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My Love with Football

My Love with Football

June 2010, FIFA world cup has started and I am really excited to watch the matches. And I can't wait to see my favourite team win the world cup. I don't know why I love this sport more than any other, though cricket is very popular sport in India. I happened to love this sport more.

It all began in 90, I had learnt Maradona and Pele were the legends of football and I had watched them play in pervious world cup highlights which was telecasted in our only TV Channel of India the Doordarshan on Sundays. 1990 was the year, where the FIFA world cup was held in Italy and my hero Maradona was playing in it. I was glued to the TV all night watching great matches. Due to time difference and one channel could not telecast multiple matched at same time. I had missed some matches in 90, but i had seen most of them live. Argentina was brilliant in this world cup. Maradona was great. He helped Argentina win matches against Brazil, Yugoslavia and Italy. These were the matches which I cannot forget. Maradona is a kind of person who has an aura around him which makes other players in the team to excel better and give the best shot all the time.

The match between Italy and Argentina in semi final was dream match where Argentina defeats Italy in a nail bitting penalty shoot out. Particularly in this match Italy scores the first goal very quickly in first half. For that I was really shocked and felt that Argentina might not make it to finals. As everybody knows Italy had the home advantage and referees were partial and helping the Italy. Argentina was trying all its chances to win this match. Only option to win this match was converting the half chance into the goal which exactly Caniggia Argentina’s sticker did in the 2nd half. He heads the ball in the air at a superb angle which deceives the Italy's goal keeper and entire stadium in Italy goes silent and I get pumped up in midnight 12:00 PM in India.

After this, in extra time, one of Argentina's players gets sent off and they manage to hold Italy with 10 players and eventually win the in penalty shoot.

Unfortunately in the finals Argentina loses because of referee who gives a wrong decision and Germany in finals plays negative football by either holding the ball or kicking the ball outside the line. Thus Germany wins the world cup.

Next world cup was in US in 94, I would say this world cup was the fairest world cup ever in the history of world cups. US made sure, fair play happens and nobody is at advantage. Whenever there is fair play Brazil takes the world cup home.

France- 98, I would consider this world cup as the worst world cups ever. I feel this world cup had all the wrong things in it like Partial referees, matching fixings and also in the final the star sticker Rolando of Brazil was given something to make him sick. Despite that he plays and France wins this world cup by cheating.

2002 - Korea/Japan world cup was one those ugly world cups where the Hosts Japan and Korea makes it to quarter finals and semi finals. Which they had never done earlier and will never do it again in future, Provided they host it again!!. Thank god they were not in finals. Brazil wins this world because they did not face the host nation in earlier stages.

2006 Germany - This world cup was better than pervious once. Germany had some level of home advantage. But they were not cheating. On the scale of fairness it was 75% good. Italy wins this world cup by beating France. I loved the semi final match between Germany and Italy.

2010 South Africa - My guess based upon earlier world cup. At least one African team will be in semi finals. Could be South Africa itself and other one may be Ivory Cost/ Ghana? One European team in semis, I feel that team could be Spain or Germany.

Argentina and Brazil are favourites for semis unless something different happens. I wish Argentina lifts the world cup this time, because my Hero Maradona is the coach.

Comments

Kiran said…
DV, I like the passion in your post. However, USA-1994 was considered one of the most boring events, while France 1998 was one of the better ones. And the comment about USA ensuring fairness-LOL.
So you think Argentina will beat Germany this weekend? I too would like Messi and co to make it to the semis against Spain.
Hey CK,
thanks for giving your comments. As always I agree with you. But for some reason i don't like Home advantage and Host nation wining the world cup.

I hope Argentina will beat Germany this time, i am looking forward for that match.
- Kiran

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