Bouncing Yorkers

The match between Spain and Holland (July 11, 2010) was the only game of this year’s FIFA World Cup that I watched, and throughout the game, I couldn’t help wondering if it was worth staying awake to watch it. The desire to not miss the once-in-four-years’ spectacle got the better of me, and aided by a couple of cups of hot Milo and some digestive biscuits, I managed to get through the start-stop-yellow-card-start-stop-…game. 

I had been eagerly looking forward to the Spain/Holland game in the hope of seeing some attacking and skillful football, but to say that I ended up disappointed is an understatement.  There were, of course, some good moments and some skill on display- everytime the ball went to Robben, it seemed like something could happen; Sergio Ramos looked good and the match picked up some pace after Jesus Navas came on. Overall, though, these moments were few and far between.

Since I first got a taste of watching international football  in the 1986 episode in Mexico City, this was the first World Cup that I didn’t watch any game other than the final.  What an initiation it was— the quarter final game between France and Brazil is etched deep in my memory; the image of legends like Socrates, Zico and Platini missing penalties, in a game that just seemed to flow from one end to another; or the wonderful final between Argentina and Germany that was another see-saw battle.  As I reflect back on that game, I am reminded of my soccer-mad cousin, barely 3-4 years elder to me, who stayed awake that morning to watch Diego Maradona lift the World Cup; today, he’s still struggling to recover from a paralytic stroke  that’s taken away a big chunck of  his memory and his mobility.  I still hope someday we’ll get to sit down together over  a beer or two and pull one another’s legs..

Anyway, coming back to 2010 and the Spain vs Holland game — there’s only one good reason that may have made the staying up worthwhile. It was Neel’s initiation to a  World Cup soccer finale.  I woke him up just as the second half of extra time was about to commence, and with slightly watery eyes, he watched Iniesta score the goal that differentiated the two teams on the night. He insisted that he stay awake to see Casillas lift the trophy. 

Many years from now, may be Neel will remember the first time he watched a World Cup game….and if you ask me, memories such as these are priceless!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 12:03 am and is filed under Neel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.