Tri-City Herald Logo

McGrath: Fantasy camp becomes reality show for fill-in goalkeeper | Tri-City Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Local News
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Hanford
    • Northwest
    • Nation & World
    • Obituary Listings
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Health
    • Weird
    • Photos
    • Weather
    • Videos
    • Sports
    • Local Sports
    • Preps
    • Prep Countdown
    • Seattle Seahawks
    • Seattle Mariners
    • Tri-City Americans
    • Tri-City Dust Devils
    • Tri-Cities Fever
    • Hydros
    • Photos
    • Outdoors
    • Blogs
    • College
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLS
    • Golf
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Public Records
    • National Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Local Arts
    • Celebrity
    • Mr. Movie
    • Movie Times
    • Movie News
    • Music News
    • Calendar
    • Submit Event
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Contests
    • Living
    • Food & Wine
    • Wine Press NW
    • Antique Appraisals
    • Health & Science
    • Home & Garden
    • Light Notes
    • Religion
    • Spiritual Life
    • Births
    • Engagements
    • Weddings
    • Anniversaries
    • Opinion
    • Letters
    • Editorials
    • National
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Submit Letter
    • Guest Columnists
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Sounders FC

McGrath: Fantasy camp becomes reality show for fill-in goalkeeper

JOHN MCGRATH; STAFF WRITER

    ORDER REPRINT →

July 19, 2010 12:00 AM

For about a half hour Sunday, Jordan Jennings was enjoying the sort of afternoon extended to the recipient of a charity auction item.

Jennings, the full-time goalkeeper for the Tacoma Tide of the Premier Development League, had a sideline seat for the Sounders’ friendly against Celtic.

Not only could Jennings watch the exhibition, he had access to the locker room and was invited to participate in pregame warm-ups.

In exchange for those perks, Jennings was on call in the improbable event the Sounders needed a backup for goalkeeper Terry Boss.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Tri-City Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

It was Boss’ time to substitute for the mildly injured Kasey Keller, who needed a breather after a grueling shutout performance against D.C. United on Thursday.

Jennings fantasy-camp experience took a drastic turn in the 29th minute, when Boss took a red card for what referee Paul Ward interpreted to be a tackle of Celtic’s Georgios Samaras during a breakaway.

Although the common-sense call would’ve been to allow the goal – despite the interference, Samaras’ shot went into the net – Ward, adhering to the literal letter of the law instead of the spirit of a friendly, issued the red card that put the Sounders at a one-man disadvantage for the rest of the game.

The more immediate predicament belonged to Jennings, a 25-year-old graduate of Stadium High School and former goalkeeper at Seattle University. Without taking a practice shot, Jennings found himself facing a penalty kick from Samaras, a striker for Greece’s national team.

“I remembered him from the World Cup,” said Jennings. “I was like, ‘Wow, the long-haired Greek guy is actually taking a penalty on me now?’

“Unfortunately, I guessed the wrong way.”

After allowing the goal that gave the Bhoys a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in their 2-1 victory, Jennings could’ve been forgiven for succumbing to a case of stage fright. But the daunting challenge never got the best of him.

“I saw the red card come out and I was nervous,” said Jennings. “I thought, ‘oh, my gosh, is this really happening?’ Then you make a couple of plays and it all kind of just goes away. I started feeling more comfortable than I ever thought I would be. The butterflies went away as soon as I made my first save. It was all right from there.”

Still, some 17 hours after he took the field at Curtis High School for the Tide’s game against the Washington Crossfire, Jennings found himself facing one of the most recognized soccer teams in the world, before Qwest Field crowd of 45,631.

“A little bit of a different of atmosphere,” Jennings said.

Yeah, a little.

“Saturday night he played in front of 25 people. Today he stepped onto the field and played in front of 45,000,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “For a kid who is not normally on our team and has been playing PDL, which is a couple of divisions below, I thought he did quite well. He came up with a couple of good saves and snagged a perfect one going to his left.”

Schmid’s tone was more dire earlier in the day, when he presumed the red card left the Sounders with no chance to compete.

“The guy scored the goal – the referee could have let the goal count. Nobody needed to come back for the penalty,” said Schmid, who left the sideline to plead his case to Ward.

And how’d that go?

“He told me he had blown the whistle so he needed to call the penalty,” continued Schmid. “I said, ‘So you need to red-card the guy?’ He said those were the rules. I said, ‘So you ruined the game for 40,000 people?’”

Despite the referee’s tone-deaf response to the circumstances, the red card didn’t so much ruin the game as provide it with a hot-button moment.

Instead of packing it in after the controversy, the Sounders answered their one-man disadvantage with energy and a sense of purpose. And when David Estrada’s explosive kick in the 66th minute cut the Celtic lead to 2-1, the exhibition match turned into the kind of theatre that left nobody disappointed in the effort.

As for the Accidental Goalkeeper, he returns to the Tide team owned by his father Mike. Tacoma’s 1-1 draw against the Crossfire on Saturday left it clinging to fading playoff hopes.

“Basically,” explained Jennings, “we need Kitsap to lose out, and we need to win out and beat them in the last game.”

Whatever happens, Jennings has a keepsake from Sunday: his “teammates” awarded him the game ball.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “I’ll remember this the rest of my life, for sure.”

john.mcgrath@thenewstribune.com

  Comments  

Videos

‘Tiny but mighty’ 7-year old girl leaves players, fans stunned with amazing national anthem rendition at Seattle Sounders game

Some Republicans were against executive power on immigration. Now they aren’t.

View More Video

Trending Stories

More snow possible in Tri-Cities this week. Travelers may want to stay home

February 18, 2019 05:35 PM

Brother attacks brother coming to Richland mom’s rescue

February 18, 2019 12:41 PM

All Tri-Cities Payless shoe stores now closing

February 18, 2019 12:29 PM

Chiawana overcomes weather, not enough hotel rooms to win 1st state wrestling titles

February 18, 2019 03:50 PM

South Richland mudslide

February 18, 2019 03:22 PM

Read Next

Celebrate good times: Sounders announce plans for a season-long celebration of 10 years in MLS

Sports

Celebrate good times: Sounders announce plans for a season-long celebration of 10 years in MLS

By Andrew Hammond

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 18, 2019 03:44 PM

On Monday, the Seattle Sounders announced a season-long celebration of 10 years in MLS.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Tri-City Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE SOUNDERS FC

2019 Sounders will look different even with Jordan Morris returning

Sounders FC

2019 Sounders will look different even with Jordan Morris returning

January 22, 2019 06:47 PM
Sounders introduce new jersey sponsor for 2019 season

Sounders FC

Sounders introduce new jersey sponsor for 2019 season

January 17, 2019 12:53 PM

Sounders FC

Manchester United, Club America stir strong emotions

July 16, 2015 06:37 PM

Sounders FC

Sounders await right move, not just any move

July 16, 2015 07:27 AM

Sounders FC

Friberg working on fitness and touch

July 14, 2015 06:12 PM

Sounders FC

Sounders reassess tactics, personnel during goal drought

July 13, 2015 07:14 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Tri-City Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Digital Solutions
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Contact Us
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story