I Will Never Give you Up: Brazil World Cup part (3) In the End

What a dream team this is

Happy Eid everyone. God how late this post is but at least it’s finally done. And here. Don Don!

1998, Jeddah KSA, France world cup final game, Brazil vs France, I was a happy teen sitting in the living room with my family enjoying the match, so excited with no heart ache of any kind, that was the first world cup I seriously watched and actually did understood a thing or two, but the point is that I was a fan of both teams and I felt the luckiest of all, everyone else with one team in mind were victims of stress and anguish but haha not smart me, when Zizo’s team won I was over the moon.

Fast forward, 13-7-2014, Khartoum Sudan, Brazil world cup final match; Germany vs Argentina I'm a fan of both teams too, I loved both, I was going to be happy for whoever will win, but now something was different, or else why am I feeling this way?

I tell you what happened. I grew up.

Meaning,

I no longer only feel happy for the winner, I also feel miserable for the loser.

And so it’s a J.R.R Tolkien book ending, fantastic! But bittersweet and such a sweet sorrow.

Is it Messi or Argentina I mourn?

At the beginning of first extra time it rained and the picture was lost, followed –of course- by an electricity cut, when the lights were back (but not the picture OF COURSE!) RoboBro looking at his mobile said “Germany scored a goal”, we all screamed in dismay, a dismay that felt like a knife through my heart, that actually made me almost forget I cheer for Germany too, so I had to ask with a respectable amount of curiosity, who scored it?

“Götze” he said. “Oh! Why that’s really good!” I was pleased for young Götze, the brand new happiness bringer (i.e. Iniesta) of Germany.

The game ended and the strong Argentinean men looked like they were standing over the body of a loved one or in the funeral of a national hero who gave his life for the people!

What killed me, talking about Messi now, is that he didn’t like cry, I wish he did,

he didn’t scream, he didn’t fall to the ground nor tried to pimp up his men or greet the audience, I wish he did any of those things, it could have been better, you know with all this greatness thing and the best of the world chatter I sometimes forget that he’s only 27. He stood there with a look of quiet sadness that seemed to seep through the cameras into me, it was horrible, and because he was Messi the camera zoomed at his face for a rather long time, he looked so broken, so shocked, only trying to keep from falling, and this has always been Messi who hates the losing no matter how small but stands his ground, never is that man melodramatic, except this time it felt that this high sense of pride will kill him, the dream of his life is lost and he’s going to keep it inside until he gives himself a heart attack.

So maybe Messi will never ever get this far again, his dream will never crystallize and he will never hold the world cup, unfortunately he’s not the first and will never be the last, sad cause he’s the greatest, but maybe that’s just it.

Leo was handed the Golden Ball for best player in world cup 2014. He looked at it with no interest, it was obvious he wanted the big one, this just made it all harder for me, Nueur had a better experience with the golden glove for best keeper. Some say, NO! a lot argued Messi did not deserve this honor, including Maradona, Gary Lineker and Blatter, they say it was all for the marketing, I agree there were some other outstanding players in Brazil this year but Messi did deserve it, anyway, read this nice interview from his team mate and my Barca boy Masche before the final game, it will shed some light on what was really going on and what was Messi’s real role in the Argentinan squad. This article also says it all.

Not kidding you at the time I was considering never watching football again, or at least not to be such a follower. I seriously was on the edge of giving up, it was so difficult. I don’t need more drama in my life, the world is filled with enough atrocities that are everywhere around me, on my facebook page and in the news, I seriously don’t need the extra of watching some tough men see their dreams crushed in front of them.
I feel better now. Revived, thank God!

Germany, Oh Germany!

Schweinsteiger being the nice guy that he is

I wish it was some team other than Argentina, I wish it was someone who won’t spoil the happiness for Germany's win for me, I felt deeply conflicted, but I laughed with them as they goofed around, acknowledged their joy, was really surprised to see magical Müller’s awed face (I mean can he get that emotional? I misread the boy). I was proud, very proud for a perfect Lam, and a goodhearted Schweinsteiger and an out of this world Kroos, sharp Hummels and a legendary Klose. Löw the man, Khedira the wonderful, Götze my favorite new comer and gentle Ozil, funny Podolski and the you-got-to-be-kidding-me amazing Nuere.

This generation wowed me on 2010 World Cup, to me after Spain Germany was the perfect team, they worked so well together and looked immune to fatigue and defeat, they killed me when they nailed Argentina team with 4 – 0 , it was Maradona's coaching time back then, but when Spain got them out with Puyol’s only goal I couldn’t believe it! They of course went after that to steal the third place from Uruguay and it was the best consolation for me. I watched many of their matches after that always thinking that it would be such a pity if this amazing team never wins the big prize, well now they did it.

I think it’s time for a jersey right? I’m a sport girl anyway no need to kid myself. A nice Argentina shirt with the name Messi on its back will do (an Iniesta jersey for Barca will be perfect) Germany can wait those boys will stay the kings for another four years after all, but when I do buy one it could be Ozil or Schweinsteiger or Lam, but Klose and Müller are good choices too proving that Germany is a team and Argentina is…well, Messi.

Look at these pics, just look at it.

Here and back again

When a dream as wide as the world is stolen away from you

So what if Messi is destined to achieve everything but the world cup? One thing I can say, I’m finally ok with it. It’s been ages since Argentina reached this far in a World Cup, those boys gave it their all, period.

And all is brand new at the FC Barceluna headquarters, with a number of new players on board and Luis Enrique as the new skipper, he said he will put Messi and Neymar on the sides and Suarez in the middle, and that it will give Leo space again and a chance to shine as he did in 2009 (a golden season that was), so I hope it all goes well, and do you know now that Puyol and Valdez left (Xavi has other thoughts) Iniesta is the closest choice for captain? This I got to see :) Leo too will probably be leading more often. All sounds quite promising.

In the End. when Argentina was through to the final match, after defeating Netherlands in penalties, I saw something different. Four years I have been watching Messi win everything and lose everything but I have never saw him in my life looking so happy that night, so happy that a complete new expression emerged on his face. It was priceless.