The Beautiful Game

Dear reader(s),

Today was pretty boring... most of it anyway. I know that's a pretty awkward start to this post but i really didn't know how to start this time..

Anyway, the interesting part of my day, the time when i wasn't playing on my computer, or sitting online looking at people signing in for 5 seconds and appearing offline (SERIOUSLY PEOPLE!! STOP DOING THAT!!!), i was playing The Beautiful Game. For the less literati of my readers, that is just a translation to a game the world calls FOOTBALL (except the stupid Americans and Australians who'd rather call it "soccer" but whatever).

It was in the early evening, kick off at 5.30 p.m. (everyone was told it would start at 4.30, but come on! This Is INDIAN FOOTBALL!!). Now, there might be a little briefing about the teams and why they were like such before i tell u about this amazing match. The match was basically between Bonny's society against a mixed team comprising players from tintin's society and mine. But, Bonny, Tintin and I, along with Prasid, Niloy, my school friend Marshel (who was playing with us for the first time), Bala, Anant, Shitij, Dhruv, Udit and Noni. Some may ask why and well, simply cause' (a) I don't get along with anyone in my society, (b) We both like playing with our friends (c) Its not half as much fun playing with those bastards that reside in my colony, the same ones I've had my share of fist-fights with!

So anyhow, the game kicked off and well, i wont bore you with minor details cause' i know it cannot be close to being really interesting to have to read a description of each pass made and each wild shot, etc, etc... But ill tell u this. In a VERY, VERY long time (i think BONNY, of all people, has had at least 5 hair cuts since we've been playing together, and trust me, that is a very long time!!), this was one of the best games we've ever had.

P.s. A few of our girl friends (not GIRL FRIENDS, so to say, more like our female friends from Bose's society had come to watch the game... They were in the nearby market and when they got to know we were playing, dropped by to "cheer us along"...

--FIRST HALF--

Like i said, not gonna go into details... But mainly, the other team had scored a goal, well constructed and well finished. We got charged up and went all guns blazing. However, LUCK killed us. I alone had hit the post of the goal and not scored twice. Everyone did the same. If i were to sum up the no., i think there were at least 10 such shots... we were awestruck.. SO CLOSE yet so agonizingly far!! (DAMN I HATE THOSE POLES!!!) ... Imagine, a shot bonny hit, struck the inside of a post, hit the goalie square across the face, fell to Marshel's feet and his shot hit the upright and sailed away!!! DAMMIT!! We lost our steam soon enough, in the hot late-afternoon sun and went into half time a goal down. As we took monstrous sips off a small supply of water, the ladies joked about bonny's and my reduced clothing (we took off our t-shirts.. IT WAS HOT FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!!) and we talked about plans for the second half. Marshel, the star player of the first half, Marshaled the troops along, playing manager-manager (you know, like there's doctor-doctor and ghar-ghar!! :P).. we got a refill of water, re-hydrated our systems and marched back into the field...

--SECOND HALF--

We went a goal down and were pretty confident that a few positional changes would bring us back on level terms with the opposition. We were wrong... The game slipped out of our hands (it was a muddy pitch too!).. In went goals 2 and 3... Almost all hope of coming back and winning was lost. ALMOST.

Then, with a flash of inspiration, i stole the ball from just outside our box, ran like the wind to the other half, dribbling across 2 opponents, crossed the ball to Bonny, whose touch directed the ball to tintin and whose decisive touch guided the ball where it belonged... Into THEIR goal!!
Score: 1-3
Within 2 minutes of restart, another goal, almost identical, by Prasid made the score 2-3!
The Game was coming back into our hands (or more rightly, into our feet), the shots went on target, some still struck their posts, but they could hardly ever find a way into our half of the field... Soon enough another strike by tintin found its way into their goal and we were back into the game... 3-3!!!! FINALLY... As the game went on, everyone checked the time.. It was hot and no one really had much energy left in them... We decided to play till 5 minutes after the next team scored (just to give the others a chance to equalize)... and then, this happened. They were surging into our box, passing smoothly and finding their guys well.. one took a shot at goal and hit Udit's hand... Penalty time.. well taken to.. blasted into the goal and the score was 3-4 now.. with 5 minutes left, we poured men forward and gave it our best, hit the post once (AGAIN) and shot wide a couple of times before i bodies gave up and we called it quits.. shook hands with everyone for a game played well, changed, packed our bags and got going again...

That's just how football is i guess.. you can never really tell what could happen until the final whistle goes, till its all FINALLY over.. A team you could count out could come back from a 3 goal deficit and equalize and then, though the momentum is with them, against their luck, could concede a goal from an unforced penalty. That's why they call it The Beautiful Game...



The next part of my weirdest two weeks' story is about this beautiful game and i guess now is the best time to tell u this tale...

21st May 2008

Luzhniki Stadium in the heart of Russia's capital city Moscow was set to host the first ever all-English final in the history of the UEFA champions league... Manchester United prepared themselves to face Chelsea FC, who appeared in the competition finals for the first time. I was at Bonny's place, along with Prasid, Niloy, Tintin, Dushyant and Aparna. It was probably the biggest game of the season and Chelsea needed to give their fans (myself included) a reason to cheer and went in the more determined of the two teams. The match kicked off at 12.15 am here... The game went well, tensions were high and the events of the days prior to the game had multiplied them. Manchester Utd scored, Chelsea followed suit and leveled the scores. It would stay that way till the end of the 90 minutes of the game.. and nothing changed after 30 minutes of extra time, though Chelsea regularly looked to win it, being the better side in this prestigious tie... They hit the post a few times and surged into the Man U area more often than the reds would please..

However, a few drastic events, including the suspension of Chelsea's strike force, Didier Drogba, drove the game into penalties and everyone had their fingers and hearts crossed. We had together finished 4 large packets of chips and some namkeen apart from the 3 2l bottles of Pepsi, Fanta and coke... Then the shots weer struck. 5 shots later, the scores were tied at 4-4. Then, Chelsea's Anelka struck straight at Van Der Saar and it was all over. Chelsea had to climb the stairs to the podium, heads held as high as was possible, cheered on my their fans and clapped in respect by the oppositions' supporters, to receive their runners up medals. Then, the team in red climbed the same stairs to receive medals of gold and a trophy that meant a lot to not just the European footballers, but the millions who tuned into the game. Though the Man U players posed with their Cup, They knew just as well as the rest of the world that they were, in reality, just the second best team on the pitch. Chelsea deserved to win, but it just wasn't our night.

That's just how the Beautiful Game goes about. You win some, you lose some, but if you go down, u do so with heads held high. Lesson learnt. Match over. Good Night.

\m/rock.in.peace\m/