Author: Scott Adamson

Editor’s note: This column originally appeared on October 1, 2019. It’s being republished as a tribute to Pelé, who passed away today.

We all have those “Where were you when?” moments, whether it’s remembering a major news event or a milestone in sports.

Sometimes, the two are the same, and one of those times was October 1, 1977.

On most Saturdays during the fall I’d be glued to the TV watching college football or listening to it on the radio, like many sports fans in Birmingham, Alabama. On this particular one Auburn was taking on Ole Miss in a televised contest at 1 p.m. while Georgia at. Alabama ruled the AM airwaves later in the day.

But Edson Arantes do Nascimento (I’ll just simplify things and call him by his nickname, Pelé) was also playing his last competitive soccer match on a special episode of ABC’s Wide World of Sports that afternoon. For me, that trumped everything else.

In a friendly between Pelé’s current team – the New York Cosmos, and the club team from Brazil where he got his start, Santos – the “Black Pearl” played a half for each side. A crowd numbering 75,646 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, got to see Pelé score a goal for New York in the Cosmos’ 2-1 victory.

I watched because by 1977 I was a hardcore soccer fan, but also because I owed much of that fandom to Pelé.

The first soccer match I ever saw (also on Wide World of Sports) was a December 1970 rebroadcast of that year’s World Cup Final; Pelé scored a goal in Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Italy.

The sport fascinated me, and the way he played it made it even more enthralling.

His was the first soccer poster to ever go up on my wall, and his likeness still bears a prominent spot in my Fan Cave.

I’ve always shied away from butting the words “sports” and “hero” up against each other, bit for Pelé I made (and make) an exception.

Since soccer was hardly a TV staple back in the day, any chance to see it was cause for excitement. But this really was a well-played match, and Pelé’s 1,281^st career goal (which came off a 30-yard free kick that rocketed into the right corner of the goal) was pure class.

When the match ended he took a victory lap – holding an American flag in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other – and was mobbed by players from both clubs and thousands of fans who had made their way onto the field.

As I’m sure was the case for millions of other soccer faithful, the occasion was a bittersweet one. It was great to see this magnificent athlete go out on top, but it was sad to think he’d never lace up his boots again.

Pelé gave a speech afterward, but since it’s been a minute since I heard it, I had to look it up in the archives of the New York Daily News.

It was brief, but worth repeating:

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am very happy to be here with you in this moment of my life. I want to thank you all, and I want to take this opportunity to ask you in this moment – when the world looks to me – to take more attention to the young ones, to the kids all over the world. We need them too much. And I want to ask you, because I believe love is the most important thing in the world that we can take in life, people, say with me three times, Love! Love! Love!”

In 1999 Pelé was named World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, and that same year was elected Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee.

Certainly there’s plenty of room to argue over who the greatest footballer of all time is – names like Messi, Maradona, Best, Zidane, Cruyff and Ronaldo will no doubt enter the conversation – but Pelé transcended sports.

He made The Beautiful Game even more beautiful.

After being removed from the newspaper business for nearly two years, I’ve finally adjusted to being a fan again.

I answer to no publishers, editors or advertisers, so I can cheer for who I want to while ignoring what (and who) doesn’t interest me. It’s liberating.

But one thing I’ve noticed while transitioning from paid journalist to blogger-for-fun is I tend to root for people more than teams.

While covering Anderson University, for example, I got to know soccer coaches Samar Azem, Ciaran Traquair and John Murphy. I enjoyed my interactions with them – I like them as people and they’re terrific coaches – but you have to keep a certain amount of distance from those you write about in order to maintain objectivity.

That’s no longer an issue.

Azem and Traquair are the coaches of the women’s teams at Campbell University and The Citadel, respectively, while Murphy guides the men’s squad at Georgia Southern.

Those are three schools that were – for the most part – off of my radar during my journalism days. Now, though, I find myself following and cheering for them because I follow and cheer for their coaches.

Which brings me to Mike Noonan, the head men’s soccer coach at Clemson and a man who, last Tuesday, registered his 100th victory as head of the Tigers in a 2-0 win over Furman. Assistant Phil Jones has been there for all of them, so kudos to him as well.

I had the privilege of covering Noonan’s team for a few years, including Clemson’s Final Four run back in 2015 when the squad finished 17-3-4 and reached the national championship game. Like Azem, Traquair and Murphy, he’s someone I came to know – and like.

His coaching demeanor always struck me as “calm intensity,” although there are certain times when intensity is the alpha quality. It’s quite obvious that he expects the very best out of his players from whistle to whistle, and those same players know that’s what they’re getting from him.

As someone who is passionate about soccer, covering Clemson is a blast. Both the men’s and women’s programs are top shelf, and Riggs Field is a picturesque venue.

It might have originally been designed for American football but man, it’s perfect for association football.

So now – since I no longer write about the Tigers as part of a paid gig – I get to sit back and enjoy the show.

And so far in 2019, Noonan’s charges have put on a great one, racing out to an 8-1 record (2-1 in the ACC) and a No. 4 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches poll.

Last season – a rebuilding one – Clemson’s streak of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances was snapped.

It looks like a new one is about to start.

The calendar hasn’t even flipped to October this year and already Noonan’s charges have eclipsed their victory total from 2018, with conquests of Notre Dame, Duke and South Carolina already in the books.

Following last night’s 3-2 overtime road loss to No. 7 Wake Forest, Noonan stands at 313-175-41 overall with a 100-62-28 mark earned in eight-plus seasons with the Tigers.

Noonan would be the first to tell you that his players get the wins – not him – and he’d be right.

But there are few in the business who do a better job of putting their footballers in a position to succeed, and I was genuinely happy to see him reach the 100-win milestone.

So add Clemson to Campbell, The Citadel and Georgia Southern as soccer programs I cheer for throughout the season because I’m a fan of the people who lead them.

There’s nothing at all wrong with “rooting for laundry,” but sometimes the person on the sideline wearing the school colors makes it really easy to do.