Forever 18 - A Kasey Keller Story

ale85bg · September 13, 2016 9:57AM

SEASON 1 - SEATTLE SOUNDERS (pages 1 - 13)

SEASON 2 - SEATTLE SOUNDERS (pages 14 - 18)

SEASON 2 - BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH (pages 18 - 21)

SEASON 3 - BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH (pages 21 - 24)

SEASON 4 - LEVANTE UD (pages 25 - 30)

SEASON 5 - LEVANTE UD (pages 30 - 31)

SEASON 5 - ATLÉTICO MADRID (pages 31- 33)

SEASON 6 - RED STAR FC (in progress: pages 33+)

VBASS86 · September 13, 2016 12:12PM

Daga det!

Chris · September 13, 2016 12:22PM

Good luck with this, haven't seen many MLS stories

Ashy · September 13, 2016 1:57PM

Good luck, first Fifa 17 non-premier league story

Wyojasond · September 13, 2016 2:18PM

Looking forward to it man. Is it sad that I haven't sat down and watched a single MLS game this year. Lol

BistroXII · September 13, 2016 2:53PM

Good luck. Looking forward to following this story - I remember Kasey Keller, he was an excellent keeper and had quite a career.

Greenman019 · September 13, 2016 11:26PM

Good luck mate. MLS should be interesting. @Virtual_K certainly found some success with it IMHO.

JamieC · September 13, 2016 11:51PM

Good Luck!

ale85bg · September 14, 2016 7:38AM

VBASS86 wrote: »

Daga det!

Thanks buddy, nice to see you around. Ga daró dét!

Chris wrote: »

Good luck with this, haven't seen many MLS stories

JamieC wrote: »

Good Luck!

Thanks! Hopefully it will be longer than my last Como one.

Ashy wrote: »

Good luck, first Fifa 17 non-premier league story

Thanks man, to be honest it's not only FIFA 17.
It will most likely have some FIFA 17 bits in it, but it starts way back.

Wyojasond wrote: »

Looking forward to it man. Is it sad that I haven't sat down and watched a single MLS game this year. Lol

Thanks! Well, to be honest me neither (even if, living in Europe, it's surely more difficult).

BistroXII wrote: »

Good luck. Looking forward to following this story - I remember Kasey Keller, he was an excellent keeper and had quite a career.

Thanks mate! Now you'll also have the chance to see him play again.

Greenman019 wrote: »

Good luck mate. MLS should be interesting. Virtual_K certainly found some success with it IMHO.

Thanks! Yeah, both him and @bhurst99 ran great MLS careers last year.

But now, it's time for some action... I will hardly be able to do monthly videos anymore like last year and it will be more of a "dear journal" story than other, but I promise I'll try and release the odd video here and there if anything important happens.

ale85bg · September 14, 2016 7:59AM

PROLOGUE

I don't know what's your stance on friendlies played overseas on Wednesday nights in January, but I can definitely say that I don't like them.
I mean, it's snowing, I'm here on the bench watching the lads enjoy themselves on the pitch, with at least half of my fingers about to fall off my hands because of the blistering cold, and on top of that we're most likely going to be trashed by Serie B side Atalanta.

Wonderful situation, isn't it?

I must be honest: it's in moments like this that I seriously think about retiring. I'm 41 after all, it would probably be about time. The season hasn't started yet and I might aswell pass the gloves on to Terry Boss, who'd deserve it. If only Terry could play two back-to-back matches without getting injured...
He's made of glass, and I'm being good.

But then I think that I love football so much and... Wait... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, FUCITO? IT WAS A POINT BLANK STRIKE!!! TELL ME YOU DIDN'T MISS IT FOR REAL!

So, that's why I keep on playing: because football gives me this kind of feelings. True, intense, wonderful feelings. Even if the only feeling I have now is rage: Mike Fucito missed yet another clear-cut chance.
Needless to say, Atalanta are on the counter now: Carmona gets one on one with Terry Boss, they collide... And then I hear Terry shouting "Ouch!"

Oops, he did it again.

Shortly after, of course, it's our manager Sigi Schmid yelling: "KK! KK! Quick, get your gloves on!"

As Terry Boss walks out holding his left shoulder and swearing in pain, it looks like it'll be Kasey Keller defending the Sounders' goal for yet another year.

"Can I count on you, KK? Are you ready?" Schmid asks.

"Don't worry, Sigi: born ready. But I swear this is the last time".

Chris · September 14, 2016 9:56AM

At 41 he's very old to still be playing haha, are you going to be controlling him?

ale85bg · September 14, 2016 11:49AM

I don't know yet to be honest... This was my first option but I've tried playing as a GK a couple of times and it's definitely too difficult at the moment.
Might aswell play as the entire team, World Class or Legendary and manual controls: that way the CM would surely be neither too easy nor too difficult and surely more entertaining to play. I'd have something interesting to tell instead of posting a collction of "loss, loss, loss" records.

Ashy · September 14, 2016 12:03PM

I'm liking it, so your first idea was to play a be a pro career but now you might be doing a managerial one?

Jll02 · September 14, 2016 7:31PM

I'm looking forward to your story, @ale85bg! Your's have always been my favourite on here.

ale85bg · September 15, 2016 9:09AM

Ashy wrote: »

I'm liking it, so your first idea was to play a be a pro career but now you might be doing a managerial one?

Thanks Ashy! I've tried to play some friendlies as Keller and they've been a carnage, more or less.
So I decided I'd try a "hybrid" approach: I'll play as the whole team, and switch to the keeper in some key moments (for example set pieces). It's possible in friendlies, hopefully it will be so also in career.

Jll02 wrote: »

I'm looking forward to your story, @ale85bg! Your's have always been my favourite on here.

Thanks man, much appreciated.

ale85bg · September 15, 2016 11:29AM

MARCH 2011 - SEATTLE COMMUNITY SHIELD

Pre-season friendlies aren't exactly the kind of football I prefer, but they tend to get better as we approach the start of the regular season. Players getting fit and, most of all, weather slowly becoming warmer and better contribute to matches that are more fun to play and especially to watch.

That's why I was looking forward to the Seattle Community Shield: it's not only a chance to raise funds for local charities (which by itself is already a valid reason to play), it's also the final test before the MLS season starts.

So here we are, ready in the dressing room with Sigi giving us the last directions and some advice.

I know many of my teammates so well that if I close my eyes I can still see what they're doing. Zakuani is warming up, Parke is probably adjusting his socks after securing his shin guards, Alonso is putting his shoes on... And I bet Terry Boss is trying to find a new, creative way to injure himself.

And then, it's time to enter the pitch. As it also happened last year with the first edition of the Shield, the Qwest Field is packed with fans. Some of them traveled for hundreds of miles to be here, and contribute to a fantastic view when we walk out of the tunnel.

That's why we want to win this match so bad tonight: we're gonna do it for them. After a 1-0 loss in Bergamo against Atalanta, after an embarassing display in Philadelphia that resulted in a 3-0 defeat, and after two other losses again against Lyon and Chicago, our fans deserve to see us victorious at least tonight against the Timbers.

It doesn't matter if they go 1-0 up after 5 minutes: a perfect through ball by Zizzo slice opens our defence and finds Jewsbury all alone. He fakes a shot, I fall for it. Then he just proceed to knock the ball into the open goal. 1-0 for Portland.

It doesn't take much for us to react though, shortly after conceding we have a good chance with Fucito, but Perkins says 'no'.

But then Alonso wins a ball in the centre circle. He opens it to the left where a nowhere-near-fit Zakuani is gently strolling... But Zakuani perfectly receives it and crosses it to Montero. Chested down, knocked ahead, Montero fires the shot... Perkins saves it, but can't retain it and Fucito powers it home!

It's the equalizer baby! Mike Fucito celebrates doing the 'YMCA'!

Nothing more happens till the end of the match, and we head to extra-time. Might aswell skip them completely, not a single shot either by us or by them.

Then the penalty kick lottery begins: Montero scores, so does Jewsbury. Alonso and Cooper do the same. Then we miss one, and so do they. 4-4 after 5 shots each. Shot number 6: Neagle on the ball, off the bar.

If Dike scores, they win.

He slowly steps towards the spot. I look him in the eyes, and I decide where to dive. There's the whistle, he shoots, and I hear the ball bouncing against my left glove. KK saved the world again!

Shortly after that, Fernandez (who came in as a sub for a nearly non-existent Zakuani) fires it past Perkins, and it's me against Alexander.
He tries a lob, and he fails miserably: over the bar, it's over, the Sounders have just won the Community Shield!

Yeah, this is Mike doing the 'YMCA' after he scored. A fan sent it to me and I thought I'd share it. Hopefully Mike sees it aswell so he could avoid such an embarassing moment in the future.

...and this is me saving Dike's penalty:

Virtual_K · September 16, 2016 12:46AM

I must say, I like your decision to do an MLS story but the Sounders, there are much better team choices further south.

In all seriousness, the story is interesting but I'm curious how you are planning to do it. Does Keller even exist in recent versions of the game? Good luck, except when you play the Galaxy of course.

ale85bg · September 16, 2016 7:20AM

Virtual_K wrote: »

there are much better team choices further south.

San Jose? Nah, their colour scheme hurts me. I'm a Milanista after all.

On a different note: I really didn't realize how great is Revolution Mod until I started last year's career (and I used it only to add licensed kits halfway through the save). Now thanks to Revolution Mod... Bye bye kit clashing, you won't be missed!

Wyojasond · September 16, 2016 1:17PM

Nice update. Have to admit I wasn't sure about an MLS story, but the more I read, the more tempted I am to actually watch a few games this year. KK's story will be fun to follow. Good luck man

BistroXII · September 16, 2016 1:25PM

Well done on winning the Community Shield and the taped down photos/ images look good.

Greenman019 · September 16, 2016 4:04PM

Congrats on winning the shield. Nice update. Sounded like an entertaining shootout.

ale85bg · September 16, 2016 4:49PM

Wyojasond wrote: »

Have to admit I wasn't sure about an MLS story, but the more I read, the more tempted I am to actually watch a few games this year.

Thanks mate! I'd love to see some matches too but I believe nobody broadcasts them in Italy. I might aswell see if something has changed regarding matches being streamed, the last time I checked they weren't available outside the US/Canada.

BistroXII wrote: »

Well done on winning the Community Shield and the taped down photos/ images look good.

Thanks man! About the photos, the look like something one would do when keeping a diary, so I decided to go for them. Glad you liked them!

Greenman019 wrote: »

Congrats on winning the shield. Nice update. Sounded like an entertaining shootout.

Thanks, it suerly was. I'd also say "tense" even more than entertaining: when Neagle hit the bar I thought it was over...

Ashy · September 16, 2016 9:23PM

Nice touch with the pictures, and good write up, congrats on the shield win and I hope that is just the start of the silverware that is to come

IAmLikingFlame · September 17, 2016 5:14AM

Cool to see you use Kasey Keller for a career here. I'm still fond of him for helping Leicester win the League Cup all that time ago. Tell Osvaldo Alonso hi for me, I sat next to him on a plane once, so he should easily remember me.

ale85bg · September 18, 2016 7:00AM

Virtual_K wrote: »

Good luck, except when you play the Galaxy of course.

Breaking news: you won't have to wait for long to see the match... It's ou first fixture.

Ashy wrote: »

Nice touch with the pictures, and good write up, congrats on the shield win and I hope that is just the start of the silverware that is to come

Thanks! Yeah, hopefully the Sounders could become title contenders soon enough.

IAmLikingFlame wrote: »

Cool to see you use Kasey Keller for a career here.

Thanks! It's good to see some people still appreciate Keller even years after his retirement.
I've always kinda liked him too, but then I recently stumbled upon this and thought I had never seen such a display from a keeper before. That's insane.
Anyway, I'll say 'hi' to Alonso as soon as I meet him at the training ground.

ale85bg · September 18, 2016 9:16AM

Imagine you're having a delicious dinner with your wife in one of the most romantic restaurants in town, and that suddenly your phone starts ringing.

This is exactly what's happening to me right now.

I swear at myself for not having turned the ringtone off (even if I like it a lot, it's the instrumental part of "Kasey Keller", the song by Barcelona), I mute it and forget it, feeling a little ashamed but also a little pleased by that wonderful ringtone.

And a couple of minutes later it starts vibrating again. I begrudgingly take it out of the pocket of my suit, and I see it's Sigi calling.

Knowing him, I have a feeling he won't give up anytime soon so I just answer.

"Guten tag KK, can you talk?"

"Well, honestly I'm with my wife and..."

"So you can talk. Great! I just wanted to tell you that I sent you the list of the MLS matches we'll be playing in March, I'd love you to see it and tell me what you think. Call you back in 10 minutes!"

So, time to fire up the email client I guess. And when I do, this is what I see:

At least Sigi has been clear and pretty straightforward.
No way I could misread his remarks on the calendar, which he made sure to write with a big red felt-tip pen to make sure I wouldn't have any chance to miss them.

He calls back shortly after as promised, and he asks me if it's all clear.

"Sigi, honestly, let's discuss this tomorrow morning in your office. It'll be better".

"Why? Don't you think this little thing can be done?"

"May be feasible Sigi, but I'm a little worried about a couple of things. Need to talk to you tête-à-tête, if you know what I mean".

"Ain't your wife gonna get jealous of you spending so much time with your boss though?"

I laugh. "You know her Sigi, Kris knows you too. She knows you're not my kind".

Finally I can enjoy my deserved dinner with my wonderful wife.
Luckily she got to knows Sigi pretty well, so she also knows there's no stopping him when he decides it's time to talk.

Ashy · September 18, 2016 1:36PM

Bit of a tough task to win all 3 of those, two of which are strong teams, next time just keep the phone off

Wyojasond · September 18, 2016 1:56PM

That calendar is gold. Lol. Another great piece man

Cody22775 · September 18, 2016 2:15PM

Great piece bro

Chris · September 18, 2016 2:43PM

Wait, are you playing on FIFA 12?

Cody22775 · September 18, 2016 2:46PM

I'm pretty sure that's just what he used for calendar. Not doing a 12 one

Forever 18 - A Kasey Keller Story

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