But life goes on. And whether you are Paul the Octopus, Iniesta the golden goal scorer or just the plebeian TV viewer from a country that never makes it past the qualifiers, sooner or later the euphoria passes.
The final this year shall be remembered for a long time to come. I personally intend to acquire a recording of this game so that I can teach my children (when I have them), what football is NOT supposed to be and how football should NOT be played.
Thanks to Spain, I should be able to give them some pointers as to what football is and how it should be played ... as well using the same example.
This game is a must for value education classes as well. Values like sportsmanship, decency and honor are so much a part of most games that you don't even realize what part they play in making a great game - till of course you watch a team playing that is totally bereft of each of those qualities.
To be fair to them, the techniques that the dutch used are definitely not unheard of. But to see them being employed at a world cup game - and that too the final - was a little too much to stomach. I tremble to think what football would transform in thousands of school grounds around the world had they won. Despite them having lost, I shall not be surprised if a lot of kids come home complaining of chest pain from school because someone on the field played a "dutch tackle" on them and kicked them on the chest.
I guess it is easy to forget in this age that the ends don't necessarily justify the means. Footballers are almost worshiped around the world by kids because they are perhaps the closest you get to super-heroes in real life. Sadly for a lot of kids, the line between the super-heroes and super-villains might just be a little blurred thanks to the Dutch.
Well, for now, we can thank God that Spain won and we can pray and hope that the world cup will be better in the years to come - a true showcase of football magic instead of mere hooliganism.
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone
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