Football: In love with the game of emotions

This write up is an attempt to illustrate how football, the most beautiful sport on earth is a game of emotions, against the backdrop of a mesmerizing match I watched in the FIFA World Cup 2018.  It sums up my response to the questions asked to me by my family and friends about my no nonsense passion about soccer.

More than any other sport, football is an emotional game. Every sport has its own importance and values but there is something special in football. I consider myself as a biggest fan of football. Although there are many better and faster players than me, when the point comes to passion I don’t think that anyone will have the passion for football like how I have. I consider myself as the most passionate footballer.

This sport teaches me everything. For me football is more than a game. It teaches lessons that players carry with themselves until they die. Teamwork, discipline, perseverance, goal setting, handling success and failure, time management, being fit and sharp both physically and mentally, to hard work all the time, never giving up, always be motivated, self-discipline, respecting other players, and dreams can be achieved through hard work and dedication no matter how big they are, are some of the lessons I learned from this beautiful game. I still remember the quote “I learned all about my life with a ball at my feet”. These were some of the answers given by me to my friends and family on being asked “why are you so passionate to football”? “why do you have so much interest in football”?

Despite seeing life threatening injuries and tragedies on Television, I still play football by full of love and joy and by not getting distracted with some of the harsh and dangerous incidents in my surroundings.

When kick off starts the lions start their Campaign.

The lions play with heart and determination that often surpass their physical, mental and emotional abilities. No amount of desire will direct a penalty kick on the back of the net or put the game in control. It takes skill, determination and focus to earn a victory.

Football players who can focus their emotions are successful. In football mistakes happen, but those who make the fewest win the game. Many strange and unwanted things happen to the lions in this game. They have to suffer things they don’t wish or pray for. But the lions are far from a one-man team and despite facing some strange incidents there is no way that they controlled the game for 20 or 40 minutes, but their focus and emotions led them to control the game for 90 minutes and more than that. It was obvious from the kickoff the lions were motivated.

I’m such a lion when I take to the field or the turf.

It shows that football is more than just a game. When comes to fans they are the absolute enthusiasts and probably the best crowds in the world. This is the reason players run towards the gallery and celebrate after scoring a goal.

When the players are giving their absolute best to earn a victory for the team and also for the fans, we are at absolute best to support and cheer our heroes.

This is the reason that when they are happy we are happy when they laugh we laugh when they cry we cry when the players are debut in football it is as if we entered in a professional football and when they retire it is as if we retire.

I’m one amongst the emotional fans mentioned above.

I still remember the Joy, emotions and turbulence when I was watching a live match of Germany vs Sweden in the FIFA World Cup 2018 held in Russia. The crowd, fans and myself were at absolute best to support and cheer for Germany, the defending champions who beat Argentina in the final game at Brazil in 2014. Despite being the champions, they lost first group stage match in World Cup 2018 against Mexico. Their second match against Sweden was a must win for them to stay in the competition. But in the first half Ola Toivonen scored a fantastic goal to crush the Germans dream and their fans were shell shocked. However, in the early second half, Marco Reus responded in the 48 minute and equalised to make German coach and their fans bring back to the game.

The match was getting thriller and thriller as the time passed. It was evident from the face of German coach Joachim low that he was shivering with the tension and pressure thinking that it can be a humiliating exit. To add salt in the wound, in the 82nd minute German defender Jerome Boateng tackled Swedish player and was shown a second yellow card which resulted in his send off.

The Germans were down to 10 down men in their pursuit of a goal. The time came in the 95th minute when Toni Kroos and Marco Reus stood up to take a free-kick from a very promising position. My heart beat was at the highest  level before Kroos took the free-kick in a win-win situation. Either a painful exit or a historical moment of greatest comeback. In a breathtaking moment the fans were crying,  some thrilled and fingers crossed, showing complete support for Kroos and Germany.

The referee Blows the whistle allowing Kroos to take the freekick. Reus was standing right in front of Kroos. The German coach and other staff were all silent and praying for some miracle. And then Kroos passes the ball to Reus where he stops it for Kroos to shoot a curler into the back of the net creating a frenzied atmosphere.

The crowd, fans, players, coach and myself were completely flowed in the emotion of what they had just witnessed. I still remember the golden lines of the commentator.

Before the goal :”The last window of opportunity for Germany to earn a victory here”

After the goal: “Kroos will go for it and scored an inspirational moment from the Real Madrid star when they are down and tested, they find a way to win”.

This was a moment sheer of emotions. Not many other games can take us to these kind of breathtaking moments. That’s why I argue that football is the game of emotions.