When Robbie Rogers stepped on the field late Sunday night as a substitute for the Los Angeles Galaxy,
it was familiar turf. He trained on the field as a youth when it opened
more than a decade ago. It is where he helped the Columbus Crew win an
M.L.S. Cup title.
But even Rogers knew that when he took those first few steps between the
white lines, he was breaking new ground as the first openly gay man to
participate in a prominent North American pro league.
The best thing about that, Rogers said after playing the final 13,
stress-free minutes of the Galaxy’s 4-0 victory over Seattle, is how
normal it felt.
“I keep saying the word normal, normal, but it was,” Rogers, 26, said.
“It was just good to be back. I’m excited to move on from here.”
The anxiety about being out and an athlete, which led him to announce
that he was stepping away from the game when he disclosed in February
that he was gay, had taken great effort to dismiss in recent months.
His agent had subtly encouraged him to return, as did others he knew in
the game, including — with serendipity — the coach for Seattle, Sigi
Schmid, whom Rogers has known since he was 7 years old. Rogers played
youth soccer with Schmid’s son, Kurt.
Rogers said he had received courage from speaking with teenagers who had
come out. As he milled around his apartment late Sunday afternoon,
wiling away the hours before he would leave for the stadium, the
edginess began to resurface. So on the drive to work, he phoned his
older sister, Alicia.
“I just needed to hear someone’s voice,” he said. “We were talking about
my dog, just to kind of get my mind off things. I guess part of me was
just afraid. I understand that historically this is a big thing. But for
me, it’s just another soccer game.
“So I was kind of battling with both of those things. ‘O.K., this is a
soccer game. I’ve done this a million times.’ But then obviously I know,
I’m not naïve, I know people are watching.”
The playing time for Rogers on Sunday was the latest step in
disassembling what is often referred to as society’s last closet. From
pioneers like the former N.F.L. player Dave Kopay to more recent ones
like the basketball player John Amaechi, men in team sports have been
fearful that coming out would force them to end their careers. But
momentum has gathered, as it has for other gay rights, and last month
the N.B.A. player Jason Collins announced that he was gay.
But Collins, a free agent, will not be able to play until next season,
and he will have to find a team to sign with. His announcement was
greeted with great fanfare.
As a result, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the environment Sunday night was how unremarkable it was.
The crowd was typical — close to capacity, but still with room to seat
several thousand more. The news media turnout was nearly normal — no
local columnists and scant national presence. Only the presence of the
celebrity and gossip Web site OMG appeared out of place at a soccer
match. There were no discernible signs of support (or dissent) for
Rogers until he stepped on the field.
To some, an M.L.S. public service announcement that flashed along the
stadium signage boards may have carried more resonance on this night:
“Unity. Equality. Acceptance. Respect for Fair Play. Don’t Cross the
Line.”
“We were talking about it earlier: this is a historic night, kind of
like Jackie Robinson,” Vince Grant, a Galaxy fan, said as he enjoyed a
pregame beer and meal with his uncle Mike Callahan and a friend, Aaron
Rice.
But for a number of Galaxy fans, there seems to be less concern with the
historical implications than how the acquisition of Rogers cost Los
Angeles its leading scorer, Mike Magee. He was traded to Chicago, which
held the rights to Rogers. The defending two-time champion Galaxy have
had a middling start to the season, starting the night fifth in the
Western Conference.
And for all the team’s star power in recent years — Landon Donovan,
Robbie Keane, Omar Gonzalez and David Beckham — there was lament among
fans about losing Magee, who had scored six goals in the last 10 playoff
games and had also cemented his cult hero status by filling in at
goalie last season when the Galaxy lost its two keepers to injury and a
red card.
“I’m hoping Robbie Rogers lives up to the hype,” said Nadia Sandoval, a
member of the Riot Squad, a group of fans that once taunted Beckham for
trying to bolt to Italy. “But there’s mixed feeling. We take our
football very seriously here, and Magee was like family.”
So popular was Magee that some fans expected Rogers to be booed.
As it turned out, there was little for anyone to grumble out. Not with
the Galaxy jumping to a 4-0 lead behind a first-half hat trick from
Keane. By the time Rogers arrived at midfield to be subbed in, he
received a polite and encouraging ovation.
He jogged to his spot on the left side of the midfield and was beaten to
a ball in the air. His first touch was clean, but he mostly just ran
around, breaking a sweat as he broke ground. It was his first match
since playing in England in December.
“In a lot of ways, the easy part is over,” Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena
said. “Now the difficult part remains, getting him positioned to play,
and that’s going to take some time.”
When the final whistle blew, Rogers milled around, just another player
shaking hands with players, coaches and referees. He looked less like a
trail blazer than a teammate.
“It was really perfect,” Rogers said. “We won, which is most important.
My family was here, my friends. My grandparents. I’ve kind of been on
this huge journey trying to figure out my life. And now I’m back here. I
think kind of where I’m supposed to be
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