Michael In the USA

Fall Break and Latest Games

2008-10-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

O been a long time since I last updated but I've been so busy with mid-term tests and schoolwork. Anyway couple of weekends ago we had a long weekend off for fall so me and few friends went to Knoxville to watch the University of Tennessee football game. 100,000 seater Neyland stadium not bad for a university sport me thinks! The atmosphere was good but not near as intense as Dons Vs Rangers game!!

Playing good in the league which sets us up for the conference tournament which is where the fun really starts! http://www.transouth.org/article/615.php will explain it better. The teams been playing good lately so Ive found myself on the bench which is part of football, but im still getting on every game so nae too bad. Im the only player to have appeared in every game this season whether it be starting or coming on as a sub.

School is different here probably same level of difficulty but different. You have to continously study to keep up with stuff. I like it though.

Cant wait til Mum and Dad get here next week, it will be great seeing them. Also jsut figured out it's only 7 weeks until i come home for xmas. Crazy.

Hope all is well

Michael

Latest!

2008-10-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

Thats us 2nd in the league with 3 wins. Still been playing well although was benched for last 2 games cause of a tactical reshuffle, but ill be working hard to get back in the team. Also on tuesday night was the jackson derby against our rivals Lambuth. Over 1500 people turned up ti watch the game. It was a scrappy game ended at 0-0. I came on for the 2nd half and over time and played wwell so hopefully be starting tomorrow. The support was amazing had drums, a black theme, people painted top to toe and even a piper in a kilt!!

Thanks for all the birthday cards. Had a great bday everyone was good to me and even made me a cake. Having a blast out here

Michael

Oklahoma Baptist Univ. and Delta State

2008-09-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday 13th Sept
Oklahoma game was played in heat of near 100 degrees, to say I was felt it would be an understatement! We went into half-time all square1-1 and came out forgetting to play so good and ended up losing 5-1. Hopefully that was a lax in concentration and never to be seen by us again. I played the full 90 again and played arite coach said one of few players to get pass marks. I'm sure all the boys will use this game as a reminder of how hard we need to work!

Tuesday 16th Sept
Delta state came from Mississippi on a cool evening and found themshelves up 2-0 before we even realised they kicked off. After that shock, we fought back and equalised sending the game into overtime. We should have went on to win the game having 26 shots on their goal. I had another opportunity to score but the keeper made an outstanding(well kinda) save. In america if the game is tied at 90 mins it goes into extra time golden goal. And if nobody scores then it remains a draw. A strange way to do it but it makes it exciting!!

Anyways since we have a big conference game on tuesday against Freed-Hardemaan we have got saturday and sunday off. So i'm planning to spend it sleeping and watching American football which I'm getting into! First time i've slept past 9 for ages and I enjoyed it :)

Take care

Michael

Conference Opener

2008-09-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

@ Trevecca Nazarene

Left early on for the game in Nashville and with classes starting this week, its been a bit hectic! We won 2-1 in this tight game so was delighted to come away with a result in a tough place. I played the whole game and was happy with my performance, yet again failed to score a glancing header. But im a defender so scoring goals would just be a bonus to my game. The new brazilian in the midfield was outstanding, his name is Rafael and could walk into any team i've ever played for!

Since been the conference opener, we rejoiced all the way home to the chant "We got rafael, we got rafael, we got rafael....we got rafa, we got rafael!"
O and the freshman karoke, I sang Oasis "wonderwall" and surprisingly got a good response. Not bad for being tone deaf!

So if the football and college career doesn't work out i've always got my voice ;)

Take care

Michael

Florida and Back!

2008-09-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Boy, Florida is a long way from Jackson, TN. 16 hours in fact in a bus, although the bus is adequate and pretty modern, theres no way from getting away that it is a bus and is not the ideal sleep conditions! I slept around 1 hour in total of the 32 hour round trip, I'm tired now.

Anyways, the trip got off to a great start on Saturday night beating Southeastern University 3-2, for our first win of the season :)

The game was delayed 1 hour as thunderstorms had been present all day so the match officials waited until it was clear for safety reasons. The ref's only good decision of the night! I cleanly tackled an opponent only to get off the ground to realise he had given a foul, so I calmly(ish) pleaded my case only to receive a caution.......

Onto to Sunday and the University paid for us to go to the theme park Cypruss gardens. The park was average but thoroughly enjoyed and good chance to strength bonds with team-mates outside playing soccer!

On Monday morning we headed out to Tampa to play Webber international. In the heat around 100 degrees we struggled to get going and lost 4-2. I was gutted not to have myself 2 goals but luck was not on my side! Their team was full of English players, so it was good to put yourself up against the auld enemy.

Then straight after the result we headed home on a long and quiet bus with the disappoint of losing the final game. We arrived back at Union University at 7 am and I went straight to bed to sleep all day.

First home game on Saturday at 7pm, can't wait!!

Hope your well
Michael

3 weeks in and...........

2008-08-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Really enjoying it. Everyone has been so friendly to me, the complex I live on is like a little village with 2 swimming pools, which is nice after a hard day training! The guys I'm living with are easy to get on with and are both on the soccer team, which keeps the team spirit going.

The facilities are top-notch, up at the field house their is a turf room which can be used for 5 a-sides, a physio room for 2 full-time trainers to wrap the Brazilians in cotton wool, lol. The changing room is really nice with each player getting their own booth with name engraved above heads.

I'll get photos up soon.

Anyways, off to buy a sofa

Keep in touch

Michael

P.S. Feel free to e-mail me at mbruce3@btinternet.com anytime, unless your complaining about my spelling or grammar, because I get enough of it from mum.

Opening Game Vs Mississippi College

2008-08-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Lost 3-0.

The game was even until half-time, we kept it tight and played some good football but just could not score. And in football if ya can't score you'll eventually concede, so in the second half we caved. Their was first goal was from a penalty, which should have never been awarded as our player got the ball.

The score was not justified as we played well defensively, surprisingly for a 3-0 loss. Or maybe I would just say that because I'm a defender :)

On a personal note I played the full game at center of defense. I was happy with my first performance for the bulldogs and nearly got on the score sheet with a header from a corner kick, but it was cleared off the line!

The standard of football looks good and although the scoreline tells another story, I'm happy ho w the season has started.

Michael

11 days to go!

2008-07-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well currently still in Peterhead and booked my flights for 5th of August, cant wait im so excited to finally go across as it's been a long process since that meeting with Firstpoint USA in Glasgow a year and a half ago. Was in london on Tuesday, the 22nd, for my Visa appointment. It went well although I couldna tell if the guy was having a conversation or enquiring, whoops. SHould receive that through the door any day now!

Michael