Football is not just the beautiful game. It is absolutely and freaking the most beautiful game ever played in this world. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, till date, a game of football is about simple harmless fun and competition. I remember from my childhood growing in a football crazy city such as Abu Dhabi, how much the beautiful game had influenced me. Watching the Arabic football cartoon, Captain Majid used to inspire me into doing some of the acrobatic shots shown, much to the disdain of my neighbours. From then till now, I was never a good player, but I really loved the game and whenever I played, I did it passionately.
Millions of people around the world love this game. South American countries like Brazil play football as a way of life. Football legend Pele once said that ‘Brazil eat, sleeps and drinks football. It lives football’. It is a very simple game where two teams play against each other try to break the others’ defenses in scoring a goal.
Read the above said line once again. It is a game of teams and not individuals. Its a game of a million formulations and combinations. Its a game that requires perseverance, sacrifice, tenacity, aggression, dedication, respect for others and even authority. To be a good soccer player one needs the highest levels of fitness and discipline. Everything has to be balanced to ensure that you enjoy a good game and even play one well.
Football is a game for humanity. It doesn’t need too much technique, too much learning, basically there is nothing to be learnt or unlearnt here to ensure that you become a good player. All one needs is to play within the confines of a team, together in dribbling and passing the ball, cleverly through the opponents side into their goalpost for a goal.
This year is a blessed year just because of that. We have the World Cup being held in the most passionate country in this world for the beautiful game – Brazil. This year it will be bigger and better, and from the first few days into the competition that would seem an understatement.
A few years ago, on a beautiful summer day in Edmonton, yours truly had the fortune of being with few of his friends, a football and huge ground in the University of Alberta. We did not even have the required numbers to run across half the field. I remember remarking ‘With such less people, how do we even play?’. ‘Dont worry friend, they will come’ remarked a colleague of mine. Within the next couple of hours, I was startled to see many a passerby join us and we had more people to play, and eventually we had to bench a few of them. The game we had was too good and crazy fun!
That my friends is the power of this game. It doesn’t need any followers, it doesn’t need any planning. All you need is the ball and a place to play. Then wait and watch, how in no time people joins you. It is the nature of this game, that makes it inclusive, addictive and religious.
Amen to the beautiful game !
Featured Image Courtesy: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/10/article-2653771-1E9ED2A400000578-366_964x582.jpg
Tenny Thomas 
