So its 3am in the morning, 4 and a half hours before opening kickoff, and I need some food to make it. Along with Uber260, Arsenal, and his girl, I headed over to Soup n' Burger in the east village, which besides being open 24 hours serves one of the best burgers in the city. There we slammed some burgers and met up with Hubris and Bonnilass. Sadly, this only killed about an hour, but took us past last call in the village. So we went into the night looking to find some amusement for the next 3 hours.
With every place in the neighborhood closed, we decide to head over the Union Square park and hang out. We take a seat over in the south courtyard, and enjoy the semi-quiet sight of late night New York. Now around 5am, a man comes out of the subway, carrying a soccer ball. He then proceeds to juggle it hacky-sack style in the court yard. Juggle very well. For the next forty five minutes. We were voyeuring on this man's strange soccer workout. After about 45 minutes, the guy just went back into the subway, returning to whatever magic soccer land he came from. It was like fate knew our plan, and offered us a late night opening act to the game.
The park losing its charm, with still another hour and a half to go, we went to find a place to use the restrooms. An all-night Walgreens was willing to serve (14th and 3rd, for anyone needing a place to pee). With no other options left to us, we sneaked over to the last bastion of people looking to kill time, Starkbucks. We stop in for some coffee and water, and hang until about 6:30.
We head to the bar, hoping they had opened up. Alas, we still had to wait outside with the masses for another half an hour (ya there was a crowd to get into a bar at seven am. I love this town.) But finally, about fifteen minutes before kickoff, the doors opened on a new season.
It was everything we had missed all summer. The beer was flowing, the crowds were singing, and then, the game began. Joy of Joy the Gunners were back! EPL is back! Fulham vs. Arsenal is on! I am drinking at 7:30 am! Everyone is singing! Fulham just scored! Wait, What???
In the first minute, the first minute, of the game, Fulham slides the ball past our goalie on a shot I could have blocked. All joy is gone! Misery and exhaustion sets in! Why am I drinking this early in the morning? I spent the next 80 minutes of the game in this funk, barely able to consume my carsburg or even talk to anyone. I just stared at the TV like the laziest zombie ever.
But never give up on the boys in red and white, because as the song tells us, they are fucking dynamite (and someone's mother is a streetwalker). Van Persie gets one in the back of the net on a penalty shot at the 84th minute. A tie, live has meaning again! shame is over! I am not an idiot for staying up all night in order to go to a bar at 7:30am! But its not over yet. in stoppage time, Hleb nails one in the back of the net. A Victory on opening Game! Joy of Joys! Beer tastes good again! My Morning is saved!
It was an interesting train ride back home, mixed with ajulation and fatigue. But a journey worth taking.
And thus began the o7-08 season, a morning that tool my love of Nevadas and the Gunners to the next level. Who to be indeed!
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