It just so happens that I am an avid football fan. And I don't mean football that consists of wearing oodles of pads and gazillions of time-outs and pauses during the course of the game. I mean honest-to-goodness football: 90 minutes of non-stop action where you actually use your feet.
The reasons why I love this game - call it football, futbol, calcio, voetbol, soccer, balonpie, whatever - are too many to count. It's maddeningly simple, but like the best music or the richest art, the simplicity combines into infinite complexity. It's an exhilarating collision of art, science, physics, and magic.
The dance begins with a simple tap of the ball and it all unfolds from there. Every player has a role, but it acts as a mere starting point. Each must adapt to the game and make adjustments where necessary. All are equally responsible for the outcome of the game, yet each player brings his own strengths and weaknesses.
It's not simply about scoring goals; it's about the development of the game. Players brilliantly glide across the field juggling the ball, finding the gap, making a run, or drawing the foul. To the untrained eye it might seem like a game of running back and forth and kicking at a ball, but let me assure you, it is much, much more than that. The power and precision of the beautiful game is overwhelming.
It truly is the beautiful game. Don’t believe me? Dig up an old video of Maradona’s hand of God, highlights from Manchester United’s 1998-99 season when they won the treble, or the 1999 Women’s World Cup final where the US team triumphed. Even the average soccer game has stunning moments.
Soccer is the world’s game. To understand and appreciate it connects you to the world in a way beyond books and travel. It is fraught with politics, nationalism, and group identity. As an American, until you’ve experienced soccer the way the rest of the world does, you have no concept of the true meaning of football.
Do yourself a favor and let go of your preconceived notions about soccer being a sport for middleclass kids who are too small to play football or basketball. Go to a game. Cheer along with the crowd (yes, soccer fans cheer even when cheerleaders aren’t throwing free crap into the stands). Heckle the opposing team. Watch the players dance with the ball. Learn the rules of the game.
Tomorrow you have the opportunity to watch American soccer at its finest. Real Salt Lake hosts the New York Red Bulls in the Western Conference Finals of the MLS. Kickoff is at 7:30pm at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday night.
2 comments:
Way to go gal! You tell em!
I love your use of such eloquent words to describe such a simple game.
Magnificent!
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