Soccer Heroes

The noises, excitements, fun, disheartening, betting, and finally disappointments all are direct repercussions of football world. The greatest show on earth through a certain technology called television brings it right in front of us in a small screen. The high fly tackling, sizzling dribbles, magical shots, scintillating scoring all but rather result in a magical performance by brilliant professionals. And we enjoy the game as much as we despise watching it. We die with great zeal for a match of certain teams we support while reverse is true with teams we don’t like. Sometimes, the teams deliver a brilliant performance that it brings immense joys while we are not lucky all the times. We may console it with a thought that it was sheer luck that was not on the side of the team which we supported, yet still it doesn’t defy you the pain of envying the opponent’s team winning or the joy of your team getting through to the end of success. Football is played in front of the screen more than just we watch on the screen. And the passion is still comparable. There’s more to it than just those players playing on the pitch. Reasons are sometimes justified more within the frame of fans than amongst the players on the pitch.

Forgetting that I got to submission the very next morning, I sit amongst my friends in a compact small room and wait for the football match. Chuck all things. I can do the submission in next class. But the very match can’t be enjoyed as much as watching it live. And I see my friends gathering in few numbers; most of us here are Bhutanese who enjoy watching football. Though we get mostly the English premier league matches on tv, we do watch champions league sometimes. Since 2006, I have been a diehard fan of Cristiano Ronaldo; the guy who my friend Tenzin sitting next to me feels that he have but all hatred towards him for his rather pretentious acts on the pitch which beguiles referee and results in the decision favor of Ronaldo. Ronaldo has an attitude; in fact a very irritating nature. He goes down so easily and cries at referee. Gets easily frustrated at losing, and when he scores he shows off his style which some football fans who doesn’t like him gives another reason to hate him. But all these very disgusting qualities of him, I take it for a reason behind his brilliant football. That’s all I can say in defense of my favorite player. There are people like Ugyen, and wangda who doesn’t watch football much but most of the time only when Ronaldo is playing. And there is Messi, well not at all messy (if you mis-spell by any chance) one short guy who produces a very big performance. He’s hero to Tenzin. Chimi too likes Messi. No doubt Messi is one best player at the moment, and the guy is having a brilliant season in Barcelona. Penjor always is for Rooney, the very tough guy who plays for Manchester united. Singye a guy who have been following football ever since his primary days has now changed his passion for Man Utd and supports the Man City. And as for loday, we always joke at him calling him the fan of loser-pool, liver-fool, and many. Deep down, his love for Liverpool is always solid just like Sonam Tashi has for Liverpool as well. Tempa, a very angry fan of Chelsea, but he’s a very tender and shaky heart for Chelsea just like anyone of football fans when our team loses. Arsenal, the lethal weapons as they call themselves have generated their place in Wangchuk, Jamyang and many people. All foes and all friends gather infront of small monitor. And the show is all set to ablaze the room. The passions get collide, and excitements gets merge. All possibilities come out of the room at the end of the match. There is whole torture phase and a very opposite phase for your opponent. And anyone can imagine with what kind of differing interest our circle is formed here.

Well, the line doesn’t stop with the match. The analysis, results, and finally our feelings are all more to follow. It was not that I expected. It was a very good match. Sheer luck. We go on mentioning so many reasons behind our excitements and disappointments. And counter reactions are there as much as happy celebrations. The cool guys become angry dudes. And our so-called differing interest on respective teams doesn’t end with football match on tv, but also we continue it in virtual game called FIFA series. The tournaments, leagues and trophies are much a part of Fifa game. And there the clashes of egos are more apparent than ever. And the same stories of disappointments and celebration continue.

All this may seem like a useless pursue of some baseless passion to anyone who don’t really like being involved in virtual events. But for us, no matter with whatever differing interest our circle is formed, its still the same passion that brings us together and creates something happening in our group that results in all but a long lasting friendship amongst us. It gives us more open spaces for knowing eachother. And I thank the football for all these commotions, excitements, noises, celebrations, passions and happenings.

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