The world is a nasty place and life is never fair. It hits you hard. It may take a few minutes, a few weeks, months or even a year to get up. But in a few cases, for a few individuals, it takes 4 years and still doesn't let you get up. But, if sometimes, we just sit back, and think for a minute (or maybe longer than a minute), is it really always about winning? Is it really about popping champagne at the closing ceremony of a championship? Is it really about lifting the trophy high in the air?
Or, at the end of the day, it is all about, chasing the ball?
Football is a team game and the result is basically the result of the combined efforts of the eleven players on the field and the infinite number of staffs and members and the coach, off the field. After-all, football is all a mind game between the coaches. The decisions they take, the strategies they make, the players they choose, define who they are. Define their credibility. The power of their mind, the winning probability of their teams. Because at the end of the day, it's all about chasing the ball.
In the 2014 world cup, we all know, the German squad took the golden fairy home for the 4th time. The only team to do so. Their iconic 7-1 victory over the only team who have won the cup more number of times than the have. Argentina's struggle to the finals, defeating Netherlands, in the semi finals, does all these make the enormous efforts of the other teams, a null, a zero, void? Did Arjen Robben's 37 kmph sprint, Van Persie's flying goal or Netherlan's 5-1 win over the defending champions Spain hold no significance? Why always does the winner has to take everything home? What about those who tried? What about Lionel Messi's magical free kicks against Nigeria, the historic goal against Bosnia? Or Romero's magnificent saves? Zaballeta and Mascherano's defence? I can go on listing here and it will never end. But you get the point.
2018 world cup. France won the cup for the second time. Belgium, Croatia, two equally deserving teams couldn't make it. So, does that make Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne, Courtis, Modric, Rakitic and others' efforts worthless? No it never does. It is all about the combined efforts they gave, the selfless pain they went through, the incredible team work they showed, the brotherhood that was celebrated and the game, that won. Because at the end of the day, it's truly all about, chasing the ball.
Messi and Ronaldo, the greatest of all times. We are the luckiest generation in the history of football rivalries, because we got to experience the greatest fight in history, we got to grow up through it, all through our teenage years, we got to get amazed by it. We got to experience the excitement of picking up the newspaper the first thing in the morning and turn straight to the sports section. And, every day, we would see one has outspoken the other in terms of performance. One day Messi is the highest scorer and Ronaldo has a match scheduled in the evening (in Spanish time of course, in our case it would be 'scheduled at midnight). And next day, voila! guess what, the crown has been snatched again! And the next day, the crown again goes back to Messi and this went on and on.
The most exciting matches, in which I always have taken a special interest are the El Classicos. The greatest football matches on earth. It was not only Barca vs RM, but also Messi vs Ronaldo. One G.O.A.T against the other. I still remember engaging in ferocious debates with friends in school after each and every El Classico. And of course after every La Liga or Champions League. Sure, one won and the other one didn't. But we can't call it losing. Can we? Days after days of hard work should not go unacknowledged just like that.
So, maybe at the end of the day, all we can do is just sit back, relax, and take a deep breath and just enjoy the game. Just enjoy being excited each and every time I see an incredible cross, or an amazing free kick or an extraordinary save. Just enjoy being jumping up in sheer excitement every time a shot on the target hits the bar-post, and screaming with joy every time it hits the nets. Just enjoy watching the game.
Because at the end of the day, it is all about "Chasing the ball".
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