COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Last weekend’s Western Conference semifinal between the Colorado Rapids and LA Galaxy was an emotional rollercoaster, raising the home fans to their feet and driving Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget to tears.
But perhaps no one was more stricken with emotion than Rapids midfielder Marlon Hairston, who had to cope with the loss of a family member just hours prior.
“Everybody’s emotional,” Hairston said following the Rapids’ win on penalties. “I had just come back late [the night before] from a funeral, burying my granddad, so I was really emotional [in the game]. I was fortunate enough that Pablo [Mastroeni] let me go home and be a part of that and still be part of the game. I wanted to be a part of that if my name or number was called.”
His grandfather’s passing was sudden and tragic news to receive during a week otherwise filled with playoff preparations. A.V. Aldridge, 80, had passed of an unexpected heart attack in Hairston’s hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.
“I had a close relationship with him,” Hairston recalled. “He basically helped raise me from a kid.”
For Mastroeni, it was a no-brainer decision to let his player take some much needed time away from the team, even with an important match looming.
“I told Marlon: ‘I can’t believe you’d ask me if it’s OK. We don’t need you here at the weekend,’” Mastroeni said. “What I meant by that is, ‘Take care of life. This is just a game.’ You’ll always have another run, but you can never say goodbye again to a loved one that’s passed, especially someone that’s meant so much to his life.”
As a father of six kids and a man that held down multiple jobs which included 20 years of service in the manufacturing industry and as a hospital custodian and painter, Aldridge instilled a work ethic which Hairston took to heart and has brought with him onto the pitch.
“He didn’t really have the best education, because he started a family at such a young age,” Hairston said. “From that point on, he knew hard work was the way to help his family survive and get through tough times. That was probably the best thing about him.”
Just hours after the funeral service, Hairston was eager to get back to work himself, taking a late-night flight back to Colorado just before the noon kickoff the following day.
“I think he’s a guy that feels at home here, feels valued as a human being here,” Mastroeni said. “When you have people that want the best for you, you in turn want to give what you can for the better of the group. It’s human. His performance was human. It was inspired by being able to go back and say his peace and come back and play for something greater than himself, play for something greater than this team, play for something spiritual.”
Despite the emotional burden, Hairston managed to put in a solid shift against LA, subbing in at the half for an injured Shkëlzen Gashi (ankle) and nearly doubling Colorado’s lead with a shot from the top of the Galaxy's 18-yard-box in the 63rd minute.
“I knew it was a big week for us,” said Hairston. “Trying to balance that game with family was tough, but Pablo was so understanding about it.”
With a 75-minute performance on Sunday, Hairston continues to ramp up his fitness following a quad strain suffered during training early last month. But the performance marked another chapter in what has been a breakout year for the Rapids’ midfielder.
With a playoff win now under his belt, the third-year player hopes he can continue to honor his grandfather with inspired performances for the remainder of this year’s Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs.
“Going to the funeral and being able to see him again gave me a lot of solace,” said Hairston. “I wanted to be able to tell him that I wanted him to watch over us. I knew that we were going to win the game the next day, and I told him that we would. That gave me a lot of joy going forward, but we still have a long ways to go.”
