A Dance of Passion on the Football Field
By Marina Kochetova
On July 19, the attention of the entire world was riveted on the World Cup final, in which two Spanish-speaking teams met — the national teams of Argentina and Spain.
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, USA (New Jersey, effectively New York City), with a capacity of several tens of thousands of seats, could not accommodate everyone who wanted to attend the historic match in person, despite the exorbitant ticket prices. Hours before kickoff, enthusiastic fans from around the world began claiming spots in the makeshift fan zones near the stadium. Alongside championship merchandise, vendors everywhere sold the traditional American hot dogs topped with tiny Spanish and Argentine flags. Credit must be given to the Americans for their exceptional ability to organize such massive events — no crowding, no confusion, fast security checks: everything ran smoothly, which is more than can be said for the performance of American airlines.
During the break between the first and second halves — each lasting 45 minutes by regulation — as well as before the award ceremony, a half-hour show was planned featuring megastars such as Madonna, Shakira, and Justin Bieber. Unlike any concert, a sports competition is something else entirely. No one could have predicted in advance that regulation time would end 0:0, that each half would be extended by the referee (the first by six minutes, the second by eight minutes of stoppage time), and that two additional 15-minute periods would be needed. The world's pop stars could neither overshadow the drama of the match nor distract the fans' attention from its surprises. The first and only goal was scored in the 106th minute of the final!
When the air grows heavy and rain finally begins to fall, breathing becomes easier. But in this case, the goal scored by a young Spaniard against Argentina only raised the tension in the stadium even higher. It seemed as though the mood of the entire planet depended on the momentary fighting spirit of L. Messi, the legendary captain of the Argentine national team. Oh, how hard the life of a professional footballer can be! What an enormous burden of responsibility falls on the shoulders of those considered favorites, obligated to bring happiness to the whole world through their flawless play. For all his greatness, Messi is not a robot — he is a living human being...
Many wept along with him when the match ended. Nevertheless, the outstanding Argentine and his team, throughout the entire, extremely grueling final, gracefully danced the Argentine football tango, with its inimitable steps, movement, improvisation, and balance. The Spanish team put on a magnificent performance, winning the world championship title for the second time in its history. And the many fans who witnessed the fierce football passions received the lion's share of positivity from this celebration of world football!