After it happened, Andre Blake walked behind the right post of his goal to find water and wait out the celebrations. Dynamo players hugged each other on the sidelines; one strode royally through Blake’s six yard box, arms waving, encouraging the delirious crowd.
Auston Trusty stood at the spot where his foot had, inadvertently, met the ball. Body stiff and straight as if frozen; then bent forward, head in hands, trying to shake free of the nightmare. Blake returned and shoved his young defender out of the box with both his hands and words of encouragement. Trusty made a circuitous route back to his position, still locked in a moment he could not escape.
In 2014 and 215, when Philadelphia Union hosted and, in heartbreaking fashion, lost US Open Cup finals, Auston Trusty was already working his way through the club’s academy; he signed a homegrown contract less than a year after Sporting Kansas City lifted the 2015 Cup. The young defender felt those losses and no doubt hoped that one day he would have the opportunity to help bring the first trophy to his club’s cabinet.
This year he fought to make that opportunity real — and then the unthinkable happened.
Trusty has been excellent in 2018, and, more importantly, he has steadily improved throughout the season. He’s a more confident passer now, and his control of the box has been a big reason the Union defense has steadily improved. There were big questions around Philly’s decision to hand the keys to their back line to a relatively untested teenager back in March. Trusty has, in no uncertain terms, answered them.
Ask anybody from Union Academy Director Tommy Wilson to Technical Director Chris Albright and Head Coach Jim Curtin about Auston Trusty and the word they use to describe him will be the same: Intense. Not all the time, but when it comes to soccer? Yeah, intense. Trusty believes in his physical skills, and he knows there is always more to learn. He would come up to Wilson after academy games and ask for immediate feedback: Tips, pointers, criticism, anything.
Bring in a speaker or put on game film and Trusty is locked in. Give him drills after practice and he’ll do them until you force him to stop.
It took Trusty a while to adapt to USL, and it took time to adjust in MLS. He did it, though. And everybody that saw him work toward his goal of becoming a great professional soccer player knew that he would. The physical talent and the mental focus; the leadership and the attitude. Trusty has it all, and he’s just a month into his twenties.
When I interviewed Trusty and the other Union homegrowns for a podcast earlier this year, we started talking about All-Star game skill competitions. The NBA dunk contest, the NHL hardest shot competition, etc. I asked who among the homegrowns would beat the others at different sports. There were claims made and laughter, but I will never forget Trusty’s face. No matter what sport I brought up, he answered, eyes locked on mine:
“Hockey?”
“Me. Keep naming sports.”
“Team handball?”
“Me. Keep naming sports.”
Auston Trusty: Competitor. The fiercely determined young man that everyone inside the club has seen and put their faith in for years had emerged, just as he has on the pitch throughout 2018.
After the Open Cup final, Jeff Rueter, a writer that covers Minnesota United and MLS in general, tweeted, “The bit they showed on TV after the [own goal] was tough to watch. I really hope the young defender gets a chance to redeem himself during the next couple months.”
Trusty will get that chance, because he will bend the world to his will to get it. Not only in the next few months but over the next few years, and for the rest of what will almost certainly be a long career.
Already, Union fans have tweaked the 76ers ‘Trust the Process’ mantra into ‘Trusty the Process,’ often half in jest.
But don’t Trusty the Process, Trust Auston Trusty.
Because after that devastating moment, a brutal capstone for a debut final, Trusty did this, as reported by a fan at the match: “The only thing I’m going to say about tonight right now is that it took a large amount of character for [Auston Trusty] to be the first player to come over and acknowledge the supporters after the match.”
All the players went, but Trusty went first. He knew this pain; he also knew there would be another final in the future.
