ʻO le fogavaʻa e tasi - One Family

[Vossenoren]

ʻO le fogavaʻa e tasi is an important phrase in Samoan meaning One Family.

 

Chapter One - Arseholed

“Well, I’m getting arseholed Tee-tee.”
Life comes at you fast, sometimes. My friend, JP, also presently the head coach at Western Sydney Wanderers, although clearly not for long, had a way with words. After that opening statement, words rather failed me, so I just tried to look sympathetic.
“Not surprised then. You look constipated, mate, are you alright?”
“I’m okay, JP,” I said, still unsure of how to comfort a friend in this scenario. “I reckon I might follow you out the door, aye.”
“Aye.”
A brief silence. 
“Not applying for the job yourself then?” JP asked me slyly.
“Not sure, mate,” I responded. To be honest, it seemed a bit of a stretch. I had been JP’s main assistant while still playing for the club with whom I’d played since the inaugural season in 2012/13 with the likes of Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi. JP had gotten the job after Markus Babbel got... arseholed, I guess the term is. At this point, with all my coaching badges and a body that no longer did what it once could, a full-time coaching or managerial job would be just the thing.
“You’d be right good at it,” JP insisted.
“Might be,” I allowed. 

Ultimately, I did throw my hat in the ring, but no luck. Carl Robinson, former Welsh midfielder, got the job and I was out on the streets of Western Sydney. The Australian footballing scene, as one might expect, was not huge. Football, the beautiful game, was the fourth most popular football in Australia, behind Aussie Rules, Rugby, and Rugby Union. Not to mention the popularity of sports like cricket and surfing, soccer was a game that kids play, but adults don’t watch. Still, the A-League was a respectable organization and working on expanding into lower-league levels with the possible introduction of the Australian Championship, in an effort to steer the league into more of a European model versus an American one. 

I sent my resume about the league, not expecting too much, and thought about ringing Robinson up to see if he wanted me on his staff. I sat about my home in Catherine Field in the rising heat of October, managing my stock portfolio, when my phone rang. Naturally, I answered.
“Hello, Ta’ane speaking.”
“Hello, Ta’ane,” came the reply. “This is Gino Marra.”
“G’day,” I answered, for lack of a better reply. The name did sound familiar, but…
“I heard you’re looking for work.” A statement, not a question.
“Indeed.”
“Well, Macarthur FC is in need of a manager, and you come highly recommended.” 
Did I? That’s valuable information.
“Well that’s excellent,” I replied. Then, it hit me. “Macarthur FC, you say, the new expansion club in Campbelltown?” 
“The very one,” Gino Marra affirmed. “Would you be able to come by and interview later this week?”
“Let me check my calendar,” I answered, knowing full well I had not a thing to do. After a brief pause, while I typed the club’s name into the Google search bar, I resumed: “I should be free on Wednesday.”
“Excellent,” Gino replied. “I will see you then.”

Macarthur FC were founded just three years prior, and would be starting their first season in the A-league. The vacant head coaching job was meant to have gone to former Matildas (that is, the Australian National Women’s team) coach Ante Milicic, but I guess the deal fell through. I drove through the rural outskirts of Sydney to Campbelltown, a growing suburb in the Macarthur region of Southwest Sydney. Spring was advancing quickly and temperatures in October can reach the high thirties, as they were doing on that day. Reluctantly, I left the coolness of my car for the sweltering New South Wales heat as I got to the stadium. Gino was there to greet me, clearly proud of what he had been building. He showed me around the facilities while we talked. He explained to me the value he saw in me being from around, as I’d lived in the area for most of my life, having been born in Samoa but educated in Sydney. He jokingly pointed out my international experience, two caps for the Samoa national team, both substitute appearances as a reward for my mentoring the younger players. Ultimately, I left feeling good about my prospects, and Gino said I’d hear back from him with a decision. I did not know that decision would wait as long as it did. October turned into November and the temperature rose steadily due to a hot wind from the northwest. I spent my days researching, planning, and enjoying the beaches and trails of the Royal National Park south of Sydney. November passed and I assumed that the job opportunity had passed with it, as Macarthur played a friendly on November 28th, crushing the Gold Coast Knights 3-0 at home without officially hiring a manager. Former Socceroo Mile Sterjovski had been responsible for that particular match, and I assumed he would be officially named manager in short order. 

Then, on December 4th, my phone rang. It was Gino, I had the job.