A conversation with the Dons: Pierre Falleth Winning a game.
There must be no other feeling in the world like it. Any game. Since soccer season is in full bloom, the feeling of running off the field after you and your teammates have just triumphed must be a rush. For freshman midfielder Pierre Falleth, that rush can only be experienced from the sidelines. Sitting across from Pierre during lunch, he reminds me of a shy school boy who should be running off to class clad in a tie and blue blazer. (The typical uniform for such movies as "School Ties" and "Dead Poets Society.") He is reserved, curious to know what kind of questions will be thrown his way. Curiosity has led me to investigate why our number nine is sitting on the sidelines and not running on the field. He explains that he has Compartment Syndrome, an inflammation in the calves that doesn't allow enough blood into the muscle for it to expand. Instead, it does the opposite. It tightens up, causing pressure in the muscle which results in severe pain. Therefore, running is out of the question. Pierre tells me that he "played all spring and summer back home without any problems" and that he "was not injured when he came to USF."
The problem arose after he played the first two games of the season. He played the first half of the Dons vs. the Virginia Cavaliers game, but then started having problems. This is a touchy subject for Pierre. I don't blame him. It must difficult knowing that you are going to play the sport you love, only to have something like this happen. "It's frustrating," he exclaims when I ask him what it's like not being able to play. "I care about the team—when I see them out there I just want to go in and play." You can see the determination on his face. If you were to ask him to play right now, he would be out there. Pierre trained for three months before coming to USF, and aside from the pressure of being a new student coming to San Francisco from Laholm, Sweden, this problem has been one of the hardest he's had to deal with. "I've always loved playing soccer — I can j ust feel i t in my legs when I watch them. I just want to go in and play. I want to be out there. It doesn't matter if they win or lose, I just want to be a part of it." Falleth has no idea how long this will last, or if he'll be able to play again. This is a major blow to Dons soccer — a team that has suffered significant injuries this season. It must be terrible to wonder if this is a career-ending injury. Through all the hurt and pain, the love of soccer will always be there (TheFoghorn).
