FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The past few days have exacted a significant toll on New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.
Reis found himself personally affected by the tragedy in Boston on Monday afternoon. He stood yards away from the blast site in Copley Square and rushed into the area to tend to victims of the explosions.
His father-in-law, John Odom, sustained severe injuries to his ribs and his legs. Doctors performed three surgeries on Monday and Tuesday to address lingering concerns in both areas. Reis said Odom remained in critical condition as of late Wednesday morning.
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Word of Reis' situation spread throughout the soccer world on Monday night. Reis said he received numerous calls, messages and texts from his teammates and other people within the MLS family to express their support.
“Ex-teammates, coaches from other teams, everybody in the soccer community has reached out to me and expressed their condolences and support,” Reis told MLSsoccer.com. “It's been amazing.”
Reis said the response from his peers did not surprise him. Although players battle every day in practice for a spot in the team and scrape for victories against adversaries on matchday, they share a common bond that unites them.
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The veteran goalkeeper said their sympathy in this situation reinforces those shared experiences and shows their willingness to pitch in and lend support in times of need.
“I've said it before, the MLS player, the soccer player that's out there, is one of the best people on the planet,” Reis said. “It just goes to show in tragic situations like this where they all come together and support each other. You might battle each other on the field, but you see a lot of support off the field with things people are going through or are affected by.”
