Welcome back to 11 Questions presented by Piedmont Natural Gas — a weekly questionnaire series designed for you to get to know the people that make up Greenville Triumph Soccer Club. Each week, our own Marion Cole will ask someone from the organization the same ten questions, but the eleventh question will be from the previous interviewee. With players, coaches, and front office staff involved, we hope to bring you a fun look inside our club!
This week, I’m joined by the club’s Soccer Operations Manager, Marcus Siler. The Mississippi native and Ole Miss alumni has been with the Triumph since February of 2020. With a long time love for soccer, Marcus acted as the Equipment Manager for Sporting Kansas City for three years.
1. If you had a podcast, what would it be about and why?
I really enjoy helping people help themselves, and I love hearing people telling stories of how they overcame difficulties in their lives and are inspiring others to do the same. I would love to start a podcast talking with people who have struggled with something in their life and have found a way to use those struggles to their advantage. I want to elevate the people around me, and I want us continuously trying to inspire each other. There is only one race on Earth, the human race, and we need to find a way to work together and love each other. And I will get off my soap box now.
2. How do you decompress after a long week of work or training?
Well I don’t train every day, so that’s nice. However, after three straight away games over the past month, I definitely needed to decompress. I usually go for a nice dinner with my wife or friends with a nice bottle of wine. Wine is something my family and I have always enjoyed exploring and tasting. If I could choose anything in the world to be successful in outside of soccer, I would try my had at becoming a sommelier. Big wine guy.
Backing up to the three straight games on the road, what’s a harder week in terms of your work: away matches or home matches and why?
Home matches and away matches are both a lot of work. Home matches, there is more physical work involved with trying to set up the locker rooms and such. Away matches involve more logistical work and communication. Both equally taxing.
3. What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever had and why?
I talk about this meal all the time. It was the first date I had with my now wife back in 2012. We went to a restaurant called Table 100 in Jackson, Mississippi, and I had the most unbelievable pork chop. I don’t know what spices they put on it, but the way it was cooked accentuated all the right flavors. It was served over mustard-based mashed potatoes and some good country-style green beans. To this day, I still dream about that meal.
As a fellow Mississippian, I have to ask: What’s the biggest misconception people have about our home state?
Biggest misconception about Mississippi is that it’s all cotton fields and country land. People don’t know how much money there is in Mississippi. Some of the wealthiest people I know, I’m talking ten bedroom homes and private airplanes, are all from Mississippi.
4. What was the most nervous you’ve ever been?
Without question, it was when I proposed to my wife Megan. Not that I thought she would say no, but I knew she had no idea it was coming. I didn’t know what she truly thought about getting married. She is very particular about everything in her life, and she had some strict guidelines I had to follow. She had been saying for a while how she wanted our families to get together for a dinner, so I decided to get everyone together the day after Thanksgiving back at Table 100. I knew she would be the last one to arrive – she is literally late to everything, so no stall tactics needed. I got everyone to meet at the restaurant, and I had pictures of us strung around the room on balloons and champagne on ice. I was so nervous I almost threw up. She said yes, and the rest is history.
Side Note: We were driving down to Mississippi from Kansas City before this, which is about a ten-hour ride. As we got on the road, I was very nervous and was rushing Megan, because she was running late again, and I almost forgot the ring entirely. We got about ten minutes down the road before I realized. A quick U-turn and everything was corrected.
What did you tell her you forgot?
I told her I forgot a pair of shoes at home and needed them. I shoved the ring box in one of the shoes and put them underneath all the bags. I was very scared that she would find them when I wasn’t looking. Luckily, she pretty clueless.
5. If you’re up at 2AM on a Saturday night, what are you eating?
Pizza, pizza, and more pizza. I will eat pizza anytime or anywhere. Cold, hot, meat lovers, or veggie. I do not discriminate.
6. What’s something you learned recently that blew your mind?
I learned recently that there are more tigers in the state of Texas than there are in entire world. I heard this from Josh, our equipment manager, so who knows how true this is, but if it is… wow.
7. Triumph SC announces they’re bringing a celebrity to the next match and wondering if you have enough time to say, “Hello.” Who’s the celebrity you’re most excited to have at a match?
Steven Gerrard, former Liverpool and England captain. I have been a huge Liverpool fan since the 2005 Champions League final, and he was at the center of that. I was close to meeting him when he came to MLS for a few years, but he only came to Kansas City once and got hurt. I wasn’t able to speak to him after the game, but I would love to pick his mind about his life and career. About the potential transfers from Liverpool to other clubs and why he stayed. How was he able to maintain such a high standard for the duration of his career? Would love to grab a few beers with him and just see how he is as a person.
8. What’s the most memorable sports moment you’ve had as a fan?
Most memorable sports moment comes from a game that I wasn’t even really paying attention to. I was lucky enough to travel to Italy back in 2006, and we happened to be in Rome the night Italy won the World Cup. We had been traveling all day and I wasn’t able to watch most of the final. This is the game that Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi and was given a red card. The taxi drivers were on strike so we had to use scab taxi drivers that drove like maniacs. As we were driving down the road, the headbutt happened and every single car on the road came to a screeching halt. Simultaneous yelling in a language that we didn’t know, and we thought the next World War was starting or something. We didn’t find out until we got to the hotel what had transpired during the game. But after they won, the town erupted into one giant party. I was hugged and kissed by more strangers that you could imagine, but it was amazing. People were lighting cars on fire, pulling down lamp posts, full on chaos. I will never forget that experience.
9. What sporting event have you always wanted to go to and why?
World Cup final, for obvious reasons. Secondly, a derby game at Anfield between Liverpool and crosstown rival, Everton. Their stadiums are separated by only a few miles and the atmosphere in the stadium is incredible. Plus, I’m pretty sure I would cry when the entire stadium is singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” If you haven’t seen this, get on YouTube right now. It’ll change your life.
10. If you’re part of a PK lineup, what number are you taking your penalty kick?
I always have and always will go first. I get too nervous if I have to sit around and wait. I want to set the tone.
Draft me a PK lineup using just the technical staff.
1. Marcus
2. Josh Shaw
3. Alex Blackburn
4. John Harkes
5. Rick Wright. Don’t sleep on Rick Wright. The old man can still smack a soccer ball.
11. Evan Lee had this to say about you: Marcus has brought this group a surprising amount of positive banter. No one knew he was capable of being such a funny individual. The central defender wanted me to ask you, “What is something else about you that the team would be pleasantly surprised to know?”
You make me sound a lot more interesting than I am, Evan. I am an open book so there is not a lot about me that you guys don’t already know. I guess something that not many people know is that Aaron Walker and I played on the same NPSL team, only a year apart – Georgia Revolution. I played in 2011 and he played in 2012.
Next week, I’m speaking with goalkeeper, Paul Christensen. What would you like me to ask the new Triumph GK?
Paul, I was in attendance for your MLS debut in Atlanta. I can’t remember, how did that game go?
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