I started following soccer in 2010 with a couple of guys on my hockey team and I slowly became hooked. I follow soccer just as much as I do hockey; the flow, the creativity, the unbelievable strikes and saves. It's poetry in motion, just like hockey is. I'm always watching the BPL, the Champions League, the Europa League, hell, even Toronto FC.
Soon after I started watching, I found Football Manager. And my first team was Southampton F.C. I wanted to pick a team that I could bring to glory again and their story about dropping two leagues to League One was the perfect starting point to learn soccer and find out what works. I managed to bring Southampton back to the Premier League before getting ousted when Southampton got taken over by a new chairman. But my love stayed with them in spirit.
Now that I finally got a new computer that can run it, I immediately chose Southampton for 2014, fresh off a bunch of new players and a new team identity. I finished an average 12th in year one, but a surprising 5th in year two. This season, I made the Quarter Finals in the Europa League and had strong FA and Capital One Cup runs as well. And then last night, my three year reign was capped off by Rickie Lambert scoring in the 92' minute against Swansea to 3-2 and clinch a Champions League spot! A tie would have pushed us fourth, but it was an unbelievable moment. I jumped around like I had won the Stanley Cup. Incredible moment. Now I just have to live up to the expectations.
