What’s up with these soccer (I know the rest of the world calls it futbol but I am in America here and we know the game as soccer) players that score a goal and then go sprinting off by themselves with their team mates trailing along behind, looking like subservient peons waiting for a morsel of acknowledgement from their hero? I know they are overcome with joy, since they may have just scored the winning goal or possibly the only goal in so long they forgot what it was like, but I would like to remind them that they are part of a team.
Is it possible a team mate made an unbelievable pass to get you the ball in a position to score? Is it possible there were a series of brilliant passes? Maybe a team mate sacrificed themselves as a decoy to leave you open for the pass. Maybe your defenders played stifling defense to keep your team in the game and possibly your goal tender staved off shot after shot.
Aficionados’ of soccer tell me of the intricate strategy involved in the game, likening it to a chess match. I know a little about chess and there are many pieces involved, each with its own valued role in the pursuit of the objective, which is to “check mate” the opponent’s king, similar to the team effort needed to score a goal in soccer. The operative word here is “team” as in, “There is no I in team”.
Just once, I would like to see the player scoring a goal immediately pivot and embrace his team mates. Maybe hug the player that passed him the ball or high 5 the rest of the guys. Acknowledge the premise that yes, I scored the goal but I could not have done it without your help. A little thank you never hurt anyone, to say nothing of a little humility.
Other than that I just love the World Cup. What a great opportunity to learn of the great continent of Africa and its customs, the brilliant colors and the fierce pride of the African people. The music is a language of its own and “soul” lovers all over the world watch in awe as they move as if the music is coming from within. No one moves to music like the Africans.
As the great sports writer Jim Murray once wrote when writing about the Olympic Games, “Sometimes the world needs a good party”.
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Now that you mention it, what is up with that ‘I did it! I did it!’ attitude? It reminds me when the Lakers won the 2010 playoffs (Go Lakers!) and Kobe Bryant was interviewed. Even though he is clearly the strongest player, in almost every interview, he mentioned the other players and how it was a team victory, he alone did not win the game. That’s just class. The football, HA! I mean soccer players should take a lesson.
ReplyDeleteI love that you watched the World Cup and the most exciting part was the location. Yes Africa looks amazing, but could you imagine watching the Super Bowl and thinking, wow - Texas.