I'm about to pass out, so I certainly won't be able to put it as eloquently as yours, but the West Ham game last late winter really stands out in my mind. We were in solid positioning for Champs League, but our rivals had all won their games that weekend, and being the Monday game we therefore needed a result. There isn't much more West Ham fans dream about than denying us our goals. So of course, they were up for it with saturating the internet with banter before the game reaching the chance they had. After proceeding to go up 2-1 late in the second half, their fans were as raucous with delight as I had ever seen them. I couldn't believe my eyes. After all our work, after that December turnaround from a relatively weak fall semester, did it really come to this? Losing at fucking West Ham?
And then Gylfi scored a very determined, scrappy goal. Their players collapse to the ground in exasperation, and their fans reel from their pain while ours fill East London with delight. For a few minutes, we press on but West Ham's cloggers hold firm. I'm thinking surely we've not come this far for even a draw. Surely Gylfi's goal of grit was spelled in the stars somewhere in a constellation that spelled out an ancient word for "comeback."
It's nearly stoppage time.And then our flying Welsh Wizard, in his new central role, collects the ball at midfield. He surges forward and distributes the ball, only to be felled by a desperate tackle from Winston Reid, who clearly had been watching our game films and as such clearly had no intention of playing the ball. I, and Bale, turn upon Webb in disgust. Little Tom looks at Bale, he gets back up, receives the ball, turns toward goal, puts two touches on the ball around his defender, and pulls the trigger...
My living room turns into a pandemonium of such proportions that hell itself could only envy. That goal was absolutely spectacular. The ball's flight was just unlike anything I would've guessed after it came off his foot. Through the thin slits of my ecstasy-ridden eyes I managed to see Bale leaping into the arms of the manager, which became the cornerstone of a pyramid of jubilant Spurs. Such an awesome sight, such an awesome result in the context of our season goals. When I think of that moment, despite coming up just short of that goal in the end, it makes it all worth the disappointment from the hopes for me. Just an incredible moment to even be alive.
God bless those boys of lillywhite.