If I was gonna write about football last night, there's going to be triumph, confidence, patience and victory. It's going to be about, ball tossing, people screaming, heated encounters and tears even in the end. But at the end of the day, it's all about heartaches and broken promises. In this side of the earth anyway.
I was never a fanatic. And I understood half of it really. Initially I find football boring. I'm used to basketball where when people run on their side of the court people either shoot the ball or lose their chance. And then we head off again to the next. It's quick paced, full of testosterone and exciting. I never understood it's stats (well my stats of it) 20 guys, 90 minutes, 2 huge goal, and a huge stadium. End of the game: scores won't even reach 10 on either side or probably even if you add both teams scores.
But like they say, when in Rome, do what the Romans do. In my case - Barcelona and they are doing football. I remember taking trains during major games and people turns blue and red. And loud singing too. Which was seriously cool.
So needless to say you have to have a team. And for 4 years I've been in Barcelona, they have been champions. So it was an easy pick. I live in Barcelona, always a winner. So why do I need to know about any other team? But then I met my boyfriend who was a fanatic of Madrid. So fanatic its either I miss a monthsary or go with him and watch a game.
You can only imagine me on the first game I actually watch for 2 hours. There's no escaping it. You have to glue your eyes in the tv and pretend you understand. I'm not completely clueless actually so by the first half I'm one of those discussing what went wrong and what needs to happen on the second half with my half Spanish language. Madrid won so everything was okay.
Little by little my curiosity got me. I start watching games as background as I play poker or bejeweled in Facebook. Lose or win, madrid or barca, I go to sleep soundly.
Knowledge of football though come handy. I have something to tease with my co-employees when usually I'm just keeping quite. Coz seriously who doesn't know football? Probably only me.
Fast track to yesterday and there I was glasses on in front of a tv almost forgetful of what's going on in Facebook and cheering for barca. I think for the first time thinking about the same thing with everybody in camp nou: what the frigging happen to messi?! Anyways we were saved by Alexis and another one I still dont remember who, so we sort of forgive Messi's fail to add another goal from what I'd call "football free throw". Although it's a slim 1 point advantage when they announced they added 7 minutes to the timer, I'm like surely theyd win. The last goal was from first half and nobody was able to successfully make another one in the last 90 minutes, of course theyd win. But then like on cue, Guardiola took off his jacket and started screaming on his team. I was at home but I could feel the nervousness of everybody in court and in the stadium. This is it, moment of truth! And then one Chelsea player made a long pass and I was think no problem everybodys on barca's camp anyway. And then out of the corner of my tv came this Torres guy and from that tiny speck of time in my entire 35 years of life, the longest 10 seconds of my life I saw him taking the ball one barca player on his tail, the goal keeper made some flimsy attempt to stop him and just like that, one swift kick and he stole the victory from barca. For a brief second there I stared at the tv in disbelief. Barca lost?! I think the realization sets in when I saw messi trying to hide a tear. There's still some 3 minutes left and some of them like Puyol didn't gave up but at that moment I think we all knew they will not go to Europe championship.
In a round about way, Messi broke my heart. He should have made that penalty goal. And what happened to his footworks? But yeah, He was the one who brought us to where we are. We all should be grateful for that. And there's another year. And no, not all the best wins.
This game will be told and retold over time. And no matter what's perspective the storyteller is coming from we will remember this night as the night that Chelsea broke so many hearts and won over the best football team of the world.
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