Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life!
Mason Holgate wasn’t alive in 1984 when Bonnie Tyler sang “Holding Out For a Hero” in the movie Footloose, but it doesn’t matter. We know that’s who the song was about, it just happened to be a bit of prophecy.
You won’t be surprised to hear that Everton slogged through the opening 70 or so minutes of their League Cup match at home against Watford today. That’s how the Blues play now. But in one stunning moment, two of the more maligned figures on the team (one by fans, one by some of us here at this website) combined to put Everton into the quarterfinals.
After one of many scrums in front of Heurelho Gomes, the ball pinged out to Theo Walcott on the left side of Watford’s penalty area. The winger picked his head up, and lifted an inch perfect cross right onto the forehead of Holgate. The ball went in the net. The Gwladys Street End erupted, and for once, all was right with the world. Richarlison would later seal the deal, but it was just icing on the cake.
Others will perhaps write more about this match, but sometimes it’s best to simplify. Mason Holgate - a reserve center back who spent much of last year in the Championship - provided us a truly enjoyable moment. They’ve been few and far between, so let us savor it. Thanks, Mason.