Aki Riihilahti - The Official Homepage In English Suomeksi På norsk
News Questions Facts History Pictures Special

News

Back to News

26.1.2007
First top corner for John Smith

Top corner… tickling the post the ball sweetly meets the net, where it belongs. Keeper has no chance. It is not just a goal… it is three months of my life, probably even more because also fears of future drops from my shoulders. Nobody can understand what that shot means to me – actually just kicking it whether it went in or not.

After being away for so long, just cleaning dust from boots is a massive thing, hitting the first ball is an adrenalin rush to match. You have dreamed about it, thought of it and waited for it… and funnily enough when you hit the ball – for the first time – you just know it is going in. Don’t know why -maybe because you dreamed it so many times already or have three months of concentration put into it - but it is often the best shot you are going to kick for a while. Like it was a consolation or a way to lure you back thinking sports is always brilliant. This felt again like the best goal I have ever done. I still know I am nowhere near I want and need to be. But at least I am somewhere – I happily take even that for a starting point.

All the others are laughing and clapping. Who is the good new player? –jokes starts. I introduce myself for my team mates who I am vice captain for but I have rarely seen for months. I am not that young anymore… but how much I missed this makes me feel like an emotional teenager. Being a macho sportsman I obviously don’t show this. I just try to play it cool - which is not that hard coming from a freezing country Finland.

Next ball comes. I still feel the first goal so I am excited, confident and full of life. And I hit it perfectly… for it to fly 10 meters over the goal, even the safety net – just like in John Smith commercial. Have it!

Coming back I recommend:

1. John Smith -commercials
- priceless english humor with no shame

2. First shots
- grrrr


I don't recommend:

1. Trying to be a macho sportsman
- I look like Kasper the friendly ghost, so who am i trying to fool?

"I get knocked down but I get up again, you can never gonna get my down"

- ChumbawambAki


Copyright 2001 Aki Riihilahti, all rights reserved Go to the Top of the Page