10 am and I' watching the Chile/Switzerland soccer match, the second of three games each team plays before countries are eliminated from the month-long competition. I love this game, for many reasons Here's a short list:
1. It's not your typical American sport
2. How many things can you NOT use your hands for?
3. The televised games only have commercials at halftime.
4. Each team is from another part of the World
5. Virtually every emotion is packed into a 90 minute window
Watching the teams play, I'm reminded of my own experience at grad school, and then also looking for jobs. There are moments of players really pushing themselves to run JUST A LITTLE FASTER, to try JUST A BIT HARDER. This is physically amazing. There is a strict protocol to play without cursing at the referee or fighting with the other players. The teams have to respect each other. There is extreme joy at a goal made, ESPECIALLY if is done in a clever, skin-of-your-teeth kind of way. There is extreme disappointment when a goal is ALMOST made, but perhaps not because a foot wasn't angled right or a teammate wasn't there to see something through. There is extreme pride when a goalkeeper does his job well, acting as an iron wall that cannot be crossed. It breaks my heart to see a team lose, yet I feel ecstatic for the teams that win. My least favorite teams are the ones that don't play aggressively. I don't mean dirty, I mean sharp and on point. In this game you HAVE to use your teammates. Sure, there are key players, but ultimately the ball has to work its way through the constantly changing set up of players. I think of it as high speed chess!
Can't wait until next year - the WOMEN'S World Cup!
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