It absolutely amazes me that in two days almost 55,000 views on YouTube have hit on the video the “Canine Pitch Invader.” If you haven’t seen it, then you probably should so that what I am saying makes sense. Anyways, I have been playing professional soccer for three years, won a national championship at the University of North Carolina and have been involved with many other things that in my opinion are noteworthy. Never in my right mind would I ever think that removing a dog from a field would be so popular.
When I got back from Turkey, my friends who watched the game were joking to me about the fact that Casey Nogueira and I had helped “save the dog.” At practice, one of our teammates had said, “You know the video has 17,000 views,” Casey and I start laughing. In my head, I figured my teammate had messed the numbers up and meant to say 1,700, yes, one thousand seven hundred. When I had the chance to look, I was in shock that the views went up to 2,300!
After all the appearances, games, interviews I’ve done during my career as a professional, I don’t think that 5,000 people have viewed anything I did as much as this. During the game as were down a goal yet dominating, I was actually mad because the ball was played perfectly to me and I had a clear shot on goal, but the dog was way too cute to ignore. After seeing the Turkish man hit the dog so hard we immediately got mad and wanted to help. I actually remember hitting the man for hitting the dog (ha ha). He didn’t speak English and was aggressively trying to move the dog. Clearly, that didn’t work. I think it was Casey’s little claps that got him to listen (ha), but regardless we managed to settle him down and pick him up. As we carried the dog off, I didn’t realize til after I watched the video, but we are the worst dog carriers ever! We both had its head and left his legs just dangling – ha ha. I would have rather carried him like that then have the Turkish man abuse him. He was so cute and just wanted to play.
We both have been wanting to adopt a dog, and I would have taken him home if I could. My dad has been denying me from getting a dog for years now. I made him watch the video in hopes of him seeing how good I am with dogs and maybe he’ll let me get one (sarcastic). I know, I am 23 years old and should be able to get one if I want, but he knows that he’d be stuck with the dog when I have to travel or leave, and when he says “no” to me, he’s really saying no to the responsibility he would have when I was away playing soccer. Smart man.
If removing a dog is all it takes to get people interested, Casey and I are plotting schemes to happen during a televised game so that more YouTube videos would be made and more people can see the WPS. (ha, joking). No matter what got the public eye, I am so happy that 55,000 people around the world are able to see Women’s Professional Soccer let alone Sky Blue FC, and I hope the number is rising maybe even be a SportsCenter Not Top Ten!
Allie Long is a midfielder for Sky Blue FC of Women’s Professional Soccer. She played for the Washington Freedom in 2009 and 2010. The 23-year-old scored two goals in each of her first two years in WPS and was recently called up to train with the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team.
Video courtesy Lauren Barker