Photo: Earl Gardner

This Tilt-A-Whirl of a season has led me through a lot of feelings, mostly anger, stress, and defeat. More recently, there’s been some really nice feelings of joy, not-doom, and confounded bliss. More than anything, it’s made me forget the big picture and think small.

At first, this was done out of a personal necessity to maintain some level of interest and excitement about the team. But now it’s more out of a recognition of what those little things have created: some moderately-sized things.

Some of the things that have kept me breathing:

• Jim Curtin’s candid way with the media. Especially when things were rough, he never balked. One of the most refreshing approaches in major sports.
• Ray Gaddis’ humbleness. A guy that just wants to work and earn his spot.
• Chaco’s flashes. At least once every game he does something that makes you scratch your head, and I mean in a good way. Even better are the games when the flashes are more like floodlights. Keep them coming.
• The rebirth of Sheanon Williams. After a tough season last year, many thought Williams was through with the team. Pressed into service, Sheanon responded and played some of the better soccer of his career while also playing a really important role in turning the season around (writer’s note: I am a HUGE SW fan).
• The rebirth of Brian Carroll. See above.
• The calm of Vincent Nogueira and Maurice Edu. While I don’t think the two can share the midfield as originally envisioned, their calm consistency has been one of the hallmarks of the team’s resurgence. Vincent has been often the best player in our XI and sometimes on the field. Mo has done the work — not that he was brought here to do, but that the team requires. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that.
• CJ Sapong. A revelation. Left for dead (can you believe we got him for a draft pick?) and now quietly going about having an ace season. A true target forward with excellent speed and strength, Sapong is having an immeasurable effect on the team’s ability up front.
• The Disney movie rise of Richie Marquez. From DIII to D-star, Marquez has been an absolute revelation. Has he been perfect? Not at all. Have he and Edu become a solid pair, and in short, pressing order? Yes.
• Fabinho. I won’t even call it a rebirth, it’s more like the ugly duckling. Sometimes the light bulb just GOES ON. And with him it has.
• Wenger scored a goal!

I had to throw that last one in there. But seriously, these tiny things have helped keep me on this side of Mount Doom, even if, sometimes, just barely.

As these little things have begun to bear fruit, I’m reminded of something John Wooden once said: “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

Well, John, here’s hoping.