The final showdown

This was typed out after I watched the final of Euro cup 2012. 

More than three weeks of football extravaganza came to a conclusion with Sunday’s final, after which, Spain had the last laugh. They became the first team to retain the European champions title, and to win three major titles, consecutively. The final between Italy and Spain was not the best of games of Euro 2012, and it was one sided, but still, it was worth watching. And I had to watch it. How was the question.

Living in a rented house, without television, in Chennai, is very hard. Especially during the time of such sporting events. This is the place where televisions get given away for free, by politicians. When you think of that, you feel worse. So, I put a status message in facebook, hoping that someone with a huge LCD TV would invite me over to their room. The status message was as follows.

I am so desperate to watch the Euro cup final and I don’t have a television in my room. Anybody from Chennai OMR region, with a TV, ready to accommodate me for Sunday night? I am not as scary and ugly as the profile picture looks, I don’t make much noise, but I do utter very insightful coments during the match.

And it worked. One of my friends asked me to come over. There were a dozen of us, watching the match, there, which consisted of people with various degrees of football knowledge. So, we had lots of interesting comments pouring in, during the match. Someone suggested that Pirlo should have kicked the ball with ball with less power and more swing, someone else, commented on the technical errors in Spain’s strategy, and somebody, even wondered whether David Villa was named after the apartment that his parents were living in, while he was born.

The match started evenly, and in the first half, both teams had their chances. While Casillas stood like a rock in front of the Italians, Spain, netted the ball twice, to announce their supremacy. Second half started with both the teams unleashing a flurry of attacks, but soon enough, Italy got reduced to ten men, and the rest was just a formality. Spain’s game was not in their mellifluous best, but still, their deft passing was a treat to watch.

Certain degree of success can come with the help of luck, but to climb the mountain of success, and to be a there for a while, takes a lot of talent and effort. That’s what the Spaniards are doing, at the moment. Congratulations to the Spain football team, and all those who supported them. Especially to Gerard Pique’s girlfriend, whose hip never lies.

If you know what I mean.  

Worldcup hangover : Things that I miss

FIFA WC 2010 has just come to it's conclusion, with Spain having the last laugh. well deserved, I would say.

For the last one month, on almost every day, I had one or two international football matches to look towards, and that was really nice, especially when the hectic time that I was having, almost jeopardized the sanity of my mind. But not anymore. Now, I am suffering from the post world cup hangover. Missing the vigor and passion of hard fought football matches. So, here comes a list of the things that I miss very badly after the exceedingly well organized one month football extravaganza in South Africa. Pardon the nonsense.

1. Shakira



Shakira and her theme song were really magical. The best thing (arguably, I know) about this world cup. There was a bit of a controversy regarding FIFA not approaching an African singer to perform the theme song. But who wants to see an African singer like Akon or K'naan perform? Not that they aren't good enough. But still, can they be as hot and sexy as Shakira? Not in my perspective(Em kinda straight, you know), and I don't know about the girls out there.

Just watched an interview of Shakira in Youtube where she talks about her WC theme song, football in general, and work that her foundation does to provide education to poor children. Find the video here. The interviewer appreciates all the philanthropic work that she does, or at least she claims to be doing. Even I appreciate the same too. But I've never seen anyone appreciating the philanthropic work of Vicente Ferrer Moncho or Jamini Bhushan Ray. The rule is quite simple. When you are an exceedingly hot female, the probability of your philanthropic/social work being appreciated is very very high.


I need to move on to the next item in the list. Let me conclude this one first.

Providing education to poor children is a great thing. Education helps us to live on this planet in a better way. Earth is such a beautiful planet and we need to conserve it. Because, earth is the only planet where Shakira exists. Damn.

2. Vuvuzela



Vuvuzela needs no introduction, for those who have been watching FIFA WC 2010 matches. Vuvuzela is the large blowing horn which produces a highly annoying buzzing sound. It is very commonly played during football matches in South Africa. The sound is so annoying that, certain television networks had to try to filter it out.

Google has even introduced a Vuvuzela button in Youtube. While watching football videos, you can blow a Vuvuzela. If you haven't seen that button yet, check out the highlights video of the Ghana Uruguay quarter final here. You can start blowing the Vuvuzela by clicking on the football shaped button seen near the pop out button.


3. Paul and his predictions

Paul is the psychic octopus who predicted the outcomes of several matches correctly. He is a maverick, indeed. He entered the field of astrology, and no other octopus has done it before.
If the Paul prediction thing had happened in India, won't the west have accused us Indians of being superstitious? Anyways, I enjoyed the buzz around his predictions, and all the lame jokes surrounding it. I miss Paul, and I am sure he is disappointed too. He hasn't got any more predictions to make. He has to live as an ordinary octopus now. What would have Paul said on the situation, if he could speak? Here comes the answer.

"Ahem.. Thanks for all your support. Now my future looks kinda empty, as the world cup is over. But on the other hand, er.. I mean, on any of the other eight hands, I have noticed certain opportunities in the form of Indian premier league. I could predict the results of those matches"

How about that? Shall we begin a campaign 'Paul in IPL'? Or shall we use him to predict the things that are likely to happen in our Indian politics, where the happening are unexpected and illogical most of the times? That could work out very well, considering the fact that Paul also doesn't have any logic or skill behind his predictions.

So, these are the things that I miss, mostly. The withdrawal symptoms are so strong that, despite not being a keen observer of club football, I have decided to keep track of all the English/Spanish premier league matches this year.

At last, Argentina made it!!

And at last, Argentina has made it to the next years world cup, without leaving it to the play off. Am so glad for Maradona and his team. But they will have to do a much better job in the world cup if they want to make a mark.

Waiting to see Lionel Messi, best football player of the contemporary world, according to me, playing for his country. I hope this time, luck will also be with the Argentinians.