Never count out
the O’Reilly factor

It’s not every day that someone who lives around the corner, or perhaps an old classmate or a familiar face around town becomes an internationally known star.

But then again, it wasn’t exactly a shock when Heather O’Reilly scored the winning goal during Monday’s Olympic soccer game to keep her team in contention for the gold medal.

In fact, it’s just the latest — and yes, probably the greatest — moment in what has been an unprecedented career of repeated triumphs on the part of the East Brunswick woman, now 19. O’Reilly had already made history during her storied high school career at East Brunswick High School; she had already gotten a taste of being on a world championship soccer team; and as a freshman at North Carolina University this past year, she led her team to the NCAA title.

Despite all that, nobody could have seen Monday’s achievement coming.

O’Reilly, the youngest member of a team that includes her idol, 36-year-old Mia Hamm, and other veterans, had sat the bench most of the game. She was brought in with 15 minutes left in regulation, just before the Germans took advantage of injury time to tie the game at 1-1. Her speed and fresh legs were a breath of fresh air for the United States as the game went into overtime.

Early in overtime, minutes after missing an initial shot at the goal by inches, O’Reilly would get another chance, thanks to a pass from none other than Hamm. O’Reilly used her right foot to deflect it into the goal in what couldn’t have been a more perfect turn of events. Making things even better, O’Reilly had lifted the United States over Germany, who had beaten the Americans in the 2003 World Cup semifinals.

The team was to face Brazil today in a match for the gold, thanks to O’Reilly, who modestly told a reporter Monday that it was Hamm who made the play; that all she did was finish it.

It’s that character and integrity, and the extraordinary heart and soul with which she plays, that make her even better. We would like to thank Heather O’Reilly for all she has done for us, and congratulate her on making history yet again.