football

A personal story about Football

In first place thanks to every follower that had the patience to bear my football posts this extraordinary month with the World Cup Brazil 2014. Thank you dear reader.

And thanks to the anonymous visitors that read my words about our shared passion. You and me are in the same brotherhood, thanks.

I love football because it’s fair and it’s funny. You don’t even need a ball or shoes, you can shape some rags in spherical shape and run with your naked feet. You can play it alone, you can play it with another person, you can play it with ten more folks against eleven and you have a team. Basically you can be the goalkeeper, a back or an attacker. And you are ready to go!

It’s a team work, but in few moments you can have inspiration and be invincible (the word comes from Latin invictus and means that you can’t be defeated) and just run with nobody able to stop you, you are wind and you are divine when you get the goal.

I wouldn’t have considered to be a professional footballer, the same as I wouldn’t dare to be a professional photographer. Just because they are hobbies I love, the same as to travel to places, and to draw. That’s quite different to architecture which I see as a way to make something useful to the people, but don’t get me wrong, certainly I love to design too.

So, goodbye till Russia 2018!!! Brazil 2014 was the best World Cup in several editions so I hope Russia can follow that spirit :-)

Football: I am South American and why I didn’t support Brazil (and vandalism in Buenos Aires)

To sadness to every Brazilian that hoped to a humiliating Argentine defeat… Well, that didn’t happen. Argentina played well, they fought till the end and they could have won.

 I love the old jogo bonito from Brazil, I really want to see the old magic in the great Brazilian players, but I’ve no much love to people that have childish behaviour and just prove that they doesn’t mind to see good football, just want an excuse to destroy or to insult. I am sorry to write it about Brazilians but they have demonstrated to be selfish laughing about the previous Argentine sport defeats, they even write in Spanish chat forums, I haven’t seen any other country here that do something like that, the football archrival of Perú is Chile but save some few guys that have a disgusting behaviour this don’t get the Brazilian levels, I haven’t seen this behaviour in the Argentine side with the public Brazilian scale. I know, or I wish, they aren’t majority but I don’t find another country in South America with a more unfair attitude. The disturbs before the World Cup and after the fall of the Brazilian team (when the Brazilian team needed more from their “supporters”) is something that doesn’t speaks very well from a country with so many contributions to the culture in several fields as music, or architecture for just mention two, and that it’s near to be a great power if they do the proper things. But I hope that if they get to be a regional power at the level they aspire it gets achieved with the idea of fraternity and not supremacy.

I feel they did the same against Uruguay and a little also with Colombia, that irrational side to not applaud the game but ends applauding to cheat and to pretend fouls instead to win playing.

Now, in the moments I write these lines, I read about vandalism in Buenos Aires. I know that probably there is social discontent, but this is not about football, it’s about people in search of any excuse to just be violent. My classmates in school were poor, and we (although I wasn’t rich definitively I wasn’t poor as my friends) never wouldn’t allowed that bad behaviour. It’s the dark side of people that actually doesn’t love football because, as Borges said, they doesn’t care about a nice game of football, just if the team that they “defends” are the winner, they are the ones that think that hurt the rival and fake the fouls are the way to get the goal. I still believe in the beauty of play and see football.

World Cup 2014 Champion: Germany!

Germany-Argentina

Cycle.

Today was the final match. I would had love that the champion would be the Argentine team. But Germany won and they are great champions. They deserve it and they got to give us one of the best World Cups since I remember. To say the truth the first World Cup I remember is the Final between Germany and Argentina in Italy 90. That time Germany won but it was a match intense, or at least I felt thus in an age where I didn’t even know where were those two countries in the maps. This happened again today, and although it wasn’t the same today I felt the same emotion. At least a great final! These last world cups the finals had been so boring, perhaps because players are deadly tired, but today was different.

Match.

The ninety minutes began with a game locked by the tactic scheme of both teams. But that couldn’t last: it’s the end of an entire and intense month and the body couldn’t endure so much to maintain the order. The game went to simply attack and defense. The first time Argentina was closer to win but they didn’t score the goal. In total Argentina had three clear chances to score and, it’s almost a football law, the goal you don’t score is the goal the rival score on you. Germany had two clear too, but they couldn’t. Not in the two halves. The first time ended with a potent Argentina and a solid Germany, Lavezzi has a great time.

The second time Sabella changed Lavezzi and el Kun entered but he wasn’t still with the body to play well in the match. Messi needed someone who could serve him the ball to score but he was needed back in the lines and that is not his natural function in my opinion. In Germany case I think the scheme that could give them the goal before was that Klose would enter in second time, in my opinion the German game needed first to score the goal and Klose wasn’t fit to the first minutes. Götze entered to the grass and almost quickly (in a game that ended fast) scored in the extra time at the 113 minute.

Germany 1 – Argentina 0.

Argentina tried but it seemed that the team wasn’t positive about the goal. They could win but they didn’t score and that’s what matters in football.

We have a new CHAMPION.

To Germany thanks to play so well, to show to the world that magic happens. That the team is important but also is the love to the sport, the love to win, and the love to the rich history of the country.

The statistics said that they couldn’t win upon Brazil, not even get a goal: they scored 7 in just one match; the statics said that a European team couldn’t win here in America and Germany won, and with a nice team that now has taken the Germany name to the Football History, again. Great merit to the team of Löw, the goalkeeper Neuer, to Lahm, Hummels, Boateng, Höwedes, Kramer, Schweinsteiger, Müller, Kroos, Özil, to Klose, Schürrle, Mertesacker, and to the German hero Götze. His goal motivated that the last minutes Argentina wanted more, and also avoided that the match ended with penalties, always is better to win playing.

In the future Germany is going to win again and is going to lose. But the Championship of today is to the eternity.

Football: Brazil (0) – Netherlands (3) / Match for the Third Place

Usually the yellow colors in the Brazilian uniform meant to play the game with giants. That was the case until the Mineiratzen. Today the Brazilian team, in home, played against a tired Netherlands. The orange team was clearly tired because the long game versus Argentina. But there are two differences: they have figures as Roben and Van Persie, they have a solid tactical team. Brazil have figures… not asked by the coach to the team, and the team have holes in every sector, they haven’t initiative because as I wrote the figure or hero is feared by the coach that wants a disciplined army ready to give him the glory without individual players that stale that glory. That worked just when there were figures, but know there is a team that did the best that it could, and it did the best just with Neymar, a skilled player not comparable to the Brazilian captains of yore.

So what did we see today?:

  • Faster goal in the Brazilian webs in three minutes.
  • Bigger amount of goals in two matches since I remember: 10 (TEN)
  • Team with more goals received in World Cup 2014.

I don’t think it’s responsibility of Brazilian players, it’s responsibility of years to have chosen a cold style of game that killed the idea that a player can have inspiration and initiative, that he can be a hero and he can change the history if he really wants. Instead the idea of a mechanical team that obeys orders ended badly. And it seems that there was a behind the scenes of corruption.

In short the firs goal was after a foul that shouldn’t be penalty (and it seems that the referee didn’t validate other penalty kick that was legal for this reason) barely with tree minutes. It was signed by Van Persie; Daley Blind scoret at minute 17′; at minute 91 Georginio Wijnaldum get the third to Netherlands. Robben tried but hadn’t luck or force. Fortunately the Brazilians fans in the stadium applauded to the Netherlands team showing a good sport spirit.

Brazil showed a despaired game for moments, but mostly was a boring game because they wasn’t organized, they did several fouls but this time referees didn’t pardon them as it was routine in the initial matches. They kicked the ball and didn’t tried to go to the rival webs playing it in the field. Netherlands didn’t get more goals because they were deadly tired.

I heart it that in Brazil 1950, when the Maracanazo, when they lost the Cup against Uruguay, their uniform was white and after that they changed to the yellow all we know. I think we are going to see similar changes, and I believe those changes are needed because the Brazilian football deserves better than they have today.

Football: Robben and the Justice in Football

Today I’m reading a commentary from Robben after the Netherlands defeat against Argentina. He said to the German Kicker:

I have no doubt that Germany will be world champions. Argentina have no chance of beating Germany

and

It was a tough elimination, because we were very close to another final. But I am proud of this team, who I believe were superior to Argentina over 120 minutes of play,

But to FIFA (I presume before the interview to Kicker):

 You could see that we were much fitter than Argentina [towards the end of the match], but they are such a good team. They were better [in the shoot-out] and that’s really painful. But it’s all part of the game and you can’t blame anyone, even the boys who took the penalties. We did it all together. We won together and now we must lose together. But I am so proud of this squad, truly.

Certainly the declarations to Kicker are words from somebody that was near to win everything and ends losing it. But coming from Robben it surprised me a bit, it sounds something more appropriate coming from the Mexican coach (defeated by the Netherlands team with Robben himself) who is known for have a passional temperament, a Mexican temperament almost I’d say. Herrera said, more or less, the same. That Mexico deserved to win. What is a way to say that the score wasn’t fair: There wasn’t justice. (It must be to be remembered that Robben faked a foul in the first time and after those matches was clear that is one of his tactics)

But the justice in Football is that the one who scores more goals win the match. Even more if Robben wouldn’t thought one second to shoot to the Romero’s arch Mascherano hardly had could rob (pun intended) him the goal. Argentina annulled to Van Persie and Robben and the whole Netherlands team. Sure, the Netherlands team also annulled the Argentinian offensive in a match called boring by people who never played football. It was so leveled that if the Netherlands would win the penalty kicks series it would be fair too.

So Robben words are ones of understandable anger I think. Now he wants that Germany win upon the rival that defeated the team that lost in part because he didn’t get the goal (in the Argentina side they lost at least two goals) But anybody can speak about football, now is time that he makes it worth and defeat to the Brazilian team or he is going to end simply just a fool angry because he wasn’t in the final. Because if the Netherlands team is defeated then the argument that they deserved to win the semi-final is just

Sneijder was less emotional and told to FIFA:

It was a tough elimination, because we were very close to another final. But I am proud of this team, who I believe were superior to Argentina over 120 minutes of play,

Again I saw a leveled match. You can be superior just if you won. It seems that the Mexican team played with the Netherlands uniforms LOL. They, the Netherlands team, did it well, they fought but they lost. Now try to win the match against Brazil.

He added:

 I think there was only one team that wanted penalties and that was them [Argentina]. And yes, they won, so well done to them.

False. The Netherlands wanted more to get the penalties. Why? Because they are colder. Honestly I thought that the Netherlands team was to going to win this one, but the History was other… Football is one of the things on the Earth with more real Justice. It’s no important if your country is wealthy, poor, from one religion or another, if your skin is white, black, red, yellow or brown. It’s about eleven men against eleven men and fortunately this World Cup is the proof that that nonsense about these times there is no place for heroes and the team is the only thing that counts. Far from the truth. In football the team has great importance, but still one man, any man, can do a difference. Bra71l tried the route of the team idea and they lost. Before they had another luck because there were figures despite the coachs that, for a selfish idea to get the glory to them and not to their countries, have fear to the heroes and invented the idea that mechanical teams without heart wins the cups.

Football: Argentina vs Netherlands and thoughts about the Sunday Final

Today is the first day after the Mineiratzen. But today was also a football day, the other semi-final:

Argentina vs Netherlands

Preamble.

Argentina have had problems with their team. It feels weaker than before, there is no Tévez and to say the truth to the most of them I don’t know where they play. They have won to their rivals in this World Cup but seeing the team it’s hard not to wonder if they could come so far without Messi. But also is truth that sometimes when Argentina don’t play nice or do a great spectacle they can go higher, sometimes not.

Netherlands won everything and they had defeated with a clean game (except some theatrical actuations from Robben) and they had a solid team with an intelligent star in Robben. So I wasn’t sure to see an Argentina winning the match.

The game.

Some internet news said that the match was boring. I don’t agree. It hasn’t goals because tactically the coach designed a scheme that was strong in attack and defense. I believe that the match was so leveled that it was going to be breaking for the inspiration of a genius, and this genius could be Messi or Robben. But they had barriers to get the goal. In some parts Netherlands was clearly attacking more, in others Argentina, but the goal didn’t come. Neither at first nor in the supplementaries. Mascherano was a hero because he blocked the clearer opportunity of Robben against an almost lonely goalkeeper. And Mascherano get it without give to Robben the chance of a penalty. Robben and Van Persie seemed this time tired. Even Messi didn’t run so much but I think in his case it was because there was no much opportunities to run and score. He is intelligent and knows when to run. Argentina had two clears but they were soft balls that the goalkeeper Cillessen had no problem in to catch. There was an argentine goal invalidated but I’m not sure if it was illegal.

Both teams hadn’t holes and played well, what speaks better of Argentina because they weren’t playing as a solid team until today. The minutes were passing and it was time of penalties. Romero was a truly hero saving twice the Argentinian webs, Rubben scored as always: technically perfect but Vlaar and Sneijder had chosen the final doom of Netherlands. After Messi’s goal and the Romero wall it was just for fun that Garay, Agüero and el Maxi Rodríguez scored against Cillessen. Argentina 4 – Netherlands 2

In my opinion the figures and heroes of today are Mascherano and Romero.

Prediction.

One of my oldest memories is the final of the Italy 90 World Cup. I don’t remember so much about the matches but I remember the final match between Argentina and Germany. Today Argentina classified and happens to be finalist against, again, Germany. That match in 1990 was painful, die mannschaft was a pretty hard rival and although Argentina had a lot of stars, definitively the present team is not so stellar. In Italia 90 they had Maradona, Caniggia, Goycochea, and a constellation of stars even in the reserve. The final is going to repeat but I couldn’t give a prediction.

History would say that Argentina is going to win because in America never an European team has won. But yesterday Germany kicked the History to the garbage with 7 (seven) goals to Brazil in home. Germany never had made a goal to Brazil in a World Cup. Romário, the great Brazilian striker said that it was a problem of corruption in Brazil. I saw him to play, and I believe in him. The Brazilian team defeated by Germany was one very weak. But also is truth that Germany has discovered its mojo. They are dancing in the grass, they are enjoying and they want. But… the last finals were disappointing, I hope this final is going to be the great match that the World Cups deserve. In this case is a shame to be the second, and even more the third place is received with more joy because it at least means that in the end the team won, but the second means that the team lost.

In any case the football have to win with a great exhibition this Sunday.

Field of Gold

The celeste against the orange.

Football: Brazil – Germany or the German Massacre over Brazilians

I am quite happy with the score. Actually it’s the best that could had happen to Brazil.

Today happened something incredible, and to the worse it’s the second time that it happens to Brazil. Before in Maracana (we call it the maracanazo) in 1950 Uruguay won the World Cup defeating to Brazil. Now, 2014 Germany has eliminated to the local Brazil with seven goals, seven bombs, seven arguments to say to the world that Brazil shouldn’t never abandoned its jogo bonito. Today Germany played with force, skill, and rhythm. They played as if they were the old Brazil when there was magic in the Brazilian team. Today the Brazilian team has no magic and it’s the worst team I’ve never seen.

Previously I said that Germany would be easier than South American rivals because we’re used to play against Brazil. But I was badly wrong, Brazil felt those matches just because now is an inferior team. A humble team in comparison to previous ones with true giants, when Brazil has stars even to let in the reserve. But since the coach Dunga they changed the style from the jogo bonito to this more (before this Germany I had said “European”) aseptic game. Although the Brazilian players played with order (in the beginning) and with the win as mission they simply aren’t the giants of before. Fortunately they fought till the end although they seemed a team of nine players, because you can lose but you cannot abandon the fight. So my hope is that this great Defeat, with capitals, helps to bring back the jogo bonito that I loved when child. I am happy for Brazil because today should to die this misdirection in its football.

About Germany today was magic, was passion, was will. If you pardon my sacrilege to Schopenhauer today the German team show The Football as Will and Exhibition. They played gloriously, the didn’t make the first goal to after that defend their arch. They continued the attack for the victory. They played nicely and they made dance to the Brazilians that were completely disarticulated. They score that kind of goals that you just can do when you play in the block with the friends, they enjoyed and won. I don’t know if they are going to win, who does; but I know that they today deserves be remembered. The first goal was done by Thomas Müller barely eleven minutes in the beginning; Miroslav Klose signed his name in the History at 23 minutes, breaking the mark of maximum World Cup goal scorer over precisely the Brazilian Romario in Brazil itself!; Kroos got two more at 24 and 26; and Sami Khedira followed the German Dance at 29. Ends the first half. In the second time Andre Schürrle get two more at 69 and 78. Unbelievably they even lost some goals. In the minute 90 the Brazilian player Oscar scored the one to Brazil but it felt almost as Germany had allowed it. End of game: Germany to the History.

I was totally wrong with Germany, I thought they would be eliminated, but the last match against France showed a steel will, Football is a game of want, and Germany wants.

Thanks Germany.

riding turbulences

Victory

Football: Argentina vs Belgium; Netherlands vs Costa Rica

Argentina vs Belgium:

Some hypnotizer played with the minds of the Belgium team to make them believe that the match against Argentina was one of practice. So today in the morning they played without give it any importance. Other way I can’t believe why they played so bad. You can lose but you must lose fighting. Argentina just needed one goal at the beginning and after that it was just wait to the end of the ninety minutes.

Netherlands vs Costa Rica:

I almost had three heart attacks seeing this match, even more I had to go to a restaurant to see the second time, and after that I went to a fast food that had a good television to eat an icecream that last the two supplementaries and in the end a juice to see the penalties. Of course I wasn’t hungry. It was one of the best games in the World Cup. The Costa Rica team was under a lot of pressure, Robben is certainly one of the best players in the tournament (smart, potent, skilled, with desires to win) but neither him nor the rest of Netherlands could score. Costa Rica has fewer chances but they had anyway and they could have won too. Netherlands lose incredible opportunities in front of an unprotected arch, they seemed to be the next world-class victims of Costa Rica.

After what seemed an eternity the penalties played in favor of Netherlands, they were cold-blooded and that is important to shoot penalties. What a pity for Costa Rica, but someone has to win. Before I considered Robben a great player (although everybody doubts about the fouls against him, lol), now I see him as a giant, and the Costa Rica team as the tournament revelation.

Football: France vs Germany; Brazil vs Colombia

Hearts throb, legs weight tons, there is just a moment to score the goal, just a chance to change the History or lose everything: World Cup has begun.

France vs Germany:

Germany played a long match before, France instead played the ninety minutes in its previous match, they were supposed to last more and better. Perhaps they were with that thought, endure the German attack until exhausting them. Germany was not agree, they knew that they had to score from the start, every minute it was to going harder and tougher. Hummels kill the match with barely thirteen minutes, it was not just crossed the French webs but their hearts and will to win. I am not sure if France hoped to win in the second time with a better condition but they played without much desire to score. Even in the end the most of them didn’t seem very conscious that they were completely eliminated. Germany 1 – France 0.

Brazil vs Colombia:

Colombia has a great team, perhaps stronger than Brazil but they started the match with disorder that wasn’t an organized football but a street football, that do more damage than the Brazilian attack or the referee that allowed a game of kicks and fouls without so much punishment. Certainly a Brazilian stadium have to weight to the rival team and at least a bit to the referee. Thiago scored in seventh minute, and the first time was mostly Brazilian; Colombia ran to score but in a way that I thought that a Brazilian counterattack would get another goal. In second time a Colombia, with strict orders from Pekerman, did a better fight but Brazil was in home and David Luiz scored the second one with an amazing goal, the Colombian goalkeeper (that seemed hurted or at least different) and the backs couldn’t do nothing except to clap (of course they didn’t clap) and after that Colombia get the goal with a penalty. I thought that the referee, the same way as the WWE referees, was going to pass out in that moment to not validate the goal, LOL, fortunately the game don’t degenerate so much. Neymar is probably out of the World Cup, although I personally feel it more for Suárez I hope that Neymar can still play. With every match there are excellent players out but well, that’s the football and at least always there is time to swore revenge, and sometimes to retrieve.

I prognostic that Brazil is going to eliminate to Germany. Brazil has more difficult matchs with South American teams because we know each other. I invite to Germany to prove me wrong ;-)