By: Tam Nguyen, Staff Writer

I have a low tolerance for pain and hardship. Somehow, I managed to become the sole goalkeeper on my high school’s girl’s soccer team, the only position that I was half decent at. I took a few balls straight into my face, and ended up with a bloody nose on my first match and broken glasses on my second one. After that, I quit, bruises and all, but at least I had an honourable reason as to why I joined in the first place. 

Back in high school, my friend and I went to My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, to watch a women’s soccer game. The two competing teams were mainly trying to train their rookies. There wasn’t much of an audience compared to the men’s soccer game, as people in Vietnam didn’t take women’s sports very seriously. 

As the game progressed, a golden haze lit over the stadium. Soft laughter floated here and there, as people were more absorbed in their thoughts than the game. The background was a blur. Spending the night with my friend and enjoying the fall breeze was all that mattered, until the referee blew the whistle aggressively, the sound a sharp “tweet!” signaling something exciting was happening. The goalkeeper successfully saved a very dangerous, upper-corner shot from the striker on the left wing. It pulled the audience out of their heads, drawing their attention back to the field. It was a badass moment saturated by her outfit — a bright yellow uniform and short hairstyle. I liked the way the audience seemed to awaken from sleep to catch the euphoric moment where they didn’t know if she could save it or not. 

I didn’t even know this goalkeeper’s name, but it was enough to spark a curiosity in me to try out something new — something that, over time, has turned out positively for me. As a goalkeeper, I had good moments with my coach and team, and I was especially fond of my neon catching glove and the late evening dinners. Admittedly, the coach knew I was a lost cause since the tryout, but there weren’t enough girls signed up to the team, so he decided I could become the goalkeeper. It was a very fun experience to me, and the cardio and skill activities were very beneficial to my training. 

I guess this is a thank-you letter to the goalkeeper that night. Even though I didn’t become the next Alisson Becker, at least I tried something new (and I looked good with those soccer-sustained bruises on my face). I hope you are still playing and becoming famous, and I look forward to seeing you one day when Vietnam Women’s Soccer competes in the FIFA World Cup.