*dedicated to my La Furia Roja 2010.
Hours ahead of the historic "All European" Grand Final.
July 11th 2010. World Cup, South Africa.
*dedicated to my fellow Spain fans. Especially to Od, you are one hell of a fan !
Being a sport fan is usually more intense compare to the other types of fan. The intensity varies from sport to sport. There is the politeness kind of intensity in tennis and in golf. The fans usually grunt and cheer with their teeth and jaws clapped shut. Classy is the way to describe these fans. In football/soccer, the intensity is downright ugly, barbaric, and brutal. One soccer fan is loud enough. Put more of those in the same room and the room will explode with thunderous roars and firecrackers. That is the amazing irony about soccer games. All kind of noises are permitted and all sorts of technologies are not. I am so proud to be one of the fans; this is a perfect way to express one self completely.
Aside from being brutal, a football fan is also a smart-ass, meaning we think we know our team the best. We think we know how to play the game the best. We think we have the smartest strategy to win, bla bla bla. We also expect too much of our players. We want them to push their body beyond maximum ability, to fight for the ball, to kick, to jump, to twirl, to somersault, to fly, and to fall face-flat to the ground. We don’t tolerate whiners on the field, even when someone just fell down and cracked some bones, all in the name of football. “Get up, you sissy! It was nothing!” We think that the football players’ bodies are made out of steel and bricks. Off the record, I was all teary and sobby when my toddler daughter accidentally step on my toe, but again, my body is not built for a professional athlete… so it’s ok for me to wince a little.
I love soccer. It is a simple game. One can play anywhere, anyplace, and anytime. No need for rackets, nets, hoops, or water. Just a simple ball will do. In its simplicity comes the greatest teamwork known to mankind. The eleven players on the field work as one mind and one body. They are all equipped with mind/body reading of those from their own team, there’s no time to pause the game to communicate or to write down the instructions and strategy to each other.
I love soccer. It’s notably the only game that is able to connect the world, despite any race, skin color, religion, or judgment. When international events - such as the World Cup and the Euro Cup - take place, this is the game that brought people together. One dream; One game; One World.
I love soccer. I am a fan. Being a fan is a tricky business. Being a hardcore fan means that you need to stick with your team in good and bad times – sort of like in marriage actually. As long as the vision of your team doesn’t change – which is winning - you must be at their side at all times. Sometimes we forget that our team is made out of people too, and the thing with people is that sometimes they’re up and the other time they’re down. No need to curse them or threaten the innocent octopus for that matter, or burn and destroy non-living things along the way. On the contrary, when our team wins, it’s mandatory that we immerse ourselves into the crazy and endless euphoria surrounding the winning. Gloating is a must.
The most important thing about the game is, have faith in your team. I have my faith in my team, the La Furia Roja. I hope you’ll win your quest for the Cup, my Spanish boys. You are named La Furia Roja for one reason only, and that single reason is because YOU ARE AWESOME and YOU ARE THE BEST! Conquer the world with your football skills and your talents – not with the Hollywood acting skills, like some of other teams in this competition – and you will go home with The Cup. Write down your own glorious history, Spain. Have faith in yourself, not because of what Paul the Octopus has told you. Have faith because you own David Villa - the most lethal striker nowadays – and he is currently eyeing the Best Scorer spot in this tournament. Have faith because you have the most feared midfielders and genius playmakers in the world. Xavi, Iniesta, Ramos are ready to play the most beautiful game ever. Have faith because you have the most dedicated defenders in the house, Puyol and Pique at your service. And above all, have faith because – unlike any other team which has an ordinary goalkeeper – you have a Saint under your post. Iker Casillas – said to be the best goalkeeper in the world today – earns his nickname Saint Iker for his superb keen reflexes and skills in saving Spain. You are all ready to go!
Now that everything is being said, there’s only one thing left to say… “DON’T YOU DARE TO LOSE, LA ROJA! AWAS KALAU LOE SAMPE KALAH !”
Just for fun
The referee I miss the most : Pierluigi Collina
The absent star I miss the most : Michael Ballack
The charismatic goalkeepers I miss the most : Oliver Kahn and Fabien Barthez
The song I miss the most : Ricky Martin’s The Cup of Life
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