A letter from 2016 MLS Cup MVP Stefan Frei
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An explosion of emotions.
An indescribable feeling.
A moment you wish lasted forever.
A little taste that leaves one wanting more.
Guapo (Román Torres) had just won the first MLS Cup for the Seattle Sounders. I took off running. Someone tried to hug me, but for some reason I pushed them away, probably still trying to sort out my emotions. Goalkeeper Charlie Lyon embraced me as I finally came to the realization of what had just happened. "We did it! We did it" is what we kept yelling. Tyler Miller and Coach Tom Dutra soon joined and we cheered, eyes filled with tears of joy. It was a moment where we were all together. All of the emotions and memories with one another came back. The hard work we put in had paid off.
The celebration was in full effect. We shared the special moment with our traveling fans, fully ignoring the fact that we were in hostile territory. To see the joy was powerful. A simple game could really mean so much!?
The rest of the night was spent with teammates, family and friends. A precious few hours to soak in a tremendous yet unfamiliar high.
Our reception upon winning the Western Conference was already surreal. Needless to say, everybody was eager to take the trophy home, bring it back to all the people who couldn't make the trip to Toronto.
You see I realize that I have been blessed with many beautiful moments in my life – my wedding, signing my first contract, welcoming two Shar Peis into the family. These are all moments that are very dear to me. But that historic victory on a frigid night in Toronto, that was a childhood dream coming true.
A dream that starts innocent like, "I want to be a jet pilot when I grow up," but becomes more serious as an integral part of your life gets devoted to it. A passion that requires many sacrifices not just from me, but from my family, my friends, my coaches.
But here is the crazy thing ... this is just my story. Every other player, every coach, every fan and everybody involved who make many sacrifices to support this team, made this monumental achievement happen. The stars have to align, the timing has to be right. I am now aware of how much has to happen for such a moment.
It's the beauty of this sport. To be a part of something bigger. Something that can't be achieved on your own.
I can’t drive down Fourth Avenue without thinking of our MLS Cup rally. Every now and then I rewatch a compilation of fan reactions of when Román realized our dream. The joy is infectious and I'm humbled to have played a part in it.
So it's difficult to become a champion. But after experiencing it last year, it makes even the slightest sliver of hope to have that feeling one more time worth every sacrifice.
As a club, as a family:
Let’s make it happen again.
