“Football? It’s the beautiful game” was Pele’s reply when he was asked about football. [break]
Yes, football IS a beautiful game. It’s an art. It’s about persistence, about getting back up after you fall down. Not once but twice, thrice and as many times it takes.
The Manchester United lost its whole team in a plane crash in Munich in 1958; 22 out of 43 people on board died in the crash leaving the remaining seriously injured. Having lost their first team, the club made a fresh start, signed in new players and nothing stopped them from winning the FA Cup in 1963 and eventually becoming the English Champions in 1965.
Chelsea didn’t give up after losing 3-1 to Napoli in the Champions League. Rather, they changed tactics. They came back and thrashed Napoli 4-1 in the next game to qualify. At 4-0 down, Newcastle scored four goals in the second half to draw level against Arsenal.
And what goes around comes around. Arsenal didn’t give up 4-0 down at halftime to Reading. They fought hard. They won 7-5. A well-motivated and high-spirited Liverpool came back from nowhere in the Champions League 2005 against AC Milan to draw the match 3-3 after they were three goals down in the first half; Liverpool went on to win the match in penalties.
That’s the way it rolls. That’s why football is universally loved. It’s not a bunch of individuals kicking the ball here and there; it is determination, hard work, and most importantly, teamwork. Also, risk-taking is one of the most important aspects in football. But, more important, it’s taking the right risk at the right moment.
3-0 down in the first half, hadn’t Rafa Benitez thrown Dietmar Hamann, an attacking reserve, into the attack instead of the first team defender Steve Finnan? Otherwise, we wouldn’t have witnessed a match which is now known as one of the greatest comebacks in the history of football.
I’ve learnt from football that stepping up in an unlikely time will make you a hero. Manchester City was 2-1 down against QPR in the last match of the Barclays Premier League till the 90th minute. ManCity fans had already hung their heads in shame as the QPR fans relished their victory. But the celebrations and acceptance of defeat proved to be much too premature. In the five-minute injury time, City scored twice to win the match.
Bimal Gharti Magar of Nepal waves to the supporters after scoring a goal against Pakistan during their SAFF Championship match at the Dasharath Stadium on Tuesday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (Bikash Karki/Republica)
Likewise, football is also about passion. Nothing can explain the pulses and chills felt by Chelsea and Bayern Munich fans as Drogba stood behind the ball to take the final penalty kick against Bayern Munich in Champions League Final 2012.
Bill Shankly said, “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it’s much, much more important than that.”
It would be redundant to say football is the most popular sport in the world. Football brings the world together; FIFA having more number of member nations than the UN being a testament to that. The whole world comes together as one and watches the World Cup every four years. Football is played in over 200 countries by over 117 million people, and is watched by 3.5 billion fans on football grounds and on television.
Britain and Germany were the greatest rivals in the First World War. Still, on the Christmas Day during the war, British and German soldiers put down their guns and played a game of football on the ‘No Man’s Land’ between them!
Tears rolled down Zohib Amiri’s cheeks after a match between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Afghan defender had not just raised the 12-inch gold trophy like his Spanish counterpart Carlos Puyol, but amidst all war, conflicts and violence, Afghanistan had hosted their first football match in almost a decade. He was more than happy when the people – always terrified and scared of violence – forgot everything for at least 90 minutes and happily cheered for their team.
And, so, if anyone tells me, “I don’t like football,” I’ll reply, “You either start watching football or suffer in silence.”
The writer is a fresh A-level graduate from Budanilkantha School, and a huge football fan.
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