Soccer, soccer and more soccer

Well besides working, going to school, church callings, paying the bills, and actually spending time with each other - Ben and I have become very busy with soccer. We both play on Tuesday nights in the Mesa Co-ed competitive league. Ben is goalie (and if we are lucky, sometimes plays on the field and scores for us) while I am his right fullback. On Wednesdays Ben plays goalie for a team in the Tempe league who has had some injuries and needed some help. I get to watch but if they ever need a girl I am always prepared! On Saturdays we play pick-up games (more informal with no refs) with people from our Tuesday night team and other random people. Last night - Monday - we played a pickup/kind-of-competitive/I-should-have-gotten-a-red-card game with some people from our team and some random team that thought they could beat us. It was fun and hilarious because this other team was all "Oh yeah they want to play us, scoff whatever." Not to mention they had all guys but one with 5 subs while we had 7 guys 4 girls and no subs. We ended up beating them 7-4 and it was quite amusing. This team we played would constantly be like, "Hey you're off sides, our ball" or "Hey that was a foul, our ball." Finally, I'm like alright you guys want fouls??... I'll give you fouls! It got a little heated in the 2nd half when this huge guy I am playing against is a retard and high-kicking the ball instead of using that bulbous head of his to go for the ball. Here I am 5 foot nothing with his a cleat near my face, so I put my hands up to protect my money maker. The ball hits my hands (luckily it wasn't his foot hitting my head!) and he's all, "Hand ball!" I'm like, "Dude, you're high-kicking it what do you expect me to do?" He said, "I didn't touch you." I'm like "Alright we playing that way?" Later on I happened to slide-tackle this guy as I'm going for the ball before it goes out of bounds. As we both hit the ground it goes off his foot and out of bounds. Our ball to throw in right? Nope! This other guys picks it up from their team to throw in. I say, "Whoa whoa it touched him last!" (pointing to my new friend Ahmed who is just getting up off the ground, dusting himself off and putting his shin-guards back into place.) Ahmed goes, "Well it was a foul but whatever." I was really fired up by now because this team was just ridiculous. It faired me well to get a little mad because I played better and we won. It's these kinds of games where we have no subs, are sprinting back and forth down the field, and win that make you love the sport.

Now that I have vented - sorry mother - here are some funs pictures from last year. Ben and I were only dating at this time and headed up to Colorado for Emilee's blessing when I still had my black-eye. The family and I all made jokes about how I may have received said black-eye other than from soccer. (coughBencough)



Right after the game. I was pretty ticked off. It happened when me and this dude both went up for a header. He happened to be taller than me and his elbow came down on my face.



I look like Sylvester Stallone with my slanted eye. "Adrian!!!!"



Me and my best friend Jayme. You can still see a little chubbiness when I smile.



Side view.



I think we were already in Colorado when we took this. The yellow stage of healing...

I'm proud to say no black-eye's yet this season! With my husband as the goalie I am trying to be careful when going up against another guy because if I happen to be limping afterwards, I fear for what Ben might do to that person. I'll try and take some pictures of Ben in goal tomorrow night so I don't look so narcissistic.