Jay DeMerit was thrilled just to get through an hour of Vancouver Whitecaps' 0-0 draw with San Jose Earthquakes on the weekend.
The former Watford captain sustained an Achilles injury on the opening day of the 2013 MLS season but was able to replace Brad Rusin on the half-hour mark at Buck Shaw Stadium and come through without any worries relating to the problem.
"Sometimes you just have to go out there and play," DeMerit told Vancouver radio station TEAM 1410.
"Thankfully I was able to do that tonight. A bit of a baptism of fire but I'm on the bench for a reason.
"I knew that if I was called upon I'd go out there and try to do my job. Thankfully the guys around me did theirs as well and we were able to get a good away point."
DeMerit had a fierce battle with both Alan Gordon and Chris Wondolowski and he was happy to get through such a physical battle unscathed.
"I've been spending the last six months sharpening my elbows, just for those guys," DeMerit joked. "You're not trying to run with forwards that are picking corners and running all over the place. These are stand still forwards.
"[Chris Wondolowski] with his movement, you have to be sharp, but a lot of it's just with your mind and reading the game. That stuff doesn't come down to fitness either. You use your experience. This hasn't been the first time I've had to come back into these sort of situations, and you just have to make sure you're being smart."
