I was 'Switzerland' for most of the World Cup Football. Because in most cases it tears me up inside when I start to cheer for a certain team. As long if there were any private links with teams I had even more issues going on. On top of that I did not think there were many outstanding matches this tournement and I even am tempted that I have not seen 'newborns' that I love to see out there in the months to come.
Being a girl I have been forced many times to watch football games. I even broke a toe once while fighting over the remote control! Not kidding. Was so fed up with the men at home who only could rave about certain players and game statistics. After almost four weeks of seeing green, white and 22 moving colored dots on screen I was fed up. I ended up at the emergency room with a broken toe! And for three weeks of summerholiday I was forced to walk on crutches!
When I was in the States I did find out that football is rather a 'smooth' sport. My best friend H played on the 'soccer team' and she was awesome with a ball. And to be honest the most European and good looking (and perhaps also rather intelligent) guys of the school played baseball or 'soccer'. Those 'sweet' guys gained all my respect. There are some realy nice pics in my Yearbook of the 'soccerteam', tying their shoes and getting focused just before a game.
I took classes with some of these guys! They were less giantlike then some of the Hoover Viking Football players. This also meant that the school never went completely insane when they won a game. Seemed as they were playing out there under the radar. The silent knights aiming for that one meaningful hit.
Not that they lacked the attitude I now link with some of big players of my generation. 'You know he 'only' plays soccer!', was one of these sentences that I just couldn't put my finger on. Where I came from 'Football' is the ultimate wet dream of many boys. Playing in the major league stands for so much more. Just a few out of the big wish box: getting treated as a real man, buying that one fast car that makes people turn around, and dating the gorgeous Miss of your nation.
Secretly I had something going for that high school team. It felt rather familiar, especially the vocabulary they used while talking about the game. American Football was for me the ultimate nightmare if it came to understanding tactics or reading a field. The only two American Football words that made it into my daily vocab where 'touch down' and 'quarterback'!
For me the past Cup final was for sure not the best game I ever saw. My two men were crossing fingers for Spain and I just sat there thinking that being impartial in this case was more fitting. After 3 minutes I just knew that there were was a war going on. Many kicks went the 'wrong' way. I have seen people getting hurt and some lost it out there completely. 'Clockwork Orange'came to mind a few times.
The looks in the eyes of many players told me stuff that was not linked to victory. Okay, you might get to play once only this so devine making match! Still it is not an excuse to go for that one painfull kick. As a player those 90 minutes seem to turn your world tupsy turvy. It is the one ultimate game that can make or break you. It can be the beginning or the end of something! Stars are born on that unique football field. When one of them finds that one opening and goes for the ultimate kill the outside world comes to a complete stand still. But once you let go your foot, there the dreams or nightmare start and you don't have any control over that one split second. All you can do then is hoping that it will go where you want it to cross the line.
I have seen men do very strange stuff when that moment came. Seems like they only then show their 'real' emotions when there is white object involved. And not only on the field but also next to it and way beyond it. Tears, kisses, huges, smiles, handshakes, screams, yells, obscene gestures, cursing,...... Men suddenly expose themselves so openly when dealing with this sport. They then seem to change into individuals with a EQ that hits through the roof.
Hey, the Spanish goalie Casillas kissing his girlfriend while she was working was so cute but it told me that they had kicked the hell out of him. And getting close to your queen in your locker room must be a bit surrealistic. Football seems to make many do exceptional stuff.
Madrid and Amsterdam are embracing back there big boys (some even became men!) and celebrating the homecoming they deserved. One national team with the ultimate cup that can take away all the pain. The other team wearing silver medals. These last ones will need badly a peptalk to make sure that they snap out of their ultimate nightmare.
Rightfully Spain won out there. 'La Furia Roja' will for sure be the next copple of years considered untouchable by the rest of the world. Except Switzerland seems to have found that one small loophole. Being 'Switzerland' is so cool when it comes to watching a football game!
P.S.: Before I forget I had very high' expectations when it came to that one 'El Nino' (the kid) Fernando Torres. He did not live up to those. Seemed he was a bit lost out there! Fernando, you do realise, hopefully, that you are now playing with the big boys! The cup looks good on you! But please take care of your fragile body. It will have to stand many future field wars!
P.S.: For the best images that were caught by a camera you can turn here! All the emotions of 4 weeks wrapped up in more then 40 pics for you to enjoy!
2010 World Cup comes to a close - The Big Picture - Boston.com
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