The New England Revolution fullback played 41 minutes of standout soccer before he was overcome by illness. He vomited on the Gillette Stadium turf in front of cameras, and onlookers were treated to an up-close view of the flying chunks.
“Unfortunately everyone saw what happened,” Revolution head coach Jay Heaps said. “It wasn’t pretty. He just went into a coughing fit and I didn’t know this before the game. So he played through a 102 temperature, and when he got hit, he went into a coughing fit that’s why he got sick. By Saturday he’ll be alright.”
Heaps, teammates and fans are expecting big things from Alston in 2012. The 23-year-old right back is blessed with a combination of attributes that make him a national team caliber player. Heaps wants the fourth-year pro to put it all together and deliver consistent performances both in defense and attack.
“Kevin [Alston], for me, was the best he’s played yet,” Heaps said. “He was great … I’ve asked a lot of Kevin because I see the potential of Kevin, so I ask a lot of him. He has the talent I never had as a right back, so I see it and I want it and I want him to keep getting better.”
Darrius Barnes replaced Alston after the vomiting incident, and the Revolution went on to defeat the Colorado Rapids 2-1.
Beamen, the breakout star player in the American football movie Any Given Sunday, would make mistakes early in games, vomit on the field or sidelines, then lead his team to victory. Alston compressed it all into less than an hour and is bound to go viral because of it.
