special. From day one, there was something different about that S18 group. Joao Peixoto organized the backline with a veteran's composure. Benecio Aguilera III, initially sent down to the minors with AS Paris, wasted no time making his mark by leading the French side to title glory before earning his place in the senior squad. They were just rookies, but they believed in something together.

S19 felt like the turning point for Rubio. A title challenge that nobody, including São Paulo, saw coming, falling just one game short of the trophy. Coming so close to glory stung, but that miss lit a fire that never went out. Two cup wins followed, proving São Paulo was a force to be reckoned with. And finally, in S22, they claimed what they'd been chasing all along, the majors league title. Then came the World Simulation Football Classic, where Rubio not only led the Pyrenees Union alongside teammate Roquefort Cotswold to first place, but also claimed the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer. On the biggest stage the SSL has to offer, he was the best player in the world.

Individually, the numbers speak for themselves. 105 major goals, sixth all-time, and 143 career goals overall, a tally that continues to grow with each passing season. But despite all the success, Rubio isn't content with the career he's had so far. He wants to build a legacy with São Paulo, which means more titles, more records, and even more goals. The club took a shot on him, and he intends to devote the rest of his career to returning the favor.

Approved  - A fantastic career reaching it's peak. Still lots to come I'm sure!